10+ Weekend Breaks from Paris (that make for the perfect escape)

Last Updated on 30th June 2025 by Sophie Nadeau

This post may contain affiliate links. Please check out my privacy policy and disclosure for more information.

Between the crashing coastal waves of the Atlantic coastline to the pastel hued towns of the Alsace and the regal cities of Normandy and the Loire Valley, there’s no shortage of amazing spots to check out in Paris. Here are some of my favourite weekend breaks from Paris (and when the best time is to visit each of them)!

This guide is focused on weekend breaks and I would highly recommend visiting each of these locations for at least 2-3 days as they are a little bit too far away from Paris to visit in a single day. If you are looking for shorter excursions, then check out our guide to the best day trips from Paris.

Psst. If you’re planning to visit Paris, then we’ve created a gorgeous 100+ page eBook full of beautiful photos and insider tips by a local. Included you’ll find hidden gems, arrondissement guides, walking tours, suggested itineraries, and more. Find more information here.

Getting around France

High speed trains (the TGV) travel from Paris to pretty much every corner of France so everywhere can be reached within a few hours. Just be sure to book your train ticket at least a month in advance in order to guarantee a spot on the train you wish to travel on and to get the tickets at reasonable prices.

After all, in France booking closer to the date means that you’ll play highly inflated ticket prices (sometimes hundreds of euros more)! When it comes to getting around, for each location I’ve put if I recommend renting a car at the destination or not!

Typically, if you do need to rent a car, then I would recommend getting a train from Paris to the largest city in the given region and renting a car once there in order to avoid paying high toll road fees (all of France has toll roads with the exception of Brittany) and avoid Parisian traffic (the driving is the city is no joke!)

Check car rental comparison prices here.

Best weekend breaks from Paris

Lille

This gem of a city in northern France is close to the border with Belgium and boasts plenty of Flemish influences as a result. Head here for some delicious beer, unique architecture (including a UNESCO World Heritage bell tower you can climb), and a smattering of small yet gorgeous museums.

If you’re a book lover, then I highly recommend checking out the Vieille Bourse Book Market, which is a book market held in the former stock exchange. You only need a day or two to see everything that Lille has to offer, making it the perfect weekend escape.

You won’t need a car and high speed trains depart regularly from Gare du Nord in Paris to Lille’s main train station. The journey takes around an hour.

Once in Lille, I recommend exploring on foot (just bring an umbrella as rain is pretty common throughout the year due to its northerly position). For more Lille inspiration, check out our suggestions for how to spend one day in Lille.

Loire Valley (Tours & Amboise)

The Loire Valley is world-famous thanks to its abundance of Châteaux scattered across the region. Base yourself in Tours (one of the larger cities in the region) and take a day trip to nearby Amboise where you can discover a couple of the most stunning châteaux in France.

This area is best seen with a car. I would personally take a train from Paris to Tours and then rent a car for the day you want to take a trip to Amboise. Trains run from Montparnasse to Tours on a regular basis throughout the day and only take around an hour and a quarter.

Champagne (Reims & the vineyards)

The best time to visit Champagne is from late September until late October when the vines begin to transform from vibrant greens to burnt oranges and umber shades. Base yourself in Reims (whose Gothic Cathedral was the crowning spot for many a French king) and take day trips to nearby small towns, villages, and vineyards.

This area is best seen with a car as this will allolw you to check out independent winemakers, visit off the beaten track vineyards, and discover the smaller towns of the Champagne region. I would recommend taking a direct train from Paris to Reims (around 45 minutes from Gare de l’Est) and then renting a car once in Reims.

Rouen

Picture perfect Rouen is the capital of Normandy and is one of the smaller medieval cities in France, meaning that all of the major attractions are close to one another and easy to explore on foot. Can’t miss spots include the 14th-century astronomical clock and Rouen Cathedral, which is also the final resting place of the heart of Richard the Lionheart.

You don’t need a car to visit Reims as it is just an hour and twenty minutes away from Paris on the train! Just be sure to bring along comfortable shoes as the historic city centre is largely pedestrianised and full of medieval cobbled lanes (so most definitely leave those high heels at home)!

Lyon

One of the gastronomy capitals of France, the pastel hues of Lyon are wonderful to explore over a weekend. Discover the city’s Roman past from when the Lyon was known as Lugdunum, take a day trip to well-preserved Roman Vienne, or cosy up in one of the ‘bouchons,’ a hole in the wall eatery serving up traditional French food.

No car is needed for this trip and so you can take a train directly from Paris to Lyon and the journey takes just under two hours. Lyon is one of the larger cities in France and so I highly recommend basing yourself in the city centre (Presqu’île and Vieux Lyon are my go-to districts) so as to make the most of your short visit. For more Lyon travel inspiration, check out our suggestions for how to spend one day in Lyon.

Mont Saint Michel & Saint-Malo

If you’re a fan of beautiful architecture and medieval history, then you need to look no further than Mont Saint Michel. This striking tidal island is crowned by a Neo-Gothic abbey and has been home to a place of worship for many centuries.

Base yourself in the nearby Breton town of Saint-Malo where you can stroll along the ramparts, learn about the pirating history of the town, and dine on the local fare; Breton galettes washed down with a hearty pour of cider.

I’ve done this trip on a train & bus by taking a train to Saint Malo and then doing a day trip to Mont-Saint-Michel by using a local bus, though, admittedly, it would give you a lot more flexibility to just rent a car once in Saint-Malo.

Alsace (Strasbourg & Colmar)

Beautiful to visit all year ‘round, the best time to check out the Alsace is undoubtedly during the festive period. Strasbourg is self-proclaimed to be the capital of Christmas and is alleged to be home to one of the oldest Christmas Markets in the world.

Nearby, Colmar is home to waterways, timber-framed homes, and looks like it’s been plucked straight out of a fairytale. No car is required for this trip because you can take a train straight from Paris to Strasbourg and then take a day trip by train to Colmar.

With this being said, if you wish to visit some of the smaller towns in the Alsace, then you’ll need to rent a car (one single car rental day should be sufficient to cover a couple of towns close to Strasbourg).

Bay of Arcachon

The Bassin d’Arcachon is a delightful corner of South West France which is characterised by its little fishing villages, endless sandy beaches, and its enviable position overlooking the Atlantic Sea.

The area is most famous for its oysters and fancy resorts. Best visited during the summer when the weather is at its best and everything is actually open, base yourself in Cap Ferret for the ultimate seaside retreat.

Best seen with a car and, to be honest, I would probably drive there directly from Paris. As this destination is a little bit further away from the city than some of the other destinations on this list, I would set aside at least 3 or 4 days to explore the area.

Nice

Nice is nice, or so they say. Glitzy and glamorous, the entryway to the famed Côte d’Azur is home to the Promenade des Anglais, a gorgeous boardwalk which is so-called because it was popular among English holidaymakers during the 19th-century.

While in Nice be sure to sample the local socca (a chickpea pancake which is naturally vegan) and wash it down with a crisp glass of locally produced Provence rosé. And, despite being such a famous city, Nice also harbours plenty of hidden gems, including a Russian Orthodox Church and even a replica of the Statue of Liberty.

You won’t need a car to make this weekend trip as, once in Nice, you can easily get around on foot or using the local transportation system (an underground, bus, and tramway).

To get from Paris to Nice, you can take a train from Gare de Lyon to Nice’s main station which takes just under 6 hours. A quicker (though, unfortunately not as environmentally conscious) option is to fly and flights only take an hour and a half.

Annecy

Annecy is best associated with its eponymous nearby lake, Lake Annecy. Around almost every turn in the town itself, visitors will soon discover a beautiful medley of medieval buildings, pastel hued houses, stunning landscapes, and plenty of greenery.

Conservation efforts over the past five decades mean that Lake Annecy boasts some of the purest lake water in Europe, making it a popular getaway for young families. During fall, the changing of the leaves alongside the blue lake make this one of the best fall destinations in France.

The town has garnered itself the nickname ‘Venice of the Alps’ thanks to its abuncance of waterways which course between its streets and add nothing but charm and intrigue come day or night.

Indeed, the Vieille Ville (old town) has more waterways than it had roads! You’ll have to change trains in Lyon, but the total journey time should take around four hours (as long as there are no delays).

London

Though I would probably recommend sticking to France if you’re looking for a quick weekend break from Paris, you could also consider hopping across the Channel Tunnel (or Chunnel as locals fondly refer to it) in order to visit the capital of the UK.

London is a sprawling vibrant city which is famed for its luxury shopping, eclectic nightlife, and wealth of eateries serving up various cuisines from around the world (on every kind of budget you can imagine). While you won’t be able to see everything in the Big Smoke in a simple weekend, 3 days is a great introduction to London.

The easiest way to get between London and Paris is by using the Eurostar (though be warned that, since Brexit the queues can be quite long and I think I’ve been delayed on almost every journey I’ve taken over the past year), which departs from Gare du Nord and will take you straight to St Pancras International in central London. If you’re curious to learn more about the Eurostar, then you can read my Eurostar standard premier review.

Enjoyed reading about the best weekend breaks from Paris? Pin this article now, read it again later: