Paris has something to satisfy every cultural craving. You can glide around on a double-decker bus and snap selfies with iconic landmarks, or take a bespoke tour of the cutting-edge art scene; relish cabaret shows at the Moulin Rouge or experience sensational drag performances at Madame Arthur; savor a classic Gallic feast at a Belle Époque brasserie, or sweat through a dish of fiery Filipino fried chicken wings at a hip 11ème restaurant. You can be a flâneur or flâneuse (a wanderer) and lose yourself among cobblestone streets and Haussmanien façades. It’s a challenge to get bored in Paris.
But as the city swells with tourists for the Olympic Games this summer, visitors can take a breather with a day trip. Travel companies are rolling out new services to make it easier than ever to venture beyond the capital: The airline French Bee, for example, recently introduced its air+train service in partnership with SNCF, allowing flyers to combine their flights with train tickets to 15 destinations in a single itinerary, with reduced rates and assistance for delays or cancellations. Travelers can focus more on brushing up on their Français, and less on transportation hiccups. Here’s our guide on where to go, what to see, what to eat, and what to do in on these best day trips from Paris—Bordeaux, Marseilles, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Reims, and Lille—according to our local experts.
Read our complete Paris travel guide here.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date. Every review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that activity. When choosing things to do, our editors consider landmarks and experiences that offer an insider’s view of a destination, keeping authenticity, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
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