Anyone who has been to the City of Light can attest to the fact that there are enough things to see and do in Paris that you can easily spend your entire trip here. However, with the number of travelers** – the number of visitors expected to drop slightly in 2023 compared to 2019 – and the return of the crowds, it's worth venturing outside the city to experience a different side of France, even if it's just for a weekend.
Rent a car or head to one of the city's regional train stations. Shortly after you cross the outer boundaries of the city, the typical Haussmann architecture of Paris begins to fade, revealing wheat fields, farmhouses, and finally the sea on the horizon. Whether you're looking for the countryside, castles, or the coast, you won't want to miss out on these five fabulous weekend getaways from Paris.
One of the main things to do in the Loire Valley is to visit its various castles, including the Château de Chenonceau, where the Grand Gallery with a checkered floor spans the Cher River. (You can also rent a boat like an electric bumper to float underneath it, and it's spectacular and fun in spring, summer, and fall.) King Henry II initially gave the all-white tower property to his **Diane de Poitiers, and it felt like a (somewhat scandalous) fairy tale.
Continuing to focus on Henry's sordid affairs, head to Chaumont Castle. It's a little far from the city of Blois and worth a visit, if not to see the place where Diane de Poitiers was banished after Catherine de Medici recaptured Chenonceau, but for the annual International Festival of Gardens and Arts. Along the way, keep an eye out for wineries and vineyards, and taste anything that seems tempting.
Claude Monet's former home and gardens in Giverny, overgrown with lilies and wisteria vines, are a veritable wonderland worth a visit, just 47 miles from Paris. Whether you're going in search of outdoor flora and fauna, most of which were captured by the French Impressionist painter and gardener on his famous canvases, or an interior room where he lived with his family for 43 years, get ready to be transported to another time and place, where art truly mimics life in scenic nature. Context tr**el offers customizable day trips led by art historians.
While most people will visit the Palace of Versailles on a day trip, it's worth turning it into a weekend getaway for an extra special experience. After your compulsory ** shoot in the Hall of Mirrors, you can stroll through the lawns of the hamlet of Marie Antoinette in the Petit Trianon or have a picnic along the Grand Canal. You can also spend a few hours lazily wandering through the temporary gallery exhibits, including the monumental works of the Queen's Guard Room and the Grand Trianon by painter Noel Coypel (until 28 January), or the large retrospective of painter Horace Vernet, which will be on view in the Africa and Crimean Room from 14 November to 17 March 2024.
This coastal town in Normandy owes it to local artists such as Monet, who gave its iconic cliffs or cliffs dreamlike impressionist treatment on canvas. Since then, it has become a destination for those who want to witness the wonders of nature with their own eyes, and if adventurous, go hiking.
Straddling the German border and heavily influenced by its neighbors, Alsace may trick you into thinking that you have left France altogether. The region is known for its world-class wines (especially white wine varieties such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer and the increasingly popular sparkling wine Alsace), as well as charming towns such as Colmar and Eggiesheim. To experience both, rent a bike or e-bike and set off along the region's Vineyard Bike Route, a 131-kilometer (81-mile) trail where cyclists pass castles, idyllic countryside, historic towns, and wineries where you can sample them.