The Most Luxurious Day Trips From Paris
The Most Luxurious Day Trips From Paris
For travellers in search of exclusive experiences, Paris offers no shortage of these. Some of the world’s finest gastronomy, luxury boutiques, restaurants and theatres can be found in the French capital. But sometimes, a day or two away from the city can be refreshing: take in the fresh air, enjoy a moment of peace and quiet in opulent surroundings, taste local wines and other specialities. These are some of the most luxurious day trips and weekend getaways from Paris: places where you can relax, unwind, and discover remarkable places in close reach of the capital.
Marie Tesson
Founder
Paris offers the high-end traveller a wealth of attractions, from gastronomy to shopping. Sometimes, though, a luxurious day trip or weekend break away from the city is needed to restore calm and relaxation…
Normandy: Enjoy Old-World, Seaside Luxury
Landlocked Paris can make some visitors feel a bit claustrophobic after awhile. Are you one of them? If so, consider a day or weekend away by the seaside in Normandy. The old-world towns of Deauville and Trouville are about an hour from the capital, and offer plenty of luxury, glamour, relaxation and opportunities for high-end shopping. As traditional getaway spots for the Parisian aristocracy, these resorts bring you back to a France of yore that will awaken your senses, allow you to feel connected to history, and indulge in some genuine pampering. What could be better?
In both resort towns, enjoy seawater “thalasso” treatments at 5-star hotels such as the Hotel Barriere Le Normandy, and enjoy rooms with breathtaking sea views. In Trouville, the Cures Marines Hotel and Spa is more understated, but equally luxurious, and boasts a 1-star Michelin restaurant on its premises that will provide some gastronomic fortification after a long day of relaxing and swimming.
Not much of a seaside resort or spa person? Normandy offers many more possibilities for a luxury and culture-filled day trip or weekend away. You might want to taste some superb Calvados (apple liqueur), follow the trail of impressionist painters along the coast, see the D-Day beaches, or even make a quick dash for the astonishing Mont St-Michel Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There’s so much to do in this elegant and historic region. See our complete guide to the most luxurious things to do in Normandy and do not hesitate to contact us for even more ideas on how to enjoy a quick getaway there.
Giverny: See Monet’s Gardens in Style & Comfort
Less than an hour away from Paris and located at the gate of Normandy, Giverny is a refuge of calm and colour. The former residence of French impressionist painter Claude Monet, Giverny is one of France’s most-beautiful gardens, with its waterlily ponds, abundant, bright flowers, green Japanese-style bridges gracefully connecting the ponds, and various species of trees. Your private escorted tour to the gardens will guarantee a day of pure inspiration and calm. After visiting the premises and wandering through Monet’s house, taking note of his private art collection with many pieces acquired from Japan, stop for a gourmet lunch or dinner nearby. Le Jardin des Plumes, a 1-star Michelin restaurant helmed by chef Eric Guerin, offers innovative French cuisine in a gorgeous Anglo-Norman style residence with its own lush terraces and garden. The wine list is extensive and includes delicious vintages from around the country. If you’d prefer, you can even stay at the charming country hotel of the same name: surrounded by greenery and calm, this isn’t an ostentatious choice, but it offers all the comfort and rustic charm of a high-end French inn.
Champagne: Taste, Indulge, Stay
Lovers of the world’s most-coveted sparkling wines, take note: a day trip, overnight or weekend stay in Champagne from Paris is both convenient and highly recommended! Located in relatively close reach of the city, the coveted region awaits with its opportunities for exceptional tastings, cultural explorations and gourmet experiences.
Stay in Reims, the cultural capital of the region, and taste remarkable champagnes in renowned houses such as Taittinger, Veuve-Cliquot and Pommery. Explore the remarkable “crayeres”—centuries-old networks of chalk quarries—that wind beneath the city and are used by champagne houses to store and age their prized sparkling whites. Taste some of the finest regional cuisine at restaurants such as L’Assiette Champenoise, where chef Arnaud Lallement produces innovative French dishes paired with wonderful wines and champagnes.
Your private guide will get you out into the Champagne countryside to reveal exclusive cellars in towns such as Epernay, where producers including Moet & Chandon/Dom Perignon and Mercier offer discerning French wine lovers tastings they won’t soon forget.
If you’re tempted to make a full weekend of your whirl through Champagne, consider staying at the sumptuous Domaine Les Crayeres just outside Reims. A 5-star hotel whose gastronomic restaurant offers some 600 varieties of champagne, this is an elegant spot that’s likely to please even the most demanding travellers.
See our complete guide to luxury getaways in Champagne for even more details and inspiration—and don’t hesitate to take the (bubbly) plunge with a private, escorted tour from Paris.
Fontainebleau: See the Chateau (& Stay in One)
Most tourists overlook Fontainebleau, the marvellous chateau and expansive forest that was built prior to Versailles and served as a country house to the monarchs and Emperors of France from the 11th century onward . With some 1,500 lavish rooms to explore, in addition to beautifully curated gardens and the forest which served as hunting grounds for the King, Fontainebleau is an under-appreciated gem near Paris. The Emperor Napoleon III was the last ruler to live here, during the period known as the Second Empire. After the French Revolution, it became a state-owned property and museum.
After visiting the Chateau and perhaps enjoying a luxuriant picnic complete with champagne in or around the forest, why not stay overnight in one of the Paris region’s finest chateau hotels and spas? The Chateau de Augerville is a 5-star hotel, spa and golf course perfect for enjoying some country air and opulence, in close reach of the city.
Stay in one of the Chateau’s luxurious rooms overlooking the gardens; dine at one of two gastronomic French restaurants, Jacques Coeur and L’Atelier; play a round or two of golf on the expansive greens, or take a spa day, enjoying treatments from Decleor and relaxing in the pool, hammam and sauna. The hotel even has an onsite chocolate factory where you can sample gourmet chocolates made onsite.
Luxury Barge Tour & Lunch on the Marne River
Are you interested in embarking on a luxury river tour in France? If so, you don’t need to get very far away from Paris to do so. The Marne River, beloved by Impressionist painters from Monet to Sisley and Pissarro, offers visitors a quietly sublime setting for a unique and unforgettable riverboat tour. As you float down the famous waters, passing by green banks and former “guignettes”: riverside bars and dance halls that were popular during the 19th century, you’ll enter a bucolic, charming France of yesteryear that will make you forget the modern world.
Taking a luxury barge tour will allow you to appreciate an aspect of Parisian culture that has since been largely forgotten, at least on a daily basis: the river culture of the “guignettes” and the impressionist painters who made it so famous. You’ll also observe wild birds you won’t see in Paris proper, and enjoy fresh. invigorating breezes off the water as you float gently along in your private boat. Your bespoke day trip can easily include a gourmet lunch with wine pairings and champagne, and if so desired a guided tour with commentary. After a day in the countryside, you can return to the city, perhaps staying in one of these world-class palace hotels.
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