Loire Valley vs Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte and Fontainebleau

I think it depends on what you're interested in. Loire has some really cool chateaus, Vaux le Vicomte and Fontainebleau are more steeped in history. If you want to see where Napolean abdicated his throne, or where the monarchy kept the Pope after they kidnapped him, or the only authentic throne left in France, then go to FB. Want to see the gardens that served as the model for Versailles - go to Vaux le Vicomte. If you're combining Fontainebleau and Vicomte, I'm assuming you're looking into booking a tour. FB is very easy to do on your own (14,20€ gets you round trip from Paris to the chateaus) and you could also walk into the forest for something different.

Thank you, Dina. Are Fontainbleau and Vaux le Vicomte easily accessible by train? And would you recommend any particular tour? The Loire Valley looks beautiful, but we will not have a car and it seems that it is not easily accessible by train. We really enjoy the outdoors. So the forest or gardens would be a great idea. Do they rent bicycles? Thank you again!

I believe that Vaux le Vicomte and Fontainebleau are accessible by train. But they would be done on separate days. The Loire Valley chateaux are not very accessible - you pretty much need a car to see those. So that might make the decision for you...

Vaux le Vicomte is a short train ride from Paris, although you'll need to take a taxi from the train station to the chateau. I don't remember the cost of the taxi, but it wasn't prohibitive. It's not a long distance (although too far to walk). Not sure about Fontainebleau.

Getting to the Fontainebleau Chateau from Paris is fairly simple and not too expensive. The purchase of a 5 zone Mobilis for 14,20 (for kids under 12, a 1day Paris Visite is 10,25) will get you unlimited transportation in all zones for the day. Trains going to Fontainebleau leave at the :19 and :49 after the hour from Gare de Lyon (and more frequently during peak travel times). Look for trains with the final destination of Montereau, Montargis or LaRoche. (Usually - but not always - Track L or M). It takes 41 minutes to get to the Fontainebleau/Avon train station. After exiting the train, follow the crowd to the parking lot and look for the spot for the #1 bus to Fontainebleau: Chateau/Les Lilas. Get off the bus at the chateau stop by the carousel. You can either walk through the gardens (head to the right) to get to the chateau entrance, or continue down the street with the gardens to your left to get to the main entrance. To return, catch the #1 bus across the street from the carousel. Trains leave the Fontainebleau/Avon gare on the :00 and :30 and return to Gare de Lyon. Please note that bus stops and times are likely to change in September if you are reading this after searching the archives.

Paris Vision has a small van tour that includes both these sites plus a short stop in the village of Barbizon. Lunch is included at Vau le Vicomte. I took this a year ago and was very satisfied. There were 4 other ladies plus me and the guide in a Mercedes van.