We have eight days in Paris at the end of April. This is our third time to visit Paris and have seen most of the major sights but just love to hang out and enjoy the city. We were thinking of a day trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte. Our RS Paris guide book is a 2008. In it he describes getting there by train and then a shuttle or taxi to the chateau. Doing it that way could be as much as 30€ each. Has anyone done this before or does anyone have a more convenient way to get there? What about perhaps renting a car for the day and driving? We'd appreciate any advice.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
I agree with Susan above, that taking a taxi is well worth the expense. We've been to Vaux-le-Vicomte twice and really, really love it. First time, we shared a taxi from the train station with two other Americans also waiting for a taxi. We just approached them in a friendly way and asked if they'd like to share. Coming back, we had to ask in the gift shop / ticket area for them to call a taxi for us, there was no one waiting for one so we were't able to share. Second time, no one to share with either way. The expense of the the taxi didn't matter to us though, it was so well worth it. Both times we were there in the height of summer and it was practically empty. The chateau and the grounds are amazing. They also have a cafe with great food, you can sit inside or outside in a lovely courtyard. Vaux-le-Vicomte is one of our most favorite places to visit in France. We also absolutely loved Fontainbleau. I think Susan's suggestion above to combine both is a good idea, but go early so you'll have enough time to do justice to both. Vaux-le-Vicomte is featured in the Leonardo di Caprio movie "Man in the Iron Mask"... good movie and good opportunity to see the chateau. I don't think renting a car would be cheaper. Usually a 1 day rental is expensive, like $90 or more. It's more of a hassle imo. I'd rather just get on a train, then taxi or bus to Vaux. But it's certainly an option, we've done it a couple times for just a day to visit an area right outside Paris where I grew up. But we needed a car for that, we had many places to visit. We rented a car in Paris a couple times and drove out of city, but I prefer taking train somewhere out of the city and renting from there. I can drive in Paris no problem, but I prefer not to. Having said that, if you decide to combine both Vaux and Fontainebleau, I would be more inclined to rent a car just to save time.
Posted by
Atlanta, Ga, USA
2023 posts
We combined Vaux with a visit to Fountainbleau. It was in October and the shuttle was not running at that time of year. So our only option was to take a taxi and it was well worth the expense. We took a train from Gare Austerlitz (if I remember correctly) to Melun and bus from there. Don't know about a one day car rental.
Posted by
Byron Center, MI, USA
58 posts
Susan, I just rented The Man in the Iron Mask this past weekend and it was great! Make sure you see it Les, you won't be disappointed. We are planning on being at the Vaux-le- Vicomte on the 7th of April. Can't wait. Happy Travels, Sharon
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
So glad you saw it Sharon! It's great to watch before visiting, and it's such a good movie.
Posted by
Fontainebleau, France
893 posts
Unfortunately, there isn't an easy way to get there. If you go on a weekend between April and November, you have the option of taking the shuttle bus for 7€ round trip/person, but there are only 4 per day in April. Which makes a taxi more convenient. Given that the price of a full admission ticket to the chateau is now up to 16€ (just 2€ less than a passport to Versailles), I would say it isn't worth it. I really like VlV, and we even were friends of the chateau and had a year pass. However - for me - the draw of the chateau is the special events they host throughout the year (Easter egg hunt, candlelight visit, Christmas decorations, chocolate tasting, etc.). I find the chateau itself to just be ok, and you can be in and out and around the gardens in minimal time.