Day-trip from Paris: from Monet's house to the Champagne motherland

Although Paris has a LOT to offer within the city, especially during spring/summer time, there are several options if you want to spend a day out of the city.
Here some day-trip ideas that you will love (you probably visited at least one of these places!):


1. GIVERNY - The house of Claude Monet!
At 75km west and slightly north from Paris, stands the famous garden and home of the impressionist painter Claude Monet. He noticed this village while looking out of the train and fell in love with place, where he soon decided to move. Some of his most famous paintings represent his garden, with the japanese garden, the pond with water lily and azaleas, and climbing plants and wisteria, and when you visit it you can immediately recognize these spots!
How to go there? If you don't have a car, take a train from Paris station Gare de Saint-Lazare to Vernon. Once in Vernon, to get to Monet's house you can take the shuttle bus/taxi or walk the 7-km gorgeous path in the beautiful Normandy country fields (highly recommended, it's just 1 hour and you really feel out of the city).
When to go? You can go whenever you want, but in order to have the best weather and also to visit the Museum, house and garden of Monet, make sure you check online when it is open, because it's not open during winter period. For more updated information please click here :)

Walking from Vernon to Giverny! (7 km)

The pond with wisterias in the japanese garden - photo credit: Tripadvisor. I have been there on early spring and I didn't have the possibility to see all these flowers!

2. CHARTRES - The unique gothic Cathedral

Chartres has been a lovely surprise. I went there with an Italian friend also living in Paris at the time, and we had a great day! Located 95 km southwest of Paris, the city is famous for its Cathedral Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres. Interesting facts about the stunning gothic cathedral, one of the most emblematic of Europe: its rose window is one of the biggest in the world (diameter: 13.36 mt, bigger than Notre-Dame de Paris!), with an exemplary beauty of colours and preservation; it has the biggest stained glass surface of the XII-XIII centuries (about 180 windows for 2500 m²), its two towers in the main facade have been built in different decades and are therefore different in style and size; it contains 3500 statues; etc ! Besides the cathedral, the city is tiny and you can have a very walk along the little river and see many nice typical houses. Also, I suggest that you stop by the Crêperie "La Picoterie", right next to the cathedral, where you can have delicious crêpes and gallettes !!!
*Sorry for the quality of pictures, they were taken with a mobile phone! :(

The beautiful Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres

The famous stained glasses of the Cathedral

With my friend Flavia!

Walking in Chartres

3. REIMS - For wine & champagne Lovers
Reims is located a bit farther than the places I mentioned above, but still it's a very nice day trip. At about 130 km north-east from Paris, it is a beautiful spot for wine and champagne lovers: any of the largest champagne-producing houses, known as les grandes marques, have their headquarters in Reims, and most open for tasting and tours. The city itself and its famous impressive Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims are also a must-see.

The rose window of the Cathédrale de Reims

More interiors of the Cathedral

Deserved Champagne for us ;)

 

4. CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES - The residence of the Kings of France
If you have passed through Paris, you have already probably visited the Chateau de Versailles, the royal chateau at some 20 km southwest of Paris. The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France, from the late 1600s to the French Revolution. It is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime. To see is not only the King's main palace, but also the the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and in general the beautiful gardens spread on an area of over 65000 m².

With my cousin =)

The Gardens

The Trianon

Other day-trip destinations can be the Chateau de Fontainebleau (but I have never visited it!) or DisneyLand Paris. Also, another post with weekend trips ideas will come soon including Normandie, Bretagne, Lyon, Strasbourg, etc..!