I loved visiting Chateau de Chantilly. However, the horse demonstration was not until 430 PM and that is when our bus was leaving. There was no 11:30 AM demonstration as we were told by the guide and the paperwork/website. To see the actual show at 2:30 PM, I had to pay 14 euros extra. The show was fabulous, but we should have been told the correct times and prices to that effect. The show and the demonstration are two different things and this is NOT clear on any of the information. How can this tour operator take people there day in and day out and not know the correct times for the shows and the horse demonstration? That is a big reason why we are going to Chantilly - to see the famous horses!! The Chateau and the horses rate a 5 star but the misinformation etc. sadly rates a 3 star.

This trip provides a good opportunity to see the French countryside and the north side of Paris, as it takes about 1 1/4 hours to get there. We had ample time to walk to the stables and look around before the 11am dressage demonstration. It was not the Viennese riding school, and the commentary was all in French, but if you love horses, you will enjoy it. There were 2 riders on dressage horses demonstrating the basics, and then a Shetland pony was used to show more advanced moves without a rider. The horse museum was interesting, but crowded before the show. If you enjoy art, you will enjoy the Chateau. The English audio guide was useful and highlighted the interesting features of each room. There was a reasonably priced cafe downstairs, and also at the Hameau, a 15 minute walk away through the gardens and forest. I was finished looking around an hour earlier than the pick up time, but it was nice to relax in the beautiful grounds. However, we got caught in rush hour traffic through Paris and didn't get back to the Rue Rivoli until 6:30pm. It was useful to not only take a photo of the bus, but also showing the background, as it was hard to re-find our drop-off point. Fortunately, the 8 of us on this trip looked out for each other. There are many other buses arriving at the same time but at different points, so it was confusing. The staff were very helpful.