13 Best Day Trips From Paris
By SYDNEY BAKER
Between touring the Palace of Versailles, strolling the lovely gardens, and exploring the equally impressive town surrounding it you will find plenty of activities to fill your day. The easiest way to reach the palace is by taking the regional train RER C in Paris to the Chateau Rive Gauche station in Versailles which takes about 45 minutes.
Versailles
There is more to see inside the Fontainebleau which, unlike Versailles, wasn't ransacked during the revolution, and it's less famous so you'll have fewer crowds to deal with. A full day of touring the palace, gardens, and local town is just a 45-minute train ride from the Paris Gare de Lyon station.
Fontainebleau
The Belgian capital is often overlooked by travelers and the winding streets of the old town are full of bars with delicious Belgian beers to sample, cafes serving the most decadent waffles, and adorable shops. It's a great city for museums with something for everyone and is just a 90-minute trip by high-speed train from Paris.
Brussels
Named for the town and castle where it was invented Chantilly packs a full day with tours of the chateau, the sprawling estate, and the darling horse town full of polo and racing. It's only 25 minutes by train from Paris, making it one of the more doable day trips from the capital city.
Chantilly
An easy 2.5-hour train ride from the Gare de l'Est, the Loire Valley is full of history and important French sites. Wander the city museums, indoor market, town cathedral, and chateau, and day trips to nearby wineries are easily organized from the city.
Loire Valley