How to Get to Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte Castles From Paris

The Château de Fontainebleau is one of France’s most important royal residences, used by French rulers for more than 800 years. Despite its significance, it sits slightly off the main tourist trail, which is part of what makes a visit so appealing.

Nearby, Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is another phenomenal castle, known for its perfectly symmetrical architecture and formal gardens that later inspired Versailles.

Each of these castles is an excellent day trip option from Paris on its own, and visiting both in one day is also a popular option.

Fontainebleau is located about 40 miles (65 km) southeast of Paris. Vaux-le-Vicomte is also southeast of Paris by approximately the same distance, but sits about 14 miles (23 km) north of Fontainebleau.

Getting to either castle is very doable from Paris.

This guide walks you through all of the options, including step-by-step instructions for public transportation, tips for combining both castles in a single day, and alternatives if you’d rather simplify things.

Ticketing and Passes

All transportation for Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte falls under the Paris public transit system, which covers the entire Île-de-France region. There are essentially four tickets or passes that would work to get to either castle:

If you already have a Navigo Découverte Pass (Zone 1–5) (unlimited travel for a calendar week or month) or a Paris Visite Pass (unlimited travel for 1-5 days), you’re completely covered for the entire journey – metro, train, and bus.

If you don’t have either of these passes, you have two options:

• Single Metro tickets (€2.55 each)
• Daily unlimited pass (€12.50)

You can do this with single tickets, but if you’re visiting Fontainebleau or both castles, I strongly recommend the daily pass. You’ll use it enough to make it worthwhile, and it removes all the guesswork around transfers and ticket counts.

If you’re just doing Vaux-le-Vicomte, you could just buy 2 Metro tickets. Any of these tickets can be bought at any Metro station in Paris or at the train station itself.

👉Get all the details on how to navigate Paris’s Metro system

Getting to Gare de Lyon

To start your journey, you’ll need to get to the Gare de Lyon train station in Paris’s 12th arrondissement. Several metro and RER lines lead to this station.

If you arrive by metro or RER, follow the signs for Grandes Lignes once you get off. These lead you from the metro area into the main train station. It’s about a 5–10 minute walk through the station, but it’s well signed, just keep following the Grandes Lignes/trains signs.

Finding the Right Train

Once inside Gare de Lyon, head to Hall 1. There are three halls (Hall 1, 2, and 3), and your train will typically depart from Hall 1.

You’re looking for the R train, which functions more like a regional commuter train than a traditional long-distance train. There’s no need to reserve a seat or a specific time. You can just show up and board.

Look up at the departure boards to find the R train and its platform. The train and departure time will be listed, but platform assignments usually appear about 10–20 minutes before departure, so don’t panic if you don’t see it immediately.

The screen will show the train’s final destination (usually Montargis or Montereau), but you’ll be getting off well before that, and either one will take you to the stops for either chateau. The stops served by the train scroll underneath the destination name, so you can double-check that your stop is listed.

You’ll get off at different stops for the different chateaux:

• For Fontainebleau → Get off at Fontainebleau-Avon
• For Vaux-le-Vicomte → Get off at Melun

Once the platform is posted on the screen, head straight there. The train runs every 30 minutes, so if you miss one, you can simply take the next.

A quick note: Stations can change halls at any time. If you don’t see the R train listed in Hall 1, check Halls 2 or 3, or ask a station employee. Giving yourself a few extra minutes here is a good idea. I’d recommend trying to be in the hall 20-25 minutes early, to give yourself enough time if anything is unclear.

Boarding and Riding the Train

Before going down to the platform, you must validate your ticket or pass at one of the machines near the trains. You can’t just have a ticket in hand, it must be validated. Scan it, wait for the green light, and you’re good.

You can board anywhere along the train and sit in any open second-class seat. Most of the train is second class, and I don’t believe there’s even a first-class section, but if you do see anything marked “first,” just keep walking.

For Fontainebleau: The ride takes about 40 minutes, and you’ll get off at Fontainebleau–Avon (Google Maps sometimes suggests the next station — don’t do that. Get off here.) This is usually the third stop on the train.

For Vaux-le-Vicomte: The ride takes about 35 minutes, and your stop will usually be the first. Get off at Melun.

Pay attention to the onboard screens and announcements and be ready to get off when the doors open. The train stops for only a minute before pulling away again.

From the Train Station to Fontainebleau Château

Okay, at this point, we’re going to go through the sequence of getting to Fontainebleau. Once you exit the Fontainebleau–Avon train station, you’ll see several bus stops right outside.

Head to bus 3401, direction Las Lilas, which departs from platform 1. The bus runs approximately every 10–15 minutes, so the wait is usually short. Be sure to validate your pass when you board.

You’ll ride ~10 stops and get off at the Château or the Cour des Adieux stop. The ride takes roughly 15 minutes. There’s a screen and audio announcements showing upcoming stops. When you pass the stop just before Château, press the red button to request the next stop.

From there, it’s a short 3–5 minute walk to the palace entrance.

Easy peasy.

Okay, okay, I know this sounds like a lot of steps. And it kind of is. But now you know exactly what to do, and you’re essentially just following signs all the way to the castle.

Getting to Vaux-le-Vicomte from Fontainebleau

Getting from Fontainebleau to Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is doable by public transportation, but it’s more time-sensitive than the Fontainebleau portion of the day.

There’s absolutely enough time to make this work, but you do need to keep an eye on the clock.

The main challenge is that Vaux-le-Vicomte is far from the nearest train station, and public buses don’t run close to the château (the closest public bus stop is a 30-minute walk to the castle). So instead of a bus, you’ll have to take the shuttle.

Vaux-le-Vicomte Shuttle

Vaux-le-Vicomte runs a dedicated shuttle from Melun train station, but it only operates twice daily on weekdays and three times on weekends. (Shuttle details here)

If you’re visiting Fontainebleau in the morning and Vaux-le-Vicomte in the afternoon, the 1:55 pm shuttle is realistically your only option.

To catch the 1:55 pm Vaux-le-Vicomte shuttle, you’ll need to leave Fontainebleau on time.

Take the 1:14 pm bus (don’t forget to validate) from the Fontainebleau Cour des Adieux stop (location) back to the Fontainebleau-Avon train station, then board the R train heading toward Paris and get off at Melun.

You’ll arrive in Melun around 1:45 pm. Exit the main station, cross the street toward Café de la Gare (location), and the Vaux-le-Vicomte shuttle will be waiting out front. The drive to the château takes about 12–15 minutes.

The shuttle must be booked in advance through the Vaux-le-Vicomte website and costs €12 round trip per person.

You’ll arrive at the château around 2:15 pm, and the return shuttle leaves at 6:30 pm. This gives you four hours at the castle, which honestly, is a lot. I spent about an hour inside the chateau itself, then another 1-1.5 hours going through the stables and walking the grounds.

The grounds are beautiful, but not enormous, and I leisurely strolled and wrapped it up easily in 1.5 hours. There is a restaurant and snack bar on-site, but I didn’t stop for these.

Uber Alternative

You can also use Uber or a taxi instead of the shuttle. Getting one from Melun train station is usually straightforward.

I actually ended up calling an Uber to get back to the train station from the castle. I had essentially wrapped up my visit in just over two hours, and there were still almost two hours left before the return shuttle. It was getting chilly and I wasn’t hungry enough to want to get something to eat, so I was just hanging out.

To be honest, I wasn’t overly optimistic about being able to get an Uber, since the château is pretty far out in the countryside, and I’ve had mixed luck getting an Uber to accept my ride in remote areas in France.

It took about eight minutes for a driver to accept the ride, but one did actually show up and brought me back to the Melun train station without any issues. The ride took around 15 minutes and cost about €15. While it did work for me this time, I wouldn’t count on being able to get an Uber from the chateau.

Just note that you can’t re-enter the chateau grounds once you leave, so don’t exit to meet your Uber until they’re very close, in case there are any issues.

Train Back to Paris

Back at the Melun train station, you get on the R train going in the direction to Paris, and ride it all the way to Gare de Lyon.

Timing for a Two Castle Day

If you’re doing both castles in one day, here is the timing I would recommend for doing Fontainebleau then Vaux-le-Vicomte:

• Arrive at Gare de Lyon train station in Paris around 7:50am
• Take the 8:16am R train from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon station
• Take the 3401 bus from bus platform 1 at the Fontainebleau-Avon station to the Chateau
• Take some pictures around the exterior, and be ready to enter the castle at 9:30am when it opens
• Leisurely tour the castle, walk the grounds, and stop for lunch at one of the take-out cafes, or the Restaurant Les Petites Bouches de l’Empereur (buffet style, so you can flex your time accordingly).
• Catch the 1:14pm 3401 bus (or an earlier one to give you a little bit of extra time) going back to the train station (have your ticket bought in advance)
• Take the 1:31pm R train towards Paris and get off at the Melun station
• Take the 1:55pm shuttle to Vaux-le-Vicomte
• Leisurely explore Vaux-le-Vicomte, and plan for an extended visit (extra time on the grounds, or stop at the restaurant), or grab an early Uber back to the train station.
• If taking the shuttle: 6:30pm shuttle depart, then catch the 6:44pm or 7:15pm R train back to Paris

Note: Timetables can, of course, always change. You should verify timetables before you go. The exact information given in this post is to give general route information, context, and examples.

One Chateau vs Both Chateaux

If you’re deciding between visiting just one of the castles or combining them together, here are some things to consider:

Fontainebleau only

• Best if you want a royal castle full of history
• The easiest and most flexible option
• Ideal if you don’t want to be held to any schedule
• Works well as a half-day or easy full-day trip from Paris
• Public transportation is straightforward and forgiving
• The only option if you’re visiting in winter (Vaux-le-Vicomte closes January to mid-March)

Vaux-le-Vicomte Only

• Best if you’re especially interested in formal gardens and classic symmetry
• A quieter, more curated experience overall of a private residence
• Slightly more logistical planning required, since the château isn’t close to the train station and shuttles are infrequent
• Works well if you plan around the Vaux-le-Vicomte shuttle or are open to using Uber/taxis

Fontainebleau + Vaux-le-Vicomte

• A long but very rewarding day
• Lets you experience two completely different château styles in one trip
• Timing matters, especially for catching the Vaux-le-Vicomte shuttle
• Best for travelers who don’t mind a full schedule and some transit planning

Either way, both castles are absolutely worth the effort to get there, whether you visit just one or make a full day of it.