Capitale Du Cheval (Chantilly (France))

Member Name: louanna8

Product:	Chantilly (France)
Date:	08/08/09 (70 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location, people

Disadvantages: A little expensive

Chantilly is a town in the Oise departement of France. It is a fairly small town with around 11,000 inhabitants. It is a beautiful town that, although not very big, has lots of centres interest. It is known as the home of horse racing in France and is, rather fittingly, twinned with the British town of Epsom.. I would recommend it for either a weekend break or a day excursion during a trip to France.

~Where is it?~
Chantilly is just 38.4km north of Paris and is served by RER line D. The fast train into Gare Du Nord takes just 20 minutes and costs a reasonable 5 euros 50 (though prices might have gone up a little.) The nearest airport is Charles De Gaulle and again this is jst 20/25 minutes away by car.

~Where to Visit~
There are 2 places of historical, cultural or sporting interest that I'd recommend you visit if in Chantilly.
Firstly, the Chateau de Chantilly, a castle that was built sometime around 1560. It was rebuilt again in the 1870's after being destroyed during the French Revolution. An interesting fact is that, next to the Louvre, the Chateau contains one of the best collections of historical paintings in France. The architecture is simply outstanding and even though I pass it practically every day it never loses it's ability to astound. the Cahteau also has some pretty impressive gardens but these are currently in the process of being redesigned and parts of them are shut off from the general public.
Cost of entry is 10 euros for adults and it is free for anyone under 18. It is worth a visit though young children will definitely be more impressed with the grounds that the castle itself.

Secondly, we have the famous Chantilly racecourse. The racecourse has a great setting just across the road from the Chateau and, particularly during the big meetings, the atmosphere here is great. If you want to see some of the best french horses and jockey's not to mention the likes of Frankie Dettori compete then the group 1 races here are a must. The Prix Du Jockey Club is the largest race (the equivalent to the Derby in the UK) and is always held in early June. Entrance costs differ depending on the day of the week and the size of the race. For example, entrance on a typical weekday costs just 3 euros rising to 8 euros on the day of a big race. There are two restaurants inside but as I've never been to either I can't really comment.
I find Chantilly Racecourse to be well maintained and it is always impeccably clean. The atmosphere there(and in Chantilly afterwards) after a big race is always great and I'd definitely suggest arranging your trip so you can make it to the Prix Du Jockey Club as it is a real must see.

If history or racing are not your thing their are some great shops and boutiques in Chantilly. However prices can be quite high in some of the magasins. Failing that you can't beat a coffee outside one of the cafe's along the main street.

~What to do at night~
There are many restaurants and bars in Chantilly and as the French tend to eat pretty late the restaurants stay open quite late too. Bars shut without exception at 1am as the local gendarmie(police) arrive at 1 on the dot to make sure. The atmosphere at night is quite relaxed and friendly and there is never any trouble. There is a great variety of food from tradition french cuisine to Italian to Indian to Crepes. In my opinion, food is a little more expensive that you might expect for a small time but it isn't by any means extortionate.
There is a good mix of drinking establishments from student hang outs to pub like affairs to cocktail bars. Drinks can be quite expensive but I'd say that's something you should expect in many french towns. Chantilly is quite an affluent area though (think horse riding people) which does bump prices up a little. Dress code is generally smart casual but there is no snobbishness and people are very friendly.

I can't write about places to stay in Chantilly as I've never booked into a hotel there. It would just be a case of printing a list off the internet which would be a waste of my time and yours.

In conclusion, Chantilly is a small but pretty town. It's main feature is definitely horse racing and there are many stables to be found within the vicinity. If you were visiting the town just for a day I'd recommend a trip to the Chateau in the morning before lunch at one of the brasseries along the main street finishing up with an afternoon at the races. People here are never anything less than friendly and willing to help. English is spoken a little mostly to cater for horse racing professionals using the facilities in the area and a lack of french would not be a problem. It's a great town and I am happy to have spent a year living here.

Summary: Visit