# Pierrefonds and Compiègne

Viollet-le-Duc's Château de Pierrefonds, the palace of Napoleon III and Eugénie at Compiègne and the Armistice clearing, in a forest of 14,000 hectares.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/hauts-de-france/pierrefonds-and-compiegne · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## What is there to see?

Three very different things in one forest, the Forêt de Compiègne, the third largest in France: some 14,000 hectares of oak and beech that were the kings' hunting ground, with 1,200 km of straight tracks and star-shaped junctions marked by white posts.

The Château de Pierrefonds is a medieval fortress that Napoleon III had rebuilt by Viollet-le-Duc: towers, battlements and painted halls, halfway between the Middle Ages and the Second Empire. The Palace of Compiègne was the autumn residence of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie de Montijo, with the apartments furnished as they were then and, inside, the National Car Museum. And in a forest clearing, the Armistice railway carriage, where the end of the First World War was signed on 11 November 1918.

## How do you get there from Paris?

Compiègne has trains from the Gare du Nord: from 40 minutes to an hour and twenty, depending on the train. The palace is a ten-minute walk from the station, and there are free city buses from Monday to Saturday. Pierrefonds, about 15 km away, has no station: you get there by bus from Compiègne station or by car. The Armistice clearing, about 6 km from Compiègne, is reached by car or taxi.

By car, take the A1 from Paris to exit 9 and then the D 200 towards Compiègne; for Pierrefonds, the D 973. It is the way to fit all three visits into one day. If you are flying from Spain into Charles de Gaulle, the airport is on the way.

## How to plan the day?

By car: Compiègne palace at 10:00, lunch in Pierrefonds and the château in the afternoon; the Armistice clearing fits in between if it is not a Tuesday. By train: one day for Compiègne (palace, park and Royallieu memorial) and another, or the afternoon, for Pierrefonds by bus. Bear in mind that the Car Museum is only open on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Behind the palace, the park and the Beaux-Monts perspective, a 4 km avenue opening towards the forest, can be strolled for free. For the memory of the Second World War, there is the Royallieu memorial and the trail of 150 bronze nails through the streets of Compiègne.

## How much does it cost?

Little for what it is: Pierrefonds costs €9 and the Palace of Compiègne €10, and both are free for young people (under 18 at Pierrefonds, plus EU residents aged 18 to 25; under 26 at Compiègne). The park is free.

## Where to eat and sleep?

In Pierrefonds, the Restaurant Le Beaudon, facing the lake and the château, is open every day at midday, Sundays included. In the palace park, Le Jardin des Roses is a restaurant and tea room.

To sleep, there is the Logis Hôtel Beaudon in Pierrefonds, and Alfred Hotels Compiègne, 300 metres from the station, on the banks of the Oise.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Senlis (a 29.6 km), Chantilly (a 36.7 km), Disneyland Paris (a 61.0 km), Auvers-sur-Oise (a 61.6 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Pierrefonds Castle, Viollet-le-Duc's Fortress** (1 h 30 · All ages · €9 · audio guide €4 · free for under-18s and EU residents aged 18 to 25): A ruined medieval fortress that Napoleon III had Eugène Viollet-le-Duc rebuild as an imperial residence: the result, halfway between the Middle Ages and the Second Empire, dominates the village and the forest from a spur of rock. Because of its fairy-tale castle look, it has been used as a set in many films.
The visit
You walk through the courtyard, the rooms of the keep and, since 5 May 2026, the Empress's apartments. The Preuses room is closed for the second phase of restoration work. Inside there are documents from the Viollet-le-Duc house, lead pieces from the Monduit workshops and a “dance of recumbent figures”. The audio guide (€4) is in French, English, German and Dutch.
Opening hours and prices
From 2 May to 4 September, 9:30 to 18:00; from 5 September to 30 April, 10:00 to 17:30. Last admission one hour before closing. Entry €9; free for under-18s, EU residents aged 18 to 25 and for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. Joint ticket with the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, €15.
At Christmas
On 21, 23, 26, 28 and 30 December 2026, at 14:30, a Nutcracker (Casse-Noisette) game-tour through the rooms of the keep, from age 7: €11, €7.50 for ages 7 to 18.
- **The Compiègne Palace and the Apartments of Napoleon and Eugénie** (2 h · All ages · Single ticket €10 · reduced €9 · free for under-26s and the first Sunday of the month): A palace of kings since the Middle Ages, rebuilt by Louis XV and Louis XVI, and the favourite residence of Napoleon I and of Napoleon III with Empress Eugénie de Montijo, who received the court here in autumn for the hunting seasons. The Emperor's and the Empress's apartments can be visited, furnished as in the First and Second Empires.
What the ticket includes
The imperial apartments, from 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:15), every day except Tuesdays; and, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, the Second Empire museum and the Empress's museum in the morning (10:00 to 12:00) and the national car museum in the afternoon (14:00 to 18:00). The visitor app is free, and there are activity booklets for children at the entrance.
Prices
Single ticket €10, reduced €9. Free for under-26s and for everyone on the first Sunday of each month. The park is free.
Good to know
Suitcases and large bags are not allowed: other bulky items and pushchairs are left in the cloakroom. Under-12s go in with an adult. The palace is ten minutes' walk from the station.
- **The National Car Museum, in the Compiègne Palace** (1 h · Families and car enthusiasts · Included in the palace ticket, €10): Inside the palace, a national museum devoted to road transport: horse-drawn carriages, sleighs, sedan chairs, antique bicycles and the first motor cars. It is the part children like best.
When
Only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 14:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:15). Entry is with the same ticket as the palace. If you go on a Monday or a Friday, you will not see it.
- **The Palace Park and the Beaux-Monts Vista** (1 h 30 · 4 km · All ages · Free): Behind the palace, the park opens onto an avenue some 4 km long and about sixty metres wide that cuts into the forest: the Beaux-Monts vista. Legend has it that Napoleon I opened it in a single night for his second wife, Marie-Louise, to remind her of Schönbrunn; in fact it was finished in 1823.
Opening hours
The park is free. It opens at 8:00 and closes at 17:00 from November to February, at 18:00 in March, from mid-September to October and until 15 April, and at 19:00 from 16 April to 15 September. In the park are the restaurant and tea room Le Jardin des Roses and a kiosk.
- **The Armistice Clearing and Its Railway Carriage** (1 h · Teenagers and adults): In a clearing in the Compiègne forest, in the early hours of 11 November 1918, the armistice that ended the First World War was signed in a railway carriage. On 22 June 1940 Hitler chose the same place to humiliate France with the second armistice. Today the carriage stands at the centre of a museum.
Opening hours
Wednesday to Monday, from 10:00 to 17:30 (last entry at 16:30). Closed on Tuesdays. It is on the route de Soissons, about 6 km from the centre: by car, or by taxi from the station. Telephone: +33 3 44 85 14 18. Check the prices on their website.
- **The Royallieu Internment and Deportation Memorial** (1 h · Teenagers and adults): The Royallieu camp, in Compiègne, was one of the main transit camps of the Second World War: some 45,000 internees left from here for the Nazi camps. The memorial tells its story on the very spot.
The deportees' path
Between 1942 and 1944, more than 42,000 deportees walked through the streets of Compiègne between the station and the camp. Today the route is marked with 150 bronze nails in the ground and can be followed. Check opening hours and prices at the tourist office before you go.

## Dónde comer
- **Le Beaudon Restaurant** (Restaurant, Pierrefonds · facing the lake, €€). Qué pedir: the seasonal menu on the terrace overlooking the lake and the castle
- **Le Jardin des Roses** (Café, Compiègne · palace park, €). Qué pedir: an afternoon snack after the imperial apartments

## By plane: Flying to Paris and Compiègne on the Northern Road
Compiègne and Pierrefonds lie north of Paris, on the Charles de Gaulle airport side, which has direct flights from the main Spanish cities. With a hire car at CDG, the A1 takes you north without going through Paris.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Logis Hôtel Beaudon** (Small hotel): Catherine and Romain run this hotel in the village of Pierrefonds, facing the lake and the castle. It is open all year, and its summer terrace looks straight at Viollet-le-Duc's towers.
The house
Well-kept rooms, some adapted for guests with reduced mobility, free wifi, a bar and a restaurant serving seasonal cooking. Breakfast costs €14 per person. Dogs are accepted with a supplement of €10 to €12.
Times and arrival
Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00. Pierrefonds has no station: you get there by car (A1 exit 9, then towards Compiègne) or by bus from Compiègne station.
What is nearby
The castle, a few steps away; the Compiègne forest all around, with its paths and the Saint-Pierre ponds; the Compiègne Palace, about 15 km away.
- **Alfred Hotels Compiègne** (Hotel): On the banks of the Oise, 300 metres from Compiègne station, this 56-room three-star is the practical base if you arrive by train from Gare du Nord. Some rooms look onto the river.
The rooms
Soft tones, wood and natural materials, with rooms for travellers, for business and for families. The buffet breakfast is served from 7:00 to 10:00 in a room overlooking the Oise, with bread from a Meilleur Ouvrier de France baker and local produce. It has a bar and restaurant.
Parking and getting there
Private car park with limited spaces, at €12 a day; book before you arrive (maximum height 1.80 m). There is public parking nearby. By car, A1 exit Compiègne Sud. Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
What is nearby
The historic centre and the town hall, a short walk away; the palace, ten to fifteen minutes on foot; Pierrefonds, about 15 km by car or bus.
### Servicios
- **Compiègne Station**: Trains from Paris Gare du Nord in 40 min to 1 h 20 · palace 10 min on foot · buses to Pierrefonds
- **Compiègne and Pierrefonds Tourist Offices**: Place de l'Hôtel de Ville in Compiègne and in Pierrefonds · forest routes and memorial sites
- **From the Paris Airports**: Hire car at Charles de Gaulle and the A1 · or RER B to Gare du Nord and a train to Compiègne

## By car: Compiègne and Pierrefonds by Car
The car is what makes this day comfortable: the Compiègne Palace, Pierrefonds Castle and the Armistice Clearing are separated by forest roads, and by car all three fit in one day. From Paris, take the A1 as far as exit 9.
Presupuesto orientativo: 100–190 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Logis Hôtel Beaudon** (Small hotel): Catherine and Romain run this hotel in the village of Pierrefonds, facing the lake and the castle. It is open all year, and its summer terrace looks straight at Viollet-le-Duc's towers.
The house
Well-kept rooms, some adapted for guests with reduced mobility, free wifi, a bar and a restaurant serving seasonal cooking. Breakfast costs €14 per person. Dogs are accepted with a supplement of €10 to €12.
Times and arrival
Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00. Pierrefonds has no station: you get there by car (A1 exit 9, then towards Compiègne) or by bus from Compiègne station.
What is nearby
The castle, a few steps away; the Compiègne forest all around, with its paths and the Saint-Pierre ponds; the Compiègne Palace, about 15 km away.
- **Alfred Hotels Compiègne** (Hotel): On the banks of the Oise, 300 metres from Compiègne station, this 56-room three-star is the practical base if you arrive by train from Gare du Nord. Some rooms look onto the river.
The rooms
Soft tones, wood and natural materials, with rooms for travellers, for business and for families. The buffet breakfast is served from 7:00 to 10:00 in a room overlooking the Oise, with bread from a Meilleur Ouvrier de France baker and local produce. It has a bar and restaurant.
Parking and getting there
Private car park with limited spaces, at €12 a day; book before you arrive (maximum height 1.80 m). There is public parking nearby. By car, A1 exit Compiègne Sud. Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
What is nearby
The historic centre and the town hall, a short walk away; the palace, ten to fifteen minutes on foot; Pierrefonds, about 15 km by car or bus.
### Servicios
- **Compiègne and Pierrefonds Tourist Offices**: Place de l'Hôtel de Ville in Compiègne and in Pierrefonds · forest routes and memorial sites

## Car-free: Compiègne and Pierrefonds by Train
Without a car, Compiègne is easy: a train from Gare du Nord and ten minutes' walk to the palace. Pierrefonds needs a bus from Compiègne station, and the Armistice Clearing, a taxi. If you only have one day, choose the palace or the castle; with one night, you can do both.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Logis Hôtel Beaudon** (Small hotel): Catherine and Romain run this hotel in the village of Pierrefonds, facing the lake and the castle. It is open all year, and its summer terrace looks straight at Viollet-le-Duc's towers.
The house
Well-kept rooms, some adapted for guests with reduced mobility, free wifi, a bar and a restaurant serving seasonal cooking. Breakfast costs €14 per person. Dogs are accepted with a supplement of €10 to €12.
Times and arrival
Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00. Pierrefonds has no station: you get there by car (A1 exit 9, then towards Compiègne) or by bus from Compiègne station.
What is nearby
The castle, a few steps away; the Compiègne forest all around, with its paths and the Saint-Pierre ponds; the Compiègne Palace, about 15 km away.
- **Alfred Hotels Compiègne** (Hotel): On the banks of the Oise, 300 metres from Compiègne station, this 56-room three-star is the practical base if you arrive by train from Gare du Nord. Some rooms look onto the river.
The rooms
Soft tones, wood and natural materials, with rooms for travellers, for business and for families. The buffet breakfast is served from 7:00 to 10:00 in a room overlooking the Oise, with bread from a Meilleur Ouvrier de France baker and local produce. It has a bar and restaurant.
Parking and getting there
Private car park with limited spaces, at €12 a day; book before you arrive (maximum height 1.80 m). There is public parking nearby. By car, A1 exit Compiègne Sud. Check-in from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
What is nearby
The historic centre and the town hall, a short walk away; the palace, ten to fifteen minutes on foot; Pierrefonds, about 15 km by car or bus.
### Servicios
- **Compiègne Station**: Trains from Paris Gare du Nord in 40 min to 1 h 20 · palace 10 min on foot · buses to Pierrefonds
- **Compiègne and Pierrefonds Tourist Offices**: Place de l'Hôtel de Ville in Compiègne and in Pierrefonds · forest routes and memorial sites

## As a family: Compiègne and Pierrefonds with Children

Pierrefonds is the castle a child would draw: towers, battlements, drawbridge. Compiègne adds a museum of carriages and vintage cars and an enormous park. With children, this day works better than many Paris palaces.

### What works best
Pierrefonds Castle, free for under-18s, and at Christmas the Nutcracker (Casse-Noisette) game-tour, from age 7

The national car museum, with carriages, sleighs and the first motor cars

The palace park and the Beaux-Monts vista, free

### Where to stay
Alfred Hotels Compiègne, with family rooms

Logis Hôtel Beaudon, facing the lake at Pierrefonds

### Where to eat
Le Beaudon restaurant, with a €12 children's menu

Le Jardin des Roses, a tea room in the park

### Good to know
In Pierrefonds pushchairs are not allowed into the castle: there is pushchair parking in the courtyard

In Compiègne, folding pushchairs are left in the cloakroom

The palace is closed on Tuesdays, and the car museum is only open Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons

### Qué hacer as a family
- Pierrefonds Castle, Viollet-le-Duc's Fortress
- The Compiègne Palace and the Apartments of Napoleon and Eugénie
- The National Car Museum, in the Compiègne Palace
- The Palace Park and the Beaux-Monts Vista

## Consejos

### Never on a Tuesday
The Palace of Compiègne and the Armistice memorial are closed.

### The Car Museum, in the afternoon
Only Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, from 14:00 to 18:00.

### First Sunday of the month
The palace is free for everyone; Pierrefonds, on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.

### No luggage in the palace
It is not allowed: leave it at the hotel.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How do I get from Paris to Compiègne?
By train from Gare du Nord, between 40 minutes and an hour and twenty; the palace is a ten-minute walk from the station.

### How do I get to Pierrefonds without a car?
By bus from Compiègne station.

### Can you see Pierrefonds and Compiègne in one day?
Yes, by car: palace in the morning and château in the afternoon. By train, it is better with a night's stay.

### How much does the Château de Pierrefonds cost?
€9; free for under-18s and for EU residents aged 18 to 25.

### Which day is the Palace of Compiègne closed?
On Tuesdays, and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

### Where was the 1918 armistice signed?
In a railway carriage, in a clearing in the Forêt de Compiègne, about 6 km from the town; today it is a museum.