An Easy Day Trip From Paris to Fontainebleau

Day trips are a great way to expand a trip and see more than the main sites in major cities. A day trip from Paris to Fontainebleau is a perfect way to escape the city and see something really cool while you’re at it.

Plus, if you hate crowds, this is a palace of granduer like Versailles. But, it sees a fraction of the visitors.

Paris is one of my favorite cities. I’ve visted at least 5 times and I now avoid all of the main tourist sites in the city and focus on day trips if I want to see sites. This is one of my favorite day trips! I recommend it to friends as often as I can. (Hi, friend!)

I’ll tell you why to visit, what to expect, and how to get there. You can never do everything so you’ll get all of the info to decide if Fontainebleau is for you. Skip around for what you need.

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Why is Fontainebleau Worth Visiting?

Fontainebleau is the home of the Château de Fontainebleau.

A chateau is basically a french palace. They’re fun to visit because they are representations of over-the-top grandeur that most of us only see in movies.

Imagining what life in the palace would have been like is one of my favorite parts of visiting a palace like Fontainebleau.

France’s Kings loved elaborate palaces and Fontainbleau is one of the palaces on the UNESCO World Heritage List. I use the UNESCO lists beause someone else has done the work to tell you it’s amazing.

The chateau dates back to the 12th century as a hunting residence for French Kings. In the 1500’s King Francis I decided to expand it and make it more incredible. He set out to create a Renaissance masterpiece.

Louis XVI (16th) and Marie Antoinette stayed there on the eve of the French Revolution.

Fontainebleau was a state school until Napoleon made it a military school in 1803.

Napolean loved Fontainebleau. He started and ended his reign as emperor at Fontainebleau.

The place has seen some history.

Getting from Paris to the Château de Fontainebleau

A day trip from Paris to Fontainebleau is easy because it’s simple to get to from the city. Plus, it only takes an hour.

By Train

Train travel is my favorite. It makes day trips in Europe possible and that’s no exception here.

From Paris Gare de Lyon, take the R Bus or the TER to the city of Fontainebleau. The ride is 3 stops about 40 minutes. The left side of the car has some good views!

Gare de Lyon is big and busy. Give yourself plenty of time before your train departs. It may make the day easier to buy your tickets early but there are ticket machines and ticket counters if you plan last minute. Just, give yourself time.

After arriving in Fontainebleau take the 1 Bus toward Les Lilas and get off at the “Chateau” stop. Our driver bellowed “CHATEAU” and the whole bus started unloading.

By Tour

For the least amount of work you can schedule a tour. But, to be honest, the tours are really expsensive for what they are. Many don’t include transportation from Paris, so tread carefully.

If you want to do a tour, consider this one.

It gets good reviews and includes a visit to another chateau; Vaux le Vicomte was a model for Versailles and is worth the visit on it’s own.

Otherwise, I think your overpaying for what they provide.

By Car

If you’re staying in France for awhile you can drive to Fontainebleau. It’s an easy drive south. But, I’d also say that no driving in Paris is easy. So, personally, I’d skip this option.

Starting your Visit at the Château

You can purchase your tickets on site. There are “skip-the-line” tickets available online but this place sees many fewer visitors than Versailles. Even in the middle of peak tourist season I was able to walk right in.

If you want to book tickets early book on their official website.

Tickets are €14 as of 2024.

The Videoguide option

If you’re not taking a guided tour, the ticket office offers an option for a videoguide. It’s a tablet you can carry There is an option for a videoguide.

It ties very easily to the numbered rooms and it brings the tour to life in a new way. Plus, it makes it easy to skip if you get tired and want to move more quickly through the tour.

Plan for about 2 hours to visit the palace with the guide. Less without the guide (or if you skip things like I did).

Chateau Hours

Open every day except Tuesdays, January 1, May 1, and December 25.

April to September– 9:30 am-6:00 pm Last admission: 5:15 pm

October to March – 9:30 am-5:00 pm Last admission: 4:15 pm

What to See in the Château de Fontainebleau

You’ll be able to tour the Napoleon I Museum and the royal apartments.

The property is large. It didn’t take much damage during the French Revolution and much of the palace is open to visitors.

Luckily, the visit is one way. It’s easy to follow and you won’t miss anything or feel lost.

You’ll enter by coming into the Court of Honor. It’s on the right side of the courtyard when you enter the property.

The Napoleon Museum takes you through Napoleon’s 10 year reign in France.

The Royal Chapel of the Trinity

The photo is from the upper level of the chapel. But, be sure to visit both and spend plenty of time looking around. Both are spectacular.

Napoleon’s Throne Room

The throne room was my favorite part of the visit. It’s the only remaining throne room in France (it may be the only one I’ve managed to see ever).

The Library

The library is beautiful. If you’re a Beauty and the Beast fan like me you’ll be able to imagine all your dreams here. But, you can’t walk around the library. You can only stand at one end and dream about it.

The Interiors of the Grand Apartments

The interiors are all impressive, to be honest! The palace was done in tremendous style. The art and decor are spectacular everywhere you look. Take your time in each room admiring the ornate decorations and the grandeur in every detail.

Visiting the courtyard, gardens, and park

In the courtyard look for the giant horseshoe staircase. It used to be the main entrance to the palace. It’s hard to get a photo of the whole staircase without going toward the back of the courtyard.

Take the stroll back to take in the view.

The gardens are open with the château. They aren’t as large or over-the-top as the gardens at Versailles. But, that actually makes them more approachable for me. And, they’re still quite beautiful.

Since the palace was a hunting ground for some time the park nearby is beautiflu and large.

If the crowds in Paris have been suffocating you’ll enjoy a chance to get outside and enjoy a bit of nature.

For my Celiacs- Where to Eat in Fontainebleau

Since Fontainebleau is a small town, you won’t find restaurant options. There is a grocery store if you get in a pinch.

So, your best bet is to pack lunch with you from Paris. There are lots of gluten-free options there.

Bring a picnic lunch and eat in the Diana or English Gardens after walking through the chateau.

Planning your Day Trip from Paris to Fontainebleau

Plan to arrive at the chateau when it opens at 9:30 a.m. Any tours will arrive later in the morning so you should be able to get ahead of them. The crowds won’t be anything like what you have in Versailles but the fewer the people the better.

Eat a picnic lunch in the gardens after finishing in the chateau.

Wander the gardens after you eat. Sit and enjoy the outdoors if you’d like. Fontainebleau is also a small little town you can walk around if you’d like.

Return to Paris for dinner.

Remember that you have to take the bus back to the train station. If you choose to buy your return ticket in Paris give yourself plenty of time so you don’t miss your train back.

Fontainebleau vs Versailles

Versailles is likely on your list if you’re visiting Paris. The crown jewel of Louis XIV (Louis the 14th) is massive.

It also sees somewhere around 1,000,000 visitors in a year. So, the crowds are real.

Fontainebleau is like the younger brother of Versailles.

They are very similar in the way they are set up and in the experiences you’ll have. But, Fontainebleau sees about 300,000 tourists a year. So, it’s much more relaxing.

I visited Versailles and Fontainebleau in 2018. If you want the standard trip Versailles is a must. And it’s incredible. I’d never say Versailles is “skippable”. But, plan it well.

Versailles is incredible but if you truly hate crowds, and are considering skipping Versailles because of them, Fontainebleau may be your answer.

Enjoy your Day trip to Fontainebleau

France’s Kings were great at being over the top.

Fontainebleau is a way to get an example of the grandeur without the crowds you find at Versailles. It’s a perfect day trip to get you out of the city.