More about: 8 best excursions you can do from Paris
Going to the Palace of Versailles, visiting Disneyland or taking a trip to the Châteaux de la Loire are some of the different plans that you can enjoy on your trip to Paris. In addition to all the monuments, museums and attractions of the city, there is also a wide range of excursions to nearby places that are organized throughout the week and that you can not miss. If you have doubts about which ones are worth doing depending on the number of days of your stay, here are the essential ones.
On the other hand, I recommend you to read the post what to see and do in Paris to make a list of the best plans for your trip.
1. Excursions to the Palace of Versailles
Declared a World Heritage Site and just half an hour from Paris, is located the Palace of Versailles, one of the most popular excursions on your visit to the French capital. On this tour you will have the opportunity to visit one of the symbols of the French Golden Age, discover the emblematic Hall of Mirrors, the royal apartments and stroll through the gardens. And if your trip coincides from April to October you can also enjoy the musical shows in the gardens and fountains of the palace. In the article What to see at the Palace of Versailles you can learn more about the essential things to do in this visit.
Regarding the excursions, there are half-day and full-day tours. In the latter case, it also includes access to the Grand and Petit Trianon, as well as the estate of Marie Antoinette. Regarding the departure time, it takes place early in the morning, around 8 am, or early in the afternoon, around 1 pm. In this article you can read all the information about the opening hours of the Palace of Versailles. And as the tour is long, I recommend you to read the post where to eat in Versailles in case you want to enjoy a delicious meal or make a break.
On the other hand, in the post tickets to the Palace of Versailles and how to get to Versailles from Paris you can check extra information about this proposal. And if you are traveling with the little ones of the house, in the article visit Versailles with children you will know the most fun ideas.
Interesting details
- Price... From 59€ for the half day tour and from 89€ for the full day tour.
- Duration... From 4 hours depending on the mode.
- What's included... Transfer to and from Paris, hostess on the bus, access to the gardens, skip-the-line entrance to the palace and audio guide. In addition, the full-day package includes access to the Grand and Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's estate, as well as the musical show in the gardens.
- Means of transportation... Bus.
2. Excursions to Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is the most popular excursion from the city of Paris. And it is an ideal plan, whether you go with children or not, the fun is guaranteed. Before your visit you should know that there are two parks: Disneyland, which is the traditional park and Walt Disney Studios, which is the Disney Studios. To know all the details, read the articles what to see and do in Disneyland Paris and the best attractions of Disneyland.
From the center of Paris you have the possibility to go and return in the day. The most comfortable option is the train. To do so, you must take a train to Marne-la-Vallee Chessy station. The ticket has an approximate cost from 7-10€ each way depending on the departure station. In the post how to go from Paris to Disneyland: all options, you can have more information on this and other options.
Of course, if you go only one day it is very important to leave early. I recommend you to read the post what to see in Disneyland Paris in one day so you know everything you need to know for this fairytale day. In addition, it is important that you know the Disneyland Paris schedule so you can organize yourself as best as possible and you can consider buying a fast pass to avoid queues and you can make the most of the day.
Interesting details
- Price... From 54€.
- Duration... From one to four days.
- What's included... There are different types of tickets, but the ideal is to buy a one-day ticket that gives you access to both parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios.
- Means of transportation... Transportation is on your own. The most comfortable is to go by train.
3. Excursions to Giverny, the place that inspired Monet
Another of the most interesting excursions from the city of Paris, especially for art lovers, is a half-day trip to the village of Giverny, where the impressionist painter Claude Monet lived for more than 40 years. On this excursion you will discover some of the landscapes he depicted in his paintings: the colorful gardens with water lilies and weeping willows, the wheat fields, as well as the forests of Normandy. In addition, you can visit the painter's house given by the family in the 1960s to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. The museum was opened to the public in the 1980s.
Giverny is located about 80 kilometers from Paris and the excursion, which lasts about five hours, will take place by bus. The price starts at 69€.
Details of interest
- Price... From 90€.
- Duration... 5 hours.
- What's included... Transport service, guide or audio guide depending on your preferences, entrance to the museum.
- Means of transportation... Bus.
4. Excursions to the Loire Valley, a fairy tale region
One of the most popular tours from Paris is the excursion to the Loire Valley. On your trip to this area of the French countryside you will enjoy fairytale landscapes and have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the main castles of the region as the Château de Chenonceau and the Château de Chambord, which has served as inspiration for movies like 'Beauty and the Beast'.
In addition, after the guided visit to both castles you will have time to explore them on your own and enter the different rooms, stroll through their gardens and walk around the grounds. On this trip you will also have the opportunity to do a wine tasting at the Cave des Domes winery, whose wines are made from the vines of Chenonceau.
Details of interest
- Price... Around 150€.
- Duration... 12 hours.
- What's included... Bus transfer, entrance to the castles of Chambord and Chenonceau, wine tasting at the castle of Chenonceau.
- Means of transport... Bus.
5. Excursions to the Château of Chantilly
Approximately 50 kilometers from Paris is the Château de Chantilli, one of the most popular castles in France. It is divided into two parts: Château Petit, a small castle dating from the sixteenth century and Château Grand, the great castle of the nineteenth century.
One of the main attractions of this visit is the Count's Museum which, after the Louvre, houses the second largest collection of classical painting in the country. In addition, its library houses almost 13,000 volumes, including more than 1,500 manuscripts, two hundred of them medieval. During your trip you can also stroll through the gardens and visit the stables, as well as the Living Museum of the Horse.
Interesting details
- Price... There are different types of tickets. The most complete ticket is around 20€.
- Duration... One hour from Paris plus the free visit.
- What's included... The most complete ticket includes the Palace, the Condé Museum, the gardens, the stables and the Living Hair Museum. There is a discount if you buy family tickets.
- Means of transportation... The most comfortable option is the train and the destination stop is Chantilly-Govieux. To get there, you have to take Line D.
6. Excursions to the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel
From Paris you can also take an excursion to Mont Saint-Michel. Located in Normandy, northwest of France, it is a truly spectacular visit made every year by more than 3.5 million people. On your trip from Paris you can visit the Benedictine abbey dating from the tenth century and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979, stroll through the medieval streets, walk the ramparts and, most importantly, contemplate the particular tides of the place.
Details of interest
- Price... From 140€.
- Duration... 14 hours approximately.
- What's included... Round trip transportation, entrance to Mont Saint Michel and an expert guide.
- Means of transport... Bus.
7. Excursions to the D-Day beaches to learn all the details of the Battle of Normandy
Among the various offers from Paris is also the full-day excursion to the D-Day beaches in Normandy. This tour shows visitors all the details and scenarios of this key day that marked the beginning of the Battle of Normandy that would end World War II. Throughout the tour you will see the landscapes of the French countryside, you will visit the Caen memorial museum that gives a detailed account of this episode of World War II, you will go to Pointe du Hoc from where you will see the cliffs of hundreds of meters high between the beaches of Utah and Omaha, you will visit the American cemetery of Saint Laurent and Arromanches, and the last stop will be at Juno Beach and its cemetery.
Details of interest
- Price... From 185€.
- Duration... 14 hours.
- What's included... Round trip transportation, tour guide, entrance to the Caen Museum, lunch, visit to the Saint Laurent Cemetery and the Pointe du hoc.
- Means of transportation... Bus
8. Excursions to the Champagne region and its vineyards
You can also opt for a small group tour of the Champagne region. On this tour you will get to know in depth this typical and popular region. You will start the day with a visit to the Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot or Mercier estate, enjoy the vineyard landscapes and a wine tasting, have lunch in a family-run champagne cellar, stroll through Côte des Blancs and the Vallée de la Marne. In addition, you will visit Hautvillers, the French village of Dom Perignon.
Details of interest
- Price... from 269€.
- Duration... 11 hours.
- What's included... Visit to three champagne cellars and tasting in each of them, lunch with wine pairing, transportation from Paris by van, English speaking guide.
- Means of transportation... Van.
How much does a tour from Paris cost?
The price of the excursions from Paris is very varied depending on the destination, whether you do it on your own where you only have to buy the train ticket and the entrance to the site, or if you book a tour. Generally speaking, you can enjoy the main excursions from 30€ to 150€.
What are the excursions from Paris that I should not miss?
If you are going to Paris for several days do not hesitate to visit Disneyland Paris. This is the star excursion. Think that there are those who make the trip to the theme park without passing through the Parisian city. This way, you will get an idea of the importance of this destination.
Another possibility is to visit the Palace of Versailles, one of the most important in the world and a visit in which you will be aware of the fullness of the French monarchy before its decline. In addition, and although it is a longer excursion, I recommend you to visit the Loire castles, a fairytale region, or the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, which dates from the tenth century and every year is visited by more than three and a half million people. If what you want is originality, be sure to take a look at more original visits such as the excursion to Fontainebleau and the Vaux Le Vicomte castle.
And if you are an art lover, you can not miss the visit to Giverny, where you can delve into the work of Monet, as well as the visit to Chantilly, which houses one of the best works of classical painting after the Louvre.