Paris 2017: Château de Fontainebleau

by | Nov 15, 2017 | International Travel, Travel

We decided to skip the uber-famous Versailles in favor of Fontainebleau in the hopes of much smaller crowds, and it worked out well for us.

The trickiest part may have been figuring out the trains in Gare de Lyon – there are a lot of options, and we wandered through several sections before we found an information booth that could help. Once we confirmed the correct train the rest was easy, including the bus at the Fontainebleau Avon train stop that took us straight into town (and was included on our Visite ticket, in addition to a 2 discount for the entrance tickets).

The outside is quite imposing and impressive…

Château de Fontainebleau

The palace has parts dating back to the 1100s, with many additions and renovations through the 1800s. Once inside, the opulence is rather staggering. Tapestries, carvings, and paintings adorn nearly every surface.

Château de Fontainebleau

Bedchamber for Anne of Austria @ Château de Fontainebleau  Château de Fontainebleau

Château de Fontainebleau

Château de Fontainebleau  throne room @ Château de Fontainebleau

taking photos of the gardens

Château de Fontainebleau panorama

Altogether, we spent about 3 hours wandering the palace, and 30 minutes the flower gardens and fountains – a nice half-day trip away from the bustle of the city.

Our Itinerary

2024 Trips

San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Valencia, Spain (Mar)
Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Bari, Italy (Sept)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)

2022 Trips

Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)