When I first started exploring cities and villages outside of Paris, I was willing to take TGV trains anywhere for an unreasonably short period of time.
After more careful planning, it became obvious didn’t make sense to take a 2+ hour train one-way to a destination in France for one day.
If you’re visiting Paris either for the first time or for a short period of time, I would advise investing your time exploring the city and spending an afternoon at Versailles.
However, if you’ve already visited Paris multiple times, or if you’re slow-traveling through France or if you’re living in Paris on a budget, you already have access to visiting different regions of Île de France with a Navigo pass.
What is a Navigo pass?
A Navigo pass is the public transit pass that can be used for the metro, RER, Transilien, and bus. You can purchase a Navigo pass to use for one day, one week, one month or one year. I would recommend buying a Navigo pass if you’re staying in Paris for one week or more.
Keep in mind that a one-way ticket to Charles de Gaulle airport is 10 euros, so the cost of a weekly Navigo pass for all zones pays for itself.
ratp.frVersailles and the Palace Gardens
- Station: Gare d’Austerlitz
- Train: RER C (leaves every 15 minutes)
- Travel Time from Paris: > 1 hour
It’s worth taking the time to revisit the Versailles gardens in warm weather. I visited the grounds of the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette’s sanctuary from royal court life at the palace. Read the full post…
Fontainebleau
- Station: Gare de Lyon
- Train: Transilien R (leaves every 30 minutes)
- Travel Time from Paris: approximately 1 hour
Another French royal palace not to be missed! The interiors and ground of Fontainebleau are incredibly opulent. The city of Fontainebleau has a more vibrant downtown. well worth grabbing lunch and enjoying the afternoon at this sought-after getaway from Paris.
Moret-sur-Loing
- Station: Gare de Lyon
- Train: Transilien R (leaves every 30 minutes)
- Travel Time from Paris: approximately 1 hour
I saw an impressive exhibit of Impressionist Alfred Sisley’s work and noticed that many of his works towards the end of his life were painted in Moret-sur-Loing. When I realized that the village was easily accessible from Paris, I jumped at the chance to give myself an art history tour of Sisley. I loved wandering through the streets and finding pieces of about Sisley and other European figures that once lived in More-sur-Loing. I might be hyping up Moret-sur-Loing too much, but I truly loved visiting this quiet village. Read the full post…
If you don’t want to spend too much time in Moret-sur-Loing, Fontainebleau is on the same Transilien R line.
Île de la Jatte
- Metro: Line 1, Pont de Neuilly
Île de la Jatte is a hidden treasure of the Paris suburbs. The island is located in Neuilly-sur-Seine and Levallois-Perret, only about 20 minutes from Charles de Gaulle Étoile – Arc de Triomphe. It’s such a beautiful place to take a walk or have a summertime apéro along the Seine without the touristy crowd. Read the full post…
Provins
- Station: Gare de l’Est
- Train: Transilien P (leaves every hour)
- Travel Time from Paris: > 1.5 hours
Provins is a UNESCO heritage site for its well-preserved medieval aesthetic. It’s an easily walkable city, but it is larger than you would anticipate—I would recommend wearing sneakers for a more comfortable walk along the old cobblestone roads. Read the full post…
If you’re looking for more day trips outside of Paris I’ve found these links helpful:
New England Parisienne 
I hope to travel to France one day. I never thought about public transportation there before, so it’s nice to know what they offer and that this could be an option when we go there.
LikeLike
That’s one of the great things about traveling around France and in Europe in general. I hope you plan a wonderful trip to France soon, thank you for stopping by 🙂
LikeLike
I wish I knew about this pass when I visited Paris! Thank you so much for giving me another reason to go back! 😀
LikeLike
I’m glad you find the post useful! Hope you find yourself in Paris again for a week (or longer!) the next time you visit 🙂
LikeLike
I love all of these photos and had never heard of the Navigo pass before. It’s been 18 years since I was last in France — feels like a lifetime ago! My parents were both French professors, and my sister and I both have advanced degrees in French. We are definitely due another trip in the next few years — I’m really glad to know about the pass, and a couple of these day trips are new to me. Thank you for the info!
LikeLike
Wow, that’s amazing that you have an entire family of professional Francophiles, I love it! Thank you so much for your comment, I hope you find yourself back in Paris sooner rather than later 🙂
LikeLike
My boyfriend and I are planning on moving to Europe in a few months so I’ve been obsessed with European travel blogs! I’m definitely saving this one to reference later if we end up around Paris!
LikeLike
That’s so exciting! Keep doing as much research as you can—if you need help coming to France, let me know 🙂 theglitteringunknown.com is also super helpful, Emily shares a lot of how-tos for dealing with French bureaucracy
LikeLike
Thank you for this. I have been planning on visiting Paris, specifically, The Louvre. I’ve read stories of how rich it is with art. You have made travelling across Paris look so easy and interesting. Great post.
LikeLike