What to see in Chantilly

July 6, 2026

A local’s guide from La Maison du 18

What if, just for once, you left the car parked and forgot about it entirely? That’s one of the quiet luxuries of Chantilly: here, almost everything can be reached on foot, by bike, or even on horseback. Staying at La Maison du 18, there’s no need to hop back in the car every ten minutes to make the most of your trip. Quite the opposite.

The hardest part may simply be leaving the calm little Avenue de Condé where La Maison du 18 sits, just around the corner from Rue du Connétable, the town’s main street, where you’ll find pretty much everything you need.

Because once you step outside, everything flows naturally: shops, the château, the forest, restaurants, the racecourse, polo, golf courses, the train station, the medieval town of Senlis, even Paris, all within easy reach, with no stress, no parking hunt, and no traffic.

At a time when everyone dreams of slowing down a little, Chantilly offers exactly that rare luxury: a genuine car-free stay that doesn’t cost you any time at all.

For many of our international guests, this is one of the biggest surprises. Chantilly offers all the charm of the French countryside while remaining just 25 minutes from Paris by train and close to Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Everything you need, just a short walk away

The first very concrete perk: here, you do your grocery shopping on foot.

Just 350 meters (about a 4-minute walk) from the house, a well-stocked supermarket (G20) covers the essentials. Along this stretch of Rue du Connétable you’ll also find a fishmonger, a butcher, an excellent cheese shop, an Italian grocer, and a wine merchant. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Place Omer Vallon hosts a lively outdoor market where local producers and shopkeepers give Chantilly the feel of a privileged small French provincial town.

In short: fresh, quality, often local produce, just a few minutes’ walk away.

Another excellent address for lovers of fresh produce is the Ferme de La Nonette, a farm shop whose motto, « from field to plate, » says it all. It’s reachable on foot if you’re feeling energetic (900 meters, about 11 minutes), but it’s really made for cycling from La Maison du 18, just 4 minutes away. And for something even more local and convivial than the main Chantilly market, the Sunday market in the neighboring village of Vineuil-Saint-Firmin (8 minutes by bike) offers a charming, old-fashioned atmosphere well worth the detour. But let’s get back to walking.

So far, we’ve covered the right-hand side of Rue du Connétable coming from La Maison du 18 on Avenue de Condé. The rest is on the left-hand side, which leads all the way to the château and then into the forest, passing the Grandes Écuries (Great Stables) along the way.

For bread, stop by the Boulangerie du Château, known locally for its artisanal loaves and croissants, winner of « Best Croissant in the Oise » (the local département, roughly equivalent to a county) in 2022. Note: it’s the second bakery on the left-hand side.

A few steps before that, those with a sweet tooth can also discover the excellent pastry and chocolate shop La Passion du Chocolat, or the Atelier de la Chantilly, the place to try authentic Chantilly cream, the sweetened whipped cream that takes its name from this very town, said to have been invented here in the 17th century.

Along this same street, three very good restaurants are all within walking distance of the house:

• Le Bouchon Gourmand
• Ô Bistrot Chic
• Le Vertugadin

For something more refined still, walk a little further to the Auberge du Jeu de Paume, Chantilly’s fine-dining destination.

And if you’d rather have a quiet dinner at the house without cooking ,no restaurant, no meal prep ,ID Cook, featuring dishes by chef Christian Nicolas, is an excellent ready-to-eat option. On Place Omer Vallon, “Ça mijote pour vous” (a local caterer) rounds out the take-away choices.

All of this within a single stretch of road barely a kilometer (about half a mile) long, from Place Omer Vallon to the Auberge du Jeu de Paume.

Chantilly on foot: culture, heritage, and a way of life

From La Maison du 18, you can discover the best of Chantilly’s heritage without ever needing the car.

There’s of course the unmissable Château de Chantilly, home to France’s second-largest collection of Old Master paintings after the Louvre, set in stunning grounds designed by André Le Nôtre, the landscape architect also behind the gardens of Versailles.

Also well worth a visit:

• the Grandes Écuries (Great Stables), with their equestrian shows
• the Potager des Princes, a historic kitchen garden
• La Scène au Jardin, an open-air theater festival
• the Pavillon de Manse, a 17th-century water-pumping station built to supply the château’s fountains
• the Musée de la Dentelle (Lace Museum)

The racecourse is also within walking distance, with its prestigious June program, the Prix du Jockey-Club and Prix de Diane, roughly the French equivalents of the Epsom Derby and Epsom Oaks, plus around forty race meetings a year. Beyond horse racing, the venue also hosts the renowned Jumping International de Chantilly, an international show-jumping competition, every July.

Even golfers can walk to the prestigious Golf de Chantilly (two more golf courses are reachable by bike).

And then there’s the forest. Its bridle paths, fitness trails, wildlife, ponds, and long shaded avenues, including the most famous of them all, the Piste des Lions.

This is a spectacular sand track stretching 4.5 kilometers (about 2.8 miles) and 20 meters (65 feet) wide, one of many grand avenues cut through this 6,344-hectare (nearly 15,700-acre) forest by André Le Nôtre for royal stag hunting. Today, these tracks are a favorite training ground for some of the world’s finest racehorse trainers, a fascinating world you’ll encounter throughout Chantilly.

In short, nature literally begins at the end of the street.

Another luxury: Chantilly-Gouvieux train station is about a 20-minute walk away, or barely 10 minutes by (free) local bus.

Paris and Senlis, no car required

And from there? Paris Gare du Nord is roughly 25 minutes by train. Once you’re in Paris, the rest is up to you.

In other words, it’s entirely possible to spend a car-free weekend in Chantilly, whether you’re coming from Paris or even flying in from abroad via Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).

From the airport, public transport already connects to Chantilly without needing a taxi or ride-hailing service, currently by bus, with a train link coming soon. A ride-hailing service such as Uber otherwise costs around €50–60.

Still without a car, Senlis is well worth a side trip. This royal medieval town, with its cobbled streets, cathedral, café terraces, galleries, and charming shops, is about 15 minutes away by bus (the stop is one minute from the house, at the Tourist Office, 73 Rue du Connétable).

Chantilly by bike: forests, ponds, and polo

To make the most of Chantilly and its surroundings, a bicycle is arguably the best way to get around.

We highly recommend Bob eBike, an e-bike rental service that delivers bikes directly to La Maison du 18 and can even meet you at the train station when your train arrives (book ahead).

Once you’re on two wheels, the possibilities open up: the Chantilly forest, neighboring villages, the Canal Saint-Jean, forest trails, ponds, polo, the Vineuil and Apremont golf courses, and leisurely rides all the way to Senlis.

One of the loveliest rides leads to the Étangs de Commelles, a chain of ponds. Set between forest and water, the spot has an almost timeless charm. Look out for the mysterious Château de la Reine Blanche (White Queen’s Castle) before stopping for a French crêpe or savory buckwheat galette by the water’s edge, peaceful and idyllic, especially at sunrise. The local café there plays on words with its name, L’Étang d’Art (« Étang, » meaning pond, is a pun on « et tant d’art, » or « and so much art »).

Still by bike, it’s also easy to reach:

• the Polo Club de Chantilly, with matches held from May to October
• the Aqualis aquatic center, for a swim during your stay
• and Senlis, for the more energetic riders

Or why not on horseback?

In Chantilly, zero-emission travel can even mean traveling by horse.

Just a few minutes from La Maison du 18, the Henson Chantilly-Apremont riding center offers guided rides through the forest, including the legendary Piste des Lions mentioned earlier, and even parts of the Chantilly estate itself, including the Park and the Hameau (a rustic hamlet built for Marie-Antoinette-style pastoral pursuits) near the château. Discovering this princely estate on horseback is a rare and rather noble way to experience it.

A town that never stops moving

And that’s not all. Chantilly is a genuinely lively town, check our blog’s 2026 events calendar, entirely reachable on foot, for proof: music festivals, an all-white picnic (a quirky French tradition where guests dress head-to-toe in white for an outdoor communal dinner), a triathlon, plant festivals, and the prestigious Chantilly Arts & Elegance by Richard Mille classic car and elegance event each September, among others.

To get the latest news on the Chantilly-Senlis destination first, sign up for the Tourist Office newsletter.

For evenings out, there’s La Belle Époque on Place Omer Vallon (which also serves tapas), and Sylvia, the go-to spot for Chantilly’s younger crowd, across from the Cinéma L’Élysée, which always keeps up with the latest film releases.

The Irish pub Le Paddock is another good option, though on foot it’s a touch further: 1 kilometer, about a 13-minute walk (4 minutes by bike).

An ideal destination for slowing down, without wasting time

In the end, that may be the true luxury of Chantilly: slowing down without losing any time.

Walking to the market in the morning. Crossing town by bike. Heading to dinner without touching the car. Taking the train to Paris. Spending an afternoon in the forest. Walking to a polo match or an equestrian show. Visiting the museums.

And then coming home to unwind in the quiet of La Maison du 18.

Even a long weekend is rarely enough to take in all of Chantilly’s cultural, sporting, culinary, and natural riches.

And perhaps that’s exactly as it should be. So book enough days, and if it’s too late this time, there’s only one solution: come back to La Maison du 18.

Many of our guests come for a weekend and leave wishing they had stayed longer. We completely understand why.

©Pascal Renauldon – La Maison du 18. All reproduction, even partial, is prohibited.

For more ideas, events and practical information, visit the official Chantilly–Senlis Tourist Office website.