torontoveller

Can anyone please provide any info. on the cheapest way to get to Versailles from Paris? Thanks.

Michel_Paris

RER train, line C from central Paris. Then a short walk to the Chateau.

PalenQ

Three different rail routes, the most convenient for most is RER C which runs along the Seine in Paris and one branch of which ends right near Versailles Palace.
Tip - buy a train + admission ticket from the RER ticket window to facilitate not waiting in line and perhaps a cheaper total price. (Not sure of all details on this so hope others will add or correct)
Takes about an hour from Paris to the Palace door via RER C.
There are also trains from Saint-Lazare station and Gare Montparnasse but they do to stations farter afield than the RER C one.

torontoveller

Many many thanks to you both.

torontoveller

One more question. If I am in Paris for a week and want unlimited metro access, is it better to purchase a carte orage or a paris visite? Thanks.

PalenQ

Carte Orange or Navigo or whatever they call it now i believe runs Mon-Sun only - not in 7 day increments so that is a factor

but it's so cheap that if there a week would be hard IMO not to realize benefits even if you buy two

that said Versailles would be outside of the usual central Paris C.O. and not sure it would be worth buying an all-zones one - just pay the supplemental fare i suspose

www.ratp.fr - metro web site for CO info

bob_brown

As I recall the RER stops at at places like Invalides along the Seine.

Trains have names that start with V.

Just make sure you are going to Versailles Rive Gauche. Line C divides in the suburbs and not all C trains go to Versailles Rive Gauche Chateau.


The palace itself is within walking distance of the RER station.

We tried getting there before the ticket booth opened, but it did us little good. For about the first 15 minutes we were not in a mob, then the tour bus throngs caught us at the Hall of Mirrors. Within a few minutes the hall was so full that moving was difficult and photographs became impossible. Too many bodies and too many people jostling for position.

The best place to get a schedule is from the Deutsche Bahn scheduler.

I spent 20 minutes with that blasted sncf system and never could find an an answer. I found schedules in 20 seconds on the DB system. I put in Paris and Versailles and got the details I was looking for.

The German system has English overlays which help. I can read German well enough to not need the English help, but French for me is gibberish.

The trip from Paris Austerlitz RER to Versailles is about 42 minutes.

The C line also has stations at Invalides and Musee d'Orsay.

yk

You can also look into the Forfait Loisirs for Versailles if you don't have the Museum Pass
http://www.transilien.com/web/site/a...ailles/lang/en

bob_brown

From the stop INVALIDES ( Paris)
Take the RER VICK
Direction GARE DE VERSAILLES RIVE GAUCHE to GARE DE VERSAILLES RIVE GAUCHE ( Versailles)

I pirated the above from http://www.transilien.com/web/site/lang/en

However, you almost need to know the exact name in French of where you want to go. Versailles alone was insufficient. Fortunately I got a choice and could click on the right destination.

torontoveller

Thanks. Very helpful. Sounds like a a biblical pilgrimage of sorts.

Seamus

Visiting Versailles from Paris is quite simple and easy, though discussion of the various options can make it sound complex. Your best bet is the forfait loisir as mentioned above. This includes your round trip ticket plus admission without having to wait in line at the chateau, plus it includes free rental of headphones for the audio tour (or at least it did two years ago). Buy it at the Transilien window at a train station in Paris (not at the regular RER window).

As to the Paris Visite versus carte orange/mobilis - it depends. What day of the week do you arrive/depart? And even if you do go for the PV, don't buy the larger zone coverage that includes Versailles - just get zone 1-2 and use the forfait loisir for Versailles.

crefloors

Biblical pilgramage is what it was. My friend and I went to Versailles from Gare Montparnasse. The ticket booth was downstairs, we finally found out after asking a zillion people.

So, then I was trying to see the schedules and of course the board changes every 10th of a second, so I couldn't figure anything out. So we head to the track and look for a sign. I couldn't find anything and we are standing between two trains. Hmmmmm....so, when all else fails, try "eeny, meeny, miney, moe". We got on a train. Somewhere along the way a conductor or someone like that, came through the cars checking tickets. She looked at ours and handed them back. I figured at that point we were on the right train. I would have expected some explatives and waving of arms if we weren't on the right train.

So, we get to the station. I look at a map in the terminal and I see a train that goes to the Chateau. So, now I'm thinking, "where in the hell are we?" I had no idea. So, I go to a ticket window and do the "pardons, the bonjours et all" and ask if she speaks english. My french isn't good enough to get very complicated with anything and when she said "yes, of course", I could have kissed her!!! So yes we were in the right place and it was about a 20 minute walk to the Chateau...in our case a bit longer because we saw and electronics store and finally found a phone charger that would work with my friend's phone.....but...that's another show.

kerouac

The trains from Saint Lazare are just as convenient as the RER C trains, in case you happen to be close to Saint Lazare.

(Versailles has 3 train stations -- the one that has service from Montparnasse is the least convenient, but as the above post implies, it's no big deal if you enjoy walking a little.)

PalenQ

Versailles on weekends in summer is even more delightful as they often have the water fountains in the gardens splish-splashing to music piped in - bringing the gardens to life - called Les Eaux des Versailles or something like that

also sound and light type shows by the famous fountain out the back door at evenings some days.

www.chateaudeversailles.fr

palace closed on Mon.

mv_rd

We're staying in Le Marais and the nearest metro stop is St. Paul.

We would like to purchase the Forfait Loisirs pass but I'm not sure which station is the most convenient. Would it make sense to take the bus to the St. Michel sattion and take the RER C from there? I entered the route info on the ratp.fr site and it gave me several routes.

BTW-for anyone living or visiting Paris right now, what's the weather like? I'm having a hard time packing and I leave on Thurs!!!

bob_brown

In this regard, I do have one question. I am used now to seeing the word Informations on various web sites.

But this one got me. It was on the Transilien site.

See textual informations about the stiff.

What could possibly be the cause of the word "stiff?"

TimS

my_rd,

Bus 96 goes directly from Saint-Paul to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame in six minutes.

mv_rd

Great! Thanks TimS

Seamus

mv_rd =
It is not possible to purchase the forfait loisir at an RER station, but only at a Transilien window. Transilien is operated by SNCF; there is a Transilien kiosk in the Gare du Nord (we have used it) and, I suspect in other train stations - just not at RER stations. http://tinyurl.com/y84c3o

luv2cthings

Actually, the forfait loisir IS sold at RER stations, at least the ones along the C line on the left bank. The RER is part of the Transilien network. Just two weeks ago, I bought the forfait loisir not only for Versailles, but also for Fontainebleau, at the Musee d'Orsay station.