Mini-breaks in France by train are a great option for flight-free weekends away. You can of course go to Paris but there are actually all sorts of other cool places to visit in France by train in as little as 90 minutes from St Pancras.
And I have for you here 25 of the best French mini-breaks by train with ideas to suit all interests including :
- Battlefields
- North coast beaches
- Royal palaces
- Art & cathedrals
- Champagne country
- Hidden gems
- And even the sunny south by sleeper train.
Some of the trips take longer than others but with faster London check-ins they are all time-competitive with European mini-breaks by plane.
Table of Contents
Lille : Gateway To France
Lille is home to one of France's best fine art museums (Palais des Beaux Art), coolest modern art museums (LaM) and largest flea markets. It is also a foodie heaven with lots of cool restaurants and stylish hotels.
There are 6-8 Eurostar trains a day with the earliest out just after 7am and the last back around 9.30pm. The journey takes between 80 and 90 minutes.
If you haven't been to Lille, it is definitely worth a weekend by train but Lille is also the key gateway to mini-breaks all over northern and eastern France and in western Belgium.
If you have more time there are even direct intercity trains from Lille - which let you skip the transfer in Paris - to :
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Nantes
- Rennes
- Bordeaux
- And more ...
Eurostar trains come into Lille Europe station whilst local trains and some inter-city trains use Lille Flandres which is just 7 minutes walk away.
WW1 & WW2 Battlefields
The World War battlefields of northern France are easy to visit by rail for a weekend from London. There are moving memorials and excellent museums scattered across coastal towns and the Somme including :
- Dunkirk
- Arras
- Albert
- St Omer
- Amiens
France's battlefield towns have been scarred by industry and mining so, whilst there is beauty to be found in these places, don't head off for your weekend battlefield tour expecting French glamour or pretty-pretty. Alternatively, base yourself in glamorous Lille or pretty Amiens and do the battlefield towns as day trips.
Dunkirk
The big draw in Dunkirk is Operation Dynamo, the mass rescue of allied troops in WW2. The Dunkirk Tourist Office has details of all the sites along the coast and offers minibus tours.
Dunkirk is just 30 minutes by train from Lille and you can be there by lunch off the 9am departures from St Pancras. The town is short on great hotels, so you might prefer to stay in Lille and visit Dunkirk as a day trip.
Arras
Arras was at the heart of military action in both world wars. Immense chalk tunnels under the city were used by 20,000 Allied soldiers to attack German positions in WW1 and are now the Carriere Wellington museum.
You can also visit:
- Citadelle Arras a 17th century fort
- Arras Commonwealth Memorial
- Le Mur des Fusilles a memorial to French resistance fighters.
Escorted battlefield tours run from Arras train station. In addition to its battlefield sites Arras has two grand arcaded squares, one with a UNESCO bell tower and a fine arts museum.
Arras is less than 30 minutes from Lille and you can be there by 11.30am on the early Saturday Eurostar or by 7pm on the mid-afternoon Friday train.
Arras is close on the train to Lens, Amiens and Albert so if you're feeling energetic you could combine these.
Albert
Albert, at the heart of the Somme battlefield, has a major museum - Musee Somme 16 - remembering life in the WW1 trenches and is the easiest place from which to visit the key WW1 memorials in the villages of Thiepval, Pozieres, La Boiselle, Longueval and Beaumont-Hamel.
There are tours by car and bike to all the villages from Albert or you can plan your own, hiring bikes from Albert Tourist Office using these guides. It's only a small town but there are some reliable hotels and restaurants.
Albert is 50 minutes from Lille by train and just 20 minutes by train from each of Arras and Amiens so you can easily cover all 3 towns on a mini-break.
St Omer
St Omer is only a small canal side town and not at all grand but it does have a striking WW2 museum, La Coupole, built into an enormous German bunker.
There's also a basilica, a small fine arts museum and some well regarded little restaurants. It is situated on the protected Marais wetlands which you can explore by barge.
St Omer is about 45 minutes north of Lille on the line to Calais.
Amiens
See below in Art & Cathedrals.
The North Coast
If you love the faded grandeur of our south coast resorts, you'll love France's north coast. Yes, they're a tad tired but offer old fashioned bucket and spade fun on big beaches combined with real cultural gems and great food :
- Calais
- Boulogne
- Le Touquet
Calais
Calais let's be honest has had a bad name recently but you can be there by 10.30am - changing at Lille - so it is genuinely day trippable and offers :
- Brilliant lace & fashion museum in an old lace factory
- Famous Rodin sculptures of the Les Bourgeois de Calais
- Fine art museum
PLUS a long sandy beach with good restaurants and a huge must-be-tried passenger carrying dragon!
Boulogne
You can be in Boulogne in just under 3 hours from St Pancras changing at Lille, arriving by 11 in the morning or just after 7pm on a mid-afternoon departure so it is a great option for a very quick French mini-break by train.
The pretty streets of Boulogne's old town are full of sea food restaurants and in addition to the big sandy beaches you can visit :
- Europe's biggest sea life aquarium
- a domed basilica with medieval frescoes & a Roman crypt
- a big old castle
- and a cool little museum in an old fisherman's house!
Le Touquet
Le Touquet's 12km of big beaches backed by dunes are perfect for a family friendly French mini-break.
There are plenty of facilities and good restaurants, amongst the art deco architecture but you can also escape the crowds cycling and horse riding on remote areas of the beach and forest.
The Etaples Military Cemetery designed by Sir Edward Lutyens is a 10 minute cab drive away from Le Touqet and includes over 10,000 Commonwealth war graves from WW1.
The first Lille train from St Pancras will have you in Le Touquet by noon. The connections don't always work so well on the return and you might need to change at Calais and Lille taking longer.
Royal Palaces
Versailles is the must-see royal palace in France but the queues - even pre-booked - are huge and northern France actually has other stunning royal palaces that make great mini-breaks from London and are not crazily busy :
- Compiegne
- Chantilly
- Fontainebleau
Compiegne
The Chateau de Compiegne set on the edge of the Compiegne forest was built by Louis XV and lived in by Napoleon. It has got all the usual royal palace stuff PLUS a family friendly car museum.
There are hotels and restaurants for all budgets around the Chateau and you can hire bikes to explore the forest. The energetic can cycle to :
- Armistice Rail Carriage where the armistices to end both WW1 and WW2 were signed.
- the fairy tale Chateau Pierrefonds which was the model for Disney.
Compiegne is only 40 mins out of Paris Gare du Nord and the easy change of platforms from the Eurostar means it's just 3 and a half hours from St Pancras so you can be there by lunch.
Chantilly
The Chateau de Chantilly housing an art collection second only to the Louvre PLUS 100 acres of stunning gardens and woodlands is just 30 minutes from Paris. It's also home to Europe's largest horse stables which put on family friendly equestrian shows.
The fastest trains to Chantilly-Gouvieux station take just 3 hours 20 minutes from St Pancras with an easy change at Gare du Nord. Bikes can be hired for getting round the Chateau grounds.
Fontainebleau
The original French royal palace first built back in the 11th Century in Fontainebleau forest has over 1,900 rooms full of art, tapestries, furniture and French royal history.
The forest is similarly immense with over 1,600 miles of trails. You can walk, cycle and ride the forest freestyle but there are also organised options such as high ropes and cart driving.
Fontainebleau takes a little longer by train as you need to switch to Gare de Lyon in Paris but you can still be there before lunch on the early St Pancras train or in time for supper off a mid-afternoon departure.
Art & Cathedrals
Mini-breaks by train are a great way to enjoy truly world class French cathedrals and art outside Paris. Four top choices for culture are :
- Amiens
- Chartres
- Rouen
- Lens
Amiens
The picture pretty centre of Amiens has a Notre Dame Cathedral twice the size of that in Paris plus :
- Famously lovely floating gardens
- A fine art museum
- And Jule Verne's House.
Amiens is also a good base for battlefield tours of the Somme with some running from Amiens station. Amiens is just 20 minutes from Albert - and Musee Somme - and 40 minutes from Arras for more WW1 sites.
You can get to Amiens via both Paris Gare du Nord and Lille with only a few minutes difference in time so there always lots of options - and often good deals - for trains. It takes 4 hours.
Chartres
Chartres with its stunning Gothic Cathedral - some say France's finest - is south west of Paris towards the Loire Valley and is one of Europe's great pilgrim destinations.
After the cathedral you can stroll through the old riverside town to discover hidden gems like Saint-Aignan and St Pierre, visit the Musee des Beaux Arts and in the evening enjoy the famous Chartres En Lumiere where the whole town is bathed in lights.
You do have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse and so the journey is a little longer - five hours from St Pancras - and is more suitable for a longer mini-break. But on an early departure you can still be in Chartres for lunch or on a lunchtime departure in time for supper.
If you're planning a longer weekend in Chartres you can also visit by local trains beautiful Chateau de Maintenon or the idyllic village of Illiers-Combray (made famous by Proust novels).
Rouen
Capital of Normandy, Rouen is again famous for its stunning Cathedral - much painted by Monet - where England's Richard I, Queen Matilda and murdered Prince Arthur are all buried.
Rouen is also a beautifully preserved medieval city and foodie heaven - it hosts an annual Fete du Ventre - and has a fine arts museum which has the second largest collection of impressionist paintings outside Paris.
Rouen is a longer trip taking 4-5 hours - you have to change to St Lazare station in Paris - so like Chartres is better for a long weekend.
Lens
The old mining town of Lens might not look like the obvious destination for a mini-break of high culture. But it has got its very own award winning off-shoot of the Louvre displaying a huge rotating collection loaned from Paris.
Lens also has a striking hotel and restaurant - built into old mining cottages - right next door to the Louvre plus other good restaurants close by.
Lens is only 30-50 minutes from Lille and if you are willing to dash the 500 metres from Lille-Europe to Lille-Flandres to make the first connection you can be in Lens in under 2 and a half hours. There's a free shuttle bus from Lens train station to the museum.
Lens is 15 minutes by train from Arras so you could combine art in the Louvre-Lens with World War sites at Arras.
Champagne Country
East of Paris, Champagne country is a slightly longer rail trip from St Pancras but is still very doable - and wonderful - as a long weekend by train, with opportunities to stay in larger cities, quaint old towns and tiny vineyard villages without need for a car :
Reims
Reims the capital of Champagne country has something to offer for everyone. Take your pick from :
- A fine Friday and Saturday market in Les Halles Boulingrin
- WW2 Museum
- Musee des Beaux Arts (with Corot, Gaugin, Monet & Matisse but currently closed until 2027)
- A stunning cathedral with stained glass by the artist Chagall
- PLUS of course major Champagne houses including Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot.
The train from Paris to Reims only takes 45 minutes but it has an odd timetable that doesn't fit well with the Eurostar. The quickest journey is the 2.30 from St Pancras which gets you to Reims before 7.15 in time for supper.
The Reims trains leave from Gare de L'Est which is right next door - don't get the Metro! - to Gare du Nord.
Troyes
Troyes is a beautiful medieval town packed with cobbled streets of colourful 16th Century half timbered houses and makes a great base for exploring small champagne producers in the nearby villages,
Troyes has a cathedral with beautiful stained glass and a fine arts museum but a mini-break in Troyes is really all about enjoying the ambience of the town itself with its lovely small restaurants, hotels and wine tasting bars in between vineyard trips.
Trains for Troyes take 90 minutes from Gare de L'Est so it is a good choice for longer weekends. A midday Eurostar gets you to Troyes in time for supper.
Epernay
If the main focus of your mini-break is Champagne head to Epernay, a small town, home to Moet & Chandon amongst others and dedicated to Champagne production. There's a huge range of tastings and tours to the vineyards and chateaus of all sorts of producers and a useful tourist office who can help you book things up.
Trains for Epernay again leave from Gare De L'Est in Paris and take about 80 minutes. Again lunchtime Eurostars will get you to Epernay for supper.
Ay
The wonderful thing about taking the train to Champagne country is that some of the villages themselves have their own stations on the Bubble Line between Reims and Epernay. So you can hop on at St Pancras and hop off in a tiny vineyard village like Ay where you can stay with winemakers themselves.
Hidden Gems
The French railway system still has some great local lines offering wonderful opportunities to escape into beautiful French countryside to enjoy a long weekend of gentle walks or bike rides and amazing food.
If that sounds like your thing try these hidden gems you can reach by train :
- Giverney
- Auvers-sur-Oise
- Cassel
Giverney
Giverny is the idyllic location of Claude Monet's house and garden by the Seine in which he worked on many of his most famous masterpieces.
There's an abundance of lovely B&Bs near to the house offering great food and bikes to hire to take you along the Seine to the Monet museum.
Trains to the nearby Vernon-Giverney station take just 45 minutes from St Lazare station in Paris. Buses run from the station to the museum.
Auvers-sur-Oise
If you are a Van Gogh fan you can spend a lovely weekend pottering around the village of Auvers-sur-Oise and spotting many of the locations from the more than 70 pictures Van Gogh painted in the village.
There are a number of well regarded B&Bs in the village plus plenty of restaurants and bars and places to hire bikes. Trains for Auvers-sur-Oise leave from Gare du Nord so on an early Eurostar you can be there before noon.
Cassel
Voted France’s favourite village in 2018, Cassel is a hilltop gem with panoramic views over Flanders' fields. There's a small regional art museum - Musée de Flandre - but Cassel is really just a lovely place to stroll in pretty countryside and enjoy a beer in one of the village's breweries or a good meal at e.g. the Michelin starred Haut Bonheur De La Table.
Cassel station is 40 minutes out of Lille on the Dunkirk line. Dunkirk is just 25 minutes away, so you could combine both basing yourself at one of Cassel's well regarded guest houses e.g. La Maison de Marie Cassel, Jardin Hiver.
Just note that the village is a 30 minutes walk up the hill from the station!!
The Sunny South
You can get down to the sunny south of France for a mini-break by train on both the Paris-Nice Sleeper which stops at Marseille, Cannes, Antibes and other smaller resorts and on the Paris-Cerbere Sleeper which stops at lovely little resorts like Collioure.
An early afternoon Eurostar on Friday gets you to Gare du Nord in time to transfer to Austerlitz for the sleeper. And you can then board the Sunday night train straight from the beach, catch the 10am Eurostar to London on Monday and be back at your desk by lunchtime completely flight-free!
For more tips on night trains check out my guide to European Sleepers.
And there you go, 25 wonderful weekend breaks you can enjoy in France by train.
For more ideas for travelling by train in Europe check out my guides to :
- European Sleepers
- European Train Travel Tips
- Weekend Breaks In Holland By Eurostar
- Sandy Beaches Near London By Train
Orignal images under Creative Commons : Collioure, Troyes, Rouen, Fontainebleau, Arras, Lille, Le Touquet, Giverny
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