In 1661, despite the many royal properties at his disposal, Louis XIV chose Versailles as the site for a château worthy of his greatness. Taking over the team that had built Vaux-le-Vicomte, the king launched the biggest construction project of the century, which at times employed as many as 36,000 workers.

RER C direction Versailles-rive-gauche-château.
 
Closed on Mondays
 
more info on Chateau de Versailles's official website

With its pink render on the outside, visit the house where the leader of the Impressionist school lived from 1883. The water garden He came here repeatedly throughout his life, letting his imagination rove amid the complex interplay of water and light

Take the train at Gare Saint-Lazarre, go down at Vernon. The trip lasts less than an hour. A bus takes you from Vernon to Giverny.
 
Closed on Mondays
 
more info on Giverny's official website
sncf.com

Justifying the title of "house of centuries, a truly royal dwelling" that Napoleon bestowed upon it, the Château de Fontainebleau guards the memory of over 700 years of French royalty, from the coronation of Louis VII in 1137 until the fall of the Second Empire in 1870.

Take the train from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon. The trip lasts 45min. A bus then takes you to the castle from the train station in 15mn. SNCF (French National Raiwail Company) sells global tickets for train/bus/caste.
 
closed on Tuesdays

more info on Château de Fontainebleau's official website (in french)
sncf.com