Rueil-Malmaison is a town in the suburbs of Paris. It's about 13 km from the centre of the French capital and home to some 80,000 people. Administratively, it's part of the Hauts-de-Seine department, and also of the network of Imperial Cities. Rueil-Malmaison mesures 1,472 hectares (3,640 acres), of which 350 hectares (860 acres) are green spaces, a quarter of its surface area.

• 1 Tourism Office, 33 Rue Jean le Coz, ☏ +33 1 47 32 35 75. You can find tourist documentation on the city, Hauts-de-Seine as well as the Ile-de-France region. (updated Dec 2023)

Get in

Château du Vert-Mont in the domaine de Vert-Mont

By car

Rueil-Malmaison lies along the large A86 highway. From Paris by car, exit Porte Maillot, Pont de Neuilly, departmental 913 (ex RN 13) direction Rueil-Malmaison.

By rail

Another easy way in is via the RER line A1 from Paris centre (Auber, Chatelêt-les-Halles, Champs-Élysée).

By bus

Bus 258, 141 and 144 from La Defense bus station will also bring you here, and has a stop very close to the Château. Bus 241 from Paris 17e can bring you in the downtown or at the train station (RER A).

See

The famous chateau de Malmaison.

• 2 Château de Malmaison, Avenue du Château de Malmaison, ☏ +33 1 41 29 05 55. Lunchtime closure 12:30-13:30. This beautifully restored castle was once the residence of Napoleon's wife Joséphine de Beauharnais, who cultivated a wide range of exotic plant species in the orangery and greenhouse she had built. For a while, it was also part of the headquarters for the French government. Today it serves as a fine museum about Napoleonic times in France, including original interior decorations and furniture as well as some fine gardens and a great park. €6.50 for adults, plus €2 when there are exhibitions in place. (updated Oct 2016)
• 3 Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church (right in the centre). Joséphine de Beauharnais was buried in the pretty town church. 
• 4 Barracks of the Swiss Guard. Listed as a national monument, these barracks were built in the mid—18th century. 
• 5 Bois de Saint-Cucufa (Forêt de la Malmaison). This forest mesures about 107 hectares (260 acres). There is a lake, a cycling track of 4 km, a health track of 2 km and a few gym equipments, which are free to use. (updated Oct 2023)
• 6 Théatre André Malraux, 9 Pl. des Arts, ☏ +33 1 47 32 24 42. The main place for cultural shows. It proposes circus, danCe, humoristic scenes. Also, the famous TV show La France a un incroyable talent is recorded in this theatre and diffused on M6, one of the most important channel TV in France. (updated Sep 2023)
• 7 Local History Museum. (updated Dec 2023)
• 8 Rueil-Malmaison City Hall, 13 Bd du Maréchal Foch (just next to the Old City Hall), ☏ +33 147326565. (updated Dec 2023)
• 9 Parc de l'amitié, 9 Av. Albert 1er (in the downtown), ☏ +33 1 47 10 08 20. Beautiful asiatic park. (updated Dec 2023)
• 10 Chateau du Bois-Préau, 1 B Av. de l'Impératrice Joséphine, ☏ +33 1 41 29 05 57. (updated Dec 2023)

Do

• Walking in Bois-Préau during spring or autumn season.
• Being in the downtown at night. It is quite relaxing.
• Running on the edges of the Seine, especially at the sunset in summer season.
• Seeing the sunset on the top of the Mont-Valérien hill.
• Swimming in the new public swimming pool in Alain Mimoun. There are also a spa and a gym for relaxing. Prices are not very expensive.
• Doing the sport track in the Bois de Saint-Cucufa. It takes approximately 1 or 2 hours.
• Going to Arsenal for sport activities. Handball, volleyball, athletisme, there is many choices.

There are a lot of fitness clubs (Fitness Park and Basic Fit are the main ones), and lot of other sport clubs for almost every sport (football, tennis, gym, volleyball, ping-pong).

Buy

You will find numerous locally-owned independent stores, especially downtown, where you can buy clothes, food or handmade products such as home decoration.

Eat

There are many bakeries in the downtown where you can buy croissant, pain au chocolat or baguette and many other food items.

• 1 Le Beauharnais, 29 Pl. de l'Église, ☏ +33 1 41 29 12 21. 06:30-23:00. It has a very beautiful view on the Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul church €18-30. (updated Nov 2023)
• 2 L'Auberge du Fruit Défendu, 80 Bd Bellerive, ☏ +33 1 47 49 60 60. 12:00-22:00. Also an hostel. (updated Nov 2023)
• 3 La Terrasse, 28 Rue de la Libération, ☏ +33 1 47 16 02 80. 10:30-22:30. Traditional French dishes. (updated Nov 2023)
• 4 Sapristi, 20 Bd du Maréchal Foch, ☏ +33 1 47 10 01 02. (updated Dec 2023)
• 5 Steak 'n Shake, 26 Rue Hervet (in front of the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church), ☏ +33 1 47 32 36 85. . (updated Dec 2023)

Drink

You can have a drink at the Leffe Bar, Café Bar or at the Long Island Café, in the downtown. You will have a view on La Médiathèque, the town's biggest library where you can rent books, CDs and many other cultural objects.

• 1 Long Island Café, 2 Pass. Napoléon III, ☏ +33 1 57 69 28 60. (updated Dec 2023)
• 2 Café Leffe Rueil-Malmaison, 2 Pass. d'Arcole, ☏ +33 1 47 49 31 86. (updated Dec 2023)

Sleep

You can sleep at the Hotel des Arts (price is about €60-70 per night) or at the Ibis Hotel (a bit cheaper), which is near the André Malraux Theatre and the downtown.

Go next

There are many public transport connections to other cities next to Rueil such as bus, tramway or RER. It is very easy to go in cities around Rueil-Malmaison by public transports or by car.

• Saint-Cloud
• La Défense
• Versailles
• Saint-Germain-en-Laye
• Maisons-Laffitte