Le Beaudon Restaurant
What to order: the seasonal menu on the terrace overlooking the lake and the castle
Open every day at lunchtime, Sundays included; no dinner on Sundays
geocalia
Day itinerary · 49.42° N · 2.83° E
Compiègne and Pierrefonds in a day, an hour and ten minutes from Paris on the A1.
The apartments of Napoleon III and Eugénie at Compiègne, the Armistice wagon in the forest, lunch facing Lake Pierrefonds and its fairy-tale castle in the afternoon.
Leaving from
Direct flight to París fromAsturias 1 h 45Barcelona 1 h 45Bilbao 1 h 45Santander 1 h 45Madrid 2 hPalma de Mallorca 2 hSantiago de Compostela 2 hValencia 2 hAlicante 2 h 15Ibiza 2 h 15
Part of Pierrefonds and Compiègne
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h 15 each way
From ParisCar · 1 h 10
Tickets€10 and €9, free for young people
DifficultyEasy
Cost€45–70 pp
ClosedTuesdays
With childrenYes
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Paris 1 h 15 by car
A1, exit 9, and D 200 towards Compiègne
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1
The Compiègne Palace and the Apartments of Napoleon and Eugénie
imperial apartments · €10 · free for under-26s
- 12 min by car7 km
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2
The Armistice Clearing and Its Railway Carriage
the 1918 carriage · closed Tuesdays
- 15 min by car13 km
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3
Le Beaudon Restaurant
facing the lake · open on Sunday at midday · menus from €20 to €34
10 rue du Beaudon, 60350 Pierrefonds · +33 3 44 42 80 18
Restaurant €€Book - 8 min on foot
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4
Pierrefonds Castle, Viollet-le-Duc's Fortress
€9 · free for under-18s · last entry an hour before closing
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Back home 1 h 15 by car
in Paris around 18:15
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
The Compiègne Palace and the Apartments of Napoleon and Eugénie
Three stories in one forest, an hour and ten minutes from Paris: the palace where Napoleon III and Eugénie de Montijo spent the autumn, the clearing where the end of the First World War was signed and the Château de Pierrefonds, which Viollet-le-Duc rebuilt as a medieval dream. By car all three fit in a day.
The day, hour by hour
8:45 · Departure. A1 to exit 9 and the D 200 towards Compiègne.
10:00 · Compiègne palace. The apartments of the Emperor and Empress, furnished as in the Second Empire. €10, free under 26. Suitcases are not admitted.
12:00 · The Armistice clearing. About 7 km through the forest: the wagon where the armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, in the centre of the museum.
13:15 · Lunch at Le Beaudon. In Pierrefonds, facing the lake and the castle. Open every day at lunchtime; menus from €20 to €34 and a children's menu at €12.
14:45 · Pierrefonds castle. Towers, battlements and rooms of the keep; since May 2026, also the Empress's apartments. €9, free for under-18s.
16:45 · Return. In Paris around 18:15.
Is it for me?
With children it works very well: Pierrefonds looks like something out of a fairy tale and is free for them. If you are interested in 20th-century history, the Armistice clearing is essential. Without a car, do Compiègne by train and leave Pierrefonds for another day, or sleep there.
Time2 h
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Restaurant and tea room in the park
Le Jardin des Roses
What to order: an afternoon snack after the imperial apartments
In the palace park; next to the main entrance there is also a takeaway kiosk
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Pierrefonds and Compiègne
All year except Tuesdays, when the palace and the Armistice memorial are closed. Spring and autumn, with the forest at its best, are ideal. In December, Nutcracker visits at Pierrefonds.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Never on a Tuesday
The palace and the memorial are closed.
- 2Pierrefonds at the end
The last entry is an hour before closing: 16:30 from September to April.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the trip cost?
Between €45 and €70 per person with tickets and lunch, without petrol.
Can it be done by train?
Compiègne yes; to combine Pierrefonds and the Armistice clearing on the same day you need a car.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/france/hauts-de-france/pierrefonds-and-compiegne/itineraries/compiegne-palace-armistice-wagon-and-pierrefonds-castle
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.