Which chateau?

I%26#39;m a huge fan of castles and history of monarchy/aristocracy. I%26#39;m planning to go back to Versailles, but am also considering Chateau Chantilly or Fontainebleau as well. Any other must see chateau near Paris?

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I have been researching day trips from Paris and I understand that Vaux-le-Vicomte is beautiful and was the inspiration for Versailles. It has beautiful gardens and the chateau itself is more intimate than Versailles. It is near Fontainebleu and you could do both in one day if you so desire.

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Perfect! I will research them. Thanks!

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You can take the train to the Loire to see some chateaus in that area. Take the TGV from Gare Montparnasse (get an early start) to St. Pierre, then take a shuttle or taxi just a few minutes into the city of Tours. At the tourism office you can book a van tour to quite a few of the chateaus (if you%26#39;re going during high season, you should book ahead online. Acco-Dispo is a good choice).

The chateaus in the area include Chenonceau, Clos Luce, Amboise, Cheverny, Chambord, Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau, among others. While you can%26#39;t see all of these in one day, you can visit several by taking advantage of a tour. The driver takes you to the entrance of each chateau and meets you at a pre-arranged time (usually 1.5 - 2 hours) then takes you to the next chateau with a nice commentary of the area and history along the way.

Chenonceau is very beautiful inside and out (the one you see pictures of spanning the river). It has beautiful gardens, is warmly decorated, and you can visit the kitchen, which you don%26#39;t get to do in many of the chateaus.

Chambord is one of the largest chateaus with 440 rooms and 365 fireplaces. The architecture is very impressive. This is the one with the double staircase in the center that is frequently shown in photos of the chateaus.

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Forgot to mention the train trip to St. Pierre is about an hour from Paris.

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Here is Sarastro%26#39;s list of day trips from Paris. The Loire Valley is not on this list as it%26#39;s simply too far to venture in one day and needless to even try until you have visited all of these locations first:

__________

Giverny

http://giverny.org/gardens/

Open daily except Mondays from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm from April 1st to October 31st

__________

Vaux-le-Vicomte

http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/

Open from March 15th to November 9th from 10.00 am to 06.00 pm, last admission at 5.30 pm

RER D to Melun

Shuttle or taxi from Melun

Entrance: from 14€

__________

Chantilly

http://www.chateaudechantilly.com/

__________

Fontainebleau

http://www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/

Take SNCF train from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon in the direction of Montargis Sens and disembark at Gare de Fontainebleau Avon

Fare 9.40€

En route time 1+02

http://www.transilien.com

From Gare de Fontainebleau-Avon, take Aérial bus line A to Château

Fare: 1.40€

Buses every 15 mintues.

Entrance fee: 8€

Students: 6€

Free entry the first Sunday of each month

Entrance plus one hour guided tour (in French only): 11€

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Provins

http://www.provins.net/

Low Season

Open from January 2nd to March 21st and from November 3rd to December 31th 2008:

Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Weekends %26amp; public holidays from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

High Season

From March 22nd to November 2nd :

Daily from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m..

General closure December 25th and January 1st

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Versailles

http://www.chateauversailles.fr/

RER C: direction Versailles-Rive-Gauche-château

Gare Montparnasse: SNCF train serving Versailles-Chantiers

Gare Saint-Lazare: SNCF train direction Versailles-rive-droite

__________

Chartres

sacred-destinations.com/france/chartres-cath…

http://www.mymaze.de/chartres_technisch_e.htm

http://www.chartres-tourisme.com/

__________

And for children:

Parc Asterix

http://www.parcasterix.fr/

__________

Disneyland Paris

http://www.disneylandparis.com/

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I respectfully disagree Sarastro. The questioner specifically asked about castles, not other possible day trips. A one day visit to the Loire Valley to see 2 or 3 chateaus is certainly very doable. I have done it. For someone with a particular interest in castles and the history of the French monarchy, the Loire shouldn%26#39;t be missed in favor of visiting Giverny or even Chartres. There are hundreds of chateaus in this area (3000 if I remember correctly), and you see quite a few from the road just driving through the beautiful country and villages while you%26#39;re on the tour.

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If you really wish to experience the life of French aristocracy, then the best is to stay a few days in an elegant and authentic private chateau which welcomes guests, and use this place as a base from which to discover the Loire Valley, which is the craddle of the French Kings. The monarchy, except under Philippe le Bel and Philippe Auguste (13th century) really lived in the area of Chinon, Amboise and Blois, and the English monarchy, the Plantagenets, came from Le Mans. You would need to base yourself in an exclusive chateau in the Pays de Loire, and from there, spend one day visiting Le Mans, one day visiting Amboise, Chenonceau and one day touring the romanesque chapels and picturesque countryside, in a non touristy area, France as it used to be. Then drive back to Paris via Chambord and Blois.

This way, you would really discover the history of monarchy from the Middle Ages up to the 21st century!

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Thanks for the replies everyone! Now that my trip planing is underway I%26#39;m back to reply. I think based on pictures I%26#39;ve seen, I%26#39;m going to do Chantilly or Fontainebleu. I%26#39;m also doing Versailles again since I didn%26#39;t do the petit trianon or any extras the last time I visited. I%26#39;m getting a museum pass so I%26#39;d be doing the chateaux back to back.

%26quot;If you really wish to experience the life of French aristocracy, then the best is to stay a few days in an elegant and authentic private chateau which welcomes guests, and use this place as a base from which to discover the Loire Valley, which is the craddle of the French Kings.%26quot;

This sounds FABULOUS. Now, how do I get in contact with these private chateau owners for a private tour?

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Chateau de Brissac at http://www.france-voyage.com/en/ Les Brissac are one of the oldest family in France..

dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1162156/Franc…

Have a look at http://www.au-chateau.com/

I have found a few %26quot;chambres d%26#39;hotes%26quot; in Chateaux but in French only..

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You may wish to visit www.chateaudelabarre.com, which has been in the family of the Count de Vanssay since 1404 and is now a mixture of exclusive boutique chateau but also a private home, welcoming guests. Chateau de La Barre is located 2 hours from Paris by car (or 1h20 minutes by train) at the entrance to the Loire Valley