Enough Time for Normandy and Versailles
 

Hi,

I'm planning a trip (Paris to Nice to London) for the first week in September with a friend. I've been to Paris twice. For my friend this is her first trip. We'll be spending basically three days in Paris (counting the day that we arrive super early in the morning) and I'm wondering if we might have time to see both Versailles and the D-Day beaches at Normandy. Normandy is the one thing I have wanted to see and have not done, yet. I have not seen Versailles. Not really interested in seeing it, but my friend does. At the top of her Paris list is the Effiel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame. Otherwise she's happy to see whatever. Keep in mind she's not a museum person, but feels she should go to the Louvre to see some of the more famous pieces of artwork. I can see her not wanting to spend more than a couple of hours there.

Is it pushing our travel luck to try and do few Paris sites, Versailles, and the D-Day beaches over three days? It's her first trip to Paris so I'll bypass the Normandy trip if we can't make it work, but I'd like to hear other suggestions and thoughts.

Thanks!

Consider going to London via Normandy and the many boats and catamarans doing the cross-Channel trip in a few hours. I did just that a few years back - took train to Bayeux - spent day touring D-Day sites (lots of mini-bus tours) and then took overnight boat to southern England and train to London.

Info on these boats and trains - i presume you are going by train - great sources - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. The boats from Normandy can be much cheaper than the Eurostar Chunnel trains as well - from 29 euros flat fare as foot passengers when I did it.

You only have 2 1/2 days in Paris & you want to spend an entire "very full" day going to the Normandy D-Day beaches????? And your friend is a first-timer and you are a second-timer???

Simple answer - NO

No to Versailles also - stay in Paris.

Stu Dudley

Versailles is for all practical purposes in Paris! it is a short RER train ride - you could spend just as much time commuting to the Louvre from hotels in some parts of Paris.

I would not at all do Versailles, Normandy and Paris in 3 days. I would just do Paris alone in 3 days. Versailles takes a full day, including the 45 minute or so train ride. I went there 2 years ago. The palace itself was not my thing but I loved Marie Antoinette's picturesque little hamlet, which is about a 40 minute walk from Versailles (or you can take a little tram or golf cart to shorten the distance).

The D-day beaches can be done in a day but at a fast and tiring pace, and it would be a shame to miss out on a longer visit there. I think they deserve two days for a worthwhile visit, including travel time to and from Normandy.

Uh uh. You have virtually no time at all in Paris to begin with, and unless you're starting off from another close-by country in Europe, your first day will be fairly useless anyway. So that really gives you 2 days (and if you're leaving for Nice on Day 3, even less than 2 days). Versailled may be a short train ride from Paris, but it will eat up at least half a day. You could take one of those extreeeeemely long day tours to the D-Day beaches, but then you have NO time for Paris.

So, No.

Paris, seulement Paris! Go to Versailles when you return again to Paris---which you will!

If you must do one, I'd choose Versailles but it's going to "eat" a day. When you see how huge the place is, you'll understand the comments here. Hub and I have visited there 2 times and still haven't gotten to all of the buildings.

sorry, but I have to agree with the others - you should find more than enough to do in Paris in the time you've got.

however, you don't have to decide now - Versailles can be done just by jumping on the RER C trains that go along the south bank, and you'll be there in 45 mins. add on another 15 mins to walk up to the Palace, and 2 to tour the palace itself, with as long as you like to see the gardens and the trianon [Marie antoinette's favourite spot referred to above] which you can reach on foot, cycle, golf buggy, or the little train that runs around the grounds. use one of these rather than walk, and you could do it in 3/4 of a day, certainly.

I like the idea of doing Normandy on the way to or from Paris, but if you've only got a day, that's probably not long enough, AND you'll be kicking yourself when you get to Paris that you didn't spend more time there.

Technically yes, you could. Spend your arrival day at Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, head to Versailles day 2 and do a D-day tour the third day. However, as others have emphasized, this would leave you VERY little time for anything else. (I only spent four or five hours at Versailles, but I skipped the Trianon - just did the chateau and walked through the gardens awhile.)

If you choose to do either, I'd pick one of Versailles or Normandy. Based on my own preferences I'd do a D-day tour, but be aware that it is a very long day from Paris. We took the one offered by Fat Tire (who contracts with Normandy Sightseeing Tours) - we left on the 9:10am train from Gare St Lazare and didn't get back to our hotel until 11pm. We would have gotten in an hour earlier had our train back not been delayed, but still, it's a very long day. The actual tour was very good, though.

Thanks for the thoughts. We've only got so much time in Paris without sacrifice time in the other places we want to see and since Versailles is at the top of my friend's list it's a must do. I think I underestimated how much there was to see there.

Thanks!

I'd recommend Versailles, but not D-Day sites. Seeing the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame and Versailles in one three day trip is certainly worth it in my opinion. Here's an example: Let's say you're staying near the Eiffel Tower. Catching the RER C from Champs de mars/Tour Eiffel station out to Versailles Rive gauche takes 25 minutes. Compare that trip with a metro trip from the same station to the Marais - Place des Vosges area (Chemin Vert Station) it'll take you 27 minutes. In this example, Versailles is quicker.

Versailles is also on your friends must see list. You could easily see the Louvre (short visit to see the highlights - 3-4 hours), Notre Dame (2-3 hours it's fairly close to the Louvre) and still have plenty of time to see the Eiffel Tower in the evening. One day. Then go to Versailles for a 1/2 day, followed by Paris walking in the other half.

Normandy is just too far and too long to do in one day, IMO

OK - so you want to go to Versailles. My suggestion is that you go very early, before the main palace opens and walk the grounds.

This gives you a head start on seeing Versailles without starting too late in the day. It also gives you more time in Paris proper.

The grounds will be virtually empty and there won't be mobs of people at this time of day.

I've done this twice, and really prefer to visit this way.

here's the website for versailles:

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/prepa...kets-and-rates

on our last trip, because we knew that we wanted to go to versailles, we pre-booked on line and printed out the tickets, so we just walked through by-passing the lines. unfortunately you can only buy tickets for a specific day on line, and you may not want to commit yourselves. but if you get there early, the queues shouldn't be too bad.

and early is best, as rastaguy says, though i might suggest seeing the interior of the Palace first before the coach parties turn up. then wander/cycle. be driven through the grounds, at least as far as the start of the grand canal. we walked right down to the trianon as we hadn't got that far on our first visit [30 years ago] but weren't as keen on it as others above were.

the interior of the Palace itself, [which we almost decided not to bother with, having seen it 30 years ago] is however a MUST, despite the crowds, the groups, the group leaders nattering away in every language you could think of and then some - a definite 3 stars, as michelin would have it.

PS-the name on the front of the RER train to Versailles was 'Vick' the 2 times we went.

PS-the name on the front of the RER train to Versailles was 'Vick' the 2 times we went.>>

the train indicator boards will show : Versailles - Rive Gauche.

IMHO this makes no sense. You oly have 2.5 days in Paris. Versailles would take a half a day. Seeing even a few things in Normandy is a VERY long day from Paris (either 14 hours on a tour bus or renting a car and driving). That would leave only ONE day to see anything in Paris. Why go at all?

You could split up. Your friend could go to Versailles while you go to Normandy. When traveling with another person, it's not necessary to stay glued to each other. In fact, splitting up some of the time makes everybody happier.

No, no, and no. Surely you could see this.

Your friend has never been to Paris aand Versailles in on top of her list? Hmmmm. Versailles is a special place in some ways. Actually, it's just a big house. It is far down on my list of recommendations for people going to France--there is SO much more that is more special and accessible easily. And your trip to normandy (via a bus tour) will be a 14 hour day--fine, if you've been to Paris a lot. I am really not understanding a hit and run trip you are outlining--but it is your trip.

well, the OP is pretty clear the Versailles is a must, at least for her friend.

though i know that trying to dissuade a poster from their ideas, sometimes in very strong terms, is a fodors tradition, in this case she needs to know the information, particularly about Versailles, just in case they do decide to go. it wouldn't be my idea of a first trip to Paris, but it may be theirs.