# A night at Vaux-le-Vicomte with the Soirées aux Chandelles, an hour from Paris

Saturday at the château and garden until the candles are lit, a night in Melun and Sunday brunch and Fontainebleau palace. An hour from Paris, from May to September.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/ile-de-france/vaux-le-vicomte/itineraries/a-night-by-candlelight-from-paris · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Vaux-le-Vicomte

In 1661 Nicolas Fouquet gave a party at Vaux-le-Vicomte for Louis XIV so dazzling that the king had him arrested weeks later. On summer Saturdays the château recalls that night: it opens late and the château and garden are lit by thousands of candles. Getting back to Paris at night afterwards is the least of it; the good thing is to stay in Melun, ten minutes away, and devote Sunday to a long brunch and the Fontainebleau palace.

## How do you get there?

From Paris, by car: about 50 km on the A4 or the A6, exit 14 Voisenon, with free parking on the estate. Without a car, line R train or RER D from Gare de Lyon to Melun; the Villa Eugénie is eight minutes' walk from the station and Vaux, 9 km by the bike route. To get back at night from the evening you will need a taxi.

From Spain, fly to Paris-Orly (ORY), the closest airport, with direct flights from the main Spanish cities, and hire a car there: you will need it for Blandy and for Fontainebleau.

## Where to sleep?

AccommodationBest forFor whom

Villa Eugénie1880 house with a garden, eight minutes from Melun stationCouples, those arriving by train

ibis Styles Melun5 km from the château, breakfast included and free parkingFamilies by car

## How much does it cost?

Between €180 and €300 per person with one night sharing a room, the evening ticket, the palace, Saturday's lunch, the brunch and petrol, excluding the flight and hire car. What moves the budget most is the accommodation: the Villa Eugénie and the ibis Styles do not publish fixed prices; check them for your dates.

## El plan

### Saturday · 12:30 · Lunch in Blandy
L'Entourloupe, facing the medieval Blandy-les-Tours castle, is open on Saturday from 11:00 to 23:00 without closing. Terrace with views of the towers. Book.

### Saturday · 15:00 · The château and Le Nôtre's garden
With the evening ticket (€22 château and garden in 2026; €16 garden only) you enter by day: first the rooms and the great oval salon, then the 33 hectares of garden as the sun goes down. On Saturdays dogs are not admitted to the garden.

### Saturday · at dusk · The candles
The château and the garden fill with candles. Last ticket-office entry at 21:30. Eat something beforehand: lunch in Blandy is late and generous on purpose.

### Saturday · night · Melun
Ten minutes by car to the Villa Eugénie, in the centre of Melun, or five to the ibis Styles in Rubelles.

### Sunday · 11:30 · Brunch at R.Mana
In the former farm of the Vaux-le-Pénil château: three tasting courses and a homemade buffet for €60, by reservation only and arriving between 11:30 and 12:30.

### Sunday · 14:00 · Fontainebleau palace
A good half hour by car. Two hours for Francis I, Marie Antoinette and Napoleon; €17, free for under-18s. From April to September it closes at 18:00, with last entry three quarters of an hour earlier. Back to Paris or Orly in the afternoon.

## Consejos

### Summer Saturdays only
The Soirées aux Chandelles are on Saturdays from mid-May to late September; the rest of the year, swap the evening for the Grand Noël at Christmas or for a normal visit.

### Book the evening
The ticket is compulsory with a reservation on the château's website.

### Fontainebleau does not open on Tuesdays
It does not affect this weekend plan, but it does if you extend it.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### When are the Soirées aux Chandelles?
In 2026 they were every Saturday from 16 May to 26 September; the 2027 dates are published in spring.

### How much does the evening ticket cost?
In 2026, €22 château and garden, €18.50 reduced and €16 garden only.

### Where do I sleep near Vaux-le-Vicomte?
In Melun, at the Villa Eugénie, or in Rubelles, at the ibis Styles, 5 km from the château.

### Can it be done without a car?
Partly: train to Melun and bike to Vaux; to get back at night and for Blandy and Fontainebleau, better a car or taxi.

## Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **ibis Styles Melun**: 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**: 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**, 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.

## Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **ibis Styles Melun**: 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**: 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**, 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.