Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux Day Trip from Paris
Description
See two magnificent French castles – Vaux le Vicomte and Château Fontainebleau – on a day trip from Paris! Audio-guided tours at each site are included, so you’ll learn about the castles’ history and art, as well as the eccentric royals who once called the places home. Enjoy free time to explore the castles’ gardens, seeing the grandiose fountains, lakes and monuments that characterized palace grounds during the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
Tour Options
Itinerary
On board a luxury coach, you will drive to southeast and reach Vaux le Vicomte ( approx,35-miles (55-km))
Its star attraction is the Vaux le Vicomte Castle – the impressive Baroque chateau that allegedly inspired the Palace of Versailles – so hop off your coach and head inside for your audio-guided tour.When you arrive, you are free to explore independently using your provided audio guide. See elaborate interiors and vaulted cellars, and learn about the man behind this massive home, Nicholas Fouquet, who was King Louis XIV’s minister of finance. After Fouquet commissioned Vaux le Vicomte to be designed by a top architect, the king felt upstaged and threw the minister in jail. When you’re finished inside, walk outside to discover the castle’s 99 acres (40 hectares) of grounds made up of fountains, flowerbeds and sprawling lawns. If you’re hungry, grab some lunch from the onsite café (own expense) before returning to the coach.
Then at 1.15/1.30pm,make your way south to Château de Fontainebleau, the only royal castle in France to be continuously inhabited for more than 700 years.
With its Renaissance architecture, ceiling frescos, 15th-century furniture and detailed wood carvings, this World Heritage site is a great alternative to visiting Versailles. Tour the building independently via the audio guide, listening to tales about the French royalty who once lived here.
Château Fontainebleau. The only royal castle to be continuously inhabited for over seven centuries, Fontainebleau is one of the country’s more exceptional palaces – deservedly taking a place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list Tour the building independently via the audio guide, listening to tales about the French royalty who once lived here. Château de Fontainebleau is also home to extensive gardens and lakes, so take time to wander the grounds
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- The access to the dome of the Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle is reserved to people over 1.35 m
- Arrival in Paris at the end of the tour expected around 6:15 pm
- Audio guided tour of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (available in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese)
- Audio guided tour of the Château de Fontainebleau (available in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and Polish)
Reviews(348)
I visited castles for their historical significance, architecture, and innovative gardens. The bus ride was comfortable. For Fontainebleau, I recommend booking a tour to see the highlights, as they’re not accessible otherwise. For Vaux-le-Vicomte, I should have extra time to walk through the garden up to the first pool to truly appreciate the design.
Dear Daniel, Thank you so much for your comment! We are so glad to hear you thoroughly enjoyed your day trip to Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte. We also appreciate your feedback, as it can help other travelers prepare for their journey. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future. Kind regards, Extime Travel (formerly Paris City Vision)
Good amount of time allotted for each location. I am a history lover. I knew some history on each location, but still learned a lot.
Dear Lisa, Thank you very much for your comment. We are very glad to know that you enjoyed the experience and that you were able to learn more things during the tour. We hope to welcome you again soon. Kind regards, Extime Travel (formerly Paris City Vision)
The visit to the castles was very nice; however, the transportation to and from did not have adequate air conditioning. A number of individuals traveling on the bus were elderly, and the temperatures were easily in the upper 80s, such that it felt unsafe to be on the bus without adequate temperature control. It seems it would have been better to even open windows.
Dear Angela, Thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the castles. On the other hand, we are sorry that the journey was not pleasant. We will take your comments into account to work on improving this part of the service, and we will pass your feedback on to the relevant department. We hope to see you again soon. Kind regards, Extime Travel (formerly Paris City Vision)
What a beautiful Chateau and day out spent here at Fontainebleau. This could so easily have been a 5* experience with better organisation by the custodians of this palace. It’s easy to reach from Paris and is the fore runner of Versailles, as a palace for the Kings of France. It doesn’t get as crowded as Versailles and we were often the only people in the various rooms to enjoy its treasures. However it was considerably let down by its poor visitor flow plan, no available maps and the inability to download the guide onto a smart phone (no one was able to do this!) Likewise I don’t think that room guides are interested or educated people as in British National Trust or Royal Palaces. They are room guards! Come on France you’re not a 3rd world country, get your act together, value your visitors and provide some customer service!
Dear traveler, Thank you very much for your comment. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the palace and that you had an unforgettable day in Fontainebleau. Regarding the issues you mentioned about the palace, unfortunately these are aspects that are beyond our control. We encourage you to contact the palace directly, as we are sure they will appreciate your feedback and recommendations. We hope to welcome you again soon. Kind regards, Extime Travel (formerly Paris City Vision)
Provided on time transportation as advertised on clean, modern bus. USB ports and wifi would have been nice touches.
Dear Richard, Thank you very much for your comment. We are glad to hear that the transport was punctual and that the bus met your expectations in terms of cleanliness and comfort. We take note of your suggestion regarding USB ports and Wi-Fi, as it helps us continue improving our service. We hope to see you again soon. Kind regards, Paris City Vision
Very organized and quick check in. Motor coach was super comfortable and the driver was very good. We enjoyed having the audio, rather than a guide, so that we could move at our own pace.
Dear Edith, Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are glad to hear that the check-in process was smooth and that you were pleased with the coach and the driver. We are also happy that the audio guide allowed you to enjoy the visit at your own pace. We hope to see you again soon. Kind regards, Paris City Vision
Enjoyed this self tour. Not crowded. We were given plenty of time. Long day but worth it. The bus ride was comfortable
Dear Alexander, Thank you so much for your comment. We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte with us! We look forward to welcoming you again in the future! Kind regards, Paris City Vision
Vaux le Vicomte had no handrails to enter the building, and it lacked an elevator. Thus, it was extremely difficult for a person with a cane. The chateau staff were not at all helpful.
Dear Christopher, Thank you very much for your comment. We sincerely regret the inconvenience you experienced during your visit in Vaux le Vicomte, so we will forward your comments to the relevant department. We truly appreciate your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again under better circumstances. Kind regards, Paris City Vision
This tour is transportation only. The tours are audioguides. They were very well organized and interesting
Dear Karen, Thank you so much for your comment. We’re glad to know that you enjoyed the day-trip to Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux, and we look forward to welcoming you again in the future! Kind regards, Paris City Vision
My wife and I booked this tour through Viator with the operator, Paris City Vision, 157 days before our visit and paid $265 well in advance of day it was due. My wife and I began to feel ill several days before the trip and worsened the day before.We called to cancel 20 hours before the trip was scheduled and asked for a refund . We were denied even a partial refund as the company cited their “ 24 hour cancellation policy “ that they couldn’t possibly violate.My wife and I could have gone on the tour and exposed guests and staff to our illness but we did the responsible thing and stayed away. To add insult to injury the company was offering the tour on the day we were scheduled for half of what we paid ! We will have to rethink our strategy of booking in advance in light of this operator’s inflexibility and their willingness to slash prices .
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are genuinely sorry that you and your wife fell ill before your trip. We do care about our guests and appreciate that you chose not to attend in order to protect others. However, the 24-hour cancellation policy is applied consistently, as many guests rely on confirmed departures and availability. This is why the refund was not possible on such short notice. Regarding the promotional pricing you saw on the day of the tour, last-minute rate adjustments can happen depending on availability, but they do not affect existing confirmed bookings. We understand your disappointment and will share your feedback internally to review how we communicate policies and manage exceptional situations. Kind Regards,
