Château de Fontainebleau

Magnificent historical landmark in the city of Fontainebleau. Beautifully preserved and maintained. Children are free and adults pay a very reasonable 12 or 13 euros. Plenty of public parking (metered). Lots of eating options around town. I highly recommend visiting the chateau while in Paris as a day trip or simply stay in Fontainebleau like I did and save a bundle on your hotel bill.

We went on a weekday to see it. Wasn't too busy. We purchased the tickets online ahead of time. We purchased the audio-guide as well and it was helpful throughout the tour. However, it will take over 4 hours to go through the entire castle with the audio guide. Do not bring a large backpack as you will be required to put it in a locker. Overall, it was an educational and cool experience.

Visited Château de Fontainebleau for the 3rd time in June 2025. Though this particular Royal Château is much older and perhaps less Stately than Versailles, it is grandiose, lavish & definitely worth a visit. The rooms are opulent and in awesome condition. The gardens & grounds are very well kept and offer much of what you would find at Versailles but with fewer tourists. When you visit France, a day or 2 at Fontainebleau is a must!!

Extremely gorgeous place! The fountain pond is a lovely place to dip your feet and cool off, but beware of the angry swan! He or she WILL bite your ankles if you're close enough. Exquisite gardens and so many fish! Would go again.

Magnificent gardens and architecture, full of history. The ground and gardens are free to enter and explore while the palace and the exhibitions do have an entrance fee but well worth the visit. For those who want to enjoy the gardens without walking there is a little train with a fee (8 euro for adults, half price for 4-17 years old, and free for kids under 4 as of Jun 2025). For those hot summer days you will find more shade in the English garden. Toilets are on the ground close to the main entrance.

The palace itself is wonderful. The grounds are gorgeous and warrant a day spent walking around just by themselves. They’re also free! The first section of the palace tour is about Napoleon while the second takes you through different rooms utilized by French royalty and emperors. It was not crowded at all on a weekday in June. Getting here is a hassle. It is straightforward but is definitely a trek from Paris. The town is interesting enough to spend a day in so I would rec spending a few nights there to explore instead of coming in from Paris.

It worthies a visit on the way from Paris to Lyon or burgundy area. The fish in the garden pond are huge. Swans are spotted in multiple locations in the garden It is free to access the courtyard and the garden. Only need to pay if you would like to access interior.

Gorgeous castle. We were staying in Paris at the premier arrondissement but we decided to book a private tour by car to the castle, as getting there by public transportation seemed a bit tiring and long (we needed to go the the train station by metro, then take the train, then a bus…), especially since it has been very hot these last fews days here. The excursion was somewhat expensive, but the convenience was worth it. The castle is beautiful. We have been to many other castles in France already, including Versailles, and Fontainebleau doesn’t disappoint at all. The interiors are wonderful, but we loved the gardens even more! They are very well kept and the paths along the lake are so serene, it’s wonderful. The audio guides also worked very well 👌 And it’s much quieter than Versailles (we came at the opening time, so it was great), allowing you to better enjoy the scenery and take your time whilst exploring. It’s definitely worth a visit! Two things that could be improved though: not a lot of bathrooms (expect a queue that can get quite long, so take that into account when timing your return) and not a lot of shade at the café by the lake (more tables and shade/umbrellas should be arranged). Also, maybe have a bus leaving like twice or thrice a day from Paris city centre and back to avoid the hassle of taking all the other transportations? Overall, we loved our visit and we would definitely come back!

Great palace to visit in France. This place is a residence of king, meeting the emperor Napoleon, and source of inspiration and treasures. This palace built during 12th century as medieval palace. It has been through many kings. It was build bit by bit to current palace. The chateau contain building, museum, garden, and park. It is difficult to complete entire park. The building only open certain sectors. It is part of UNESCO world heritage site. The grand apartment hallway is beautiful and same as the library. The king and queen room is beautiful. There is very details museum for Napoleon. It includes the emperor campaign. The tent and room use by Napoleon. The collection includes the Marie Louise personal item and more. The palace is well decorated. Furnitures are look prestige. The garden is huge. But I think the garden is very bare.

I visited on an early morning Saturday as part of a small group from Paris. The Chateau is under construction in the front and the iconic double staircase entrance is covered and cannot be seen. It was absolutely freezing and windy the day we visited so not comfortable for walking the grounds and gardens but we did it anyway and it's very pretty. I imagine in the summer this must be wonderful. You are provided with a self-guided audio tour that's easy to use when you enter and you can select the rooms you are in with their corresponding number to learn about the items inside and the historic nature of the chateau and it's affiliation with the royal family and Napoleon. This site was not by any means as crowded as Versailles and it's beautiful and was an easy visit from Paris (about 45 minutes by car).

If you hate the hordes at Versailles do like the kings of France and head to the more peaceful Chateau de Fontainebleau. Getting here is a quick 45 minute train trip from central Paris. When you arrive there are buses that go through the town to the chateau (€2/pp). Or you can walk the 2 miles, your call. The chateau was historically the favored hunting grounds of the royals and is still surrounded by woods. Parts of the chateau date to the 1200's but most of what you see is Renaissance and later. Fontainebleau was an especial favorite of Francois I, so watch for his "F" monograms and salamander badges throughout. Despite being a "hunting lodge" Fontainebleau is lavish - you'll see fabulous state rooms, bedrooms and ballrooms - all fit for a king. Napoleons loved this place too so you'll see rooms fitted especially for him including a bathroom. When you're done in the chateau, take a stroll in the manicured gardens before your train back. Another bonus - open Mondays!

I have a (not so) secret obsession with King Henry II, his wife Catherine de Medici and their family, specifically their son, King of France, Francis ll. When I did a little research and found out that I could visit the castle where not only they reigned, but where Francis was born, and where many other rulers and famous French historic figures resided including Napoleon, Louis Xlll and Marie Antoinette, I KNEW it was something we just HAD to do! We actually chose to see this palace over Versailles, strictly to avoid the heavy crowds in high tourist season. We were successful! We basically had the place to ourselves! It was awesome! Originally a mere hunting lodge, the a 1500 room chateau with famous horseshoe staircase is just fascinating! Each room is more opulent than the last! Just when you think you've seen the most ornate, you turn the corner and are surprised by another incredibly decorated room! It's truly unbelievable!! I especially loved the obvious Italian Renaissance influence in the art! The ceilings rival those of the Vatican! It's THAT gorgeous! Marie Antoinette's bedroom is also striking. The beaded tassels alone were drool- worthy! The grounds are vast and I would suggest good walking shoes. If you can come on a milder day I feel you would enjoy yourself most. There's lovely gardens and a pond, as well as remnants of the Medieval gate! There were mini horses and period costumes for dress up photo ops for an additional cost out there also! There's a black and white photo booth by the restrooms that take amazing photos! Treat yourself to one as a keepsake. They're €5 cash only. The gift shop is excellent! So many amazing books, silk scarves, broaches, perfumes, children's toys and tableware. We purchased some gorgeous beaded Napoleon and Marie Antoinette ornaments for our tree this year and stunning postcards to send to family. The tickets can be purchased online, but we felt that was unnecessary. €12 for adults. Our children were free. I believe it's 10 years and under, but I'm Not exactly sure. We stayed 3 hours and could've easily stayed longer, but the World Cup called! It's closed Tuesday's and free on first Sundays. If you have children, don't miss the gorgeous double decker carousel on the street to the side entrance of the chateau! It's €2 a ride per child. Carousels supposedly originated as practice for jousters after King Henry's untimely death in a jousting accident during the celebration of his daughter's Elizabeth marriage with Philip II of Spain in 1559. Just a little fun fact for you! The town is also very cute! We had a lovely breakfast and stayed for an afternoon drink too. The chateau is under an hour southeast of Paris, and I believe it to be worth the trip!

A good place to go for the following reasons: 1. 1/7 of the tourist crowd compared to Versailles 2. Length of journey is roughly the same as Versailles 3. Price is half of versailles (12$ a person), Free under 26 years old (with ID) 4. Off the beaten path and thus less crowds, more photos, less wear and tear, honestly less grimy than Versailles 5. Napoleon Bonaparte and co. if you're a history buff, you're going to love the layers of conquerers who have lived here and the story of Josephine and Henry the IV etc. Cons: 1. Smaller town, thus need to take a train and then hop the #1 or #2 bus for 2 Euros a person to get to the actual palace. The train station is called Fontainebleau Avon. Take the local train within Zone 5, 11$ for the round trip if you just buy the Fontainebleau ticket instead of the unlimited 5 zones for 25$. 2. No bathrooms in this town- Always hit a Paul or just take advantage of free bathrooms outside of the palace 3. Gardens are not as nice as Versailles- kind of mediocre in terms of color, flora/fauna variety and not good for photos. But since inside was opulent enough already, they must have just spent all the money on the interior design.

3.75 Stars It's a huge château. Our tour group dropped us off here for about 1 hour. So, I felt like didn't get to explore that much here. Audio guides are available for visitors to use when exploring the château. Personally, I didn't find the audio guides useful, because some the rooms in the château didn't really have a code for you to punch into the audio guide so that you can learn about the history of the particular room. The good thing here is that you can take pictures inside the château. When we came here in April 2011, some of the rooms were being renovated too. In sum, I though it was an OK experience visiting this place.

My husband and I took a train from Paris to Fontainebleau - Avon station and hopped on a bus from the bus station next to it. It is quite convenient. I was surprised to see the chateau right in the middle of the town. I was expecting something more like distant and spacious like entrance to Versailles. Château de Fontainebleau was built in the Italian mannerist style in the renaissance period. I can feel the warmth and see why the chateau was loved by many kings including the revolutionist, Napoleon. It feels like home, quite a contrast to highly political scenes, drama, and luxury Versailles represents. Spare 3-4 hours to fully appreciate the chateau and its lovely garden. In the throne room, I appreciate the history that the King of Siam sent a diplomat mission led by Siam's ambassador to visit Napoleon III on June 27, 1861. We got the audio tour guided us through. We got there early and had time to come back to St.Germain in Paris for dinner.

Great palace outside of Paris that's easy to get to using public transportation. You don't need to buy a tour as you can walk the grounds freely. It's similar to Versailles but way less crowded and known. The town is cute with a lot of dining options. It's like the Marin county of Paris.

Fontainebleau was one of my favorite places in France for a peaceful day. In this small town, I felt relax and zen. Missed the days at INSEAD. I could easily go to the Chateau de Fontainebleau--a big castle, with a huge and lovely garden, and especially with the view of canal. I almost saw it in all different seasons: Love it in summer and in fall--very relax and vivid in summer, and romantic in fall with the red leaves along the canal...In winter, when the leaves fell, it looks a little sad...but I was really in love with this place... Inside the castle are many big and luxury rooms. Have to say, what a fancy life the empire lived in!!! Though I'm not very into this type of place, it worth the visit!

A fabulous day excursion from Paris. Take the SNCF Grandes Lignes from Gare de Lyon to Fontainbleau-Avon (about a 40 minute ride-the second Fontainbleau stop) and take the shuttle (Bus #1) to the palace. I visited on the first Sunday and entry is free. The chateau with its Renaissance decor is amazing. The Pope's apartment was impressive. The collection of preserved furnishings and artifacts is extensive. The quaint town of Fontainebleau is dotted with cute bistros, boulangeries, pâtisseries, and shops. You can grab a lunch to take to eat in the gardens at Fontainebleau or enjoy dinner after visiting Château de Fontainebleau before traveling back to Paris. The gardens are not as elaborate as Versailles but they are beautiful and relaxing on a sunny day. The staff was very helpful.

It's free on the first Sunday of the the month so that was a nice bonus. It's worth the money though pretty much everything is covered in gold fillegree.

No on-site cafe and the garden was closed (wind hazard, apparently) but I was still blown away by the chance to see Napoleon's throne and the place where he bathed. (Apparently the Emperor was ahead of his time in recognizing the virtues of cleanliness.) If you enjoy touring palaces, this one should certainly float your boat. Essentially, I can't imagine anyone visiting Fontainebleau and saying, "Yeah, it's pretty nice, but I've seen better." So yes, I'd say this is as good as it gets, from a palatial perspective.

Both the chateau and the surrounding park are must see attractions for any visitor to the Paris area. Wonderful French architecture surrounding by peaceful French gardens.

It's a chateau in France, so what's not to love? Sure it may not be as grand or ornate like the Versailles, but I think Fontainbleau has its own rustic charm. I loved strolling in the gardens and walking up the grand staircase at the entrance. I just wish I had a little more time to explore. Give yourself a good 2-4 hours to wander around the chateau.

This review is for their official website. I have been trying to book a tour online and I am unable to do so because they require your address to create an account and register. You can not type in your country, you must select from a drop down menu that does not include The United States! I have checked their list 4 times and every country in the world is listed except for the US.

The place is beyond belief. It was Napoleon's Chateau. The grounds are the size of what seems like 16 square blocks. It is massive. And the grounds are manicured and pruned to perfection. The interior is almost as it was when Napoleon lived their so you get totally lost in time. It feels like you are in the early 1800's I got so lost in time I fully expected Napoleon and his entourage to pull up on horses and in carriages. It is truly amazing to see a place so historic preserved as if it was still 1810. Minus the modern electric lighting. I would love to be a conqueror simply to reap the rewards of luxury that it comes with. This is a must visit if you go to France!

We took the walking tour using the headsets. This is an outstanding self paced tour, which gives you a really good insight on the history, of the Kings which ruled France. This Castle is huge, and very interesting. We traveled to this location using public transportation, train and bus which cost $16.50 euros per person for unlimited daily usage. It only took is one train and 1 bus from the Disney area.