France: 5 day trips from Paris

Most people know it for its lace and cream, but few for its chateau, a late 19th-century classic. It stands solid as a rock, yet with fairytale flourishes, girdled by a moat and in a majestic setting of parkland and gardens landscaped by Le Nôtre. A 5-minute walk from the portcullis is a beautiful 18th-century stable block. Built by a prince who believed he would be reincarnated as a horse, hence the grandiosity, it's now a museum dedicated to horses, which includes several live specimens of various breeds, hence its name Musée du Cheval.

Getting there: train from Gare du Nord then a short bus ride.

Details: domaindechantilly.com

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The name might not mean much but when you tell the kids it's the station for Disneyland you'll be hard put to resist the demand for an outing, especially if you've been subjecting them to a heavy round of museums. There are two distinct theme parks with over 50 rides and the gates are just a 2-minute walk from the RER – A train that will whiz you out in 30 minutes, or come by Eurostar directly from London.

Details: disneylandparis.com

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The 12th-century Gothic cathedral is massive and magnificent, its two oddly different spires soaring above the surrounding cornfields. Dark as a grave, the interior is peopled by shadows thrown by candles and shafts of light beaming through brilliant stained-glass windows. For 10 centuries pilgrims have come to Chartres to see the tunic said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary at the birth of Christ. Back in the sunshine, the town's old bridges, cobbled streets, plunging rooflines and sleepy willows drooping along the banks of the river Eure add to the pleasures.

Getting there: train from Gare Montparnasse.

Details: chartres-tourisme.com

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The Renaissance palace was built by the flamboyant Francis 1. The original building was a modest hunting lodge in the middle of a forest (with a chapel consecrated by Thomas A Becket). Home to 14 kings, its impressive rooms include the 60-yard long Gallery with its ornate panelling, the ballroom with views across the Le Nôtre garden and Marie Antoinette's boudoir. Over the years it's been extended and added to, but still retains its overall grandeur. It was Napoleon's last home in France, as recorded by a Napoleon Museum containing his XS uniform and authentic bed.

Getting there: train from Gare du Lyon. 

Details: musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr

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Make your first stop the Orangerie in the Tuileries in the heart of Paris, where Monet's Water Lilies are displayed. Then take a trip to his home in Normandy where you can see his collection of Japanese prints and visit his studio, which looks as if it's just waiting for the artist to pop back from a quick trip to the shops. The main draw is, of course, the garden with its lily pond, willows, rhododendrons and Japanese footbridge. Closed on Mondays and from November.

Getting there: train from Gare St Lazare to Vernon, then a taxi or bus ride (3 miles).

Details: fondation-monet.com

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