JulieVikmanis

We'd like to take in the evening candlelight show they have at Vaux le Vicomte on Friday and Sat. from 8 to 11 p.m. or so but are unsure of how we might do this by public transport. Do you take an RER or regular train? To what station? Melun? Are taxis plentiful or even existant at those hours?

PalQ

Yes Melun, six miles from Vaux - taxi from station. RER or regular train - they are the same but in name - many of the commuter rail lines are being absorbed into the Paris metro system and relabeled RER - probably an RER train. Schedules at: www.voyages-sncf.com

kerouac

Here's what the Vaux-le-Vicomte website says :

Nouveau : navette Chateaubus, Melun - Vaux le Vicomte, samedis, dimanches et jours fériés du 25 mars au 12 novembre 2006.

Prix : 3,5 € aller simple par personne ou 7€ aller retour* .

Taxis de la gare de Melun à Vaux:

Tarifs indicatifs de 1 à 4 personnes:

15 € Aller simple en journée

19 € Aller simple le soir ou le dimanche.

Tel taxis: 01.64.52.51.50.

djkbooks

There was a recent report on another forum by someone who did this. She took the RER from Gare de Lyon to Melun, then a taxi (€20) to the chateau. She had someone in the gift shop phone for a taxi to return her to the RER station, but when the same driver showed up realized she could have asked him to return for her later. She rented the audio guide (€1.50). She did mention that the candlelight was atmospheric, but the rooms were quite dark, and the numerous groups visiting at the same time with tour guides (none in English) made navigating the rooms and listening to her audio very difficult.

We went during the day with a Paris Vision tour. We started at Barbizon, then visited Fontainebleau, then Vaux le Vicomte. A nice lunch was included. It was pricier than going on our own, but with awkward public transportation, we thought it was worth it. Our guide was sensational.

I thought about the candlelight visit, but was glad we went during the day to enjoy the architecture (inside and out) and the beautiful gardens.

JulieVikmanis

Thank you all. Now I know I can do what I want to do and the question has become whether we should, given the caveats about low light. We love the place and have seen it several times in daylight. Husband would love to film in candlelight but it may be insufficient illumination for good pix. Hmmmmm! Tis a puzzlement.

brookwood

Having done Vaux both in the daylight and by night, I suggest making your visit in the daytime. The night visit left a lot to be desired for several reasons.

First, as an earlier poster described, the wonderful interiors were not fully visible because it was dark. I think much of the thrill of Vaux is being able to see the wall decor and the architecture.

Secondly, part of the magic of Vaux is being able to see the gardens. At night you cannot do that.

Also, some of the allure of a candlelight visit is diminished by the use of auxilliary electrical lighting along the walkways.

If you want to do a night tour, let me suggest going with a private tour. By the time you pay all of the transportation fees and buy your entrance ticket, the guided tour is not that much more expensive, AND the services of a good guide are invaluable when it comes to enjoying the whole experience. Moreover, the details of the trip are planned for you. [I don't usually like escorted tours, but the one I took on my first visit was a very beneficial exception.]

The most frequent rail schedules are between Gare de Lyon and Melun. I suggest you check the schedule carefully. Some of the trains take much longer than others.

Another potential pitfall lurks at the train station. If you do not already have your rail ticket, you will need to buy it. The windows are closed at night, and the automatic ticket machines demand almost exact change or a credit card. Our American cards will not work in them because our cards don't have the magic chip embedded in them.

The "Chateaubus" is considerably cheaper than a taxi!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is the bus schedule for candlelight evenings.

HIGH SEASON: from May 6th to October 1st 2006

Saturdays Candles Evenings

July and August
Departure Melun Station 10:10 12:10 14:20 15:25 18:50

Melun place St Jean 10:20 12:20 14:30 15:35 19:00

[Arrive at] Castle of Vaux le Vicomte 10:30 12:30 14:40 15:45 19:10

Saturdays Candles Evenings

July and August
Departure Castle of Vaux le Vicomte 14:50 17:30 18:25 19:25 22:15*
Melun place St Jean 15:00 17:40 18:35 19:35 22:25*

Melun Station
15:10 17:50 18:45 19:45 22:35

*price of the return at 22:15 pm on saturday evening: 4 €/personne

Possibility to take a taxi at Melun Station or call to book a taxi at :
01.64.52.51.50.

If I recall correctly, the one way taxi fare was €20 for two passengers 4 years ago.

A staff member in the gift shop called the taxi for us. There was no bus when we last visited.

Here is the main web site so you can check it for yourself:
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/ho...chateaubus.php

JulieVikmanis

Thank you so much. What a complete reply. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into it.

francophile03

I haven't done the tour of Vaux le Vicomte either in daytime or nighttime. The night tour sounded intriguing but from what brookwood pointed out, you do seem to miss out alot of details. I agree to about paying for a tour bus to do the tour. Parisvision offers it. The transportation at night plus the chateaux is not right next to the train station so I think the high price of the tour would be worth it. As stated, everything is planned out for you. In this case, I think it's worthwhile. As for taking a taxi to the chateau I'm sure it'll be easy to hire a taxi from the train station. It's returning from the chateau I would be concerned about.