France’s last great royal palace — used by every French ruler from Louis XIV to Napoleon III, with original Second Empire furnishings, Marie-Antoinette’s apartments, and the world’s greatest carriage collection.
Individual ticket
€9
With Museum Pass
Included
Timed slot
Not required
Open
Mon, Wed–Sun
Hours
10am–6pm (Apr–Oct) · 10am–5pm (Nov–Mar)
Last updated: February 2026 · Prices and details verified
Is the Château de Compiègne included in the Paris Museum Pass?
Yes — the Paris Museum Pass covers full entry to the Château de Compiègne including the Imperial Apartments, the Second Empire galleries, and the Musée de la Voiture (carriage and automobile collection). No reservation required. Compiègne is 50 minutes from Paris Gare du Nord by TER train.
Château de Compiègne — Fast Facts
Address
Place du Général de Gaulle, 60200 Compiègne
Nearest Metro
Paris Gare du Nord → Compiègne (TER, 50 min) — 15 min walk or taxi to château (Train from Gare du Nord)
Bus
Local bus or 15 min walk from station
Opening hours
Monday, Wednesday–Sunday · April–October: 10am–6pm · November–March: 10am–5pm · Closed Tuesday, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Closed
Tuesdays · 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Individual ticket
€9 (2026)
With Museum Pass
Free — included
What to Know Before You Visit
The Château de Compiègne is France’s last great royal palace — the most completely preserved example of Second Empire court life in existence. Used as a royal hunting residence since the Carolingian period, rebuilt for Louis XV and Louis XVI, and transformed into an imperial showpiece by Napoleon I and Napoleon III, it retains its original furnishings almost entirely intact. Napoleon III held his legendary autumn hunts here, entertaining European royalty in a palace that was described as ‘Versailles in the forest’. Marie-Antoinette spent her first night on French soil here in 1770. Napoleon I and Marie-Louise were married here in 1810.
No reservation required. No reservation required. Closed Tuesdays. The Musée de la Voiture (carriage and automobile museum) and the Musée de l’Impératrice (Empress’s apartments) are separate wings both included in the Museum Pass entry. The Compiègne forest, one of the largest in France, is free to explore on foot or by bicycle.
Note: Three museums are included in a single Museum Pass entry: (1) the Imperial Apartments with original Second Empire furnishings, (2) the Musée de l’Impératrice (Empress’s personal apartments), and (3) the Musée de la Voiture — the world’s greatest collection of horse-drawn carriages and early automobiles including a Citroën Traction Avant and Napoleon III’s hunting gig. Combine with a visit to Pierrefonds (15 min by taxi) for a full day of pass-covered sites near Compiègne.
Collection Highlights
Original Second Empire interiors, three museums in one ticket, and the world’s finest carriage collection.
Highlight 1
The Imperial Apartments
40 rooms of original Second Empire furnishings, tapestries, and decoration from Napoleon III’s reign, preserved virtually as they were left in 1870 when the court abandoned the palace at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
Highlight 2
The Musée de la Voiture
the world’s greatest collection of historic vehicles: 150 horse-drawn carriages, early automobiles, and bicycles, including Napoleon III’s hunting carriage, a Citroën Traction Avant, and experimental vehicles from the 1890s
Highlight 3
Marie-Antoinette’s apartments
the rooms where the 14-year-old archduchess spent her first night on French soil in May 1770, preserved with Ancien Régime furnishings and a portrait gallery of the royal family
Visitor tip: Allow 2.5 to 3 hours for all three museums. Start with the Imperial Apartments for historical context, then the Empress’s apartments, and end with the carriage museum — it is the most spectacular room and makes a strong finale. Combine with Pierrefonds (15 min by taxi) if you have a full day.
Getting There
From Paris Gare du Nord, take a TER train to Compiègne — approximately 50 minutes, several trains daily. The château is a 15-minute walk from Compiègne station or a short taxi ride. Combine with Pierrefonds (15 minutes by taxi) for a full day of pass-covered sites.
Ready to Visit Château de Compiègne?
€9 entry included with the Museum Pass. Plus 50+ more venues across Paris.
Take a TER train from Paris Gare du Nord to Compiègne — the journey takes approximately 50 minutes and trains run several times daily. From Compiègne station, the château is a 15-minute walk through the town centre or a short taxi ride. The Compiègne forest begins immediately behind the château and is free to explore.
Three: the main Imperial Palace (Napoleon III’s apartments with original Second Empire furnishings), the Musée de l’Impératrice (the Empress Eugénie’s personal apartments, preserved almost untouched since 1870), and the Musée de la Voiture et du Tourisme — the world’s greatest collection of historic carriages and early automobiles. All three are covered by a single Museum Pass entry and together take 2.5 to 3 hours.
Yes — this is a popular and very rewarding combination. Take the morning train from Paris Gare du Nord to Compiègne, visit the château and at least two of the three museums, then take a taxi (approximately €25, 15 minutes) to Pierrefonds for the afternoon. Both the Château de Compiègne and the Château de Pierrefonds are covered by the Paris Museum Pass. Return to Paris from Compiègne station in the evening.
