Curated collection
Paris is surrounded by some of the most rewarding small towns in France, and most of them are reachable in under two hours. This collection gathers every destination we have published, from ramparted medieval cities to quiet villages on the Seine.
Each destination page lists how to get there, how long to stay and what we have — and haven't — been able to verify, so you can plan with confidence.
Normandy (Calvados)
A beautifully preserved medieval town famous for the Bayeux Tapestry, its soaring cathedral, and a riverside centre of half-timbered houses and stone watermills — an easy train journey from Paris and the classic gateway to the D-Day landing beaches.
Manche, Normandy
A maritime city at the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, home to La Cité de la Mer, a working harbour and dramatic nearby coastline.
Eure, Normandy
The Normandy village where Claude Monet lived from 1883 to 1926 — his pink house, the Clos Normand flower garden and the water-lily pond, plus an Impressionism museum, 45-50 minutes by train from Paris Saint-Lazare.
Calvados, Normandy
A historic Norman harbour of slate-fronted houses, artists’ heritage, wooden architecture and seafood restaurants around the Vieux Bassin.
Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France
A fortified medieval town on the Loing at the edge of the Fontainebleau forest, painted repeatedly by Alfred Sisley and home to a barley sugar made by nuns since 1638.
Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France
A UNESCO-listed medieval walled city 80 km south-east of Paris, with a 12th-century keep, walkable ramparts, underground galleries and daily equestrian and falconry shows in season.
Seine-et-Marne, Île-de-France
The village on the edge of the Fontainebleau forest where Rousseau, Millet and Corot invented painting outdoors — one street of studios and galleries, and a museum inside the painters' old inn.
Oise, Hauts-de-France
A princely château on the water with one of France’s finest art collections, Le Nôtre gardens and the grandest stables in Europe — about 25 minutes by direct train from Paris.
Eure-et-Loir, Centre-Val de Loire
A UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral with world-famous stained glass, a walkable medieval old town and riverside lanes — about an hour by direct train from Paris Montparnasse.
Oise, Hauts-de-France
A royal and medieval town 45 km north of Paris, with an early Gothic cathedral, Gallo-Roman walls, cobbled streets used constantly as film sets, and Chantilly next door.
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