You have probably waited a lifetime to take the perfect trip to Paris and we all know that life sometimes makes us take a different path from which we originally intended. Life may have caught up to you and you just never made the time to go, but it’s time to stop making excuses! Now is the perfect time to visit Paris in France and no visit to Paris is complete without a day trip to the Château de Versailles and Les Jardins du Château de Versailles.
How to get there
In order to get to Versailles, you will need to take one of the RER trains out of Paris. RER trains service the suburbs around Paris. The Metro lines service within the confines of the city of Paris. The way you can tell the difference between the Metro lines and the RER lines is that the Metro lines are numbered (1-14) and the RER lines are lettered (A-E). The line you will most likely need to take out of Paris is RER Line C.
At the time this blog post was written, RER C was indicated by the color yellow and the letter C. You can purchase your tickets when you get to Paris in any Metro station, but I had the Paris Museum Pass and purchased a 3-day transportation ticket with the pass. I only did this so that I had the ticket before I arrived in Paris. Now that I’ve been to Paris a few times, I just purchase my tickets upon arrival.
I’ve included a downloadable map of the RER C line from Parisbytrain.com. Most likely you’ll be getting on the RER C line at the Orsay Museum (it will say Musee d’Orsay on the map) or Champ de Mars which is by the Eiffel Tower but you can get on the line at any point noted on the map. You just want to make sure that RER C train you get on says Versailles Château-Rive Gauche as the end of the line. If the electronic sign on the front or side of the train says Pontoise then you will need to get off at Champ de Mars station and switch to the train that says Versailles Château-Rive Gauche. So to simplify it, get on the RER C line at any point. If the sign on the train says Versailles Château-Rive Gauche then you’re good to go. Otherwise, take the train going toward Pontoise until you get to Champ de Mars then get off, do not leave the underground, and wait for the next RER C train that is going toward Versailles Château-Rive Gauche. Download the map and it will all make sense. You can also read my last post about navigating the Paris metro underground stations and download the app in that post to help make your travels by train much simpler.
FYI: Versailles Château-Rive Gauche station is about eight or nine stops from Champ de Mars and should be about a 45-minute ride.
Paris is very similar to many other metropolitan cities when it comes to train transport. The further outside the city you go, the more expensive the ticket ride is. Versailles Château-Rive Gauche station is in zone five. The majority of rides around Paris are in zones one and two. The ride out to Versailles may cost about 15 € round trip unless you have a pre-paid ticket like I did with the Paris Museum Pass. This video might also help.
I also wrote some travel tips in a previous post on how to navigate the Paris underground metro stations if you need more help. If you’ve never ridden on a train before or used public transportation, the process can be a little confusing but once you get on the right train, it’s smooth sailing.
What to do at Château de Versailles
Once you get to Versailles Château-Rive Gauche station, you can take one of the buses to the actual Château or just walk. The entrance fee to the palace and the gardens were included in our Paris Museum Pass but you can buy tickets. If you purchase tickets through the previous link, just type in Versailles in the search bar and you’ll find the Versailles entrance with audio tour ticket. I suggest buying tickets in advance but you can also purchase tickets once you arrive.
**TIP: The estate is closed on Mondays. This may also be true to some of the other attractions you’d like to visit around Paris. Be advised that certain museums are closed on different days of the normal work week. Also be aware that there are free days for visitors on certain Sundays throughout the year.***
The palace at Versailles was home to many of the royal family of France for almost a century until the beginning of the French Revolution. The chateau is a symbol of the ancient regime of absolute monarchy by a ruling family that came to an end after the monarchy was overthrown due to the French Revolution. It is a representation of how the French nobility and aristocracy lived prior to the period and the palace, as well as the gardens, are well maintained even though the reign of the monarchy has not existed for several hundred years.
The main focal points throughout the palace are
- the Hall of Mirrors
- the Royal Opera House
- the King’s state apartments
- Marie Antoinette’s private chambers
- the apartments of the King’s mistresses
- the Dauphin and Dauphine’s rooms
- all of the art galleries
It may help to listen to an audio guide or read about all the history of the rooms that you’re traveling through or you can just look and marvel at the beauty of the signs of French nobility. My sister and I relied a bit on the offline audio tours from Rick Steves as we traveled through Europe. You can download the app
and download the tours you need as you go and then delete them after you’ve visited the attraction to save memory on your phone. The audio tours by Rick Steves are great because since they can be used offline. You don’t have to use data while accessing them and they’re free. If you’re looking for the Versailles Audio Tour that is for iOS, click the link to download. For Android, you can download the tour directly into the app once you download the app.
I have also included a small list of items that will help you make the most of your trip, keep your energy levels up, and keep your devices and batteries charged.
Thoughts and tips regarding the Château and Gardens
After making my way through the palace and all of the key rooms, I will say that I was not exactly overwhelmed with emotions by the palace. There were some nice tapestries and well-kept antiques, but nothing really made me gasp for air.
What actually knocked my socks off was Les Jardins du Château de Versailles or the gardens. I felt like the palace was small in comparison to the sprawling gardens. The gardens are huge and I encourage getting a map so that you can manage to make your way back to the palace without getting lost. If you time it right, you may even get to experience the sights and sound of the fountain shows around the gardens. I really just loved how there was a surprise around almost every corner while walking around the large hedges. You may be surprised when you come upon the numerous fountains, rare plants, one-of-a-kind sculptures, and expertly cut hedges throughout and it will seem like you’re walking through a maze at many points (hence why the map may be needed). The gardens are the perfect place to take Instagram photos or even have a professional photo shoot.
FYI: There is free Wi-Fi in places just in case you really need to stay connected. Also, if you have certain bulky items you’re carrying, there is a left luggage area to drop these items off so you can enjoy the splendors of the chateau without lugging around a heavy bag.
As you might expect, the palace is kept in remarkable shape and all of the fabrics and decorum from the period are pristine. If you would like to read more about each of the rooms within the palace, you can find out more and make a list of places you must see.
Overall, I felt the Chateau of Versailles was a great way to get out of the city of Paris and see something a little different and experience a little more of the history of France from an outsider looking in. I would plan for at least 3 hours here if you’re looking to take your time and get the full experience. They do have a train that goes around the chateau if you’re looking to speed things up a bit if you’re limited on time.
If you are looking for a few other activities, train tickets, and rail passes while in Paris you can find out more in the link below
