Paris may be a bucket list destination (it’s one of my absolute favorite cities), but once you’ve hit up all the main sights of the city, you may be wanting a little more out of your trip to France.
So if you’ve got a little more time on your hands, why not consider taking a weekend trip from Paris?
There are plenty of weekend getaways to embark on from the French capital—from wandering cities packed with UNESCO World Heritage Sites to sipping Champagne from the source.
To give you an idea of what you can do, here are some of my favorite weekend trips from Paris to get you started!
6 Weekend Trips from Paris
Lyon
Lyon is the third-largest city in France and is totally worth your time. Travel to this city, and you’ll have a whole load of gastronomy at your fingertips.
But there’s more to this city than food (though the food is awesome).
With 2,000 years of history, Lyon is strewn with historic landmarks and heritage sites. In fact, part of the city itself is actually registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Aside from, ya know, the Roman ruins, there are these cool passageways called traboules. These have links to the silk weavers—an industry that is historically important to Lyon.
Get yourself a hotel and get ready to eat, explore, then eat some more!
Strasbourg
A weekend getaway in this charming border town is all about wandering its pretty streets and taking a trip on the river for breathtaking views.
Situated in the historic Alsace region, Strasbourg may be French, but there are strong ties with German culture here, acting as a cultural bridge between the two nations.
The area of Petite France is a beautiful quarter of the city. Think timber-framed houses and all-round fairytale vibes. One of the most incredible sites in town has to be Strasbourg Cathedral.
The tallest building in the WORLD for 227 years, this is an awe-inspiring piece of architecture that dates back over 1,000 years!
If you plan to stay in the region for a while, check out this guide on how to get around Alsace without a car.
Giverny
Giverny is a charming old town situated in rural Normandy.
Though a lot of people take day trips from Paris here to see the home of Claude Monet, it’s worth hunkering down for a weekend to make the most of this beautiful place and its laid-back vibes.
Once the tourists go home, the village is yours for the taking. Wander its pretty streets, stop off at low-key bistros, and be sure to take a trip to the countryside church of Saint Radegonde.
Giverny is more than just a day trip. Go and experience real rural life for a couple of nights and see why (aside from being the home of Monet) this place was home to a colony of artists for over two decades.
London
Who said weekend trips from Paris had to be confined to France?
You can EASILY take a trip from Paris to London thanks to the super convenient Eurostar. Catch a train from Gare du Nord, travel in the undersea ChannelTunnel, and be in London in just over two hours!
The UK capital has SO much going for it, and is a global city up there with New York and Paris, for sure! Soak up the neo-Gothic architecture of the Houses of Parliament, take a ride on the London Eye, learn about where the Royal Family live (hint: Buckingham Palace), hit up Harrod’s, have a pint of lager in a London pub, and be back in time for a chic restaurant dinner in Paris.
Be sure to check out my London Travel Guide!
It’s totally surreal but very cool to be able to move between two such iconic world capitals so easily.
Loire Valley
If you like the idea of wine-tasting and chateau-hopping over a leisurely weekend, then the Loire Valley is a fantastic place to be.
You can either choose to base yourself in Tours city centre or hit up a more rural destination with an awesome Airbnb. The village of Montsoreau is particularly stunning, with a riverside location and cute buildings poised to charm.
The best thing about spending a weekend in the Loire Valley is going on a wine-tasting tour without having to worry about getting back to Paris in time.
Day trips in the Loire Valley are all about getting to see those incredible chateaus. For some reason, there are castles here of all shapes and sizes, all of them incredibly beautiful, primed, and ready for your Insta feed!
I think my favorite castle here is the Château de Chambord, but there are so many to explore here. Rent a car to get around and hit ’em all up if you love a tick-list—it’s worth it.
Normandy
Normandy is a region rich in history set in northern France. Although you can come here on a day trip from Paris, travel time can be long, so basing yourself in Normandy for the weekend is a smart move.
Paris is great, of course, but Normandy is where it’s at for history, which includes World War II with the D-Day landing beaches at the coast.
Also along the famously rugged Normandy coastline is the tidal island of Mont Saint Michel. An abbey has been on this fortified island for over 1,000 years.
If you’re here for longer than a day trip, staying ON the island of Mont Saint Michel is totally possible; you get to see it without any crowds, too.
Other than that, the town of Rouen is famous for timber-framed houses and a soaring Gothic cathedral.
You won’t be disappointed with Normandy!
Champagne Region
Yes, Paris is incredible. But you should take the time to tear yourself away from Notre Dame and all the other sights of the city to check out the Champagne region.
A great weekend trip from Paris, you can spend a few days here literally sipping on Champagne from the source. This is the home of the famous fizz, and there are a number of historic wineries dedicated to its production.
With a selection of hotels in the region, Epernay is a great place to base yourself on a trip to Champagne. However, a stay in the much larger city of Reims is good to explore the Montagne de Reims area. There are plenty of others—take your pick!
There’s so much more to France than Paris!
Though the capital is a great starting point, taking the time to really get into what France is about really opens up this fascinating, beautiful, and historic country.
Where will you go? Tag me (I’m @wtfab) in your Insta pics and stories and show me your weekend trips from Paris getaways—I’m always up for seeing France’s top spots!
Planning a trip to Paris? Be sure to explore my other Paris content.
The Best Places to Visit in Paris in 2 Days
The Best Area to Stay in Paris
Places to Visit in Paris: The Ultimate Paris Travel Guide
7 Most Delicious Doughnuts Paris has to Offer
FAQS
It is recommended to spend at least a week in Paris to really explore what the big city has to offer, but if you have the time definitely spend more time in Paris.
The cheapest time to visit Paris is from April to June or October to November.
The rainiest month in Paris tends to be December when the weather is getting colder.
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
