How to Take a Day Trip From Paris to Château de Fontainebleau
Château de Fontainebleau
Why You Should Visit Château de Fontainebleau as a Day Trip from Paris
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visiting the Château de Fontainebleau and its grounds
What to expect from the Château de Fontainebleau and its grounds
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how to get from paris to Fontainebleau
Taking the TER Train from Paris to Fontainebleau
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how much time you’ll need in Fontainebleau
Full Day
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Bonjour
If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams. I know that planning a trip to a country or city you’ve never visited before can feel overwhelming and impossible, but it doesn’t have to!
In January of 2022, my husband and I moved from the United States to Paris! Every day we wake up in disbelief that we get to call this incredible city our home, a city full of rich history, world-renowned food, and beauty hidden around every corner.
Since then, we’ve been spending our time exploring Paris, hosting guests and discovering all that beautiful France has to offer, including a day trip from Paris to Château de Fontainebleau.
My hope is that this travel guide hits on everything you need to equip you to plan your day trip from Paris to Château de Fontainebleau entirely on your own!
Bon voyage!
Château de Fontainebleau
France is home to an estimated 40,000 chateaux (castles), meaning regardless of where you are in the country, you’re bound to be near one or a few hundred. And the same holds true if you are in Paris. There are plenty of chateaux surrounding Paris, such as the very popular Château de Versailles west of the city or the Château de Chantilly in the Chantilly Forest north of the city.
If, however, you have already paid a visit to Versailles, or you’re looking for a château more off the beaten tracks, yet still easy to access as a day trip from Paris, then you should a visit to Château de Fontainebleau.
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a town 43 miles (70km) Southeast of Paris with a population of around 15,500 (according to the 2019 census). The destination is most famous for the Château de Fontainebleau as well as the Fontainebleau Forest, one of the largest forests in France.
Château de Fontainebleau
The Château de Fontainebleau is the star of a day trip from Paris to Fontainebleau. According to fontainebleau-tourisme.com, the château has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981, is the only château to have been inhabited by all the monarchs from the twelfth to the nineteenth century, and is the most richly furnished of all the French royal châteaux.
The latter fact can be seen as you stroll through many of the chateau’s 1500 rooms. During your time in the château, you can admire stunning custom inlay wooden floors, intricately detailed wooden beamed ceilings (see the second image below), a room with handsome leathered walls, and no shortage of ornate details.
The François Ist Gallery at Château de Fontainebleau
Ceiling details of Château de Fontainebleau
Leather walls at Château de Fontainebleau
A few of the more impressive rooms within the château are The King's Bedchamber, which is now the only Napoleonic Throne room still in existence, The Royal Chapel of the Trinity with its vaulted ceiling, and The Ballroom, with its wood paneled walls and overall decadence.
The King’s Bedchamber at Château de Fontainebleau (now Napoleonic Throne room)
The Royal Chapel of the Trinity at Château de Fontainebleau
The Ballroom at Château de Fontainebleau
Château de Fontainebleau Gardens
After you’ve soaked up the opulence of the interior of the château, you can head outdoors to the château’s gardens for a taste of nature and a breath of fresh air. The gardens sit on a 321 acre (130 hectare) estate, meaning you could spend all day wandering through its gardens and forests.
Personally, the highlight of the gardens was the carp pond and its pavilion, which can be found immediately upon exiting the château. Little white boats are available for rent, and you can paddle your way to the pavilion that sits in the center of the pond.
Alternatively, you can unpack your lunch along the tree-lined shore of the pond and watch the boats paddle by as you bask in the sun for some much needed Vitamin D. The large shaded trees and shoreline immediately reminded me of the pointillist painting by Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
The pavilion in the pond of Château de Fontainebleau
The carp pond and pavilion in the gardens of Château de Fontainebleau
Trees along the shore of the carp pond at Château de Fontainebleau
HOW TO GET to fontainebleau from Paris
The best way to visit Château de Fontainebleau from Paris is by train. If you are living in Paris and already have a Navigo pass, you can travel for free as Fontainebleau is within Zone 5. If you are a short-time visitor to Paris, you will need to purchase a ticket for the TER train leaving from Gare de Lyon and headed to Montargis Sens or Montereau.
Purchase your your train tickets at a metro or train station from Paris Gare de Lyon on the TER train to Montargis Sens of Montereau (you cannot book these tickets on trainline).
Book your tickets to Château de Fontainebleau
On your trip date, arrive at the Paris Gare de Lyon train station and take the approximately 40-minute train to Fontainebleau Avon.
Once in Fontainebleau, exit the train and route to Château de Fontainebleau.
You can take a 1.5 mile walk (.8 km) to the château which will take around 35 minutes. Part of the walk is through a beautiful forest.
You can book a taxi/uber from the train station to Château de Fontainebleau.
If figuring out the trains sounds too complicated for you, or you would like the simplicity of having someone guide you through the chateau, you can book both day trips from Paris and guided tours of the chateau on GetYourGuide.
how much time you’ll need in fontainebleau
With the size of Château de Fontainebleau and its gardens, as well as the commute time from Paris, it would be quite challenging to do a trip from Paris to Fontainebleau in a half-day. With that being said, I would recommend giving yourself the bulk of a day (5-7 hours) in order to fully take in the château and its gardens. We spent 2-3 hours wandering through the château, an hour eating our snack along the shore of the pond, and another few hours wandering the grounds.
STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE
Visiting Château de Fontainebleau from Paris?
Don’t miss our Complete Guide to Paris or our other France travel guides, including a day-trip guide to visiting Monet’s Gardens and a guide to visiting Normandy from Paris.
And check out one of our favorite château experiences in this post.
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