How many, which ones, and how to space them
One day trip in five days. Two in seven. That is the rule we give people who ask, and the people who break it usually tell us afterward that they should not have. Normandy is a 13-hour day. Mont Saint-Michel is 14. The wine regions are 12 to 13. Each one takes the following morning too, because you slept late. Leave the rest of the week for Paris.
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Five days
Pick one. For most Americans that is the D-Day beaches. Put it on day three, after you have your feet under you and before the last-day packing. If the beaches are not your thing, Champagne is the short-train option that leaves an evening in Paris on either side.
Seven days
Pick two and keep a full day between them. Normandy on day three and Champagne or the Loire on day five works. Normandy and Mont Saint-Michel as separate days is two 14-hour days in one week; do them as the overnight instead and use one hotel night in Bayeux, which frees a Paris day. Versailles is a half day and does not count as one of the two.
Pairs that work
| Pairing | Why |
|---|---|
| Normandy + Champagne | The long day and the short day. 45 minutes to Reims, lunch included, home by 8:00 p.m. |
| Normandy + Versailles half day | Versailles from your hotel for four and a half hours; the rest of the day stays free. |
| Normandy overnight + nothing else | Two days out of Paris, both beaches and the Mont, one train each way. |
| Loire + Versailles and Giverny | Châteaux and gardens on one day, palace and Monet on the other. Both are spring-to-autumn days. |
| Champagne + Burgundy | Two wine days for a wine trip, three days apart, different grapes. |
Pairs that do not
- Two 13-hour train days back to back. Whichever comes second, you will not enjoy it.
- Mont Saint-Michel and Normandy as separate day trips in one week. Take the overnight.
- Bordeaux and Burgundy in one week unless wine is the whole trip. Pick the grape you drink.
- A day trip on arrival day or departure day.
The days of the week
- Monday: Versailles is closed, Bordeaux châteaux are closed, and the Chambord day does not run. Normandy, Champagne, and the Loire Wine and Castle day are the Monday trips.
- Tuesday: the Louvre is closed and Versailles is crowded. A good day to be out of Paris.
- Saturday and Sunday: the Normandy shared tour does not run because the trains arrive late; the private version does. Moët runs Friday to Sunday. Bordeaux runs both days; Burgundy runs Saturday.
The days between
Private tours in the city take two to three hours and leave the afternoon open. The Private Louvre Tour is two and a half hours with a guide who skips the line and takes you to the highlights, $875 for two. The Notre Dame and Latin Quarter walk is two hours on the island and the Left Bank with a pastry stop, $590 for two. The Paris in a Day tour is eight hours with a driver-guide for a first visit or a short one, $2,200 for two. The Paris tours page has the rest, including cooking classes and the Seine cruises.
A sample seven days
- Day 1: arrive, walk, sleep.
- Day 2: Louvre with a guide in the morning, the Marais in the afternoon.
- Day 3: Normandy D-Day tour.
- Day 4: slow morning, Musée d’Orsay, Seine cruise at dusk.
- Day 5: Champagne day, back by 8:00 p.m.
- Day 6: Versailles half day, last dinner.
- Day 7: depart.
For the seasons behind these choices, see best time of year. For the mechanics of the train days, see how our day trips work.
Questions
How many day trips should I take from Paris?
One in a five-day visit, two in seven, with a full day between them. Versailles is a half day and does not count.
Which day trip should I take if I only have one?
The Normandy D-Day tour for most Americans. Champagne if you want a shorter day with lunch included and an evening in Paris.
Can I do Normandy and Mont Saint-Michel in one week?
Yes, as the overnight: D-Day beaches on day one, a night in Bayeux, the Mont on day two. Two separate day trips is too much.
What can I do on the day after a long tour?
Something in the city that starts late. A private Louvre or Notre Dame walk is two to three hours and leaves the afternoon open.
Which day trips run on a Monday?
Normandy, Champagne, and the Loire Wine and Castle day. Versailles, the Bordeaux châteaux, and the Chambord day are closed or not running.
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