# Vaux-le-Vicomte

Fouquet's château, with architecture by Le Vau, paintings by Le Brun and Le Nôtre's first great garden, 50 km from Paris. Grand Noël until 3 January.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/ile-de-france/vaux-le-vicomte · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## Why Vaux-le-Vicomte?

Because it is Versailles before Versailles. Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances, brought together here the architect Le Vau, the painter Le Brun and the gardener Le Nôtre. In 1661 he threw a party so sumptuous that the king, jealous, had him arrested weeks later and took the three artists with him to build Versailles. The château and its garden can be seen in a day, without the crowds of Versailles, and it is still a family home: that of the Vogüé family, who open it to the public.

## How do you get there from Paris?

By car, it is about 50 km: A4, N104 and A5B to exit 14 Voisenon, or A6, N104, A5 and D82. Parking is free. It is the simplest way, and lets you combine Vaux with Fontainebleau, about 20 km away.

Without a car there are three ways. At Christmas, the Grand Noël shuttle leaves at 14:00 from Cour Saint-Émilion, on metro line 14, and returns at 19:00. All year round, you can cycle from Melun along the Melun–Vaux route, 9 km and easy, with bike hire from Melivélo. And there are coach excursions from Paris that combine Vaux with Fontainebleau.

## When to go and how much does it cost?

In 2026, from 14 March to 1 November, the estate was open every day from 10:00 to 17:30 (last entry), except summer Saturdays, reserved for the Soirées aux Chandelles. Château and garden, €18; reduced, €14.50; family, €59; garden only, €13.50; free for under-6s.

Now it is the turn of the Grand Noël: from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, rooms decorated like a journey around the world, an illuminated garden, an ice rink and a projection on the façade as night falls. From €25.90 on weekdays, with compulsory booking; closed Monday and Tuesday until 18 December.

## How long?

Outside events, two hours for the château and one or two for the garden. During the Grand Noël, the château itself recommends about four hours, ideally from mid-afternoon into the evening to see the 18:00 projection.

## Where to eat and sleep?

Within the estate, there is the self-service Le Relais de l'Écureuil, at the entrance, with a children's menu. At Christmas a kiosk and the rink chalet open too. Outside, about 5 km away, you have two very different tables: L'Entourloupe, the bistro in Blandy facing its medieval castle, open Wednesday to Sunday, and R.Mana, in Vaux-le-Pénil, the gastronomic-inspired cooking of two sisters, with Sunday brunch.

There is no accommodation on the estate. The nearest is the ibis Styles Melun, in Rubelles, 5 km away, with breakfast and free parking. If you arrive by train, the Villa Eugénie is an 1880 house with guest rooms eight minutes' walk from Melun station. And if you want the countryside, there is the Ferme de la Recette, a 17th-century cattle farm in Échouboulains, about 20 km away. You can also go back to Paris or sleep in Fontainebleau.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Christmas markets of Europe
- Cerca: Fontainebleau (a 17.9 km), Disneyland Paris (a 34.4 km), Paris (a 41.8 km), Provins (a 43.0 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Vaux-le-Vicomte Château** (2 h · All ages · Château and garden €18 · reduced €14.50 · family €59 · free under-6s): The château that Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances, had built in the 17th century and that inspired Versailles: architecture by Le Vau, painting by Le Brun and a garden by Le Nôtre. A masterpiece of French classicism, 50 km from Paris, which is still a family home.
The visit
You walk through the state rooms, with the great oval salon under the dome, and the private rooms. There is an immersive sound tour on a tablet. Pushchairs are not allowed into the château (they are left in a pushchair park in the gallery) and the ground floor is accessible by manual wheelchair, which is lent at the entrance.
2026 dates and prices
From 14 March to 1 November 2026, every day from 10:00 to 17:30 (last admission at the ticket office), except Saturdays from 16 May to 26 September and 13 July, which are event days. Château and garden €18; reduced (students, ages 6 to 17, unemployed) €14.50; family (2 adults and 2 or 3 children) €59; under-6s, free. From 2 to 13 November the estate closes to prepare for Christmas.
- **Le Nôtre's Garden** (1 h 30 · All ages · Garden only €13.50 · free under-6s): André Le Nôtre's first great garden: 33 hectares of vistas, parterres, ponds and statues, designed to make the eye misjudge distances. From the château everything seems within reach; then you walk.
Practical details
Garden-only entry, €13.50. Since March 2026 dogs are allowed in the garden, on a lead, every opening day except Saturdays and event periods. There are electric buggies for hire for those who cannot walk far; the paths are cobbled and gravel. At Christmas, the garden is lit up with garlands and an ice rink.
- **The Grand Noël at Vaux-le-Vicomte** (4 h · Families · Weekdays €25.90, ages 3 to 17 €20.90 · weekends and holidays from €27.90 · garden only €19): From 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, the château is decorated room by room like a journey around the world, with automata and an immersive projection. At nightfall, the garden is lit up and the 1,000 m² façade becomes a screen: “Vaux-le-Vicomte, escale au pays des rêves”, of about eight minutes, at 18:00, 18:30 and 19:00.
Opening hours
Until 18 December and on 3 January, Wednesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 20:00 (closed Monday and Tuesday). On 5 and 12 December and from 19 December to 2 January, every day until 21:00. On the 24th and 31st, from 10:30 to 18:00; on 25 December and 1 January, closed. Last admission at 19:00. Booking with a time slot is compulsory for the château.
Prices
On weekdays, €25.90 adults and €20.90 ages 3 to 17; weekends and holidays, from €27.90 and €22.90. Garden only, €19. On the weekends of 14-15 and 21-22 November, for two adult tickets bought online, one child's ticket is free. The ice rink costs €5 and the show “L'Odyssée Nordique”, from age 6, €14.90 (€10.90 for under-12s).
For children
A treasure hunt with a passport through the garden from age 3, toasted marshmallows by the fire from 12:00 to 18:30 and letters to lonely people in the Carriage museum, turned into a post office. Allow four hours.
- **The Soirées aux Chandelles, the Château by Candlelight** (3 h · Adults and teenagers · Château and garden €22 · reduced €18.50 · garden €16 (2026 prices)): On summer Saturdays the estate stays open into the night and the château and garden are lit with thousands of candles, like the party Fouquet gave for Louis XIV in 1661 and which cost him his freedom. In 2026 it was every Saturday from 16 May to 26 September, from 11:00 to 21:30 (last admission at the ticket office).
Prices and booking
In 2026, château and garden €22, reduced €18.50, garden only €16; free for under-4s. Booking compulsory. The 2027 dates are announced in spring on the château's website.
- **The Bike Route from Melun to Vaux-le-Vicomte** (1 h 15 · 9 km · Families with children who cycle · Free; bike hire in Melun): Vaux-le-Vicomte holds the Accueil Vélo label and suggests an easy 9 km route from Melun, taking an hour and a quarter with 84 m of climbing, suitable for families. It is the way to arrive without a car and to enter the estate like Fouquet's guests, through the countryside.
Hire and more routes
In Melun, Melivélo (1 bis rue Séjourné, +33 1 69 68 16 49) hires bikes and accessories. For a weekend, the three-châteaux circuit links Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte and Blandy-les-Tours through the Fontainebleau forest and Barbizon: 74.9 km over two days. There is bike parking at the entrance to the estate.

## Dónde comer
- **Le Relais de l'Écureuil** (Café, Maincy · estate entrance, €). Qué pedir: the children's menu and a sweet treat for an afternoon snack
- **L'Entourloupe** (Restaurant, Blandy · opposite the castle of Blandy-les-Tours). Qué pedir: ask about the dishes of the day and the local beers and house cocktails
- **R.Mana** (Restaurant, Vaux-le-Pénil · on the outskirts of Melun, €€€). Qué pedir: the Wednesday to Friday lunchtime menu, from €33, and the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert

## By car: Vaux-le-Vicomte by Car, with Blandy and Fontainebleau
By car, Vaux-le-Vicomte is about 50 km from Paris on the A4 or A6, with free parking on the estate. The car lets you add in the same day the medieval castle of Blandy-les-Tours, about 5 km away, and the palace of Fontainebleau, about 20 km away, and sleep in the countryside.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–160 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **ibis Styles Melun** (Hotel): The ibis Styles Melun is the hotel nearest to the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte: it is in Rubelles, in the Saint-Nicolas business park, about 5 km from the estate, around five minutes by car. It is a practical base, with breakfast included, free enclosed parking and a midday check-out, for sleeping nearby if you come for a Soirée aux Chandelles or the Grand Noël and do not want to drive to Paris at night.
The rooms
There are 54, all non-smoking and air-conditioned. There are rooms with a double bed, with two single beds, with a double and a single for three, and a suite with a double bed and two sofa beds, which suits a family. Fibre wifi is included, as is breakfast. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00, so you can sleep in after a night at the château.
It has no restaurant as such. The bar is open every day from 10:00 to 23:00 and, depending on the season, serves something to nibble; on weekdays, outside holidays and school vacations, the lounge opens for dinner. For a good dinner, better to book at R.Mana, in Vaux-le-Pénil, a few minutes by car.
Getting there and parking
The hotel is in the Saint-Nicolas business centre in Rubelles, at 6 rue du Perré, on the outskirts of Melun. Parking is private, enclosed and free, with electric-car charging points. The hotel also mentions a shuttle service: ask when booking where it goes and at what time.
From here, Vaux-le-Vicomte is 5 km away, about five minutes by car according to the hotel itself. The centre of Melun, with the train station for Paris, is a few minutes by car.
Who is it for?
For those arriving by car, especially with children: triple rooms and a family suite, breakfast sorted and parking without paying. Also if you travel with a dog, because the hotel accepts animals. If you are looking for a house with character, see the Villa Eugénie, in Melun.
- **Villa Eugénie** (Small hotel): The Villa Eugénie is an 1880 house in the centre of Melun, on the boulevard Chamblain, which Claude and Marie-Hélène turned into chambres d'hôtes in 2016. It is about eight minutes on foot from the station, where trains of line R and the RER D leave for Paris, and about ten minutes by car from the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte. It is the most convenient option if you arrive without a car: you get off the train, drop your suitcase and go to Vaux by bike or taxi.
The rooms and the apartments
In the house there are four rooms, each with its own atmosphere:

Cosy, of 12 m², on the ground floor, with its own shower and a terrace reached through a large window.
Safari, of 23 m², on the first floor, with a 180 × 200 bed, sofa, bookcase and its own bathroom on the same floor.
City and Caraïbe, of 12 m² each, on the second floor, under the roof, with views over the rooftops of Melun; they share a bathroom.

All have air conditioning, television and a desk. They also rent two apartments classified as three-star meublés de tourisme in the centre: La terrasse d'Ambroise, of 41 m² with a private west-facing terrace, and Les toits d'Ambroise, of 39 m². Both have a fitted kitchen, a 160 bed and fibre. Altogether, the house sleeps up to 16 people, and for groups they prepare dinners at the house or picnic baskets for excursions.
Breakfast and times
Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 9:00 Monday to Saturday and from 8:00 to 10:00 on Sundays and public holidays. Check-in is from 17:00 to 22:00 and check-out until 10:00 on weekdays and 11:00 on Sundays; if you arrive later, let them know beforehand. The website does not publish prices: book on the website itself or by phone.
What is nearby
Vaux-le-Vicomte is ten minutes by car or about 9 km along the Melun–Vaux bike route; the house has the Accueil Vélo label for cyclists. Fontainebleau and Barbizon are about twenty minutes away, and the owners also mention the medieval castle of Blandy-les-Tours and Provins among their favourite visits; ask them about restaurants in Melun too, which they know well.
- **Ferme de la Recette** (Country house, desde 80.6 € / night): La Ferme de la Recette is a 17th-century Brie farm that is still working: Philippe and Pascale Dufour raise cows and, in the house, rent out three guest rooms with the Gîtes de France label (3 épis) and that of the Bienvenue à la ferme network. It is in Echou, a hamlet 2.5 km from the village of Échouboulains, about 23 km from Melun and Fontainebleau and about 20 km from Vaux-le-Vicomte. It is the option if you want to sleep in the countryside and not in a roadside hotel.
The house and the rooms
The farm keeps its courtyard and its dovecote. On the ground floor there is a large breakfast room, with a sitting corner and a tea corner for making yourself a cup. Upstairs are the three rooms, each with its own shower and WC:

Printemps, with a 160 cm bed that splits into two 80 cm ones.
Été, with a 140 cm bed.
Automne, with a 180 cm bed or two 90 cm ones.

It sleeps six people in total. There is a television, baby equipment, a garden and parking, some of it covered. In summer, if the weather is good, breakfast is served on the terrace. They speak French and English.
Prices and opening
Open every day of the year. In 2026 the night costs from €74.50 to €81.60 for one person and from €80.60 to €87.70 for two; in 2027, from €82.20 to €89.50 for two. The tourist tax is extra. Animals are welcome with no supplement. Book by phone with the Gîtes de France reservation service of Seine-et-Marne or on their website.
Getting there and what is nearby
You need a car. From Vaux-le-Vicomte it is about 20 km to the south-east on Brie roads. Walking and mountain-bike routes start all around. The house is a good base for combining Vaux with Fontainebleau, with Moret-sur-Loing or with the medieval town of Provins, less than an hour away.
Every two months or so, the farm holds a producers' market on Saturday morning, with its own meat and that of its neighbours: honey, flour, pasta, poultry, vegetables, beer, jams. The next one is announced for 5 December 2026.
### Servicios
- **Free Parking and Access by Car**: Free parking · A4 or A6 to the N104 and the A5, exit 14 Voisenon · coordinates 48.568727, 2.713580

## By plane: Flying to Paris and a Train or Car to Vaux-le-Vicomte
To get here from Spain, you fly to Paris: Orly and Charles de Gaulle have direct flights from the main Spanish cities. Orly, to the south, is the closest to Melun and Vaux-le-Vicomte. From there, you either hire a car or take the train to Melun and do the last 9 km by bike or taxi. At Christmas, the Grand Noël shuttle leaves from Paris.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **ibis Styles Melun** (Hotel): The ibis Styles Melun is the hotel nearest to the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte: it is in Rubelles, in the Saint-Nicolas business park, about 5 km from the estate, around five minutes by car. It is a practical base, with breakfast included, free enclosed parking and a midday check-out, for sleeping nearby if you come for a Soirée aux Chandelles or the Grand Noël and do not want to drive to Paris at night.
The rooms
There are 54, all non-smoking and air-conditioned. There are rooms with a double bed, with two single beds, with a double and a single for three, and a suite with a double bed and two sofa beds, which suits a family. Fibre wifi is included, as is breakfast. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00, so you can sleep in after a night at the château.
It has no restaurant as such. The bar is open every day from 10:00 to 23:00 and, depending on the season, serves something to nibble; on weekdays, outside holidays and school vacations, the lounge opens for dinner. For a good dinner, better to book at R.Mana, in Vaux-le-Pénil, a few minutes by car.
Getting there and parking
The hotel is in the Saint-Nicolas business centre in Rubelles, at 6 rue du Perré, on the outskirts of Melun. Parking is private, enclosed and free, with electric-car charging points. The hotel also mentions a shuttle service: ask when booking where it goes and at what time.
From here, Vaux-le-Vicomte is 5 km away, about five minutes by car according to the hotel itself. The centre of Melun, with the train station for Paris, is a few minutes by car.
Who is it for?
For those arriving by car, especially with children: triple rooms and a family suite, breakfast sorted and parking without paying. Also if you travel with a dog, because the hotel accepts animals. If you are looking for a house with character, see the Villa Eugénie, in Melun.
- **Villa Eugénie** (Small hotel): The Villa Eugénie is an 1880 house in the centre of Melun, on the boulevard Chamblain, which Claude and Marie-Hélène turned into chambres d'hôtes in 2016. It is about eight minutes on foot from the station, where trains of line R and the RER D leave for Paris, and about ten minutes by car from the château of Vaux-le-Vicomte. It is the most convenient option if you arrive without a car: you get off the train, drop your suitcase and go to Vaux by bike or taxi.
The rooms and the apartments
In the house there are four rooms, each with its own atmosphere:

Cosy, of 12 m², on the ground floor, with its own shower and a terrace reached through a large window.
Safari, of 23 m², on the first floor, with a 180 × 200 bed, sofa, bookcase and its own bathroom on the same floor.
City and Caraïbe, of 12 m² each, on the second floor, under the roof, with views over the rooftops of Melun; they share a bathroom.

All have air conditioning, television and a desk. They also rent two apartments classified as three-star meublés de tourisme in the centre: La terrasse d'Ambroise, of 41 m² with a private west-facing terrace, and Les toits d'Ambroise, of 39 m². Both have a fitted kitchen, a 160 bed and fibre. Altogether, the house sleeps up to 16 people, and for groups they prepare dinners at the house or picnic baskets for excursions.
Breakfast and times
Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 9:00 Monday to Saturday and from 8:00 to 10:00 on Sundays and public holidays. Check-in is from 17:00 to 22:00 and check-out until 10:00 on weekdays and 11:00 on Sundays; if you arrive later, let them know beforehand. The website does not publish prices: book on the website itself or by phone.
What is nearby
Vaux-le-Vicomte is ten minutes by car or about 9 km along the Melun–Vaux bike route; the house has the Accueil Vélo label for cyclists. Fontainebleau and Barbizon are about twenty minutes away, and the owners also mention the medieval castle of Blandy-les-Tours and Provins among their favourite visits; ask them about restaurants in Melun too, which they know well.
- **Ferme de la Recette** (Country house, desde 80.6 € / night): La Ferme de la Recette is a 17th-century Brie farm that is still working: Philippe and Pascale Dufour raise cows and, in the house, rent out three guest rooms with the Gîtes de France label (3 épis) and that of the Bienvenue à la ferme network. It is in Echou, a hamlet 2.5 km from the village of Échouboulains, about 23 km from Melun and Fontainebleau and about 20 km from Vaux-le-Vicomte. It is the option if you want to sleep in the countryside and not in a roadside hotel.
The house and the rooms
The farm keeps its courtyard and its dovecote. On the ground floor there is a large breakfast room, with a sitting corner and a tea corner for making yourself a cup. Upstairs are the three rooms, each with its own shower and WC:

Printemps, with a 160 cm bed that splits into two 80 cm ones.
Été, with a 140 cm bed.
Automne, with a 180 cm bed or two 90 cm ones.

It sleeps six people in total. There is a television, baby equipment, a garden and parking, some of it covered. In summer, if the weather is good, breakfast is served on the terrace. They speak French and English.
Prices and opening
Open every day of the year. In 2026 the night costs from €74.50 to €81.60 for one person and from €80.60 to €87.70 for two; in 2027, from €82.20 to €89.50 for two. The tourist tax is extra. Animals are welcome with no supplement. Book by phone with the Gîtes de France reservation service of Seine-et-Marne or on their website.
Getting there and what is nearby
You need a car. From Vaux-le-Vicomte it is about 20 km to the south-east on Brie roads. Walking and mountain-bike routes start all around. The house is a good base for combining Vaux with Fontainebleau, with Moret-sur-Loing or with the medieval town of Provins, less than an hour away.
Every two months or so, the farm holds a producers' market on Saturday morning, with its own meat and that of its neighbours: honey, flour, pasta, poultry, vegetables, beer, jams. The next one is announced for 5 December 2026.
### Servicios
- **Shuttle from Paris for the Grand Noël**: Outward at 14:00 from Cour Saint-Émilion (metro 14) · return at 19:00 · dated ticket with limited seats

## As a family: Vaux-le-Vicomte with Children

Vaux-le-Vicomte is a château for families especially at Christmas, when the Grand Noël turns the rooms into a journey around the world and the garden has an ice rink. The rest of the year, Le Nôtre's garden gives room to run around.

### What works best
The Grand Noël, with a treasure hunt from age 3, automata and the projection on the façade

Le Nôtre's garden, with ponds and vistas

The bike route from Melun, 9 easy km

### Where to stay
There is no accommodation on the estate: sleep in Paris or in Fontainebleau, about 20 km away

### Where to eat
Le Relais de l'Écureuil, with a children's menu, high chairs and microwaves

### Good to know
Pushchairs are not allowed into the château

Free for under-6s outside events; at the Grand Noël, for under-3s

The family ticket for 2 adults and 2 or 3 children costs €59

### Qué hacer as a family
- Vaux-le-Vicomte Château
- Le Nôtre's Garden
- The Grand Noël at Vaux-le-Vicomte
- The Bike Route from Melun to Vaux-le-Vicomte

## Consejos

### Book at Christmas
Grand Noël tickets are timed and must be bought online.

### Bring the dog
Since 2026, dogs on a lead are allowed in the garden, except on Saturdays and event days.

### Combine with Fontainebleau
About 20 km by car: one château in the morning and another in the afternoon.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How do I get from Paris to Vaux-le-Vicomte without a car?
At Christmas, with the shuttle from Cour Saint-Émilion; the rest of the year, by bike from Melun or on a coach excursion.

### How much does it cost to enter Vaux-le-Vicomte?
€18 for château and garden; during the Grand Noël, from €25.90.

### When is Vaux-le-Vicomte open?
From mid-March to early November and during the Grand Noël, from 14 November to 3 January.

### Can you go with a dog?
Yes, to the garden and on a lead, except on Saturdays and event days; not into the château.

### What is its connection with Versailles?
Louis XIV took his artists, Le Vau, Le Brun and Le Nôtre, to build Versailles after Fouquet's party of 1661.