If you are wondering what to visit around Paris, if you are looking for ideas of weekend less than 100 km from Paris, so here is an idea of a perfect destination to do some tourism and take a breath of fresh air : A Chevreuse Barbizon Fontainebleau circuit in 1 weekend.
As the media, social networks and newspapers have constantly repeated after confinement, you must know that there are small tourist nuggets everywhere in France and even to escape for a while. weekend around Paris.
Most beautiful villages in France, royal castles, forests, banks of the Marne, taverns, medieval towns ... There is something for everyone and even 100 km around Paris !
Yes but where are these tourist sites? How to visit them? How to discover them for a weekend?
These are exactly the questions that came to me when I organized my little 2 day getaway myself.
So I share below one of the most beautiful destinations near Paris where you can go for a weekend or a day, by car or by train! In addition, I share thethe most interesting sightseeing itinerary, sa google map, information on the sites but also some good restaurants, hotels or Airbnb plans!
What to visit around Paris?
Want to leave Paris, to escape elsewhere, to discover beautiful landscapes, small villages, to take beautiful walks in nature ... No need to go far!
Tourism around Paris
Here are some ideas of sites, tourist attractions or interesting cities to visit around Paris: Versailles, Auvers-sur-Oise, Provins, Vaux-Le-Vicomte, Fontainebleau, Nogent sur Marne, Les guinguettes des edges de Marne, Moret-sur- Loing-et-Orvanne, Giverny, Senlis, Chantilly, Montfort l'Amaury, French Gâtinais Regional Nature Park, Courances Castle, Vincenne Castle, Vincenne Zoo, Vexin Regional Nature Park, Thoiry Zoo, Corot Ponds , Chartres, Reims, Orléans ...
The list does not stop there, it is long and very varied as much by the style of the visits as by their geographical positions around Paris.
Therefore, it is better to be organized and select only the most interesting sites and close to each other to be able to visit them in 2 days !
My weekend around Paris
The destinations that I present to you below are ideal for a romantic weekend. This is the village of Chevreuse, Barbizon and the magnificent site of Fontainebleau.
I organized the weekend in the form of a circuit. So by linking the 3 tourist sites, we optimize the time to visit these three superb places. less than 200 km from Paris.
Weekend around Paris - Tourist map
The journey from Paris to Fontainebleau via Cheveuse and Barbizon only represents 120 km but takes you to distant lands and eras and yet so close to Paris ...
Weekend around Paris - DAY 1
The first stage of my weekend is located 40 km southwest of Paris in the Yvelines : A Chevreuse !
City 1 hour from Paris by car - Chevreuse in the morning
With its small bridges over which you cross a small canal (the Yvette), with its pretty stone houses, its Madeleine castle, its paved squares and its Saint-Saturnin priory, Chevreuse has an indisputable tourist interest but not only!
Indeed, Chevreuse is one of the most romantic places around Paris ! It is therefore an essential stopover in a tourist circuit in the South of Paris which allows you to immerse yourself in the Middle Ages and enjoy the special charm of this medieval city!
How to go to Chevreuse from Paris?
With or without a car! Indeed, you can simply go there by train in just 40 minutes by taking the RER B to Saint Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (electric bike rental at the station).
What to do in Chevreuse?
The program for my weekend simply allows me to visit and enjoy the romantic charm of the alleys and small bridges of Chevreuse.
I particularly recommend the small bridges walk which is arrowed. Along the banks of the Yvette, it allows you to discover the history of the traditions of Chevreuse with in particular the remains of old tanneries, the skin dryer and the Mandar wash house.
What to visit in Chevreuse and around Chevreuse?
For those who want to spend a whole weekend there, there are plenty of sightseeing and activities to do in Chevreuse and in the Chevreuse Valley :
- Go up to Madeleine castle to enjoy a superb panorama over the pretty Yvette Valley.
- Visit the masterful Dampierre castle ;
- Take a tour Little Mill of the Vaux de Cernay ;
- Visit, eat there (very good restaurant in the Abbey) and why not sleep at theAbbey of Vaux de Cernay in the heart of the Rambouillet national forest. Only 15 minutes from Chevreuse!
And if you want to discover all the tourist attractions around Chevreuse, you can do it by bus and therefore at a lower cost (see below)!
Discover the Chevreuse Valley by bus
In fact, you just need to take the Podcast which is a tourist shuttle that leaves every 50 minutes from the RER B station in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse.
Thus, you can stop for hikes in the middle of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Natural Park or take a tour of the following tourist sites:
- Breteuil castle
- Madeleine castle
- Abbey of Vaux de Cernay
- The Petit Moulin des Vaux de Cernay
- The Domaine de Dampierre
- Hotel Les Ducs
- Chapel Hotel
- Manor of Sauvegrain
- Place de Cernay ...
Where to eat in Chevreuse?
If you want to follow the program of my weekend, then after visiting the historic center of Chevreuse in the morning, I suggest you go and spend the afternoon and evening at Barbizon.
City 1 hour from Paris by car - Barbizon in the afternoon
After lunch my weekend schedule takes us to Seine et Marne to discover the charming village of Barbizon. From Chevreuse, it is necessary to count 1 hour drive and hardly a little more from Paris.
How to go to Barbizon?
With or without a car:
- From Paris, you can get there by train from Gare de Lyon. Take the train towards Montereau or Montargis and stop at Melun or Fontainebleau.
- From Paris, you can go there by RER D - direction and stop Melun.
- From Chevreuse by car (65 km).
What to do in Barbizon?
Dubbed the village of painters, famous artists like Sisley, Camille Corot, Millet, Rousseau or Monet fell under the spell of this village. It is said in Barbizon that the pre-impressionist movement was born. If you like thematic routes around painters, discover how to visit Normandy in the footsteps of the impressionists !
To follow my weekend program, you can take a leisurely stroll along the cobbled and flowery alleys, admire the magnificent old buildings, and go to the very popular Ganne Inn. This is where you can discover the main works of paintings inspired by the Barbizon village grouped in the Departmental Museum of Barbizon Painters.
Indeed, the Museum is installed in 2 historical and cultural places:
- The Auberge Ganne where many painters stayed between the 1820s and the 1860s;
- Théodore Rousseau's house where the latter lived for 20 years at the end of his life.
Airbnb Barbizon
For the night in Barbizon, I recommend an Airbnb accommodation which is really a good plan! Indeed, it is located in the heart of Barbizon, quiet 10 minutes from the forest of Fontainebleau.
Everything is accessible on foot from the accommodation: Shops, restaurants, art galleries, Museum ...
Weekend around Paris - DAY 2
The second day of my weekend is at Fontainebleau only 10 km from Barbizon or if you come directly from Paris 70 km by road.
What to visit around Paris - Fontainebleau in the morning
My weekend which combines small villages, gastronomy, nature, painting and culture takes us to the heart of the history of the kings of France: to Fontainebleau !
How to get from Paris to the Château de Fontainebleau?
With or without a car:
- 1 hour from Paris Gare de Lyon : Take the TER towards Laroche Migennes, exit at Fontainebleau Avon and at the station, take bus 21 down to Château de Fontainebleau.
- In 15 minutes from Barbizon (10 km).
What to do in Fontainebleau?
Fontainebleau is an imperial city, a magnificent forest and an imposing castle. And the first visit that is essential when you are in Fontainebleau is its Royal Castle!
Château de Fontainebleau visit in the morning
It is very early in the morning, before the tourist buses disembark, that I recommend you to visit this jewel of French heritage.
This magnificent and huge castle, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the only castle that has been inhabited by all rulers from the 12th to the 19th century.
You will be able to discover, among others, the suite of François Ier, Henri IV, Louis XIII, Louis XV and even Napoleon I. Indeed, the latter also lived at the Château de Fontainebleau and restored it after the Revolution.
Picnic style gardens of Fontainebleau
For lunch, treat yourself to a royal decor in the heart of the Gardens of the Château de Fontainebleau. If the weather permits, a picnic near theCarp Pond is simply ideal!
Moreover, if you have the time, you can rent a boat there to take a ride on theCarp Pond.
What to visit around Paris - Forêt de Fontainebleau
To complete the weekend in Fontainebleau, why not visit the city then finish in sport mode by doing a beautiful hike in the Fontainebleau Forest ?
Quick tour of the city of Fontainebleau
In order not to waste too much time, I recommend that you visit the Imperial City of Fontainebleau simply by taking a walk.
Hike in the Fontainebleau Forest
The Fontainebleau tourist office offers several themed hikes around Fontainebleau.
The one I chose makes a 12 km loop and allows you to enjoy the most beautiful views of the Fontainebleau Forest. This is the Promenade des points de vue.
You have to go to Fontainebleau Avon station, route de la Reine Amélie to start this beautiful walking tour marked in yellow.
In 4 hours, you can admire the Croix du Calvaire, the Denecourt Tower, the Desiree Fountain, the Cassepot Esplanade, the Hippodrome de la Solle, the Cassepot quarry or the Vasque.
Where to sleep in Fontainebleau
Here is a good address if you want to finish your weekend around Paris by a night in Fontainebleau.
This is an ideal aparthotel in these Covid times as some rooms are equipped with kitchenettes. On the other hand, on the budget side, it's a good plan!
See this accommodation in Fontainebleau
Any other weekend ideas in France?
here is my good cheap weekend plan in Marseille
Mon nice weekend around Toulouse
or others weekend ideas in France