weather in Versailles
updated in october from 2017
How to get to Versailles
There are several ways to get from Paris to Versailles: RER, other train options (departing from Gare Paris Montparnasse or Gare Saint-Lazare), bus, rental car, taxi, tourist buses, guided tours...
In our opinion, the best way (considering cost-benefit) is to go by RER. It's easy, fast, and you don't need to buy a round-trip ticket beforehand, because trains leave every 20 minutes.
There are RER A, RER B, RER C, RER D and RER E. The one that goes to the Château de Versailles (Château de Versailles is the RER C. Make sure you are taking the train in the correct direction, that is, the one which goes to Versailles (Versailles château - Rive gauche), the nearest station.
The first step is to look for the nearest metro to where you are that serves the RER C line. For example, Champ de Mars, Pont de l'Alma, Invalides...
By bus is also easy. Just go to the final station of line 9, Pont de Sèvre, and take bus number 171. At the exit of the metro, there are several signs indicating the location of the line's final stop. Then you go from one point to the other, because the Château de Versailles station is the last station. There's no error.
If you prefer, PariscityVision sells, on its website, several options for tours to Versailles (Versailles), departing from Paris.
VERSAILLES
How to get there - Itinerary for 1 day - Our tips - Map and images
RETURN (ONE DAY TRAVEL FROM PARIS)
Visit to the Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles, in fact, is a complex that includes, in addition to the main castle, the mansion of Trianon and the domain of Marie-Antoinette, all surrounded by beautiful gardens.
It is one of the most visited tourist spots in France and therefore it is always crowded. So, be prepared for queues. I like to visit the garden and the smaller palaces first. The Palace, I suggest leaving for the afternoon because the lines are a little shorter. If you prefer on the contrary, the tip is to arrive very early.
The gardens of the Palace of Versailles
There are woods and flower beds with several statues and lakes with beautiful fountains, all very well aligned in the French style of gardening. It was created by landscaper André Le Nôtre, who served under Louis XIV. During spring, summer and early autumn, the stroll through the gardens is most enjoyable. In the cold season it gets a little more difficult, first because it is very windy in the place, second because some works of art and parts of the garden are protected by a kind of sheet.
You can walk or move from one point to another by train. I prefer to walk because in addition to seeing everything more calmly, the train line is almost always huge (and slow). So, go with comfortable shoes.
The gardens are open every day from 8 am to 6 pm, but if you want to watch the “Musical Garden”, when the fountains put on a show with classical background music during some hours of the day, or the night show, which is even more beautiful, You have to buy your own ticket. The daytime shows take place from April to October and on some alternative days, and the night shows, on Saturdays, during the summer. Before you go, check the Palace's official website http://www.chateauversailles.fr/
IN 1 to two HOURS
FROM PARIS
UP TO 1 HOUR FROM PARIS
FROM 2 TO 4 HOURS
FROM PARIS
(OUT OF FRANCE)
Our list, quite succinct, includes the most visited cities; those included in the World Heritage List and others labeled "most beautiful village". You can take a day trip or even extend your visit. Check out!
PARIS ROUNDAWAY (ONE DAY TRAVEL)
About Us:
Friends for over 30 years, both systems analysts, we have in common an interest in art, photography, literature and history. This is where our enthusiasm for traveling comes from.
The successes, difficulties and even mistakes when planning the travels with our families, with the children, with friends, or alone, resulted in very varied experiences and gave us a piece of baggage that we wanted to share and led us on this path: helping them prepare their itinerary according to their personal choices. We know that tastes and audiences always vary. Oh and how... That's why we selected very different options, always showing information and images so you can choose and assemble your trip !
Lilian Possession and
Giselle Mettrau
The Main Palace
The main halls are on the first floor: The King's and Queen's chambers are around the Marble Courtyard and the halls where official court activities were held are adjacent to the garden. Starting from the hall of Hercules came others consecrated to the gods of Olympus.
the great halls
A magnificent sequence of rooms, decorated with extreme luxury, each one with a function and purpose at the time. For example, the beautiful salon of Hercules displays paintings by Veronese; in the hall of Apollo was the King's throne; the hall of Mars was devoted to music and dance; in the Abundance hall, with various curiosities and collections, liqueurs, coffee, teas and other beverages were served; the Venus room, which features beautiful baroque decor, the ceiling decorated with a painting of the planet Venus and symbols associated with the Goddess of Love, as well as several subsequent rooms named after planets, were devoted to the myth of the solar system.
Rooms of the Kings and Queens
The rooms are arranged as if they were a small apartment without a kitchen, with a sequence of rooms before reaching the master bedroom. A curiosity is that the rooms had camouflaged doors for the King and Queen to meet.
Hall of Mirrors
The highest point of the visit is the Hall of Mirrors. To get there, you have to go through an Indian line that seems interminable. But don't give up, it's worth it.
Large mirrors were arranged with archways opposite 17 windows overlooking the gardens. Thus, the king could admire its magnificent gardens from any part of the great hall. Glass chandeliers adorn the ornate ceiling with scenes that celebrate the early years of the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King. The golden statues and reliefs on the walls give the place a unique sumptuousness. The Hall of Mirrors is located between the Hall of Peace and the Hall of War.
In the hall of mirrors, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which officially ended the Second World War.
Le Grand Trianon
The Grand Trianon was built to be a haven for Louis XIV, who wanted to escape the activities and rigors of the court, as well as harbor his love affairs. Only the few people he chose entered.
It is a one-story mansion, built with pink marble, sumptuously decorated. and surrounded by geometric gardens and groves.
Domaine de Marie-Antoinette
It was during a costume ball in the Hall of Mirrors that King Louis XV met Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson d'Étiolles, who was dressed as Diana, a goddess. Jeanne-Antoinette, who would become Louis XV's mistress, became known in history as Madame de Pompadour. It was for her that Louis XV ordered the construction of the Petit Trianon. But Madame de Pompadour died and was unable to attend the completion of the work, which took place with her new lover, the beautiful Jeanne Bécu, known as Madame du Barry. At the time of Louis XV's death, Madame du Barry was withdrawn of the place. Upon assuming the throne, Louis XVI offered the Petit Trianon to his wife Marie Antoinette, who transforms the place and has her refuge there, where not even the king could enter without his permission. The place became known as Domaine de Marie Antoinette.
Domaine de Marie-Antoinette is home to the Petit Trianon and the Hameau
Marie-Antoinette, the last queen of France, was a controversial figure... If some who lived closely with the queen (such as some chambermaids) considered her admirable and extremely kind, others saw her as negligent of her monarch duties, a spendthrift without limits and lover of luxury.
Born in Austria, she was betrothed to Louis-Auguste (grandson of Louis XV and future King Louis XVI) as a child. They were married in May 1770.
However, Marie-Antoinette did not adapt well to life at the Court, full of official rituals and ceremonies. At age 19, with the death of Louis XV, Louis-Auguste was the successor to the throne and Marie became queen. The two were very different. He liked to get up early, work, read and sleep early. She was the opposite: she liked parties, gambling, fashion, and waking up late. With that, he stayed more and more in his small mansion, free from so many solemnities, but living a life of extravagance and luxury.
The suffering people, starving and paying demeaning taxes to support the nobility, turned against the queen. The scandal of the theft of a diamond necklace further tarnished her reputation despite her innocence. She, in turn, ignoring the “voice” of the people, ordered the construction of her Hameau, a small village next to the palace.
The queen was sentenced to death, awaited her sentence at the Conciergerie and passed away at age 37.
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon is an extremely simple construction on the outside, but its interior is splendidly decorated. Small and cozy compared to the main castle.
It is surrounded by English gardens, less formal than the French ones.
Hameau de La Reine
Queen Marie-Antoinette asked them to build a place where she could be in constant contact with nature. A refuge, let's say... A village with picturesque houses, lakes, gardens, vegetable gardens, orchards and animals. There, she and her children spent much of their time.