The ultimate day trip to Fontainebleau Castle from Paris

Château de Fontainebleau

Château de Fontainebleau is a historic royal residence located near Paris.The castle combines medieval, Renaissance, and classical architectural styles, which reflect the different periods of expansion over time. The castle is just as magnificent as Versailles and, in my opinion, it is one of the best day trips you can do from Paris.

How to go from Paris to Fontainebleau Castle

If you have an unlimited Navigo pass, you won’t have to pay anything extra. If you don’t, you’ll need to buy two train tickets and two bus tickets, for a total of around €12 round trip.

From Paris Gare de Lyon, take a Transilien R train to the station Fontainebleau-Avon. The ride will take about 40 minutes. Then take the bus 3401 and get off at the station Château.

What to do in Fontainebleau Castle

I personally did not find the interior of the castle that interesting, so I would skip it. On the other hand, the castle grounds are absolutely gigantic and beautiful. You can explore the exterior of the castle, have a picnic in some of the gardens, or simply walk past the lake where you will see swans.

There are also beautiful fountains located in the castle grounds.

Although I have never done it myself, I think during summer you can also rent a boat to ride on the lake.

Even though the castle is open all-year round, I would recommend visiting it during spring or summer.

I hope you found this post interesting! You might want to check out my post on a day hike in Fontainebleau Forest, my post on 5 free day trips from Paris just like this one, or my 3 day Loire Valley castles road trip post.