An invitation to live like a sovereign for a day, right in the heart of Fontainebleau!

Saturday 29th November 2025

After last year’s successful event, CamSoc’s very own committee member and Fontainebleau resident Sylvie Leger is again very kindly organising a visit to the town across Saturday 29th November.

Sylvie will host a lunch at l’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne, followed by an address from a speaker from Fontainebleau’s INSEAD business school, before leading the way to the town’s exquisite Château (summer residence of France’s sovereign rulers for eight centuries) for a visit to the internationally renowned Salon du Chocolat.

Coming to Fontainebleau, a town of character next door to Paris, will give you the opportunity to feel immersed in a stunningly welcoming universe. Spending one day in Fontainebleau will not only give you an insight into the splendours of its famous Château, but also a chance to live like a Bellifontain(e)!

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AGENDA

Lunch & Speaker

12h00: Lunch at l’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne a few steps away from the Château.

After lunch, there will be a speaker from the INSEAD Business School.

Tickets for the lunch, which includes soft drinks and wine, are €52 per person.

Salon “Impérial Chocolat & Gastronomie”

After the speaker’s address: Sylvie Leger will lead the group to the annual Salon taking place at the Château itself (outdoors and indoors), supervised by the famous chef Fréderic Cassel who owns a store in Fontainebleau.

The making of chocolate, tasting, chocolate sculptures of animals, and famous Parisian monuments are amongst the highlights. For those staying longer, the salon lasts two days: Saturday 29th November and Sunday 30th November.

Tickets for the Salon are €9 per person.

Fontainebleau Visit

16h00: Sylvie will guide a walking visit of the highlights of Fontainebleau (weather permitting!) for those interested, starting from outside the Salon.

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TICKETS

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION

i) Train from Paris
You are welcome to make your own way to Fontainebleau, but if you follow the schedule below, Sylvie will be waiting to guide you on arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station. If you make your own way to the restaurant, please be there by 12 noon.

Departure from Hall 1 Gare de Lyon, 10h08 – Arrival time at Fontainebleau-Avon 10h57
(Stops: Melun; Bois le Roi; Fontainebleau-Avon. The train ride lasts 40 minutes. The train continues to Montargis or other towns. They are surface trains. 
Tickets are €2.50 one-way as long as you have a Navigo card, which means your metro/RER travel to Gare de Lyon is also included. You will need to present your Navigo pass when you leave the station (do not go down the stairs). If necessary, you can load your pass with the amount required for the return trip to Paris at Fontainebleau-Avon station.

ii) Bus to Fontainebleau
Upon arrival at Fontainebleau-Avon station, Sylvie will be there on the platform to welcome you.
A 10-minute bus ride will take us to the town centre and so the Château. Tickets are €2.50 one-way (€1.49 if you have a Navigo Easy Pass). It is bus Line 1 if you miss the 10h16 train and so need to make your way to the restaurant on your own.

Bus and train tickets are not included in the event registration to accommodate those wishing to make their own way.

iii) L’Hôtel Mercure Château de Fontainebleau Demeures de Campagne
Address: 41 rue Royale, 77300 Fontainebleau.
3-course meal
Soft drinks and wine included

iv) Salon du Chocolat
Address: Château de Fontainebleau, Place Charles de Gaulle, 77300 Fontainebleau

v) Return to Paris
Sylvie will indicate the bus station in town, so that everyone can go back to the railway station according to their own schedules. There are trains approximately every 30 minutes back to Paris, Gare de Lyon.

For those of you who would like to stay overnight and enjoy the Sunday morning market, there are many options. Sylvie can easily advise you if you need directions or inspiration.

If you have any questions about the day, please contact Sylvie Leger.