Fontainebleau makes a great day trip from Paris.

You can take a train from the Gare de Lyon to the Fontainebleau-Avon stop. The train will be going to Montargis, so look for that on the sign boards. This is a Transilien Ile-de-France train (local Paris area), not a grand ligne (long distance train). From Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon is about 70 kilometers (44 miles) and takes about 40 minutes. There are about two trains an hour.

Your best option may be to buy a Mobilis ticket, which gives you unlimited travel on the train, RER, métro, and bus for a day. At a cost of 15,65 euros, it allows you to travel within Paris to get to and from the Gare de Lyon, and also includes the bus in Fontainebleau-Avon.

When you arrive at Fontainebleau-Avon, you can take a bus on Ligne A (which may also say Les Lilas) to the Château stop. This will drop you at the entrance grille by the Jardin de Diane. From there you can walk through the garden and around to the right to reach the Cour d'Honneur and Château entrance.

You can also walk to the Château from the Gare. It's just under 3 kilometers (1.75 miles), much of it through the lovely Parc of Fontainebleau.

From the Gare, take Avenue Franklin Roosevelt for about 1/2 kilometer, then bear left on Avenue des Carrosses. This will lead you to the Porte Blanche entrance to the Parc. Walk through the park, either among the trees or along the canal, and you will arrive at the Château grounds. You'll then have to go around to the front of the Château to buy your admission ticket and enter.

We enjoyed taking the bus to the Château and then walking back through the Parc after our visit.

 

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