Paris Day Trips: 6 Days Off the Path
Six days: everything in the 5-day route , plus Provins, the walled medieval town most Paris guides never mention at all. The 7-day version closes the roster with Reims and the Champagne houses.
Lock in these bookings first
- Versailles timed Palace slot (Day 3), mandatory even with free admission.
- Giverny day tour (Day 4), seasonal, late March through early November.
- Disneyland Paris dated park ticket (Day 5): book online ahead of the gate price.
- Check hotel rates near central Paris on Booking.com .
The six days at a glance
| Day | Focus | Travel time from Paris | One-way transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fontainebleau | About 40 min | Transilien R (Gare de Lyon) |
| 2 | Chartres | About 1 hr | TER (Montparnasse) |
| 3 | Versailles | 35-40 min | RER C |
| 4 | Giverny (seasonal) | 45 min + shuttle | Train to Vernon + Le Petit Train |
| 5 | Disneyland Paris | 35-40 min | RER A |
| 6 | Provins | About 1 hr 20 min | Transilien (Gare de l’Est) |
Day 1: Fontainebleau
Transilien R from Gare de Lyon, about 40 minutes, chateau EUR17, gardens free.
Day 2: Chartres
TER from Montparnasse, about an hour, cathedral free, fares from EUR12.
Day 3: Versailles
RER C, 35-40 minutes. Palace-only EUR21, Passport EUR25-35, timed slot mandatory even with free admission. Closed Mondays.
Day 4: Giverny
Late March through early November only, EUR15 train to Vernon plus a seasonal shuttle, admission about EUR13.
Day 5: Disneyland Paris
RER A, 35-40 minutes, 1-Park 1-Day ticket from EUR56-62 booked ahead. Buy the train fare separately.
Day 6: Provins
A direct Transilien from Gare de l’Est runs hourly, about 1 hour 20 to 25 minutes, one-way fares roughly EUR7 to 10. Provins has been on the UNESCO list since 2001, and its 1.2 kilometre ramparts, dating to the 11th through 13th centuries, are free to walk year-round. The Provins Pass (EUR16 online) adds Tour Cesar and four more paid monuments if the walls alone aren’t enough; full pricing at provins.net .
Should Auvers-sur-Oise replace Provins if this trip lands on a weekend?
Worth considering. The seasonal weekend train to Auvers-sur-Oise (April through November, direct from Gare du Nord) puts you at Van Gogh’s last address, the Auberge Ravoux, for EUR10 admission, and it’s technically still inside the Ile-de-France flat fare, cheaper transit than any other gateway on this route. Provins wins on scale and the free ramparts; Auvers wins on the Van Gogh connection and cost. Either works as Day 6.
Is six gateway days too many without returning to the city itself?
For most trips, yes, six straight gateway days is a lot even for this itinerary’s whole premise. Fold in a rest day or a city-side day around Day 3 or 4 if the pace is starting to feel like a commute rather than a trip.
Bring a printed or downloaded Transilien ticket for Provins, rural French stations don’t always have reliable signal for pulling up a live QR code at the gate.