6 Days in Paris Plus Day Trips
6 Days in Paris Plus Day Trips
Six days rounds out the gateway roster with Chartres, the quiet, budget-friendly cathedral day, alongside Versailles, Giverny, Disneyland Paris and Reims. Need a different length? See the 2-day , 3-day , 4-day , 5-day or 7-day version, or the full Paris day trips guide .
Book these before you go: Versailles’ timed palace slot (mandatory even for free admission), a Giverny day tour in season, a dated Disneyland Paris ticket, and Reims champagne-house tours booked well ahead. Chartres needs no advance ticket at all, its cathedral is free and walk-up.
The 6-day route at a glance
| Day | Focus | Travel time from Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Paris orientation, Le Marais | In the city |
| Day 2 | Versailles | 35 to 40 min (RER C) |
| Day 3 | Giverny (seasonal) | 45 min train plus shuttle |
| Day 4 | Disneyland Paris | 35 to 40 min (RER A) |
| Day 5 | Reims and Champagne | 45 min (TGV, direct) |
| Day 6 | Chartres | About 1 hr (TER, Montparnasse) |
Day 1: Settle Into Paris
Morning: check into Le Marais or Saint-Germain-des-Prés and load a Navigo Easy card (EUR 2), both neighborhoods sit close to the stations these gateways use.
Afternoon: walk the Seine from Notre-Dame, free to the nave since December 2024, toward Saint-Germain.
Evening: dinner in Le Marais. Our 6-day Paris itinerary and Paris travel guide cover the deep city sightseeing this trip skips over.
Day 2: Versailles
Morning: RER C from Invalides or Saint-Michel to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, 35 to 40 minutes. Book your timed slot before leaving Paris, mandatory even with free admission, and the palace is shut Mondays.
Afternoon: the Hall of Mirrors and state apartments, then the gardens, free daily 7am to dusk.
Evening: back to Paris. Book a Versailles skip-the-line tour or check tickets at chateauversailles.fr .
Day 3: Giverny, in Season
Morning: between 1 April and 1 November, train from Gare Saint-Lazare to Vernon, about 45 minutes, then the seasonal Petit Train shuttle or a taxi into the village.
Afternoon: Monet’s house and gardens, EUR 13 adult. Outside the season, swap in Fontainebleau, Transilien R from Gare de Lyon, about 40 minutes, château entry EUR 17.
Evening: an easy return. Book a Giverny day tour or check the season at fondation-monet.com .
Day 4: Disneyland Paris
Morning: RER A direct from Châtelet-Les Halles, 35 to 40 minutes to Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy. Buy the dated park ticket separately from your train fare.
Afternoon and evening: a full day in the park. Book a Disneyland Paris ticket ahead of your date, 1-Park tickets start around EUR 56 to 62 on quiet dates.
Day 5: Reims and the Champagne Houses
Morning: TGV direct from Gare de l’Est, about 45 minutes, fares from EUR 18 to 75.
Afternoon: the cathedral, then one or two champagne-house tours booked well ahead. Full-day costs run roughly EUR 180 to 250 per person.
Evening: the direct TGV back runs late enough for a relaxed evening. Book a Reims champagne day trip or book the train alone at sncf-connect.com .
Day 6: Chartres
Morning: TER from Montparnasse, about an hour, roughly 18 trains a day, one-way fares from EUR 12.
Afternoon: the cathedral is free and a 10-minute walk from the station. The town itself is small, pair it with a slow lunch rather than expecting a full day of varied sights.
Evening: back in Paris well before dinner, this is the lightest day on the whole route.
Why does Chartres get a whole day when the town is this small?
It doesn’t need to fill one, that’s the point. After five days of timed slots, shuttle connections and TGV schedules, a free walk-up cathedral and an unhurried lunch is the deliberate breather before you pack up.
Is Chartres or Fontainebleau the better budget gateway?
Both work: Chartres is free to enter and about an hour out by TER; Fontainebleau costs EUR 17 for the château but sits closer, about 40 minutes by Transilien R. Pick whichever fits the day you have left once Versailles, Giverny, Disneyland Paris and Reims are booked.
Save Chartres for whichever day you’re most tired, it’s the one gateway on this route that asks nothing of your schedule.