When to Choose a Day Trip vs an Overnight Stay from Paris

When does an overnight stay make more sense than a day trip from Paris?  The answer depends on more than how far away your destination looks on a map.

Many popular destinations such as Giverny and Versailles are quick and easy to visit in one day.  But even though others may be technically feasible as day trips, once you consider transportation, train station or airport time, and local connections, you may have only a few hours to enjoy the destination.  And if your Paris visit itself is short, even one night away can take a significant bite out of your time in the city.

In the Sunday edition of my free Paris Discoveries Newsletter, I answer questions about Paris travel.  Recently, readers have asked whether they should take day trips or spend a night or two in destinations such as Champagne, Sancerre, Burgundy, and London.

This article is part of the Paris Discoveries Q&A Archive and brings together my answers based on my own experiences from making numerous day trips as well as longer excursions from Paris.

You'll find practical advice about balancing travel time against sightseeing time, deciding how much of your Paris stay to give up, and evaluating whether an overnight stay may give you a fuller experience.

I've lightly edited, expanded, and updated my original answers, and added photos to make this a more complete Paris travel resource. 

Top photo:  London's Tower Bridge over the Thames River, (c) Paris Discovery Guide

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Day Trip or Overnight Stay: Which Is Better for a 6-Day Paris Visit?

Jane & Greg's Question:

My husband and I will be leaving Italy on March 28 and going to Paris until April 4. It's our first time in France. Should we do day trips out of Paris or stay in Sancerre, Burgundy or Champagne for a night or two?  We will be staying in the Ternes neighborhood in the 17th arrondissement. 

Susan's Answer: 

Since you'll have only six full days in Paris, a day trip will probably be a better choice than an overnight trip that would probably fill most of two days.  

If you decide to do one, there are some wonderful choices that involve food and wine tastings in the Champagne region near Paris (you'll find details in this article about Day Trips from Paris), as well as others to the Palace of Versailles, Monet's home and garden in Giverny where early spring flowers will be in bloom, and a number of other interesting destinations.

I've recently become aware of a new-ish small-group day trip from Paris to Sancerre that includes 8-10 wine tastings and lunch.  I haven't included it in the Day Trips article yet because I haven't gone on it myself yet but it's on my itinerary for my next trip and I'm looking forward to it because I love Sancerre wine.  It includes pick-up at your hotel and its duration is about 11 hours, so it will be a long day but not having to get to the meeting point on your own makes it easier.

Alternately, you could just enjoy wine with your meals in Paris - maybe consider some of the small bistros or wine bars in the Rue Poncelet market street area in the Ternes neighborhood near your hotel.

What Is the Best Way to Get to Mont Saint-Michel from Paris?

Chrys's Question: 

I am taking my adult grandchildren to Paris in June 2026. We will be spending one night at Mont Saint-Michel. What is the fastest train to take from Paris to get there? From the train stop, how do we get to the entrance?

Susan's Answer:

A new direct train/shuttle service is now available from Gare Montparnasse in Paris's 14th arrondissement on the Mont Saint-Michel route via Pontorson station.  The train stops at the station, and a shuttle will take you directly to the base of Mont Saint-Michel, where a short 3-5 minute walk will bring you to the entrance gate. 

From there, you'll walk (and climb) for another 15-20 minutes along a fairly steep path that winds through the medieval village and finally climb up some stone steps to the abbey.

The train and shuttle run every weekend throughout the year, and daily between April and October. 

You can find detailed information about it in a special section on the Normandy Tourism website.

To book, use the SNCF-connect.com link provided at the bottom of Normandy Tourism's page.

Fares currently run €32 each way from Montparnasse station, and the trip's duration is just under 4 hours each way. 

You're wise to be making this an overnight trip, as this will give you time to also explore the village by the abbey.  If at all possible, go during the week to miss the biggest crowds.

That sounds like a wonderful trip to make with your grandchildren.  Wishing you memorable trip!

Is a Day Trip to London from Paris Worth Doing, vs a Longer Stay?

Sharon's Question

Have you ever taken the Eurostar to London as a day trip?  Is it worthwhile or better to go when you can stay a few days?

Susan's Suggestions

Although I once planned to take a day trip to London from Paris to have lunch with a friend and catch a museum show, I made a mistake when I booked my Eurostar tickets and ended up staying for the weekend instead.  In addition to that trip, I've made a few other longer trips back and forth from Paris to London through the years, as well as longer trips just to London from my home in the U.S.  

Even though I failed at my own attempt to visit London for just a day, I've chatted with several others who do this, and here's what they say: the "secret" to making it work is to keep it simple.  

Even though the Eurostar whisks you to London in less than 2.5 hours, plan to arrive at Gare du Nord at least 75-90 minutes before your train to get through the security line and border controls (French exit and UK entry).  Because I've seen these processes take longer, I arrive 2 hours early - much easier than rebooking because you've missed your train.  

For your return trip to Paris, Eurostar recommends arriving at St Pancras Station (London) about 75 minutes before departure; I allow 90 minutes based on my own experiences.

So that's a total of almost 4 - 4.5 hours travel time, and the same amount later in the day to get back to Paris, for a total travel time of around 8-9 hours (I'm rounding slightly).  Plus, if getting to/from Gare du Nord takes you another half-hour each way, that ups your total to 9-10 hours.  So you'll actually have about 5-6 hours to spend in London, despite the long day of travel.

With that in mind, consider planning an itinerary for your day in London that looks something like this:

• Arrive at St Pancras station
• Have a quick lunch nearby (lots of choices in the immediate neighborhood)
• Enjoy one activity
• Stroll around a nearby neighborhood
• Grab a late afternoon snack
• Head back to St Pancras to catch your train to Paris

So back to your question, "Is it [a daytrip] worthwhile or better to go when you can stay a few days?" 

My opinion:   Even a few hours in London are worthwhile.  You get a glimpse of a different place (both visually and culturally, London is quite different from Paris), a meal of British food such a quick pub lunch of fish and chips, an activity such as a museum or tour or whatever else you decide to do. 

As for the activity, the British Museum in London's Bloomsbury neighborhood is an easy walk from St Pancras. 

Or, hop onto the Tube (London's subway) and go somewhere else - maybe take a 1.5 hour city tour with lunch included, or stop by Borough Market on the other side of the Thames and grab a quick lunch there.

Your activity could be a walking tour - here are 3 that I've totally enjoyed:

• Tower of London & City Walking Tour: History & Landmarks - Even though I'd been to London a few times before taking this tour, I loved the sites it covered & the insights it provided
• Ancient Pubs & Historic Taverns - Small-group tasting tour through historical parts of London
• The Great British Rock & Roll Music Walking Tour - Re-live the Golden Age of British Rock by seeing where the legends played, partied, drank, and hung out

Of course, several days in London are even better, and, given a choice, I would vote for a week.  But if one day is what you have and you want to go, do it!

My Best Tips for Day or Overnight Trips to London:

• Buy your Eurostar tickets at least 4 weeks in advance if possible, as the prices rise sharply closer to the travel date
• In London, avoid taking cabs, Bolt, or other ride services as they will cost you dearly in time as well as money due to the city's constantly gridlocked traffic - it's even worse than Paris!
• If you are considering visiting both Paris and London, compare the cost of a round-trip airfare to each city plus Eurostar with an "open-jaw" or "triangular" airfare that lets you fly into one city and home from the other.  You may find one option that will save you money compared with the other two, depending on your dates and home airport.
• Assuming you book about 4 weeks in advance, taking the Eurostar between Paris and London may cost you less than booking a cheap flight, plus the in-city train stations in both cities may be more convenient than getting to/from the more distant airports.
• If you do an overnight trip to London, I recommend staying near St Pancras; based on my own experiences I recommend Morton Hotel across from Russell Square and the British Museum in Bloomsbury, where you can book a room, suite, or apartment with kitchenette - very charming, and only about a 10-minute walk (with a rolling suitcase) from St Pancras station.

What to Do in London on a Short Trip from Paris?

Sherrin's Question:

Do you by chance have any information on London?  

I am going next week for my son's wedding, and sadly don’t think I will have time for Paris but thought possibly you would be able to share some thoughts about London.  

Susan's Answer: 

I've made a few trips to London from Paris, as well as several visits just to London, so I'm happy to share some of my favorite activities, as they may be of interest to anyone visiting Paris who wants to pop over to London for a day or more on the Eurostar. 

In no particular order, here are some museums, tours, and other activities that I've enjoyed that would work well for anyone who wants to soak up some London culture in just a short time:

• Tate Modern - Modern and contemporary art, starting with the Impressionists.   Free admission.
• London Small Group Tour of Historical Pubs - Fascinating tour of an older part of London with visits to pubs and old literary haunts, plus excellent, very knowledgeable guides (usually historians who love sharing their knowledge about 18th and 19th century pub life).
• The British Museum - Exhibitions on cultures from around the world and from different time periods.  Totally fascinating.  Free admission.  
• Borough Market - Fantastic food market and boutiques in an old train station.  I've come here several times - it feels fresh and vibrant every time, and always has something new.
• The London Eye - Gigantic Ferris wheel by the Thames River - impressive city views from the top.  I highly recommend taking a ride!
• The Serpentine, a lake in Hyde Park - My younger daughter was with me and we rented a paddle boat for an hour - which turned into 2 hours as we experienced the perfect languid afternoon on the water.
• London Street Art Tour - I love street art, and thoroughly enjoyed this tour - plus I got to see interesting parts of the city. 
• Brick Lane - A famous food street in the East End - a big attraction is the delicious Bangladeshi food, but the street and surrounding areas also boast a number of interesting vintage shops and small art galleries.  Arrive about mid-afternoon and stay for dinner.
• Hop On Hop Off Thames River Cruise - A fun way to see the city - I highly recommend it as a way to spend an entire day getting acquainted with the city by exploring the neighborhoods near each stop.
• London Pub Food - Loved the fish and chips which my daughter and I enjoyed in neighborhood pubs - some sleek and modern, some quite ancient - during a week-long visit from Paris.
• Sky Garden - This is very modern, very glitzy indoor garden with a couple of bars and restaurants at the top of London's Walkie Talkie building (look for it on Fenchurch Street); we ordered Champagne and sipped it at a window table with fantastic skyline views of the Thames and the city beyond it.

If you go:  The Eurostar trip from Paris to London takes just under 2.5 hours, and Eurostar suggests arriving at Paris' Gard du Nord about 75 - 90 minutes before departure, and St Pancras Station (London) about 75 minutes before departure (I recommend at least 90 minutes or even 2 hours prior to departure at Gare du Nord and 90 minutes prior to departure at St Pancras based on my own experiences).  To get the cheapest tickets, book about 4 weeks in advance.

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See Questions & Answers on Similar Topics

Related articles from the Q&A archives:

• How to Choose & Plan Day Trips from Paris
• Paris Tickets to Book in Advance

Paris Discoveries Q&A Archive - See Q&As on all topics

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