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Major city · 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (crowds, heat), mid-August closures
Airports
CDG · ORY
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
  • France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
  • France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
  • France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
  • France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Fontainebleau, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee€2–4 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Sit-down mealBrasserie main course€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
  • Street or quick mealBaguette sandwich€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)
  • Beerbar / supermarket€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€8–20 (≈ US$10–25)
  • Museum or sight ticketChâteau de Fontainebleau entry€17 (≈ US$20) adult, €15 (≈ US$18) reduced (check)
  • Budget bedHostel or budget double, a night, per person€35 (≈ US$45)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per room€140 (≈ US$170)
  • High-end bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per room€220 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €100 (≈ US$120) · High €180 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Château de Fontainebleau (UNESCO)Forêt de Fontainebleau and boulderingNapoleon's farewell to his troops, 1814Barbizon painters' village nearby
Airports
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)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Fontainebleau: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

2°C

11 rd

Feb

8°C

2°C

10 rd

Mar

12°C

4°C

10 rd

Apr

16°C

6°C

9 rd

May

20°C

10°C

10 rd

Jun

23°C

13°C

9 rd

Jul

26°C

15°C

8 rd

Aug

26°C

15°C

8 rd

Sep

22°C

12°C

9 rd

Oct

17°C

9°C

10 rd

Nov

11°C

5°C

11 rd

Dec

8°C

3°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Vaux-le-Vicomte

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Transilien R to Melun, then taxi or shuttle to the château

Baroque château that set the template for Versailles; candlelit evenings in summer. Public transport is thin: book the shuttle or a taxi.

Barbizon

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Bus or taxi from Fontainebleau, about 15 min

Nineteenth-century painters' village at the forest edge; half a day with a forest walk.

Paris

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Transilien R from Fontainebleau-Avon to Gare de Lyon

Trains run frequently; buy the Origine-Destination ticket at the counter or Île-de-France machines.

Provins

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

Train via Melun or Montereau, then onward line

Medieval walled town; connections are slow, so check the timetable before committing.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€150 (≈ US$180)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double room1 × 1 night × €140€140
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €100€200
Transilien R return from Paris2 × €10 · check€20
Bus 3401 station to château, one way2 × €2 · check€4
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €10€20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€38
Trip total≈ €211 per person per day, bed included€422≈ US$500

2026 estimate in euros; travel from Paris and château tickets excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee€2–4 (≈ US$3–5)
Baguette sandwich€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)
Brasserie main course€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
Beer: bar / supermarket€5–8 (≈ US$6–10) / €1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
Château de Fontainebleau entry€17 (≈ US$20) adult, €15 (≈ US$18) reduced (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€8–20 (≈ US$10–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

European emergency (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Ambulance (SAMU)
15
Police
17
Fire
18

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

FontainebleauFontainebleau

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • European emergency112
  • Ambulance (SAMU)15
  • Police17
  • Fire18

Embassy

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).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Paris Gare de Lyon → Fontainebleau-Avon, Transilien R: about €5 (≈ US$6) one way, about 40 min (check)
  • Bus 3401, station → Château / Place Bonaparte: €2.15 (≈ US$3), 15–20 min (check)
  • Taxi, station → town centre: about €15–20 (≈ US$18–25) (check)

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello / Good day (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • S'il vous plaît — Please (seel voo PLEH)
  • Combien ça coûte ? — How much is it? (kom-BYAN sa KOOT)
  • Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART)
  • Où sont les toilettes ? — Where is the toilet? (oo son lay twa-LET)

Château hours: 09:30–17:00 in winter, 09:30–18:00 in summer; closed Tuesdays (check the official site).

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Fontainebleau. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (crowds, heat), mid-August closures · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CDG and ORY: last Transilien R departures, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: château and gardens, Rue Grande, forest edge, Fontainebleau-Avon.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (château, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Barbizon) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Bouldering and forest fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to France

Sources