Day Trip to Fontainebleau (Oct 18, 2025)

Our first day trip while we're in Paris is to Fontainebleau.  The town is 55 km (34 mi) SE of Paris and is home to the Château de Fontainebleau, an autumn residence for many French monarchs, including Napoleon.  

Inside the Gare de Lyon, the second-busiest of Paris' seven main railway stations.

Our train.  We used our metro card for this, and later the bus, for 9.00 EUR (10.50 USD) total.

Fe and I on the train

Château Fontainebleau

Fe on the Horseshoe Staircase

Ballroom

Fe in the hallway

Galerie de Diane (Diana Gallery)

Empress' Chamber

Throne Room

Council Chamber

Looking down the staircase

Chapel

Chapel Altar

Chapel Ceiling

View from the banks of the l'Étang aux Carpes (Carp Pond).  Sounds better in French.

View of the chateau over the pond

Pavillon de l'Étang (Carp Pavilion)

Another view

Fe and the view

And again

Tree-lined path

Looking back at Chateau Fontainebleau over the gardens 

Fontaine du Parterre (Fountain in the Flowerbed)

This place was huge even without the gardens, so we certainly got our steps in today.  If you come down, entry to the gardens and around the chateau is free; it costs 14 EUR (16.30 USD) per person.  Someday, we'll go to Versailles, but this was a good and cheaper alternative with less of a crowd.

We certainly were tired when we got back to our apartment later this afternoon.  This little place is starting to feel like home, ha ha.