Most people find it less visually impressive than Versailles, but even if you agree with that conventional wisdom, I still think you'll enjoy Fontainebleau more. First, it has far more history. Versailles was built all at once and inhabited by just three kings. Fontainebleau was built, inhabited, furnished, remodeled and loved by 600 years of royalty -- plus Napoleon. Those... more

As this was my fourth trip to Paris, I could afford to get out of the city for a day and explore a little further afield. The Chateau de Fontainebleau is a relaxing yet interesting day out. So different from Versailles, which is much bigger but very overcrowded. The day we went there were maybe 60 other tourists meandering through... more

Within two days we toured Versailles and Fontainebleau. Versailles was mobbed and the lines were very long, first to buy tickets, then to have bags searched, and then to get headsets. by contrast, at Fontainebleau we saw very few people and we could walk at our leisure. There are very few examples of furniture at Versailles, while Fontainebleu was completely... more

The Chateau de Fontainebleau is an easy 45 min drive from Paris. Parking is just outside in the village on an open lot where you pay through a machine. We got to the lot at 11 am in the middle of summer and there was quite a bit of room. We had a very short walk to the front of... more

We bought our tickets ahead of time, part of a package actually that included the entry to teh castle, bus to and from the castle, train tickets to and from Fontainbleau, metro tickets to get to the train station as well a very nice guide book all for 26Euro. The tour of the interior of the castle took us about... more

When you go, it gets a bit confusing with the whole metro system. Get to the Gare de Lyon. Get out of the metro system (meaning go through turnstiles) and go up about 3 or 4 floors until you get to the ground level. From there, you walk all the way around, ask the info desk if unsure, to a... more

Visited on 5th august and was surprised to find it virtually empty. A magnificent palace filled with many treasures and great paintings on the walls. However, compared to UK stately homes it seemed a bit run down, with slight damage/cracks to interiors. Indeed around the back of the palace there were broken windows and some of the buildings were in... more

A spontaneous side trip, we really enjoyed exploring the quiet City of Fontainebleau along with this incredible palace. A little off the beaten path, it proved to be a very interesting and relaxing day trip from Paris. This property is so rich with history, I have a feeling we could spend years studying this place, and still not even begin... more

I had been to Versailles. So this time I decided to hit Fontainebleau. I would definitely recommend it. It's a bit less crowded then Versailles but almost as nice, and that made it a better choice for our two little kids. While you could probably just visit the grounds, it was worth springing for the tour of the interior. My... more