7 nights · Paris and day trips

Paris in a Week with Day Trips: Versailles, Fontainebleau, Reims and Giverny

One hotel, four day trips by train, and the big Paris museums in between: a week that shows you France beyond the city without packing a bag.

The Eiffel Tower beyond the Seine and the slate rooftops of central Paris. — The Seine in ParisPhotograph by Yann Caradec · CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗

7 nights in France

Where you unpack

For a second visit to Paris, or travelers who would rather unpack once and see palaces, Champagne and Monet’s garden as day trips.

Paris · the Marais7 nights: A central Right Bank base keeps Saint-Lazare, Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord a short ride away for the day trips.
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Dots show geographic locations. Blue connects rail stops. Every trip is out and back from Paris by train. Check dated directions with the operator. Land: Natural Earth.

The daily route

Day by day

Day 01 · Paris

Arrive in Paris

Take RER B or Métro 14 on the €14 airport ticket, or the official taxi rank at the flat fare. Keep the first evening for a walk near the hotel.

Île-de-France Mobilités · €14 airport ticket (2026)Service Public · 2026 Paris taxi flat fares (French)

Day 02 · Paris

The Louvre on a late evening

The Louvre is closed on Tuesday and open until 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday; Americans pay the €32 non-EEA rate. Book a slot and spend the morning on the islands.

Louvre · visit hours and admission

Day 03 · Versailles · return to Paris

Versailles

Versailles is closed on Monday. Book the Passport time slot (€25 November to March, €35 from April) and take RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche, 10 minutes on foot from the Palace.

Château de Versailles · hours, trains and the A13 notice Château de Versailles · 2026 Passport and time slots

Day 04 · Fontainebleau · return to Paris

Fontainebleau

The château is closed on Tuesday. Take the train from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon, then bus 3401 to the “Château” stop. Adults pay €17, under-18s go free, and the gardens and park are free. Allow about two hours inside.

Château de Fontainebleau · hours, prices and access (French)

Day 05 · Reims · return to Paris

Reims and the Champagne houses

Reims Tourism puts Reims 45 minutes from Paris by TGV. The cathedral is free and open daily from 8 a.m. Book a Champagne house visit on its own site in advance; the tourist office lists the houses that receive visitors. The Palais du Tau is closed for renovation until 2027.

Reims Tourism · coming to Reims Reims Cathedral · opening hours (French)Reims Tourism · visits to the Champagne houses Palais du Tau · closed for renovation until 2027

Day 06 · Giverny or Chantilly · return to Paris

Giverny in season, or Chantilly

Monet’s house and gardens open April 1 to November 1 (2026 season), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; take the train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny and the shuttle (€5 one way, €10 return); adults pay €13. From November to March, go to Chantilly instead: about 25 minutes by TER from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux; the château is closed on Tuesday.

Fondation Claude Monet · practical information (French)Chantilly-Senlis Tourism · getting to Chantilly (French)

Day 07 · Paris

Orsay and Montmartre

Orsay is closed on Monday and stays open until 9:45 p.m. on Thursday. End the week at Sacré-Cœur, free and open until 10:30 p.m.

Musée d’Orsay · visit information Sacré-Cœur · opening hours

Day 08 · Departure

Leave from the airport on your ticket

Read the airport code and terminal from the airline confirmation. Plan the journey from the hotel door and use the airline’s check-in guidance. Look up any engineering work or service changes before you go to bed.

Île-de-France Mobilités · Paris airports

The parts to time

Transfers at a glance

Paris → Versailles: RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche. 10 minutes on foot to the Palace.
Gare de Lyon → Fontainebleau-Avon: Train, then bus 3401 to “Château”. Check the train and bus for your date.
Paris → Reims: About 45 minutes by TGV. Book the return before the Champagne house visit.
Saint-Lazare → Vernon-Giverny: Train, then the shuttle to Giverny. Shuttle €5 one way, €10 return; season April to November.
Gare du Nord → Chantilly-Gouvieux: About 25 minutes by TER. The winter alternative to Giverny.

Before paying

What to book first

Book the hotel for seven nights, then fix which weekday each trip falls on (Versailles not Monday, Fontainebleau and Chantilly not Tuesday).
Book the Versailles Passport, the Louvre slot and a Champagne house visit.
Buy the day-trip trains once the dates are set.

Free printable

Three pages to save before you fly: passport and EES/ETIAS status, the proof the border police can ask for, cards and phones, driving rules and the bookings worth making early. Every line links an official source, checked November 9, 2026.

See what’s inside

Research desk

Sources and date checks

Checked November 9, 2026. Rail times are examples for planning. Recheck opening days, direct trains, tour stops and rental arrangements before booking.