Fontainebleau

Det är väldigt bekvämt att kunna använda den elektroniska vouchern som köpts på plattformen direkt för inträde! Du behöver inte byta ut biljetter på plats, och du behöver inte boka en inträdestid på webbplatsen igen. Det räcker att välja datum vid köpet (mycket vänligt för dem vars ankomsttid är svår att förutsäga)! Även om jag åkte på en söndag var det inte mycket folk, och även om det krävdes ett byte av tåg + buss från Paris var det väldigt smidigt!

It was an English-speaking tour. Although Fontainebleau still doesn't have an audio guide, fortunately, the main information boards all have Chinese translations. Plus, there were far fewer visitors than at Versailles, making the park very peaceful. Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle was arguably the unexpected highlight of this trip. It's incredibly well-maintained by a private family, and the audio guide system offers Chinese, automatically activating at each location. The ticket also included climbing to the top of the castle's bell tower, providing a fantastic 360-degree view of the entire garden—a truly wonderful experience!

I’ve always wanted to visit Fontainebleau, so I’m really glad we were able to make this day trip happen. In my opinion, it’s absolutely worth visiting. The rooms are beautifully maintained and preserved, and the audio guide is exceptionally well designed. I honestly enjoyed Fontainebleau much more than Versailles and would highly recommend it. I didn’t know much about Vaux-le-Vicomte before this trip. Since it’s still privately owned, it isn’t maintained to the same standard as Fontainebleau, but the château itself is still fascinating. The story behind it is incredibly sad and unfortunate, and it’s often considered one of the inspirations for Versailles. One thing I wouldn’t recommend, though, is climbing up to the dome despite the staff’s suggestion. I made it halfway before turning back because the second and third floors felt extremely creepy — they were once used as hospital and surgery rooms during the wars.