Hi all...

I'm researching a day trip to Vaux-le-Vicompte. I cannot seem to get info on the SNCF site for tickets from G. Lyon to Melun. No matter what date or time I enter, I get:

<i>Unfortunately we could not find any search results. This may be because tickets are sold out already.</i>

Is this because the tickets are really sold out, or because you cannot buy tickets in advance.

(I really wasn't planning to buy them in advance...just doing a little advanced research on prices and times.)

I'd really rather not take the RER D train, since it takes twice as long to get there.

Thanks.
SS

regional trains leave from Gare du Lyon and take about 30 minutes - they cannot be reserved and thus no reason to buy tickets ahead of time - may be the reason you cannot get it to work. Just buy that ticket at any Paris train station and use it on any Regional train from Gare du Lyon.

simple.

One more thing...

We're planning on going on a weekday, and it seems that the shuttle bus from the train station to the chateau only runs on weekends.

Is there a regular city bus that will take us within walking distance (<15 minutes walk) to the chateau?

Thanks.

SS

Melun is in Île-de-France so SNCF does not have info for those trains. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules and prices. These are local trains with no seat reservations so they can't sell out. If you go when the shuttle buses aren't running you'll need to take a taxi from the train station to the château. There are usually several taxis just outside the train station whenever I go. There are no city buses that will get you to Vaux or even near enough to walk to it. Though there may be bus service to some of the villages not far from Vaux they are so infrequent as to make them not an option.

You can use an ordinary RER ticket for this journey if you want, even if taking the suburban train from Gare de Lyon. However, if you don't have a Navigo pass the best ticket option is a one day Mobilis pass zones 1-5.

The shuttle buses also make stops in nearby Blandy-les-Tours (6km from Vaux) and there's a pretty cool medieval fortress there. If using the taxi I would ask the driver to make a drive-by to Blandy even if just to spend a few minutes taking photos.

http://www.chateau-blandy.fr/

Not to my knolwedge - it's a six-mile walk - this is one reason this is the only chateau of its stature I have not visited. Have researched it before and it seems just that weekend shuttle. Taxi or walk is the only answer it seems.

I guess check the official site for updates.

Vaux-le-Vicompte is a difficult one to visit by public transport on weekdays as you noted. I ended up taking a taxi both ways. For the return part, if you don't happen to catch a taxi that just dropped off someone, you will have to call a taxi from Melun with quite a charge already on the meter.

Perhaps because of this, Vaux-le-Vicompte was not crushed by tourists.

Thanks for the info. We'll go on a weekend. The Transillien site did have the times -- plus I downloaded the shuttle bus schedule from the Vaux-le-Vicompte website, which also had train times.

Question: We have Navigo cards. Does that mean we can get a reduced price (complement de parcours)...or is that only available if we take the RER -- which we won't, because it takes twice as long.

SS

The Navigo covers both the RER and the commuter trains -- anything within the 5 metropolitan area zones. So, yes, you should be able to buy a <i>complément de parcours</i>.

Thank, K.
SS

You can get the complément de parcours for any journey within zone 5 and it's valid on any type of public transport. Keep in mind that it's only valid for 3 hours. So you'll do it once in the morning before you go and then again in the afternoon when you return.

I know you've downloaded train time tables but always check the website before making a journey. Things like sudden strikes, broken train, works on the track etc. are rare but do occur. I remember last year when a train conductor on a route I normally take was assaulted and it lead to an instant strike that day on that particular line.

Good advice, FMT...thanks.
SS

that's why I did a day bus tour by Cityrama. No transportation issues, excellent guide. It was a good trip.