Skip the Versailles Crowds
Stunning chateaux near Paris without the hordes of tourists
OK, if you have never been to France and you’re en route to Paris, maybe you should consider Versailles. After all, it has an amazing history, and the rooms in the palace are undeniably stunning, especially the Hall of Mirrors. But be advised: the crowds are overwhelming.
On the other hand, if you’d like to enjoy stunning chateaux without the masses of tourists, I can suggest three, all a short distance from Paris, none further in time travel than Versailles: Sceaux, Chantilly, and Fontainebleau (it’s probably a bit further than Versailles, but not by much!)
Fontainebleau and Chantilly are both about an hour to 90 minutes from the capital city, depending on where you are in Paris. Sceaux may just be 30 minutes away on the RER, again depending on your location in Paris. All three have more acres of gardens and forests than you are likely to hike in a day.
Sceaux — a mini Versailles
The town of Sceaux is just 10 km from the RER at Notre Dame. To get to the chateau and park from the train station, it's an easy 10–15 minute walk down quiet, pretty streets.
Originally built at the end of the 16th century, it was inherited by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister of…
