10 Best Day Trips from Paris With Kids
You can spend a month in Paris and still not see everything. In fact, I got back from a sixth trip with my kids and we still had plenty to see and do, and wished we had stayed longer. While there’s plenty to do in the city itself, Paris can be an amazing base for numerous day trips you should put them on your Paris itinerary.
There are jaunts to Monet’s lily gardens up in romantic Giverny. You can plan excursions to the Chateaux-topped undulations of the UNESCO Loire Valley. On top of all that, there are also day trips from Paris by train that open up other alluring French cities and the countryside, but with the kids not every trip would be the same.
This guide runs through 10 Paris day trips with kids. They’re the crème-de-la-crème of outings from the French capital because they offer insights into amazing French culture, regional cuisine, enthralling European history, and a whole load more. There’s so much to do all over France that you can spend years and not see it all (trust me, we live in France now!).
1. Loire Valley
A regular topper of lists of the best day trips from Paris, the Loire Valley day trip with kids rarely fails to capture the imagination. It’s not hectic for the kids and while I was initially worried, my kids absolutely adored the experience.
What’s more, it’s only two hours or so in the car from the heart of the capital, which means you can trade the bustling Champs-Élysées for open fields and rivers before breakfast.
The majority of travelers will choose to do a ready-made day tour of the Loire, although when traveling with kids self-driving offers a little extra freedom to stray off the beaten track and not rush or wait around.
With the kids I recommend three castles the most: Chateau de Chambord, the elegant Chateau de Chenonceau, and the vibrant Château de Cheverny. There’s just a lot to do with little ones. From boat tours, a maze, through a little animal farm, and there’s even a playground.
2. Giverny
Calling all art lovers: Giverny is your chance to step foot in the erstwhile home of the infamous Claude Monet. Languishing on the banks of the Seine River about 45 miles to the northwest of the city, it’s a charming, flower-strewn village that oozes classic French character and arguably the most hallowed place in the history of Impressionism.
The main draw is the beautiful Maison & Jardins de Claude Monet. That’s the actual spot where the painter once resided, and the grounds still contain the romantic lily ponds made famous in Monet’s paintings. If your kids are anything like mine, they will be amazed by the gardens full of flowers.
This one is one of the few day trips from Paris by train that are possible. You can simply hop on the SNCF service to Le Havre, get out at Vernon, and then catch a taxi (around 20 EUR) the rest of the way. Of course, there are also loads of private tours in the offing – some taking all day, some just half a day.
When to Visit Giverny?
While the summer months are typically heaving with visitors, the early Spring and Autumn months can be much quieter – and no less beautiful. Depending on the time of your visit, you’ll be able to see different flowers blooming in the garden.
The water-lilies, inspiration for Monet’s Nymphéas series, still bloom well into October (they begin in July). In April you’ll be able to see a beautiful Wisteria hanging off bridges.
3. Palace of Versailles
Versailles is the palace to end all palaces. Seriously, the sheer opulence and scale here are immense. In total, the grounds extend over a whopping 2,100 acres, encompassing vast wings of 17th/18th-century architecture that will have you wowing with exasperation at every turn. It’s all the brainchild of the revered Sun King, Louis XIV.
He made the palace the center of French power during his reign and showcased utter extravagance – think a menagerie that included an African elephant and a Hall of Mirrors laced with precious glass and elaborate Baroque murals.
While there are no elephants anymore, the kids won’t be disappointed regardless. The castle is obviously huge and you can rent a bike and boat to discover the monuments in the gardens. Versailles also has its own Angelina cafe – while I don’t think it’s the best hot chocolate in Paris, it’s an iconic chain and it can bribe the kids when they get tired of walking.
Versailles is up there with the best day trips from Paris because it’s super-easy to plan but I do recommend dedicating an entire day to see it. You can choose to do an organized tour in just a few hours.
If you want to go by yourself it’s easy by train. Just take RER line C and SNCF trains from the Gare Montparnasse station link straight to Versailles town, only a short walk from the entrance to the UNESCO site. Just remember to get skip the line tickets, especially during summer and Christmas time.
4. Center Parcs Village Nature
One of the local trips to take from Paris is a visit to Center Parcs. For those unaware, Center Parcs are family glamping resorts all over Europe. Village Nature is only 25 minutes from central Paris and can be visited on a day pass.
Why visit? It has an amazing indoor and partially outdoor waterpark you can spend the day at. It’s also very close to Disneyland so you can combine these two.
5. Disneyland Paris
Things to do in Paris for the little ones (or for travelers with the little ones in tow) rarely get as exciting as Disneyland. Since opening its doors in 1992, it’s