One day trip outside Paris
 

My family and I will be in Paris for 6 days around Christmas time. We hope to go for 2 one day trip. Please provide suggestions for places to visit and ways to get there.

With only 6 days in Paris a day trip is a bit of a luxury--taking away from all there is to see and do in Paris. However, Versailles is one possibility--closed on Monday. Chartres and its magnificent cathedral is another choice. Be sure to be there for Malcolm Miller's tour of the church. Both of these can be reached by train. If you are saying you want to do 2 trips, I think that is too much. If you want a TOTAL day trip you could take a tour to the Normandy beaches via a tour bus.

I agree that 2 one day trips out of a total 6 day trip is too much. Also consider that many typical day trips like Versailles are popular for gardens which will not be at their "peak" at Christmas. (Although I've seen beautiful shots of Versailles in snow, it may not be very comfortable walking around). If you type Paris AND day trips in the search box you'll get lots of ideas.

I would skip Versailles...It really ain't that grand. Spend the day somewhere else and not waste it on Versailles.

Ditto. Chartres would be nice if the day is not heavily overcast. Cloudy is nice as the colors of the windows change as the clouds go by.

I think Vesailles is quite grand, not to mention its position in history. Also, it might not be so crowded at that time, which would be a plus, and you could see all the interior rooms. Maybe it is due to other Christmas tourists, also, though -- I don't know.

I'll admit I can't get too excited about any day trip at Christmas time, as the weather can be so bleak, which rules out many interests and attractions, but it would have to be a place with a lot to see inside. So, I'd recommend:

St-Denis: it's just on the northern edge of Paris by RER -- cathedral with some of the most famous funerary sculpture in France as well as royal crypts, and a couple excellent museums, the stained glass windows at St-Denis are well-known);

Reims: famous cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows, some by Chagall; WWII recapitulation museum which was Eisenhower's headquarters, several excellent museums, as well as the champagne houses (they don't give tours on weekends in off-season, so be sure to check hours before going). I also have seen some mention of some special Christmas thing in Reims, maybe a market or something. This would be one of my top recommendations for that time of year.

Lyon: this is only 2 hrs from Paris by TGV train and there is much to see there -- museums, basilica, Old Town, famous squares, also excellent decorative arts museum; if by any chance anyone in your family is interested in clothing/textiles, their Textiles Museum is one of the best in the world. Also, well known for its cuisine.