Signature experience — Fontainebleau
Vaux-le-Vicomte
Duration
Full day
Price
From €560
Mercedes
Dedicated vehicle & chauffeur
On August 17, 1661, Molière premiered Les Fâcheux in Vaux-le-Vicomte’s gardens before Louis XIV; hours later, d’Artagnan arrested Nicolas Fouquet. That same night, 24 temporary channels fed the fountains, a water spectacle that seeded Versailles. From Fontainebleau it’s roughly 33 km toward Maincy, and Le Nôtre’s axial layout still tricks the eye: the oval pool reads wider at distance. Seek out the dome lantern on select days and the carriage collection spanning the 18th to 20th centuries.
Your day runs smoothly: hotel pick-up in a Mercedes, flexible timing, and a driver handling the D607 and N36 forest roads in about 40 minutes while you relax. Lunch on Brie de Melun AOP nearby or at the estate’s Orangerie, tickets pre-arranged, and no parking worries. He waits during the château and garden tours, then drops you for the candlelit evening if scheduled. Head back at dusk or late night, as you prefer, with a final photo stop at the honorary gate.
Your itinerary
- I
09:00 – Pick-up at your Fontainebleau hotel and drive via D607 to Maincy (40 min).
- II
10:00 – Enter the château with pre-booked tickets and tour the state rooms (1 hr).
- III
11:15 – Stroll Le Nôtre’s gardens and climb the dome lantern if open (45 min).
- IV
12:30 – Lunch at the Orangerie or in Melun, then free time; return to Fontainebleau around 16:30, or later for the candlelit evening.
What’s included
- ✓ Dedicated driver all day
- ✓ Late-model Mercedes, water
- ✓ Hotel pick-up
- ✓ Waiting during visits
Your chauffeur’s tip
For Candlelit Evenings (Saturdays, May–October), book the 7:30 pm entry: catch sunset from the grand axis and avoid the 9 pm crowd.
Book this experience
Confirmed within 30 minutes · Fixed price quoted in advance