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Before you go
Your trip to Maisons-Laffitte.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Maisons-Laffitte – Île-de-France Destination Versailles and surroundings of Paris about 20 km from Paris
How to get there
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Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Roissy-en-France · 40 km
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Gare de Maisons-Laffitte 1 km
Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.
Maisons-Laffitte station is served by RER line A and by Transilien line L trains from Paris Saint-Lazare; from central Paris it is about 25 minutes. From the station to the château is roughly a 10-minute walk. By car, the town is about 20 km from Paris via the A86 and the A14.
How many days
Half a day is enough to visit the château and walk the park's avenues. Because it is close to Paris and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the town works well as a day trip from the capital.
When to go
From April to October, when the park is green and the days are longer. In winter, from December to February, it is cold and the days are short, but the château remains open to visitors; check the schedule before you go.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
No. The RER links the town to central Paris, and the station is close to the château and the park entrance. Inside the park you go on foot or by bicycle.
Suggested itinerary
An order that works
Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.
One day in Maisons-Laffitte
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Morning
Château de Maisons
Start with the château, just a few minutes from the station. See the vestibule with its sculptures, the large open staircase, and the king’s and queen’s apartments on the main floor. Allow time to look at the exterior façades on the garden side, from where Mansart’s composition is best understood.
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Afternoon
Park avenues
Leave the château via the avenue that runs northwest and enter the park laid out by Laffitte. Walk along the wide avenues, pass the Place Marine and notice the 19th- and early-20th-century houses among the trees. In some stretches there are still sand tracks reserved for horses.
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Late afternoon
Seine bank
Return toward the river and walk along the Seine bank near the château, from where you can see the bridge and the vegetation on the far bank. It’s a good time to try a Paris-Brest at one of the patisseries in town.
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Evening
Dinner in the centre
Dine at one of the restaurants around the station and the rue de Paris, the town’s commercial axis. The RER to Paris runs late, allowing you to return to the capital without hurry.
Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.
Before you go
Frequently asked questions
What to see in Maisons-Laffitte?
The Château de Maisons, built by François Mansart in the 17th century, and the Maisons-Laffitte park, the château’s former estate turned into a garden suburb in the 19th century, with wide avenues and a tradition linked to horses.
How to get from Paris to Maisons-Laffitte?
By RER line A or by Transilien line L trains, which depart from Paris Saint-Lazare. The trip from central Paris takes about 25 minutes, and the station is roughly a 10-minute walk from the château.
Why is the town called Maisons-Laffitte?
The old name was Maisons-sur-Seine. Banker Jacques Laffitte bought the château’s estate in 1818 and parceled out the large park; his name was added to the town’s.
What is Maisons-Laffitte’s connection to the Paris-Brest?
The creation of the Paris-Brest, the ring of choux pastry filled with praline cream, is attributed to a pastry chef from the town in the early 20th century. The pastry has its own page in Flavors of France.