Chartres ★ 4.0
Chartres is the Beauce cathedral town an hour from Paris by SNCF. The cathedral is the spine; lunch at Le Tripot for Beauce-regional bistro plates.
Tip: Lunch at Le Tripot Mon-Fri; the cathedral has English audio guides from 10:00.
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Tip: Saturday and Sunday are market days. Combine with the medieval festival weekend (early June).
More food day trips in Paris
Chantilly ★ 4.2
Chantilly is the 25-minutes-from-Paris chateau town that gave its name to whipped cream. Booking recommended. Reservations advised. Cash and card accepted.
Tip: The cream is plated in the Hameau in the gardens; €8 for a meringue and crème de Chantilly.
Barbizon ★ 4.0
Barbizon is the 19th-century painters' village south of Paris. The Musée des Peintres de Barbizon sits in the former Auberge Ganne; bistros line the Grande.
Tip: Combine with a morning at Fontainebleau forest and chateau; lunch at one of the bistros on the Grande Rue.
Reims (Champagne) ★ 4.6
Reims is the Champagne capital, 45 min from Paris by TGV. Pommery, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger and Ruinart all run cellar tours; lunch at L'Assiette.
Tip: Book a 10:00 train and a 14:00 cellar tour; lunch at one of three local bistros between tastings.
Versailles ★ 4.0
Versailles in Paris's outer suburb is more than the palace: the chateau-side town has bistros, a Saturday market on Place du Marché Notre-Dame.
Tip: Skip the chateau cafeteria. Lunch at Gordon Ramsay au Trianon or the bistros on Rue de la Paroisse instead.
Giverny (Monet's garden) ★ 4.3
Giverny is Monet's Normandy garden village, an hour from Paris. Hotel Baudy, the 1880s artists' canteen across from the garden, still serves a French bistro.
Tip: Hotel Baudy is the historic spot; the apple-orchard ciders served alongside are the Norman pick.