Reims, Giverny, Barbizon, Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Vexin: five destinations within easy reach of Paris, each home to châteaux and country retreats perfect for a weekend escape. With fine-dining restaurants, intimate spas and sweeping parklands, the countryside has never felt closer.
Domaine Les Crayères
In Reims, Domaine Les Crayères, one of the most beautiful hotels near Paris, has embodied the art of French luxury since 1904. Once the family residence of the Polignac family, this historic château, entirely decorated by interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, exudes elegance at the heart of six hectares of landscaped grounds. The five-star hotel has just 20 rooms and suites, decorated in a classic French style, where rare furnishings, period paintings and luxurious materials pay tribute to the property's heritage. Some rooms open directly onto the park and feature a balcony or terrace, offering a particularly peaceful retreat just minutes from the centre of Reims.
But Les Crayères is also an essential gastronomic destination in the Champagne region. At the helm of the kitchens, chef Christophe Moret creates refined cuisine at Le Parc, the restaurant awarded two stars by the Michelin Guide. Meanwhile, Brasserie Le Jardin offers a more relaxed experience, with an open kitchen and a lovely terrace overlooking the grounds. Bar La Rotonde completes the experience with a more intimate atmosphere, perfect for sipping a glass of Champagne to the sound of jazz.
How to get there: For a weekend in Reims from Paris, allow around 1 hour 30 minutes by car, or 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes door to door by train (the TGV from Paris-Est to Reims takes 46 minutes, followed by a transfer to the Domaine).
Domaine Les Crayères, 64 Boulevard Henry Vasnier, 51100 Reims. 20 rooms, prices from €825 per night.*
Domaine de Primard
Domaine de Primard is a favourite among those who love a countryside escape. Spanning 40 hectares in the Eure Valley, it lies just 25 minutes from Giverny, best known for the celebrated gardens of Monet. The gardens themselves, awarded the “Jardin remarquable” label in May 2026, are an invitation to slow down and wander. Designed more than 35 years ago by Belgian landscape architect Jacques Wirtz, they feature 250 varieties of roses and a permaculture vegetable garden. A host of animals, including Highland cattle and Ouessant sheep, roam semi-freely around the estate. Once owned by Catherine Deneuve, this 18th-century château has been transformed into a romantic country retreat, awarded both the Relais & Châteaux and Green Key labels.
The 39 rooms and suites are spread across several buildings in the grounds, with views over the park, moat or orchard. This five-star hotel also offers a bistronomic dining experience at Bistrot Martin, with produce connected to the estate's vegetable garden. There's also an Italian restaurant, Ottavio La Tavola, as well as the Table d'Hôtes, which hosts wine-tasting workshops.
The wellness area, La Maison de l'Orée, spans 450 m² and features a sauna, hammam, Japanese bath, relaxation area and herbal tea room. The estate also has a heated outdoor swimming pool, a fitness room, yoga mats available to guests, and tennis, padel and pétanque courts. Treatments, available in single or couples' rooms, feature products by Susanne Kaufmann and LED Nooānce.
How to get there: Allow around one hour by car from Paris, or 1 hour 20 minutes door to door by train from Saint-Lazare (train to Bueil, followed by the estate's electric shuttle).
Domaine de Primard, D16, 28260 Guainville. 39 rooms, prices from €276 per night.*
La Folie Barbizon
La Folie Barbizon is many things at once: a hotel, an artists' residence and a country retreat, nestled on the edge of the Fontainebleau Forest. It's the perfect hideaway for an inspiring, art-filled escape. The property is connected to the Greenline Foundation, which harnesses art to support the forest through exhibitions, artist residencies and purpose-driven events. Art is also the defining theme of this four-star hotel, which invited around 20 artists to reimagine every corner of the property.
There are 21 rooms, each one unique and shaped by artistic creativity, from wall murals to sculpted headboards. Meals, whether showcasing chef Éric Fava's locally sourced cuisine or more casual tapas, are served beneath a sky-like ceiling surrounded by works of art. To extend the escape, the EÏA spa offers a sauna, cold shower and two massage rooms, including one for couples.
How to get there: Around 40 minutes by car from Paris, or one hour door to door by train (from Gare de Lyon, take Transilien Line R, then a taxi to Barbizon).
La Folie Barbizon, 5 Grande Rue, 77630 Barbizon. 21 rooms, prices from €234 per night.*
Maison du Val
If you're dreaming of a relaxing weekend near Paris with everything taken care of, Maison du Val is our pick. Once a hunting lodge belonging to Louis XIV, this four-star hotel, awarded the Green Key label, feels like a country house tucked away in the state forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The hotel's various spaces are scattered throughout its four-hectare wooded grounds: La Grange, heated Nordic baths, the hidden bar known as La Laiterie, Place du Village, Les Écuries (actually playrooms for children), Galerie des Portraits (home to the cinema and arcade), the restaurant, a library stocked with more than 10,000 books, a pétanque court and the Esplanade. The 49 rooms are spread between the main house, the Pavilion and the Grange, including Tradition rooms decorated in forest-green or sandy hues.
How to get there: Just 40 minutes by car from Paris, or around one hour door to door by public transport (take the RER A to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, then a bus or taxi to the hotel).
Maison du Val, Route Forestière des Brancas, 78100 Saint-Germain-en-Laye. 49 rooms, prices from €315 per night.*
Château de la Bûcherie
Dating back to the 19th century, Château de la Bûcherie was built after 1850 by Ambroise Firmin-Didot, a printer and Hellenist scholar. It is located in Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies, in the heart of the Vexin Français Regional Natural Park, in the Val-d'Oise department.
Beyond its 65-hectare listed romantic park, with wild grasses, springs and a kaleidoscope of colours throughout the seasons, this Vexin hotel has a bohemian atmosphere that's hard to resist. Its 33 rooms and suites, spread throughout the château, overlook the romantic gardens or the library's neo-Norman pavilion. Junior Suites feature period fireplaces and herringbone parquet floors. For a more private stay, Le Moulin, a self-contained cottage, can accommodate up to six guests.
The fine-dining restaurant Cambrousse, led by chef Adrien De Crignis, serves cuisine inspired by the château's permaculture-grown fruit and vegetables, its own chicken coop and honey from its beehives. For a little pampering, head to Le Boudoir, the wellness space housed in the former stables, offering treatments by Biologique Recherche.
Things to do: Four walking trails, ranging from 500 metres to 2 kilometres, wind through the grounds. Rowing boats are available for guests to discover the château from a different perspective, and the Ambroise Firmin-Didot library can be visited on request.
How to get there: Travel times are similar by car and train, at around one hour door to door. Drive via the A13/A15, or take a train from Gare Saint-Lazare to Mantes-la-Jolie, followed by a taxi.
Château de la Bûcherie, 5 Rue du Parc, 95510 Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies. 33 rooms, prices from €138 per night.*
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