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Voykit pocket guide · France
Fontainebleau
Go for one full day from Paris: château at opening, forest walk after. Sleep one night only if you want bouldering or Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Fontainebleau is a small historic town 55 km south of Paris, built around a royal château that served French kings and Napoleon for seven centuries. It is a UNESCO site with a fraction of Versailles' crowds, plus a 25,000 ha forest for walking and bouldering. Most travellers come as a day trip from Paris; one night suits climbers, golfers and slow walkers.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, heat), mid-August closures
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2–4 |
| Baguette sandwich | €5–8 |
| Brasserie main course | €15–25 |
| Beer: bar / supermarket | €5–8 / €1.50–3 |
| Château de Fontainebleau entry | €17 adult, €15 reduced (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- RER B to Paris then Transilien R from Gare de Lyon; about 2 h total
- ORY · Paris Orly
- Orlyval or tram to Paris then Transilien R; about 1 h 45 min total
Typical fares
- Paris Gare de Lyon → Fontainebleau-Avon, Transilien R
- about €5 one way, about 40 min (check)
- Bus 3401, station → Château / Place Bonaparte
- €2.15, 15–20 min (check)
- Taxi, station → town centre
- about €15–20 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk. The centre is one main artery, Rue Grande, from the château to the far end of town; nothing in the centre is more than about 20 min on foot. Bus 3401 links Fontainebleau-Avon station with Château / Place Bonaparte in 15–20 min. A car helps for the forest, Barbizon and Vaux-le-Vicomte.
See and do
Known for
- Château de Fontainebleau (UNESCO)
- Forêt de Fontainebleau and bouldering
- Napoleon's farewell to his troops, 1814
- Barbizon painters' village nearby
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vaux-le-Vicomte | Transilien R to Melun, then taxi or shuttle to the château | About 1 h 15 min |
| Barbizon | Bus or taxi from Fontainebleau, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Paris | Transilien R from Fontainebleau-Avon to Gare de Lyon | About 1 h |
| Provins | Train via Melun or Montereau, then onward line | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Rue Grande, Place Napoléon Bonaparte)
- Walk to the château in under 10 min; restaurants and bars on the doorstep. Best for one night without a car.
- Fontainebleau-Avon station area
- Cheaper beds, 30 min walk or a short bus ride to the château; useful for early trains.
- Forest edge and Barbizon
- Quiet guesthouses and small hotels for walkers and climbers; you need a car or bike.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-BYAN sa KOOT |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Château closed on Tuesdays, 1 Jan, 1 May and 25 Dec.
- The forest stop Fontainebleau-Forêt is served only on weekends and public holidays, and return trains do not stop there: no map, no alight.
- Bouldering areas are fragile sandstone: no chalk on painted routes, no fires, and stick to marked paths.
- Mid-August: many small shops and restaurants close for holidays.
A safe small town; the real risks are pickpockets on the Paris trains, unlit forest paths after dark and sandstone that is slippery when wet. Keep to marked trails and carry a map.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Fontainebleau yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Château de Fontainebleau (UNESCO)
- Forêt de Fontainebleau and bouldering
- Napoleon's farewell to his troops, 1814
- Barbizon painters' village nearby
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Fontainebleau town hall: www.fontainebleau.fr/
- Château de Fontainebleau: www.chateaudefontainebleau.fr/en/
- Fontainebleau tourist office: www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com
- Vaux-le-Vicomte: vaux-le-vicomte.com/
- Wikivoyage: Fontainebleau, revision 5313952 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5313952
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Fontainebleau
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Fontainebleau; they are in Paris. The US embassy is on Avenue Gabriel, the UK on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (check addresses).
Château hours: 09:30–17:00 in winter, 09:30–18:00 in summer; closed Tuesdays (check the official site).Château hours: 9:30 AM–5:00 PM in winter, 9:30 AM–6:00 PM in summer; closed Tuesdays (check the official site).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/fontainebleau). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.