Notre-Dame de Senlis Cathedral
45 minAll agesAll year
Visit · 45 min · free · one of the first Gothic cathedrals · video tour on your phone
From ParisCar · 45 km on the A1
Without a carTrain to Chantilly and bus 645
From CDGBus 630 · 25 min
Best timeApr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct
What to do
What to do in Senlis
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The Circuit through the Medieval Town and the Gallo-Roman Wall
2 h · 6 kmAll agesDog-friendlyAll year
Walk · 2 h · 6 km waymarked · free · 3rd-century wall, cobbled streets and Miró stained glass
The Royal Castle of Senlis and the Saint-Maurice Priory
30 minAll agesAll year
Walk · 30 min · from the outside · residence of the Capetian kings, under restoration
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Senlis, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Senlis
From April to October, when guided tours run and Parc Astérix is open, is the best time. In winter the town can still be visited, but some museums are only open from Wednesday to Sunday or at the weekend.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Senlis your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Flying to Charles de Gaulle and Senlis 25 Minutes Away
Senlis is closer to Charles de Gaulle airport than to Paris: 25 minutes on the A1 or by bus 630. With direct flights to CDG from the main Spanish cities, it can be the first or last night of the trip, with Chantilly next door.
- Getting thereParis-Charles de Gaulle (CDG): bus…
- Getting aroundOn foot around the medieval…
- Where to stayHostellerie de la Porte Bellon…
- ServicesTourist office on the cathedral…
Getting there
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG): bus 630 from Roissypôle, 25 minutes, or by car on the A1, exit 8
- Paris-Beauvais (BVA): 45 minutes by car on the N31 and the D1016
- Paris-Orly (ORY): to central Paris and a train from Gare du Nord to Chantilly, then bus 645
Getting around
- On foot around the medieval town
- Hire car for Parc Astérix, Chantilly and Ermenonville
Where to stay
- Hostellerie de la Porte Bellon, 300 m from the cathedral
- Hôtel Le Petit Bellon, on the rue de la République
Services
- Tourist office on the cathedral square
Senlis without a Car
Without a car, you reach Senlis by train to Chantilly-Gouvieux and bus 645, or directly from the airport on the 630. Once there, everything is on foot: the old town is small and flat.
90–170 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHôtel Le Petit Bellon, in…
- Getting aroundTER from Gare du Nord…
- Where to eatBistrot de la Place, opposite…
- ServicesGuided tours from the tourist…
Where to stay
- Hôtel Le Petit Bellon, in the centre
- Hostellerie de la Porte Bellon, 300 m from the cathedral
Getting around
- TER from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux, 25 minutes, and bus 645
- Bus 630 from Charles de Gaulle
Where to eat
- Bistrot de la Place, opposite the cathedral, open Sunday lunchtime
- La Brasserie du Cerf, Tuesday to Saturday
Services
- Guided tours from the tourist office from April to October
Senlis by Car
By car, Senlis is 45 km from Paris on the A1, exit 8, and lets you combine the medieval town in one day with Chantilly, a quarter of an hour away, or with Parc Astérix, 12 km away.
100–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHôtel Le Petit Bellon, with…
- Getting aroundA1 from Paris, exit 8…
- Where to eatLa Brasserie du Cerf, at…
- ServicesTourist office on the Place…
Where to stay
- Hôtel Le Petit Bellon, with a free electric charger and free car parks next door
- Hostellerie de la Porte Bellon, at the exit towards the A1
Getting around
- A1 from Paris, exit 8 Senlis
- Park outside the cobbled centre and walk in
Where to eat
- La Brasserie du Cerf, at the entrance to the town
- The Porte Bellon restaurant
Services
- Tourist office on the Place du Parvis Notre-Dame
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Who you're with
Senlis for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Senlis with Children
Senlis is short and flat, which is welcome with children. The cathedral and the wall can be seen in a morning; the afternoon, in season, can be for Parc Astérix, twelve kilometres away.
- What works bestParc Astérix, with Idéfix's forest…
- Where to stayHostellerie de la Porte Bellon…
- Where to eatLa Brasserie du Cerf, with…
- Good to knowThe cobbles in the centre…
What works best
- Parc Astérix, with Idéfix's forest for the little ones and Toutatis for the older ones
- The circuit along the wall and the cobbled streets, with totems that tell the story
- The Museum of Art and Archaeology, free for under-26s, with the Séraphine video mapping
Where to stay
- Hostellerie de la Porte Bellon, 300 m from the cathedral
- Hôtel Le Petit Bellon, with air conditioning
Where to eat
- La Brasserie du Cerf, with a children's menu at €14.99
- Bistrot de la Place, with high chairs
Good to know
- The cobbles in the centre are awkward for some pushchairs
- Parc Astérix is open seasonally: check its calendar first
What to do as a family
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a carif you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Logis Hostellerie de la Porte Bellon
Why we like it: Four-generation family hotel 300 metres from Senlis Cathedral, with a Picardy-cooking restaurant, a terrace and a 13th-century Gothic cellar.
Logis Hôtel Le Petit Bellon
Why we like it: Practical hotel a few steps from Senlis's historic centre, with air conditioning, a free electric charger, a bar and a 30-seat restaurant.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Senlis
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Le Bistrot de la Place
What to order: the €25 lunchtime menu on the terrace facing the cathedral
Open Sunday lunchtime; closed Monday
La Brasserie du Cerf
What to order: a dish from the seasonal menu in the winter garden
Tuesday to Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Restaurant of the Hostellerie de la Porte Bellon
What to order: an aperitif in the 13th-century Gothic cellar and regional cooking on the terrace
Closed Sunday; Monday dinner only
Map
Everything on the map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Nearby
Near Senlis
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
49.19° N · 2.46° E
Chantilly
By planeCar-freeBy car
49.42° N · 2.83° E
Pierrefonds and Compiègne
By planeBy carCar-free
49.07° N · 2.17° E
Auvers-sur-Oise
By plane
48.87° N · 2.78° E
Disneyland Paris
By planeCar-freeBy car
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Go from Wednesday to Sunday
The Museum of Art and Archaeology is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
- 2First Sunday of the month
Museums are free for everyone.
- 3From the airport
Bus 630 reaches Senlis in 25 minutes from Charles de Gaulle.
Looking for the Hunting Museum
It is closed for works at the royal castle; check when it reopens.
What is Senlis?
A small town in the Oise that was a royal residence. Hugh Capet was elected King of France here in 987, and until the Bourbons the sovereigns spent time in its royal castle. It has the Notre-Dame cathedral, one of the first Gothic cathedrals in France, a Gallo-Roman wall from the 3rd century and a centre of cobbled streets and 17th- and 18th-century mansions, protected as a Site Patrimonial Remarquable. It is quiet, can be covered entirely on foot and has none of the queues of the big palaces.
How do you get there from Paris?
By car, it is 45 km on the A1, exit 8 Senlis. This is the most convenient option, because it lets you combine Senlis with Chantilly, a quarter of an hour away, or with Parc Astérix, 12 km away.
Without a car, Senlis has no passenger train. Take the TER from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux (25 minutes; the RER D takes 45) and from there bus 645 to the Notre-Dame / Cinéma stop. If you arrive by air at Charles de Gaulle, bus 630 leaves from Roissypôle, between terminals 2 and 3, and reaches Senlis in 25 minutes: that is why Senlis works well as the first or last night of a trip.
What to see in half a day?
Start at the Place du Parvis, with the tourist office and the cathedral, which can be visited for free with a video guide for your phone. Continue to the royal castle and the garden of the former Saint-Maurice priory; the building is under works and can be seen from the outside. Then follow the medieval town trail, 6 km marked with totems that take in the wall and the Saint-Frambourg chapel, with stained glass by Miró.
If it is Wednesday to Sunday, go into the Museum of Art and Archaeology, in the former episcopal palace: €7, free for under-26s. The works of Séraphine Louis are now in Metz, but her room shows a video mapping. At the weekend the Spahis Museum is also open, and free.
With children, Parc Astérix is 12 km away: fifty rides and shows from the comic, open seasonally.
What does it combine with?
With Chantilly, its château and its horses, a quarter of an hour away: it is the classic day by car through the Oise. Further north, about 40 minutes away, are Compiègne and Pierrefonds, the palace of Napoleon III and Viollet-le-Duc's fairy-tale château.
Where to eat and sleep?
For lunch on a Sunday, the Bistrot de la Place, opposite the cathedral, with home cooking and a €25 lunchtime menu. From Tuesday to Saturday, La Brasserie du Cerf, the town's brasserie since 1900, or the Porte Bellon restaurant, with its Gothic cellar.
To sleep, there is the Hostellerie de la Porte Bellon, a family hotel 300 metres from the cathedral, and the Hôtel Le Petit Bellon, practical, with air conditioning and free car parks next door.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Paris to Senlis without a car?
By train from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux and then bus 645 to Senlis.
How long do you need to see Senlis?
Half a day for the cathedral, the castle, the wall and a museum.
Is Senlis close to the airport?
Yes, 25 minutes from Charles de Gaulle by car or on bus 630.
How far is it to Parc Astérix?
About 12 km.
Can it be combined with Chantilly?
Yes, Chantilly is a quarter of an hour away by car.
How much does the museum in Senlis cost?
€7 for the Museum of Art and Archaeology, free for under-26s; the Spahis Museum is free.