A day outside of Paris – attractions within a 3-hour drive of the French capital

Last updated date: 28/03/25
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This article was created for the benefit of those who are traveling to Paris for a week or more and are looking to get away for a day to freshen up and return to explore Paris with renewed energy.

To help you sort through all the many options, we will start with unique boutique tours in Hebrew, which my good friend Miriam Edri does. We will continue with information about the amusement parks that are located around Paris. After all, between us, this is the number one reason why most Israelis leave Paris (except for a trip to the airport, of course). In the next section of the page you will find information about attractions located in the Ile de France region, in the center of which is Paris, and finally, information about guided tours that take a full day, in which you visit attractions located in the Loire Valley or Normandy.

So let's get on with it. a train Or a tourist bus and we'll go discover the world outside of Paris!

The lake of Fontainebleau Castle, located south of Paris. Photo: Zvi Hazanov

Booking sites

Before I start reviewing the various attractions outside ofParis And the one-day trips you can take, let me answer a question I'm always asked: Which ticket booking sites do you recommend?

So it's true that for each attraction I've given a link to a recommended website where you can buy the tickets, but that doesn't mean that this is the only recommended website and that sometimes there aren't tickets at discounted prices on other websites. Therefore, after you've decided which tickets you're interested in buying, you should go toThe Francophile's toolbox, where you will find all the most reliable and best booking sites that I know of. This way you can easily compare prices and get the best deal for you.

Children's attraction outside Paris

Here you will find various attractions, from amusement parks to palaces located outside Paris, which can be reached relatively easily and quickly by public transportation. The attractions here are arranged according to their popularity.

Disneyland Paris

This is undoubtedly the most popular children's attraction in Paris and there is hardly a tourist who does not visit it. If you would like to get to know the place in depth, we recommend reading the article Disneyland Paris – The Perfect Family GuideIf you are looking for recommendations for hotels in and around the park, you are welcome to visit the article Hotels in Disneyland Paris.

And now let's move on to the tickets, because there are quite a few options.

Disneyland Paris tickets

EuroDisney packages

If you have decided to purchase tickets for several more attractions, beyond Disneyland Paris, then it is definitely worth checking out these packages, because when you buy tickets for several attractions at once, you get better prices. Since there are many different packages, I have only brought you the three packages that seem to me to be the most worthwhile, but if you would like to buy a package that includes other attractions, you are welcome to click the button below and get more options.

Two more recommended attractions for children outside of Paris

Everyone goes to Disneyland, but if you don't want to be like everyone else and at the same time save quite a bit of money (visiting Disneyland is not a cheap business at all), here are two more great amusement parks located outside of Paris and definitely worth a visit.

This is an amusement park based on the comic book series by René Goscinny and Albert Oderzo, set during the Roman conquest of Gaul, and is located about 50 km north of Paris. In my opinion, this is an excellent option for those looking for a fun and authentic alternative to EuroDisney.
Do you know "Mini Israel"? So it's something similar only in France. During the visit, you will travel between the various regions of France and see models accurate to the last detail of towns, castles, churches, monasteries and more (including, of course, the Eiffel Tower). Parents can use this tour to decide which region of France they would like to visit on their next trip, while the children will really enjoy the amusement park there, which contains slides, boats that jump into the lake, Omega and many other different attractions. In my opinion, this is definitely a fun and much cheaper alternative to Disneyland Paris.

Palaces outside Paris

Quite a few people who want to leave Paris to visit palaces travel to the Loire Valley without knowing that within a half-hour to an hour's drive from Paris, there are wonderful palaces. Here are some of them.

If you can start talking about palaces and castles without first mentioning the Palace of Versailles, in my opinion there has never been and probably never will be a more magnificent palace, so it is a must-see attraction for people visiting Paris for the first time, but also an attraction worth returning to again and again, because you will always find something interesting there that you didn't know about.
Have you already visited the Palace of Versailles? Now it's time to visit the palace thanks to which Versailles was built. I'm talking about the Palace of Vau le Vicomte, built by the architect, garden designer and interior designer, whom Louis XIV would later entrust with building his monumental palace. You can read more about this palace at this link. The palace can be visited almost every day, but I highly recommend the experience of visiting the palace by candlelight (however, this already requires an organized trip because there is no public transportation there at night).
This is one of the most beautiful castles in France and thanks to this, quite a few films have been filmed there, such as “Murder in the Eyes”, starring the ultimate James Bond (at least in my opinion), namely Roger Moore. Beyond that, this castle has a culinary heritage, since whipped cream was invented here during the 17th century, and of course there is also an artistic and historical heritage. In short, you will find everything here and therefore it is definitely worth a day trip outside of Paris.
The Palace of Fontainebleau is located south of Paris and is one of the most charming palaces in the Île-de-France. It is therefore not surprising that 34 kings of France loved to stay in and around it, including two emperors, Napoleon I and Napoleon III, who made it their residence. In my opinion, this is a must-see attraction for history and art lovers.
Emile Zola is one of my favorite writers and he is also an important historical figure, thanks to his involvement in the Dreyfus affair. Because he was a successful writer, he was able to buy himself a lovely house in the suburb of Medan in western Paris and this lovely house has recently been opened to the public. On the guided tour offered on the website, you can learn not only about Emile Zola's life and work but also visit the Dreyfus Museum there, to learn about the affair that shocked France and led Herzl to decide that a Jewish state should be established in the Land of Israel.
Want to combine a visit to a French palace with a visit to a zoo? Then Thoiry is the perfect place for you. The zoo in the castle complex opened in 1967 and is reminiscent in style of the safari in Ramat Gan (only larger and more impressive). The idea is not to keep the animals in cages but to allow them to roam freely and let the public get as close to them as possible. Architecture and history enthusiasts will be happy to know that the zoo entrance ticket also allows entry to the Renaissance/Baroque palace located in the garden grounds and to the park adjacent to it.

Organized one-day trips

Want to get out of Paris for a bit but don't feel like it? rent a car And plan the trip? No problem. I've put together a series of excellent organized trips for you that will take you as far as Mont Saint-Michel and return you to Paris in the evening.

A magical and charming place, even if you don't like the Impressionist school. Of course, if you like Impressionism in particular and Monet in general, then this is a place that is simply a must-visit. You can definitely get there by train, but it can be a bit complicated because you need to take a taxi or a tourist train from the train station to Monet's house.
The Loire Valley is, without a doubt, a paradise for lovers of castles and history. However, if you are not interested in renting a car, then visiting many of its most beautiful castles can be complicated. If you live in Paris and want to sample some of the most charming castles that the Loire Valley has to offer, and along the way, taste the region's wines, you are welcome to check out this guided tour that I have selected for you.
Champagne is not just a sparkling wine, but the region where two of the most magnificent and important cathedrals in France are located (Reims and Chartres). So if you are a wine and history lover who wants to go out for a day outside of Paris, Champagne is an excellent option for you.
It is considered one of the most popular attractions in France and for good reason. It is impossible to remain indifferent when you see this powerful fortress and the impressive monastery that stands at the top of the peninsula. True, you will have to get up really early to get there from Paris, but it is definitely worth it.
A must-see trip for history lovers, which will take you on a luxurious bus from Paris to Utah Beach in Normandy and other places where the great Allied landing took place in 1944.

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