Top Day Trips From Paris - page 26

There are plenty of high-quality day trips from Paris to choose from. Looking at ratings and reviews given by previous customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches Day Trip with Cider Tasting & Lunch from Paris
• Normandy D-Day Small-Group Day Trip with Omaha Beach, Cemetery & Cider Tasting
• Versailles Bike Tour with Market, Gardens & Guided Palace Tour
• Versailles Best of Domain Skip-the-Line Access Day Tour with Lunch from Paris
• Champagne Day Trip with 6 Tastings, Reims and Winery from Paris

Yes, day trips from Paris are usually considered worthwhile by travelers with a range of interests. You can explore the Palace of Versailles, learn more about the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy, indulge in the pleasures and history of Champagne, explore Claude Monet’s gardens at Giverny, or visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mont-St-Michel.

Paris is very accessible by train, and you can easily travel to countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg, England, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Some tour operators offer day trips to see cities like London, Brussels, and Bruges from Paris, with pick-up from your hotel and a tour guide included.

Yes, you can do a day trip to Bruges from Paris, traveling by coach, minibus, or train. Leaving Paris in the early morning and arriving back in the evening, you can explore the medieval charms of Bruges with a choice of a guided or audio tour. Some day trip tours even fit in a visit to the ancient city of Ghent, too.

Yes, Mont-St-Michel is a popular day trip from Paris. This island between Normandy and Brittany is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to a famous Gothic abbey. Tours from Paris are usually around 14 hours long and include transport, a guide, and entrance to the abbey. Some tours also combine a day trip to Mont-St-Michel with a historical tour of Normandy’s D-Day beaches.

It depends on what you want to see and do, but 3–5 days should be enough time to visit all of the city’s main attractions and landmarks, plus take some time to relax, shop, and enjoy the food and drinks. It will also give you enough time to fit in a day trip from Paris to areas like Normandy, Mont-St-Michel, Versailles, Giverny, Champagne, and even London, Bruges, or Brussels.

There are tons of fun tours and excursions in Paris aside from day trips. According to previous travelers, these are the best activities to book for your next trip:

• Dinner Cruises

• Hop-On Hop-Off Buses

• Night Cruises

• Bus Tours

• Wine-Tasting Tours

Paris day trip prices vary depending on duration and inclusions. If you’re looking for high-quality experiences on the lower end of the price range, these are the best tours to book now:

• Day at Giverny Monet Foundation & Shopping at McArthurGlen Center

• Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle Day Trip With Château Bus Shuttle

• Palace of Versailles and Gardens by Bus From Paris

• Hiking Adventure in Van Gogh's Footsteps With 6-Mile Walk

• Giverny Monet's Gardens Entrance Ticket With Transport From Paris

Paris is well-positioned for day trips to many places in northern France, including the World War II–era sites in Normandy, Mont-St-Michel (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Monet’s home and gardens at Giverny, and the opulent Palace of Versailles. Whatever your interests, you can find a day trip to suit you. Private day trips ensure personalized attention from your guide and the chance to ask plenty of questions, while group trips are usually more economical. If you’re on a tight budget, some day trips include transportation but no guide, which keeps costs down.

Take some snacks for the journey, especially if you’re traveling with kids. While some day-trip destinations—such as Versailles—aren’t far from Paris, others are a few hours’ drive away. Also, consider the season when booking a day trip. Some day-trip destinations are better in some seasons than others. For example, Monet’s gardens at Giverny are more attractive in spring and summer, while the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy are also most pleasant in warmer weather.

Paris and its surrounding areas are popular with tourists, who come year-round. Summer (June–August) is generally the best time to book day trips from Paris as the weather is good. Spring (April–May) and early fall (September–October) also offer good weather but fewer tourists. Some day-trip destinations are preferable in warmer weather, such as the beaches of Normandy and Monet’s gardens at Giverny.