The 12 weekends at a glance

The "from" fares are limited promotional prices, often midweek or very early in the morning: on a Friday evening, expect to pay noticeably more. To work out which station you leave from, see our guide to Paris train stations.

Under 1 h 30: leave on Saturday morning

These four cities work without taking a day off, even if you leave at 9 am on Saturday.

  • Reims: the coronation cathedral, Champagne cellars dug into the chalk and a city you can walk from the station. It is the easiest weekend on the list. Our Reims weekend guide has a 2-day plan and hotels.
  • Lille: Vieux-Lille, its estaminets and the Grand-Place, one hour away by train. The huge Braderie flea market takes place every year in early September: hotels are packed that weekend.
  • Rouen: the cathedral Monet painted, the Gros-Horloge and half-timbered houses, 1 h 15 from Saint-Lazare with some of the cheapest fares.
  • Tours: a base for Amboise, Chenonceau or Villandry. Without a car the châteaux are hard to combine; our comparison of Loire château trips from Paris helps you choose.

The sea: Normandy and Brittany

The closest sea to Paris by train is the Côte Fleurie.

  • Deauville and Trouville: Trouville-Deauville station serves both towns, on either side of the Touques river. Deauville for the boardwalk, the casino and the grand hotels; Trouville for the fish market and a more laid-back feel. See our Deauville and Trouville weekend.
  • Honfleur and Étretat: neither Honfleur nor Étretat has a station, and they sit on opposite sides of the Seine estuary. By train you need a coach at the end; by car you can do both in one weekend. See our Honfleur and Étretat weekend.
  • Saint-Malo: the walled city, the ramparts, the forts you can walk to at low tide and Mont-Saint-Michel about an hour's drive away. Direct trains are few: book early. See our Saint-Malo weekend.

Another country, no plane

  • Brussels: 1 h 22 by Eurostar, the Grand-Place, museums and bistros. Ouigo "classic trains" are cheaper but take about 3 hours.
  • Bruges: canals, the béguinage and the belfry, with a change at Brussels-Midi. It is the romantic weekend par excellence. See our Bruges weekend.

Wine, food and big cities

  • Beaune: the Hospices, the cellars and the Route des Grands Crus. The Hospices wine auction takes place every year in November. For an organised day, see our Burgundy from Paris comparison.
  • Strasbourg: Petite France, the cathedral and, in December, one of the best-known Christmas markets in France. Hotels for December book up months ahead.
  • Bordeaux: the riverside quays, the Miroir d'eau and the Cité du Vin, just over 2 hours from Montparnasse. It is the most urban weekend on the list.

How to pay less for the train

  • Book as soon as sales open: SNCF and Eurostar prices follow demand; Friday-evening and Sunday-afternoon tickets go first.
  • Check Ouigo: promotional fares start at €10 per adult, but some Ouigo trains leave from Marne-la-Vallée, Roissy or Massy rather than central Paris, and extra luggage costs more.
  • With a railcard (Carte Avantage, Carte Jeune), fares drop depending on the card: do the maths if you travel several times a year.
  • Leave on Saturday morning and come back late on Sunday: these slots are often cheaper than Friday evening.

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