The top 9 places to visit one hour away from Paris

This post is all about the best places to visit that are one hour away from Paris.

If you’re planning a trip to France, you most definitely must have Paris on your list of places to visit. You might know it as the French capital, the City of Love, or the City of Fashion. All this to say, you might have heard of it! However, Paris is not the only city worth your time! There are quite a few other places very close to Paris that you could go and visit.

They have different things to offer: another French large city experience? Or maybe you would prefer the more cozy village trip? We also have the castle life on the menu! The best bit about it all is that all these places are only 1 hour away from Paris (either by car or by train).

This post is all about the best places to visit around Paris!

 

Destinations 1 hour away from Paris

 

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By train

 

• • Reims

Reims is the city at the heart of the Champagne region. This is the place to go to if you want to tour the vineyards, experience all the various Champagne houses, and the best part yet: taste their wonderful bubbly drinks!

On top of that, Reims has a lot to offer in terms of historical landmarks: from the Gallo-Roman remains to the spectacular Notre-Dame Cathedral where some of the major Kings of France were crowned. You will feast your eyes on some of the most magnificent pieces of history you’ll ever see!

The great news is that all this beauty is less than one hour by train away from Paris Gare de l’Est.

You’ll find all the details you need to know for your visit right here.

 

• • Giverny

 

Giverny is a very special place for all art lovers: it is the house and exceptional gardens of the famous painter Claude Monet. The gardens are a big focal point of this place and have 2 different atmospheres: a flower garden (called the “Clos Normand“) in front of the house and a Japanese-inspired water garden. The latter inspired a lot of his paintings (which you can admire at the Musée Marmottan Monet and the Musée d’Orsay). So if you have an interest in his paintings and want to see the source of it all, Giverny is a must-visit!

The place is open to visitors from April 1st through November 1st, 2022 and it is highly recommended to book your ticket in advance. You can do so here.

To arrive at Giverny, you’ll just have to jump on a train at Paris Saint-Lazare train station and get off at the Vernon-Giverny train station less than one hour later! Then you have a bus shuttle to bring you to Monet’s house at Giverny.

 

• • Lille

 

Lille is one of the major French cities of the North of France (and almost at the border with Belgium). This large city has a lot of great sights for you to tour: la Grand’Place, the Belfry (which is the high tower you can see on the picture above – it’s the highest bell tower of the region), or the old city of Lille.

Once you’ve had a chance to visit all these major landmarks, you’ll be happy to go to an estaminet. It’s a restaurant type typical from Lille, where you’ll be able to enjoy some of the region’s specialties: welsh, waterzoï or mussels and fries. Those will be hearty meals that you’ll wash down with a great beer from the region or from Belgium (since it is so close). All this will keep you full for a little while. You’ll be thankful for all the calories in the wintertime because it can get chilly up there in the North!

To get to Lille, you’ll take a train from Gare du Nord and you’ll arrive in Lille one hour later ready for an adventure!

For more information on all the things, the city has to offer click here!

 

• • Orleans

 

In just one hour, you’ll find yourself in another great city full of history: Orléans! You’ll undoubtedly fall upon the statue of one of the great historical figures of the city, the Maiden of Orlean, better known as Joan of Arc.

You’ll also see the beautiful Sainte-Croix Cathedral at the heart of the city. The cathedral mixes different architectural styles, as it was built over 600 years! Inside you’ll find the depictions of the Joan of Arc’s life on certain stained-glass windows. Another Renaissance gem of Orléans is the Hôtel Groslot, the residence of the former bailiff of Orleans from 1521 to 1545.

If the weather is nice, you’ll also be able to enjoy a nice stroll in the old city, looking at the beautiful half-timbered facades of those old houses, very typical and so charming!

You’ll find all you need to know and more right here!

To get to Orléans, you’ll get on a train at Gare d’Austerlitz and hop off at Orléans station (not “Les Aubrais” station!).

 

By car

• • Chantilly

 

Chantilly is best known for its horse races and the “Chantilly” whipped cream, which is lovely with some fresh strawberries! Just close your eyes and imagine enjoying a cup of those fresh and sweet strawberries with the sweet Chantilly cream at the Chantilly castle, wouldn’t it be the dream?

The last proprietor of the castle, Henri d’Orléans Duc d’Aumale was a great collector of art, paintings, precious books. You can see some of his vast collection during your visit to the castle. The castle is surrounded by a wonderful French garden and bodies of water in which you can see the castle’s reflection (an innovation at the time!). Did I mention that Chantilly was known for its horse racing? You’ll also be able to visit the Great Stables just next to the castle, which houses the Museum of the Horse.

All the information you’ll need to prepare for your visit can be found here!

 

• • Versailles

 

Does this castle even need an introduction? This castle was the residence of some of the great kings of France, the most well-known being Louis the Fourteenth. At the time of the construction, the King wanted to showcase all the great architectural, gardening, and design skills of the craftsmen of the time. The plan worked because the Versailles castle has inspired a lot of other builds both in France and abroad.

André Le Nôtre was the genius architect of the gardens which are a must-see. This is definitely a full-day visit.

This is the destination is quite close to Paris and you can reach it quite easily by car (but even public transport!).

All the details for your trip are here!

 

• • Vaux le Vicomte

 

I very recently visited the castle from Vaux le Vicomte for the first time and I had a great time! Vaux le Vicomte castle is kind of linked to the Versailles castle, as all the wonderful craftsmen that worked on the Versailles castle, worked on the Vaux le Vicomte castle first. The splendor of the castle annoyed the French King Louis the Fourteenth quite a bit, so he decided to send the owner of Vaux le Vicomte, Nicolas Fouquet, to prison. How dare he have a nicer house than the King of France!

The wonderful and new (at the time) architecture of the castle is definitely worth a trip!

The gardens are exceptionally interesting to visit, as they were the first work of André Le Nôtre of the sorts and a stepping stone of the work he did for the Versailles castle at a later stage.

Here are all the things you need to know for your visit!

 

• • Fontainebleau

 

This is the last castle I promise! The Fontainebleau castle is another quite famous place around Paris. A distinctive mark of the castle is the horseshoe stairway at the entrance of the castle. This was the residence of many Kings from the Middle-Age up until the 19th century.

The luxurious interiors of the castle are definitely something you need to see if you are interested in history, design, and architecture!

As a bonus, the castle is very close to the Fontainebleau forest, which is the perfect place for a family hike! The perfect change of scenery for the weekend!

You’ll find all the necessary information ahead of your visit right here!

 

• • Provins

 

Provins is a very special place! It will bring you back to the Middle Age with some exceptionally well-preserved towers, markets, and houses. They even have a very children-friendly medieval show that will give you a glimpse of life back then. You can find all the festival schedules right here.

You can very easily walk around the city from one landmark to the next. They even have a ticket allowing you to visit 4 of the main spots: the Caesar’s Tower, the Tithe Barn, the Underground Galleries and the Provins, and the Provins area Museum (which is located in one of the oldest homes of the city).

It is best to go there on a nice day (at least not raining), as some of the places are outdoors (such as the ramparts of the city). It makes for the perfect day trip!

All the needed information for that is here!

 

This post is all about the top 9 places to visit one hour away from Paris.

 

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