Paris to Versailles
 

I will be in Paris for 3 1/2 days. We are 4 adults and 1 child. We will be staying near the Gare de Lyon station and would like to go to Versailles for a day trip. Is it possible to take a train. I have not been to Paris in 25 years and then went by the seat of my pants. Don't think that is a good idea for 2 seniors 2 young adults and a child.

Get a Guide book and it will direct you. Sounds like you could use one anyway.

three diffferent trains go to Versailles - from the Gare de Lyon walk over the new Pont De Gaulle bridge to Austerlitz station and hop on RER line C (which also stops at Notere-Dame/Saint-Michel station) and take this train to the end of the line - just a few blocks from the palace entrance - buy an aller-et-retour (round-trip) ticket - but you must compostez (cancel) tickets yourself by sticking them in a composteur - cancelling machine trackside or at the entrance to the platforms - do this both ways and save your ticket until you are out of the door at Versailles - often you need to put your ticket in a machine to get the doors to open at exists so never through away your metro/RER tricket until you are outside the exit to the street.

Be prepared for an onslaught of 'there is so so much in Paris itself to do - you do not have time to trek way out there - well it is really a short about half-hour train ride each way - your child may like the upper deck of these usually double-decker trains, some of which have been decorated in a motif taken from Versailles itself - elaborately decorated top to bottom.

Paris museum passes are valid at Versailles and give you priority entrance I believe so you may not have to wait in a long line (or you still may) - be sure to let your kid play in the gardens out back - perhaps rent a small boat on the pond as kids like to do or take the people-mover train around the vast park - like to Marie-Antoinette's Hameau where she loved to pretend to be a shepherd.

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage

On some weekends there are special fountain shows in the gardens - Les Eaux de Versailles or some such wording and all the many fountains splish-splashing to piped in classical museum - special admission for this but as Ed Sullivan used to say 'a really good show'.

what PalenQ said. just walk across the river and pick up the RER.

the Michelin green guide to Paris is a very good one.

Yes, you can take the train - most people do. The Versailles web site has instructions.

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/prepa.../single/access

OK, here goes. You have 3.5 days, haven't been there for 25 years, and I assume that is the lone trip. Have your travelling companions been to Paris? You will spend 3/4 of a day getting there and touring a BIG ornate palace. Impressive, but so are many many other things in the city of Paris--also iconic sites/sights. Will the child really love it? Will the younger folks also just love it?

We took the train to Versailles from gare St Lazare(there is at least one other station that has trains to Versailles) a couple of times, its easy & convenient

Here is a metro map
http://parisbytrain.com/files/2008/06/metro.pdf

Yes you can take train from Gare St Lazarre as well as take the RER, the RER runs frequently so most do that . Its easy, its the last stop on the line, just be sure to board the train to Versailles that's labelled Versailles Rive Gauche or VICK, there is another one that goes to Versailles Chantiers, its not a huge deal if you got on it by accident, just means a 20 minute walk to Chateau instead of a 5 minute walk.

I absolutely think that two seniors , two young adults and one child SHOULD do a little bit of stuff by seat of their pants.. overplanning can be just as diasterous and stressful as under planning.

Thank you for the advice. It has been very helpful.

Not sure if RER still sells combo train + Versailles tickets as they once did - if so you could avoid a wait in the ticket line (but the Paris Museum Pass is your ticket to use if going to 2 or 3 other major museums (Louvre, Orsay, etc.

Palen, no the "Forfait Loisirs" which is what speak of was discontinued at least 3 or 4 years ago now, which is a terrible shame as it did make it so easy,, drats.

And just to be thorough - be sure that the RER C train you get on is C5 with destination of Versailles Rive Gauche. There are other branches that end up elsewhere.

justine - yes, I miss the forfait loisirs option, too!

If your hotel is near the Opera or Saint-Lazare station taking the regular commuter trains from there to Versailles may be better - timewise at least and you walk right thru the heart of downtown Versailles - great market hall and lively town - perhaps go one route and return by the other.

The highlight of the route from Saint-Lazare is when the train goes thru the Saint-Cloud area, yielding marvellous views of Paris spread out far below this hilly spot - much like a relief map - you can see it all. Get off at St Cloud ans savor the view - I have picnicked up there with all of Paris lying at my feet!

Some folks do both Versailles and Chartres the same day - to see the world-famous Chartres Cathedral - in this case go to the Versailles Chantiers station for trains that put you right under the great cathedral in Chartres in about a half-hour - easy to do both Versailles and Chartres in a nice if longer day trip.