Tours of Vaux le Vicomte and Fontainebleau in early December?

I don't know what the RS site recommends for getting to Vaux le Vicomte but it is not complicated. But first, be sure to check that the Chateau will be open for visitors on the day that you plan to visit in December. If the Chateau will be open, go to Paris Gare de l’Est, take the direct train Line P (in the direction of Provins) and get off at the Verneuil l’Etang train station. Direct trains run every 60 minutes and travel time is about 35 minutes. There is a “Châteaubus” shuttle to pick visitors up from the Verneuil l’Etang train station to the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. The shuttle is in front of the train station exit and is cash only.

I think Vaux le Vicomte is closed in winter; they may open around Christmas for special events or candlelight dinners or whatever. It is easy to go to Fontainebleau on your own; nothing at all complicated. Take the train to Avon/Fontainebleau and the bus from the train station to the Chateau.

I know for a fact that Vaux-le-Vicomte is open at Christmas time because the chateau is beautifully decorated for Christmas. I went on a Paris Vision tour and absolutely loathed the tour company (only went that way because I got a good deal!). I recommend going by yourself. You're in luck, they are closed for part of November but open back up ONLY ON WEEKENDS from the 25th on.

Funny, their English page says there's going to be a "shooting" at the Chateau. I switched to French and they meant filming! Oops!

In mid-December 2016, I travelled from Paris to Fontainebleau via public transportation. I found helpful information in advance on TripAdvisor about the train & bus logistics. Once I exited the train station in Fontainbleau, I knew which local bus to board, and its departure appeared to be timed to the train's arrival so that was pretty easy to figure out. It was a little complicated to figure out when to get off the bus, and I thought there could be more signage pointing to the entrance to the chateau. After visiting the chateau, I walked the 5 minutes or so to the main street in the village for a pleasant lunch, and I soon noticed a bus with the bus # I needed headed back to the train station, so I found the bus stop I needed. In summary, it was well worth the effort to get to the chateau...and it required some patience on my part.

Here are the November and December hours for Vaux le Vicomte: Opening on November 25, 26, December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 and everyday from December 23 to January 7 (closed on December 25 and January 1st).

Thank you to all of you for your insightful information. It seems quite do-able with public transportation and we will go for it and look forward to the adventure.