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Best Day Trips from Paris: Versailles, Giverny & Disneyland

Best Day Trips from Paris: Versailles, Giverny & Disneyland

I’ve taken all three of these day trips from Paris multiple times, and each one feels completely different. Versailles is grand and exhausting, Giverny is quiet and floral, and Disneyland is a full-on sprint through childhood nostalgia. This guide covers what I actually learned—the train schedules that save you an hour, the ticket windows that don’t have lines, and the places I’d skip if I had to do it again.

Is Versailles worth the hype—or just a crowded palace?

Yes, it’s worth it, but only if you go in with a plan. The Palace itself is a crush of people by 10:30 AM, and the Hall of Mirrors feels more like a subway platform at rush hour. I’d skip the audio guide inside (too slow) and focus on the Gardens and the Trianon Estate instead. The gardens are massive—rent a golf cart or bike from the little kiosk near the Grand Canal.

  • RER C train from Paris (Saint-Michel or Champ de Mars) to Versailles Rive Gauche—30 minutes, €4.20 each way
  • Marie-Antoinette’s Estate (Petit Trianon) is quieter than the main palace and feels more personal
  • Bistro La Table du 11 on Rue de la Paroisse serves a solid €22 lunch menu—way better than the palace cafeteria
  • Buy your timed-entry ticket online at least two days ahead; the “Palace + Gardens” pass is €20 and covers everything

If you only have half a day, skip the Trianon and spend your time in the gardens and the main palace’s first floor. You’ll still feel the scale.

How do you actually get to Giverny without a car?

Giverny is the trickiest of the three because the train doesn’t drop you at the door. You take the TER Normandie from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon—about 45 minutes, €15 one way. From Vernon, you have two options: the shuttle bus (€10 round trip, runs every 30 minutes) or a bike rental from Loca Cycles right outside the station. I’ve done both; biking along the Seine is prettier and faster if you’re fit.

  • Monet’s House and Gardens are the main draw—plan for 2 hours minimum
  • The water lily pond is smaller than photos suggest, but the light at 9:30 AM is perfect
  • Hôtel d’Évreux in Vernon is a decent lunch stop if you want to avoid the overpriced cafe inside the gardens
  • The Musée des Impressionnismes next door has a good exhibition on rotating artists—€8 entry, rarely crowded

I’d leave Paris by 8:00 AM to beat the tour bus crowd. By 11:00 AM, the gardens are shoulder-to-shoulder with selfie sticks. Also, the gift shop inside Monet’s house has the same prints as the one in town for half the price.

Can you do Disneyland Paris in one day without dying?

You can, but you’ll need to pick a strategy. I’ve done it twice—once as a solo adult and once with a friend who wanted every ride. The key is arriving at Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station (RER A, 40 minutes from Paris, €7.60 each way) before park opening at 9:30 AM. Buy your tickets on the train via the app—the kiosks at the station have long lines.

  • Crush’s Coaster in Walt Disney Studios has the longest wait—do it first, or use a Premier Access pass
  • Phantom Manor in Disneyland Park is the best dark ride; the theming is genuinely creepy
  • For food, skip the burger joints and head to Annette’s Diner in Disney Village for a proper milkshake
  • If you’re only doing one park, choose Disneyland Park over Walt Disney Studios (more rides, better atmosphere)

The crowds thin out after 6:00 PM, so you can hit Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean in the last hour with just a 15-minute wait. The fireworks show at 9:00 PM is worth staying for, but the train back to Paris runs until 1:00 AM, so you’re not stranded.

When is the best time of year for these day trips?

April through June is ideal—the weather is mild, the gardens are in bloom, and the crowds are manageable if you go midweek. July and August are brutal at Versailles (the gardens have no shade) and Disneyland (wait times hit 90 minutes). I’d avoid November through February for Giverny, because Monet’s gardens are closed from November 1 to March 31.

  • Versailles: best in May (gardens are green, not brown)
  • Giverny: early June for peak flowers
  • Disneyland Paris: October weekdays are quiet and cheaper

December is actually nice for Disneyland because of the Christmas decorations and lower crowds, but expect cold rain. Pack a waterproof jacket.

What should you skip at each place?

I’m a big believer in skipping the obvious tourist traps. At Versailles, skip the Hall of Mirrors queue if it’s more than 30 minutes—you can see it from the side entrance without waiting. At Giverny, skip the Monet shop near the parking lot; it’s overpriced and the same stuff is online. At Disneyland, skip It’s a Small World unless you’re with kids under eight—it’s a 40-minute wait for a 5-minute ride.

  • Versailles: skip the Grand Trianon if you’re short on time (it’s a mini-palace with less history)
  • Giverny: skip the Japanese bridge photo spot at peak hours—go at 3:00 PM instead
  • Disneyland: skip Star Tours if you’ve been to the US version; it’s identical

Where do I stay in Paris for easy access to all three?

I’ve found Gare Saint-Lazare area is the best base for these trips. It’s a 5-minute walk to the TER for Giverny, and RER A for Disneyland is a 10-minute metro ride. For Versailles, you can take the RER C from Pont de l’Alma or Saint-Michel, both 15 minutes by metro from Saint-Lazare.

  • Hotel Le Richemont on Rue de la Pépinière is a solid mid-range option with soundproof windows
  • Le Grand Hôtel on Rue de la Chaussée d’Antin is pricier but has a rooftop bar with Eiffel Tower views
  • For budget, Ibis Paris Gare Saint-Lazare is clean and a 3-minute walk from the station

I stayed at Hotel Le Richemont last year and the staff printed my train schedules for free. Small thing, but saved me from missing the 7:50 AM to Vernon.

FAQ

Is it possible to do Versailles and Giverny in the same day? Technically yes, but I don’t recommend it. You’d need to leave Paris by 7:00 AM, spend 3 hours at Giverny, then catch the 1:00 PM train back to Vernon and the RER C to Versailles by 2:30 PM. You’ll see the gardens and the palace exterior, but you won’t have time for the estate or the Trianon. I did it once and felt rushed the entire day.

Do I need to book Disneyland Paris tickets in advance? Yes, always. Same-day tickets at the gate are €10–€15 more expensive, and during peak season the park sometimes sells out. Book on the official Disneyland Paris website or through a reseller like GetYourGuide. The “Park Hopper” ticket is worth it if you want both parks in one day.

What’s the cheapest way to get to Giverny? The TER train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon is €15 each way, and the shuttle bus from Vernon to Giverny is €10 round trip. That’s €40 total. If you’re in a group of three or four, a taxi from Vernon to Giverny is about €20 total and saves 20 minutes. Avoid the packaged tours from Paris—they’re €90 per person and you lose an hour on the bus.

Conclusion

  • Versailles is worth it for the gardens and Trianon, not the palace interior—go early and rent a bike
  • Giverny is a half-day trip best done by train+bike combo; avoid the gift shop inside the gardens
  • Disneyland Paris works as a day trip if you arrive at opening and use Premier Access for one ride
  • Gare Saint-Lazare is the most practical base hotel area for all three trips
  • April to June is the sweet spot for crowds and weather, especially midweek