Fontainebleau - train schedules on a Sunday
Apr 27th, 2016, 01:17 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fontainebleau - train schedules on a Sunday
Hi Fodorites!
I have been trying to research how to get from Paris (ideally Gare du Lyon) to Fontainebleau. We will be visiting on Sunday August 7th (free admission and what have you), but i can't seem to find a current copy of the train schedule. The only schedule that i dug up was valid in 2012-2013: http://parisbytrain.com/wp-content/u...s_holidays.pdf.
Is this itinerary still valid? I have also looked online through TrainLine Europe to see if we could book our train tickets in advance, but for some reason it's impossible to book in advance for this route.
Is there any other way of getting from central Paris to the chateaux? Shuttles, bus services etc. We aren't too confident with the French transport system so a direct journey would be the easiest for us.
Any help would be much appreciated
I have been trying to research how to get from Paris (ideally Gare du Lyon) to Fontainebleau. We will be visiting on Sunday August 7th (free admission and what have you), but i can't seem to find a current copy of the train schedule. The only schedule that i dug up was valid in 2012-2013: http://parisbytrain.com/wp-content/u...s_holidays.pdf.
Is this itinerary still valid? I have also looked online through TrainLine Europe to see if we could book our train tickets in advance, but for some reason it's impossible to book in advance for this route.
Is there any other way of getting from central Paris to the chateaux? Shuttles, bus services etc. We aren't too confident with the French transport system so a direct journey would be the easiest for us.
Any help would be much appreciated
Apr 27th, 2016, 01:36 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Put angst to rest - Sundays have a frequency odf service every half hour from Gare du Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon train station, about a mile from the chateau. Takes 41 minutes with only three stops in between.
I got these schedules from www.bahn.de - the German Railways all-European scheduling site - the best and easiest and most accurate I have seen - for a good way to link to the English schedule page of this site go to www.budgeteuropetravel.com and on their home page click on the link "Best All-European Rail Schedule or some such wording and it brings you to the English schedule page - the reason I give this link is that they also tell you loads of about how to fully use this wonderful site that may not be apparent at first glance - like telling you if reservations possible or not.
That said this is a commuter train like the RER kind of though operated by the French Railways I believe - no reservations possible - just buy a ticket at any RER/metro or train station in Paris - do not forget to validate your own ticket in a cancelling machine or it will not be considered to be valid (In Paris you usually have to stick the ticket in a turnstile to get in but coming back look for the composteur (validation) machines on platforms and in stations.
Buy an 'aller-et-retour' round trip ticket in Paris so you need not fiddle around buying one at Fontainebleau for your return.
There are no public buses out there I believe as everyone goes by train.
If worried about all this take a bus tour from Paris and don't waste time trying to buy that ticket online - no reason to and would cost more probably - local commuter trains you often can't buy a ticket in advance - always the same price I think.
I got these schedules from www.bahn.de - the German Railways all-European scheduling site - the best and easiest and most accurate I have seen - for a good way to link to the English schedule page of this site go to www.budgeteuropetravel.com and on their home page click on the link "Best All-European Rail Schedule or some such wording and it brings you to the English schedule page - the reason I give this link is that they also tell you loads of about how to fully use this wonderful site that may not be apparent at first glance - like telling you if reservations possible or not.
That said this is a commuter train like the RER kind of though operated by the French Railways I believe - no reservations possible - just buy a ticket at any RER/metro or train station in Paris - do not forget to validate your own ticket in a cancelling machine or it will not be considered to be valid (In Paris you usually have to stick the ticket in a turnstile to get in but coming back look for the composteur (validation) machines on platforms and in stations.
Buy an 'aller-et-retour' round trip ticket in Paris so you need not fiddle around buying one at Fontainebleau for your return.
There are no public buses out there I believe as everyone goes by train.
If worried about all this take a bus tour from Paris and don't waste time trying to buy that ticket online - no reason to and would cost more probably - local commuter trains you often can't buy a ticket in advance - always the same price I think.
Apr 27th, 2016, 01:37 PM
#4
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 468
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Try the RATP website: http://www.ratp.fr/itineraires/en/ra...herche-avancee It shows a half-hourly service on the RER from Gare de Lyon.
Apr 27th, 2016, 01:39 PM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Note that schedules for Sept are not loaded yet but should be after mid-June if not earlier but these types of trains rarely change except at most for a few minutes. You can count on there being plenty of trains on that route on any day and Sundays too as it is a major commuter rail route to London for a wide area.
Apr 27th, 2016, 02:32 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
PalenQ - thank you for the insight! We will be fine getting our tickets at the train station now that we know they depart every 30 minutes...i assume that they depart from fontainebleau - paris in the same intervals?
Thank you for the website tonfromleiden! will definitely check it out
Thank you for the website tonfromleiden! will definitely check it out
Apr 27th, 2016, 08:45 PM
#7
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
While bahn.de might be a useful site the website you want to use is www.transilien.com or www.ratp.fr and the schedules aren't usually available more than a month or two in advance but they likely aren't going to change much, if at all, between now and August. Just try a dummy date on a Sunday within a month from now and you'll get a good idea of the schedule for August. You'll take a train from Gare de Lyon and the journey takes 38 to 41 minutes. When you arrive at Fontainebleau-Avon the bus depot is right next to the train station and you'll take bus 1 to the château. Info on the château website:
http://www.chateaudefontainebleau.fr...t-Here?lang=en
Right now and through June I believe there are works on that line but normally there should be trains departing from and returning to Paris at least every hour if not every half hour, even on weekends, so I wouldn't stress about this. If you'll have a Navigo Découverte then this journey (even the bus) is covered by that pass. Otherwise, if you are all adults then buy the Mobiis pass for zones 1-5 and it will cover all your transport for the day, even going to Gare de Lyon.
http://www.chateaudefontainebleau.fr...t-Here?lang=en
Right now and through June I believe there are works on that line but normally there should be trains departing from and returning to Paris at least every hour if not every half hour, even on weekends, so I wouldn't stress about this. If you'll have a Navigo Découverte then this journey (even the bus) is covered by that pass. Otherwise, if you are all adults then buy the Mobiis pass for zones 1-5 and it will cover all your transport for the day, even going to Gare de Lyon.
Apr 28th, 2016, 10:15 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
anyways you need no schedules - trains leave throughout the day every 30 minutes - just show up at Gare de Lyon and hop on - with a valid ticket or pass (with pass you may have to get a free contramarque de passage to let you thru the turnstiles at Gare de Lyon - maybe - not sure but one reason for buying from a ticket window - can ask about that.
Apr 28th, 2016, 10:29 AM
#9
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There are no turnstiles for boarding the trains at Gare de Lyon. If you have a Navigo Pass be sure to swipe it before boarding the train. You'll see a few of these machines spread out in front of the platforms (photo below):
http://tinyurl.com/zavt7wu
If you'll have the Mobilis pass or a regular ticket you'll need to stick it in the composting machine to get it punched/validated before boarding the train. You'll see a few of these machines spread out in front of the platforms (photo below):
http://tinyurl.com/zwtuh3s
You can buy the Mobilis pass or regular tickets from any ticket machine in the métro or RER stations or from the green Ile-de-France ticket machines in the train station.
http://tinyurl.com/zavt7wu
If you'll have the Mobilis pass or a regular ticket you'll need to stick it in the composting machine to get it punched/validated before boarding the train. You'll see a few of these machines spread out in front of the platforms (photo below):
http://tinyurl.com/zwtuh3s
You can buy the Mobilis pass or regular tickets from any ticket machine in the métro or RER stations or from the green Ile-de-France ticket machines in the train station.
Apr 28th, 2016, 04:07 PM
#11
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just realized the links I gave you have multiple photos so to see the right photos of the composters you'll use for this specific journey when you click on the first link the Navigo machine is in the second row, 4th photo from the left. In the second link the Mobilis/ticket composter is the very first photo in the top row.
Apr 28th, 2016, 04:09 PM
#12
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And be sure to compost/validate your pass/ticket for the return journey as well. In the suburban stations there's usually only one of each type of composter and you'll find them either inside the station building or outside adjacent to it, usually along the length of the track.
