Chateaux near Paris, which ones to go?
 

Hi,

Which chateaux in Paris are the most worth going? We will definitely go to Versailles. And since most of them are closed at 6pm, is it possible to go to two chateau on the same day? What's the best combination of 2 chateaux to go in one day? or should we go to one chateau in the morning then come back to Paris for the museums in the afternoon? Will it be very crowded during the first free Sunday of the month? Thanks!

How many days do you have in Paris? if it's less than a week, I would just go to Versailles and spend the rest of your time in Paris.

If you have a couple of weeks, there are Vincennes, Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Compiègne, and the châteaux de la Loire.

StCirq, I'm so glad you mentioned those-- I've been thinking about going to Compiègne, mainly to see the Winterhalter, but wasn't sure if it's worth the time away from Paris (I'll only have a week, but it's not my first trip). Did you like Compiègne, and how much time would you recommend for it-- full day or just a couple of hours? Anything besides the chateau to see there (without a car)?

I'll be in Paris for a week. Do you think it's possible to go to two chateaux in one day? And what would be a good combination?

MilleFifi - I like Compiegne. A while back I posted a NY Times article on the town. You would need most of a day to get there from Paris and see the sights. Here's the post with the link to the article.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...es-today.cfm?3

Versailles takes a whole day - there is so much to see there. I would not cut short a visit to Versailles. And with only 1 week in Paris I wouldn't see the need to do more than 1 chateau.

Thanks. We are definitely going to spend the whole day in Versailles and not cut short on the visit. Besides from Versailles, we would also like to visit the other chateaux.

We are not big fans of museums, but will definitely go to the major ones such as Lourve and the Orsay.

I think chateaux are more appealing to us, so we'd like to know what other chateaux we should go. Thanks.

The only other one I've gone to is Vaux which I liked very much.

On a smaller scale there are period houses in Paris which are very interesting to visit. Among the three I know of and have been to I would recommend them in this order:

Jacquemart-Andre (19th century)
Nissim de Camondo (early 20th century but a reproduction of an 18th century mansion)
Cognacq-Jay (16th century)

There is the château de Vincennes just a metro ride away.

If you want to do two chateaux in one day, consider Chantilly and Pierrefonds. For a recent trip report and photos, see

http://ourparisforum.com/index.cgi?b...ay&thread=3204

Keep in mind that the Louvre is a chateau!

djkbooks, thanks so much for the link to your very complete report on Chantilly and Pierrefonds. This was on my agenda last time we went to Paris but we couldn't work it in. Glad to know it's doable and very worthwhile. It's back on the agenda and near the top. Thanks.

Mademoiselle, I thought Compiègne was very interesting. Lovely château, wonderful forest, and the replica of the train car where the armistice was signed was a highlight. We spent about 3-4 hours there, including wandering around the forest, so yes, it's pretty much a full day's trip out from Paris.

Thanks Adrienne, djkbooks, and StCirq. Did any of you go to both Pierrefonds and Chateau de Compiègne? From the NY Times article, it sounds like they can be seen on the same day, but they look so far apart on a map?

I went to the Armistice Clearing and the Chateau de Compiegne and walked around the town.

I did a google maps and it's 15KM between Pierrefonds and Chateau de Compiegne. I would think they could both be seen in 1 day if you spend a short time at the Armistice car.

http://tinyurl.com/lddjed