Leave central Paris by luxury coach and travel to Vaux le Vicomte, a handsome little town just 34 miles (55km) southeast of the capital. Its star attraction is the Vaux le Vicomte Castle the impressive Baroque chateau that allegedly inspired the Palace of versailles so hop off your coach and head inside for your audio-guided tour.
While admiring the castles plush interiors and elaborate vaulted cellars, learn about Nicolas Fouquet King Louis XIVs finance minister who created the building using the crme de la crme of French architectural talent. Unfortunately for him, King Louis felt upstaged by the extravagant building, and threw him in prison before he could spend too long enjoying it.
After exploring the castle, head outside to soak up the extensive garden scenery, seeing the dramatic fountains, lawns and flowerbeds that cover the whopping 99-acre (40-hectare) site. Enjoy some time for lunch in the on-site caf (own expense), and then return to your coach.
Travel the short distance south to Fontainebleau, and then visit your second majestic building of the day: Chteau Fontainebleau. The only royal castle to be continuously inhabited for over seven centuries, Fontainebleau is one of the countrys more exceptional palaces deservedly taking a place on the Unesco World Heritage Site list.
Step inside and explore the opulent Renaissance building with an audio guide, hearing all the gossip about the French royals who once called the place home. Gaze upward to see mesmerizing ceiling frescoes, and admire the intricate wood carvings and 15th-century furniture that typifies the castles lavish interior.
At the end of your audio tour, head outside to explore the grounds and ornamental lakes independently. Have your camera ready to capture the romantic gardens against the backdrop of the castle, and then return to your coach for your journey back to Paris.
Fontainebleau & Vaux Le Vicomte Chateaux Day Trip From Paris - Maincy
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Tour Information
Key Details
- Mobile Voucher Accepted
- Free Cancellation
- Instant Confirmation
- Lowest Price Guaranteed
- Duration: 9 Hrs
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Language:
English
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Departure Time :
9:15 AM
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Departure Details :
2 Rue des Pyramides, 75001 Paris, France
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Return Details :
Returns to original departure point
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Cancellation Policy : For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
Overview
See two magnificent French castles Vaux le Vicomte and Chteau Fontainebleau on a day trip from Paris! Audio-guided tours at each site are included, so youll learn about the castles history and art, as well as the eccentric royals who once called the places home. Enjoy free time to explore the castles gardens, seeing the grandiose fountains, lakes and monuments that characterized palace grounds during the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
Highlights
- All entrance fees included
- Day trip (destination A to B)
- Pickup from a centrally located meeting point
Know More about this tour
Inclusions
Air-conditioned vehicle
Audio-guided tour (if option selected)
Guided tour with a licensed multilingual guide (if option selected)
Exclusions
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
Food and drinks
Additional Info
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Traveler Reviews
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This excursion was well conducted and well worth the time and cost. A great experience! Tour conductor was very knowledgeable. We highly recommend it!
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This was an interesting day trip from Paris The properties were lovely.. Our guide was excellent and the transportation was satisfactory,
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We originally wanted to go see Versailles but were unable to as it is closed on Mondays and that is the only day that we could go. Instead we opted for this tour and we were not disappointed. The grounds and gardens of the Vaux le Vicomte were expansive and awe inspiring. We were impressed by the statues, layout and overall beauty of the area. I would absolutely recommend this tour. Fontainebleau was great but it was under construction so some of the beauty of it was lost.
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Having wanted to visit Vaux le Vicomte for a number of years, I was delighted with this visit in spite of the rainy weather that made visiting the gardens less than ideal. And we were not disappointed; even had a lovely lunch here. Our guide, Jean Louis, was excellent both here and at Fontainebleau. (although the scale of the latter is truly overwhelming). Lots of details about what we were seeing, all the answers to the questions folks asked. A great way to visit distance destinations painlessly.
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Wonderful day out of Paris. Nice comfortable coach ride. Wonderful and knowledgeable guide. Highly recommended
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We absolutely loved Vaux le Vicomte, from the great audio experience to the gorgeous gardens! Plenty of time to wander and take it all in. Can rent golf cart to cover more acres. Beautiful!
Also enjoyed Fontainebleau. Front desk was a little unorganized that morning and one of our headsets was faulty. Enjoyed the tour and strolling the gardens. Would highly recommend. -
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Two wonders of man's architecture achievements. Plenty of time to see everything and not feel rushed.
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Long day with lots of walking and stairs but well worth the effort. Vaux-le-Vicomte is stunning and with an interesting history. Lovely gardens which inspired Versailles. Fontainbleau was shrouded in scaffolding and wooden fences but the curving staircase still looked magnificent. The only draw back was our driver appeared to wish he was somewhere else and even had a person on board after we left Vaux-le-Vicomte that wasn't on our tour
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These two palaces are great to see, and the sad story of the builder (Fouquet) of Vaux le Vicomte really stayed with me. We were given very good audio headphones which knew which room you were in and proceeded with the story accordingly. The audio at Fountainbleu not quite as good, but adequate. However, when I realized on the bus that the guide would not be staying with us throughout, I rather regretted booking this without a guide, as I felt like we would be missing a lot of information as well as the ability to ask questions. Hard to say without experiencing both ways.
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Well timed outing to see another side of French history. Good for someone with layman interest. Enough to get a sense of the sites in a single day trip
