Compiegne Day Trip from Paris
A Compiegne day trip from Paris brings you to a town with two distinct attractions: an imperial palace where Napoleon lived, and the forest clearing where WWI ended. The chateau has Napoleonic apartments, a vehicle museum, and English gardens. The Armistice site, 6km away in the forest, is where the armistice ending World War I was signed in 1918 - and where Hitler forced France to surrender in 1940 in the same railway carriage.
Compiegne sits 80km north of Paris in the Oise department. The town was a royal residence before the Revolution, then Napoleon enhanced the palace substantially. Chateau tickets get you into the apartments, museums, and gardens. The Armistice Memorial is separate, requires different transport, and has its own museum with a replica of the historic railway carriage.
This day trip from Paris to Compiegne works if you're interested in Napoleonic history or WWI. The challenge is the two main sites are 6km apart with no direct public transport between them. You need a car or taxi to visit both comfortably. Most visitors pick one - the chateau or the Armistice site - rather than attempting both.
Important: The chateau and Armistice Memorial are separate destinations requiring separate planning. Don't assume you can easily do both without a car.
| Factor | Details |
| Distance from Paris | 80 km north |
| Travel time | 45 minutes by train; 1 hour by car |
| Time needed | 3-4 hours for chateau; 2 hours for Armistice site; 6-7 hours for both |
| Best for | Napoleonic history, WWI history, palace architecture |
| Entry | Ticketed - chateau and Armistice Memorial separate |
| Transport gap | 6 km between chateau and Armistice site, no direct bus |
| Difficulty | Medium - logistics require planning |
Compiegne Tickets and How to Book
Chateau de Compiegne Tickets
Chateau de Compiegne requires entry tickets covering the Historic Apartments, Museum of the Second Empire, and Museum of Vehicles and Tourism. Пardens are included in the ticket. Audio guides are available in multiple languages.
Book tickets through the official chateau website or buy at the entrance. Advance booking is recommended for summer weekends but not essential - the chateau is less crowded than Versailles or Fontainebleau.
Chateau de Compiegne closes on Tuesdays and certain holidays. Check the official calendar before planning your visit.
Armistice Memorial Tickets
The Armistice Memorial and Museum require separate tickets. Entry includes the museum, the replica railway carriage, and the memorial clearing. The site is managed independently from the chateau.
Tickets can be purchased at the site entrance. The memorial is less visited than the chateau, so advance booking isn't necessary.
Combination Strategy
There's no combo ticket for both sites. Budget separately for chateau entry and Armistice Memorial entry. If you're visiting both, plan for a full day and arrange transport between them.
How to Get to Compiegne from Paris
Train to Compiegne
Trains run from Paris Gare du Nord to Compiegne station (45 minutes to 1 hour). Trains depart frequently throughout the day - roughly every 30-60 minutes. This is the easiest public transport option.
From Compiegne station, the chateau is a 15-minute walk through the town center. The Armistice Memorial is 6km away in the forest - not walkable, no direct bus. You'd need a taxi or rental car from Compiegne to reach the memorial.
Rental Car
Driving from Paris takes about 1 hour via A1 motorway. This is the best option if you want to visit both the chateau and the Armistice site. Park at the chateau (parking available), visit, then drive 10 minutes through the forest to the Armistice Memorial.
The drive is straightforward on highways and local roads. GPS works fine. The forest roads to the memorial are well-marked.
Organized Tours
Some tour operators offer Compiegne day trips from Paris, usually focusing on the Armistice site for WWI history enthusiasts. Tours handle transport and provide historical context. They're expensive but solve the logistics problem of visiting both sites.
One Day Itinerary - Chateau Focus
This itinerary focuses on the chateau and town. Skip to the next section for the Armistice site itinerary.
9:00-10:00 AM: Train from Paris
Catch a morning train from Gare du Nord to Compiegne (45 minutes to 1 hour). Trains run frequently. The 9:00-9:30 AM departures get you to Compiegne by 10:00-10:30 AM.
10:00-10:15 AM: Walk to Chateau
Exit Compiegne station and walk 15 minutes to the chateau through the town center. The walk takes you past the Town Hall (impressive Gothic facade with statues and clocktower) and through pleasant streets.
10:15-12:30 PM: Chateau Interior
Enter the Chateau de Compiegne and start with the Historic Apartments. These rooms were used by Louis XVI before the Revolution, then substantially enhanced by Napoleon. The apartments are beautifully furnished with period pieces from the Napoleonic era.
The Museum of the Second Empire shows luxurious furnishings from Napoleon III's reign (1852-1870). The rooms are ornate and give a sense of imperial life.
The Museum of Vehicles and Tourism has early cars, horse-drawn carriages, and steam engines. This is interesting if you like historic vehicles, skippable if you don't.
Allow 2-2.5 hours for the interior tour. The chateau is large but not overwhelming like Versailles.
12:30-2:00 PM: Gardens and Lunch
After the interior, explore the gardens. Unlike the formal French gardens at Versailles, Compiegne has English-style gardens - more natural, with winding paths, trees, and open lawns. The gardens extend into parkland with a long straight walk (5km) to Les Beaux Monts.
The gardens are officially listed as a "remarkable garden" and have numerous statues, interesting plants, and picnic spots. You could spend hours here or just 30 minutes depending on interest.
Have lunch at a cafe in Compiegne town or bring a picnic for the gardens. The town has several restaurants serving traditional French food.
2:00-3:30 PM: Compiegne Town
Walk through Compiegne town center. Key sights:
The Town Hall (Hôtel de Ville) has a 16th-century Gothic facade with decorative statues including King Louis XII on horseback and a clocktower. There's a statue of Joan of Arc in front - she was captured near Compiegne in 1430.
The Church of Saint-Jacques dates to the 13th century and is where Joan of Arc prayed on the day she was captured. The church has elaborate decorative elements.
The Museum of Historic Figurines (Musée de la Figurine Historique) has miniature recreations of famous battles including Waterloo. Interesting if you like military history.
Medieval half-timbered houses survive on Rue des Lombards and Rue d'Austerlitz. The Vieille Cassine is the most notable.
Allow 1-1.5 hours for the town, or skip if you're short on time.
3:30-4:30 PM: Return to Paris
Walk back to Compiegne station and catch a train to Paris. Trains run frequently until evening. You'll be back in Paris by 5:00-5:30 PM.
One Day Itinerary - Armistice Site Focus
This itinerary focuses on the Armistice Memorial. You need a car or taxi for this.
9:00-10:00 AM: Drive from Paris
Drive from Paris to the Armistice Memorial in Compiegne Forest (1 hour via A1). The memorial is signposted from the highway. GPS coordinates work fine.
Alternatively, take the train to Compiegne and taxi to the memorial (10 minutes, but taxis aren't always available).
10:00-10:15 AM: Arrive at Memorial
Park at the memorial site (free parking). Walk through the forest to the clearing (Clairière de l'Armistice). The setting is peaceful - tall trees, quiet paths, a sense of history.
A statue of Marshal Foch stands at the edge of the clearing. Foch was the supreme Allied commander who led the successful push against Germany in 1918.
In the center of the clearing is a large stone slab marking where two railway carriages stood in 1918 and 1940.
10:15-11:30 AM: Armistice Museum
Enter the museum building - a modest white structure with flags. Buy tickets at the entrance.
The museum's centerpiece is a replica of the railway carriage where the armistice was signed. The original carriage (Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits No. 2419D) was Marshal Foch's private train car. The armistice ending WWI was signed here on November 11, 1918 at 5:10 AM, effective at 11:00 AM.
Foch chose this remote forest location to avoid journalists and protect the German delegation from hostile French crowds.
The museum explains the events of 1918 with exhibits on WWI's final months, the armistice negotiations, and the Treaty of Versailles. The displays include graphic photos showing WWI's horrors.
The museum also covers 1940, when Hitler forced France to sign an armistice in the same carriage at the same spot. Hitler's revenge was deliberate - he wanted to humiliate France where Germany had been humiliated in 1918.
CBS correspondent William Shirer witnessed Hitler's arrival and described his reaction: "His face is afire with scorn, anger, hate, revenge, triumph." Hitler ordered the site destroyed, the monuments sent to Germany, and the railway carriage taken to Berlin (where it was later destroyed).
Allow 60-75 minutes for the museum and carriage.
11:30 AM-12:00 PM: Memorial Grounds
Walk the memorial grounds. The clearing has a Remembrance garden and monuments. The railway track leading to the center of the clearing is symbolic - no trains run here anymore.
The site is somber and powerful. The forest setting adds to the atmosphere - you're standing where two world wars pivoted.
12:00-1:00 PM: Forest Walk
If you have time and like nature, walk trails in the Compiegne Forest. The forest is extensive with paths for walking and cycling. The trees are beautiful and the forest is popular with locals.
This is optional - skip if you want to see the chateau or return to Paris.
1:00-2:00 PM: Return to Paris or Visit Chateau
Drive back to Paris (1 hour) or drive to Compiegne chateau (10 minutes) if you want to see both sites. If visiting the chateau, allow 2-3 hours minimum.
Things to Do - Additional Options
Combining Chateau and Armistice Site
With a car and a full day, you can visit both. Start with the Armistice Memorial in the morning (2 hours), drive to the chateau (10 minutes), visit the chateau and gardens (3-4 hours), explore Compiegne town if time allows. This is a long day but doable.
Without a car, this is difficult. Taxis between the sites exist but aren't reliable. Most visitors pick one site or the other.
Pierrefonds Castle
The Chateau de Pierrefonds is 15 minutes from Compiegne by car. It's a "fairytale" castle - actually a 19th-century reconstruction by Napoleon III on medieval ruins. The architect Viollet-le-Duc designed it to look medieval with towers, battlements, and dramatic architecture.
Pierrefonds is fun to visit and photogenic. It's been used as a filming location for movies and TV shows. If you have a car and extra time, it's worth adding to a Compiegne day.
Senlis
Senlis is 20 minutes from Compiegne by car. It's a small medieval town with a Gothic cathedral and quiet old streets. Some visitors combine Senlis with Compiegne for a full day of history.
Chantilly
Chantilly is 30 minutes from Compiegne. The chateau and gardens are spectacular. Combining Chantilly and Compiegne in one day is ambitious but possible with a car and early start.
Camp de Royallieu Memorial
The Memorial of Imprisonment and Deportation in Compiegne commemorates a WWII prison and deportation camp. The site shows the conditions prisoners faced and includes a Garden of Memory. It's a somber but important historical site for those interested in WWII history.
Why the Transport Gap Matters
The 6km gap between the chateau and Armistice site is the main challenge of a Compiegne day trip from Paris. Public transport doesn't connect them. Your options:
With a car: Easy. Drive between sites in 10 minutes. Visit both comfortably.
Without a car: Difficult. You can take the train to Compiegne and walk to the chateau. But reaching the Armistice site requires a taxi (if you can find one) or organized tour. Most train-based visitors pick one site and skip the other.
Organized tour: Solves the problem but costs more and puts you on their schedule.
This is why Compiegne is less popular than other chateau day trips - the logistics are annoying without a car.
Practical Tips
What to Bring
- Comfortable shoes for chateau and forest walking
- Camera - both sites are photogenic
- Layers - forest can be cooler than open areas
- Picnic supplies if you want to eat in the gardens
- Respect for the Armistice site - it's a war memorial, not a tourist attraction
Timing Your Visit
The chateau closes Tuesdays. The Armistice Memorial has different hours - check before visiting. Spring and fall have good weather for gardens and forest walks. Summer is warmest but busiest. Winter is cold but both sites remain atmospheric.
With Kids
The chateau works well for kids interested in history or vehicles (the vehicle museum appeals to younger children). The gardens have space to run. The Armistice site is more somber - better for older kids or teenagers who can appreciate the historical significance.
Language
French is the primary language. Museum exhibits have some English translations. Audio guides at the chateau are available in multiple languages.
Comparing Compiegne to Other Chateau Day Trips
vs Versailles
Versailles is grander, more famous, and more crowded. Compiegne is smaller, less touristy, and has better gardens for relaxing. Choose Versailles for the iconic experience, Compiegne for a calmer visit with Napoleonic focus.
vs Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is larger with more history - it was used by French kings for centuries. Compiegne is more focused on the Napoleonic era. Both have excellent gardens. Fontainebleau is easier to reach by public transport.
vs Chantilly
Chantilly has more impressive gardens and a world-class art collection. Compiegne has the Armistice site, which Chantilly lacks. Choose Chantilly for gardens and art, Compiegne for WWI history.
