From fairytale villages that look straight from a postcard to medieval ruins and even a grandiose château that was called ‘home’ by dozens of kings, Paris has no shortage of incredible day trips where you can soak up history, enjoy local dishes, and relax in a laid-back pace of life. In this travel guide, we’ll detail the best small towns near Paris (and you’ve probably never heard of them all!)

We’ll start at Sceaux, which is most famous for its sprawling domain that was designed by André le Nôtre. Then we’ll walk to the Parc de la Valée aux Loups, which boasts one of the most incredible bonsai collections in France. Afterwards, it’s a trip to a regal château in Fontainebleau, before we head to Moret-sur-Loing, a tiny town that’s filled with history. Finally, we’ll taste the brie of Meaux before we head to the ‘Venice of Brie,’ a tiny little village by the name of Crécy-la-Chapelle.

Chapters
Introduction: 00:00
Sceaux: 00:00:41
Parc de la Vallée aux Loups: 00:07:12
Fontainebleau: 00:09:34
Moret-sur-Loing: 00:16:12
Meaux: 00:19:45
Crécy-la-Chapelle: 00:24:52

What to watch next:

Read my free travel guides before visiting Paris 👩🏻‍💻: https://www.solosophie.com/
Buy my Paris guide: https://www.solosophie.com/buy-my-ebooks/

Social media:
https://www.instagram.com/sophieannenadeau/
https://www.facebook.com/solosophie/
https://twitter.com/solosophieblog/

@sophieannenadeau

Subscribe to my mailing list: https://www.solosophie.com/subscribe/
Buy my eBooks: https://www.solosophie.com/shop/
Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/sophieannenadeau

Share.

35 Comments

  1. congrats very good choice for tourists wanting to visit Paris suburban area. In Sceaux I do recommend that you try 'Les Voiles rouges', a very good crêperie recently opened and do not miss also the bread from the 2 main boulangeries (esp L'Etoile du Berger)….Have fun

  2. Bonjour & merci pour le partage.
    Dear foreigners, I lived in Seine et Marne for a while. Actually was born in Meaux. So many great places to see but only the brave who dare fleeing the capital 😜 will enjoy them. So explore, I promise you'll be rewarded!
    Have a great day everyone.

  3. Great video. As a Paris resident and though i already visited some, not all of these charming places, really motivates me to explore them. Keep up the great work.

  4. How about Montfort L’Amaury. .. located between Versailles and Rambouillet . Direct trains leave from Paris Montparnasse .35 min train ride. There are busses from the station into the village. Victor Hugo lived here, Maurice Ravel lived here and you can still visit his little home if you reserve with the office of tourism. There is an 11 Century Cathedral with 16th Century stained glass window that are some of the most beautiful. Montfort sits on the edge of the Rambouillet National Forrest which offers a bike path from Montfort to Rambouillet and the nearby Étanges d’Hollamd and lake created for Louis the 14th got The Palace of Versailles. The restaurants at the Place de l’Eglise are very nice. The bakery Dewulf offers a great “picnic formula” to take to a park or the Forrest… (sandwich, desert and drink). Don’t forget to take a look at the chocolate shop “Cho-co-lat” .pure art… with its cafe in the back.

  5. Fontainebleau et non Fontanbleau??? L ‘ orthographe laisse à désirer. Sinon l ‘ idée d’ aller faire un tour loin de Paris est sympa. Le canal de Fontainebleau creusé entre 6002 et 6004..!!! Vos dates sont surréalistes. Il n’ y a pas plus de choses à voir à Fontainebleau qu’ à Versailles. Ce sont deux moments de l ‘ histoire et de la civilisation française différents. La balade est une bonne idée tout de même.

  6. Hi. I live in the region of Alpes-Maritimes, and often visit Paris. Your review has given me a list of a few places I didn't know about, and I'll definitely put them my list of places to visit. Thanks.

  7. Thank you for this video. Is it possible to show the rooms a little slower… I find it difficult to go from place to place so fast. If you could dwell on the beautiful detail of the interior decoration of the rooms , it would be very special. I understand if it is not possible,though. You have found true treasures of France.🎉

  8. Sorry, not meaning to be rude… I have no idea what part of the UK you are from but your accent even as a UK accent and trust me I have dealt with people in the UK for 50 years. Your accent drives me nuts listening to you, but then I am of course, a dirty unwashed American.

  9. Meaux an historic little town. At the episcopical palace Louis 16th and his family were caught trying to flee and spend the night there before returning to Paris….In addition there is a wonderful museum Musee de la Grande Guerre at the historic battle site.

  10. France has "only" several tens of thousands of municipalities to visit throughout France.

    La France possède "seulement" plusieurs dizaines de milliers de communes à visiter partout en France.

  11. Thank you so much for the video! I'm having breakfast, watching it, and it's like I'm strolling through such wonderful places. It puts me in a great mood for the whole day!

Leave A Reply