I’ve never heard of Fontainebleau but found myself there this week on a business trip.  I had been in Paris and decided to drive down and stay the night, approx. 40 miles south east of Paris.  It was a very pleasant surprise and a great contrast to a busy and hot Paris the day before, you really feel like you are away from it all in Fontainebleau.

At the heart of the town is the most amazing Chateau which is open to the public.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to see the whole thing (I think you need all day) but I can say it has the most beautiful French interior – google pictures of the chateau and you will see what I mean.

I stayed at the Hotel De Londres which overlooks the Chateau and is just a short walk from the town centre. The hotel was listed on booking.com at £150 a night!  I took a chance and just turned up, I pleaded “poverty” and they let me have a room for 98 Euros (an old salesman’s trick of mine).  It was a really nice hotel, a bit quirky but very homely and comfortable, the owners were very friendly and helpful.

Fontainebleau has a large international business school so English is widely spoken – I didn’t get a chance to practice my “Delboy” French!  A short stroll into the town and you are right into the cafe culture of France, plenty of places to eat or just sit and have a coffee and watch the world go by.  I left after a successful business meeting and put Fontainebleau on my list of places to return to some day.