Can you see any of Versaille just by driving through the town?
 

I am coming to the conclusion that we don't have time to visit Versaille while in France this July. We (myself, DH and DS) arrive from London on a Tuesday, stay 3 nights in Paris (6th E), rent a car and tour Normandy for 3 nights, then one last night someplace convenient to CDG airport. There is so much to do in Paris, and who knows when we will return (too much to see in the world)! I was curious if we drove through the town on the way back from the Bayeux area to Paris, if we would see any of the palace or grounds just by driving though, or parking and taking a short break to walk around (without paying the entry fee and entering the site). Would it be worth the detour?

No, because it is a castle outside of the town. And for me, don't be too upset about missing it. I might suggest that you BEGIN your trip by going to Normandy because you will be right at the car rental at CDG. Return the car to CDG or Orly, taxi into Paris, and stay for the remainder of your time, taking a taxi to the airport. I always feel this maximizes your time and you aren't checking in and out of htoels and picking up cars "somewhere"--and trying to navigate out of Paris.
The Michelin Green Guide to Normandy is VERY good, even for the beaches.

You can see the front of the palace just driving by, but it will frustrate the hell out of you. And you can park there, too.

Gretchen: Thanks for tip about the Michelin Green Guide.

We are coming to Paris from London by train. Also, we have hotels and a D-day tour already booked so the order of the travel is set. We will only have the car for the 4 days of our Normandy portion of the trip so I don't expect to drive in Paris at all. If there is an easier place to pick up the car on the way out of Paris (instead of picking up at CDG), and be able to return it at CDG airport at departure than we will do that.

Well, I think you'll drive OUT of Paris perhaps. I wasn't suggesting you would be driving around Paris.

You can walk into the palace courtyard for free.

Rather than taking a detour on your drive back to Paris I would get up early one morning and take the RER to the Chateau, walk around the gardens for an hour and then zip back to Paris or just look at the chateau from the street. You can do that before it opens.

When we were there last, we got caught in a sudden downpour walking inbetween the Castle and the Queens Hamlet. Near the lake/staging area we found an access point to a part of town Ive never been to before. Half a block from the access we there is a cafe where we waited out the storm over lunch. I mention this only because if someone knowlegable like kerouac can tell you what street that is you can easily park& explore the gardens/Queens Hamlet and view the castle(from the outside) within the time you would just park in the main area and walk up to the Castle

According to Rick Steves' site:

"The gardens are free, except on April–Sept weekends, when the fountains blast and the price shoots up to €8 (see "Fountain Spectacles")."

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti...versailles.htm

We were actually disappointed with visiting the interior of the palace because it was just so crowded on the day we were there. A visit to the gardens and seeing the exteriors would be lovely (you can rent bicycles in the gardens or a boat if you had a bit more time).

The palace is not really "outside of town", it's more on the edge of the town. You can easily walk to cafes and such from the front entrance (also there are refreshments within the palace grounds). And just several blocks away (at Place du Marche Notre Dame is a very nice open-air market (which I believe is open Tues, Fri and Sun--there are inside portions which may be open on other days as well).

You can see the palace's relationship to the town and the market on Google Earth or Google Maps (use the satellite view), and if you use the StreetView feature on either of those you can actually "walk" around the Versailles gardens, as Google has used its new tricycle vehicle there.

If you are in Paris for 3-4 days it is NOT worth a day to go to Versailles!!

Gretchen is right, unless you are really into going. I wouldn't skip anything in Paris to go to Versailles.

If you need to stay back near CDG for the last evening consider Senlis or Chantilly area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senlis,_Oise

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Chantilly

With such limited time in Paris, I wouldn't visit Versailles either. But if you must, why not arrange to pick up your ccar in Versailles for the Normandy leg of the trip? You could take the RER to Versailles, walk around the gardens a bit, then pick up the car and drive to Normandy in the afternoon. I certainly wouldn't go from Paris out to CDG to pick up a rental car to turn around and drive to Normandy.

If I remember correctly, we walked from the train station to Versailles. Didn't think it was far. I thought the outside was lovely - don't remember that much about the inside.

We found returning a rental car to Orly airport quite easy.

Like StCirq's idea. Take early train to Versailles, to get there before tour bus rush. Visit gardens, have lunch, pick up car and be on your way. The only planning may revolve on where to store your luggage.

Or...be at rental agency in Versailles when doors open, store luggage in car, .....

As others have said, I would not give up a day in Paris for Versailles, unless it's something you feel you "must" see.

I wouldn't bother just driving by Versailles or going for a walk in the morning, but it is not outside town. It's just a short walk from the RER train station and is in Versailles proper.

<<<Gretchen is right, unless you are really into going. I wouldn't skip anything in Paris to go to Versailles.>>>

Isn't it strange? I could not contemplate Paris without going to Versailles.

If you love history and find being in the place it happened exciting and romantic its unmissable. If its just another posh building with a lake give it a miss.

We will probably skip Versailles. I should probably research picking up a rental car on our way out of Paris as we head to Rouen on Friday, somewhere more convenient than CDG airport, and being able to drop it off at the airport on Tuesday. Any tips on this?

We took all our family to Paris for a week. Adult kids and spouses or fiancee. One couple wanted to go to Versailles. I started to say something about it, and DS said, MOM, we're going to Versailles. I had all the info about doing it ready for them whenever they decided to do it. Came to be 2 or so days to go, and I said something about Versailles. They said, OH--a half to a whole day? Oh, no. We don't have time to do it!"