Getting there is very easy from Paris.
By car
The total distance from centre to centre is about 65 km or an hour. From Paris, follow signs towards the south, then signs for Lyon and the A6. After about 35 minutes you will see signs for Fontainebleau. Once entering the city there is a tall apartment block which is a remnant of some architectural style a lot in the city would like to see disappear. However, it still forms part of the townâs history â as much as the castle even if in much less splendour.
By train
You can go by train from Paris by Gare de Lyon. There are at least two trains an hour. At Gare de Lyon, the train ticket should be purchased to the destination "Fontainebleau Avon" from the green colored "Billet Ile-de-France" machines and not from the yellow colored SNCF machines. The trains to Fontainebleau leave from the upper level of the multilevel train station.
As of August 2011, the adult return fare is â¬16.80 and the ride lasts about 35 min, stopping only in the towns of Melun and Bois-le-Roi before arriving in the green town of Fontainebleau you will feel the fresh forest air as soon as you come out. Later, upon your return back to Gare de Lyon, note that you may continue using the same train ticket to get to any Metro destination within Paris.
From the Gare de Fontainebleau Avon you can use a Line 1 bus, operated by Veolia Transport to get to the Chateau about 15 minutes although buses seem to stop around eight in the evening. Be careful! There's two directions to the Line 1 bus even though you're at an end of line. Confirm the direction with the driver if you're unsure. The bus ticket costs â¬1.80, BUT if you have the zone 5 ticket purchased at Gare de Lyon, this allows you to ride the bus to AND from the castle without any additional cost... just show your ticket to the driver and he will direct you to use the ticket machine on the bus. Enter it and then it will spit it back out to be saved by you. To find the last stop, you can look for either the Place Napoléon Bonaparte or the Castle as each stop is in the center. Alternatively you can walk, about 45 minutes, if you walk through the town. Or, as you leave the train station property, you will see a sign indicating the direction of the Chateau. This route is more direct and will take you through a residential area and then into the wooded grounds of the chateau. Stay on the main path once you enter the wooded area. This route takes about 25 minutes walking.
When you get off the train, you will be near the bus station on the opposite side of the tracks from town. There are good maps there which can be used to orient yourself if you decide to walk to the Chateau or into town.