Please sign in to post.

Visiting Guedelon Castle

Hello. My boyfriend and I will be in Paris for a week in mid-September. We are interested in visiting Guedelon Castle as a day trip. Has anyone visited this site before? Any advice? Is it a day trip or worth an overnight in the French countryside? Is it better to rent a car or is a train/bike rental combo a possibility?
Thank you for your help!

Posted by
10120 posts

You need a car to get there. It's down a two-lane county road, in what seems like the middle of nowhere, until suddenly you come upon cars parked on both sides of the county road, full parking lots and hundreds of people who've found their way to this remote area. In September there will be fewer people and cars but school groups who come for the day, even from Paris. Yes, you can do it as a day-trip. The most convenient is to pick the car up and drop it off at Orly. The drive is about two and a half hours each way, leaving you enough time to see the site and the farm. If you stay over night in St. Fargeau, there are other things to see and do in this area. According to the Guedelon website, there is no bus connection from the two closest train stations, 26 and 46 kilometers away. It's a fascinating visit.

Posted by
893 posts

I second what Bets says about the car and Orly airport. If you want to do an overnight, you could combine with a visit to Vezelay (GPS Mandatory to get between the 2!). If you wanted to make a weekend of it, you could combine with Beaune and get some beautiful countryside views. Some other tips: Time your visit to be there at a time other than lunch time to make sure you can watch the artisans working. Be prepared for mud. Even if it hasn't rained in days, this place still is muddy. And keep your eyes on the giant "hamster wheel." They'll usually announce before anyone gets in there, and it is fun and fascinating to watch.