I just found out that the RER C from Paris to Versailles is kaput - I'm supposed to be going tomorrow! I'm taking the train in to Gare de l'Est from Germany. Any suggestions on how to (economically) get to Versailles without using the C line??

Thank you!

You can take a regular train from Gare Montparnasse to Versailles-Chantier station.
Or you can take the metro Line 9 to the Pont de Sevres stop, which connects to bus 171 to the front of the chateau. We have done this route in reverse, after visiting the chateau.

Actually the RATP site lists 3 'breaks' in service on the RER-C but none of them prevent you from going to Versailles. The Paris section is Gare d'Austerlitz to Invalides.. You could depart from Pont de l'Alma or Champ de Mars to Versailles, C5 line.

I actually don't see any interruption on RER-C for Tuesday April 27 on RATP.

Travaux sur le réseau RER :
- between Gare d'Austerlitz and Invalides (nights, May 10-12)
- between Massy-Palaiseau and Juvisy (C2 line) - April 19-30
- between Juvisy and St Martin d'Etampes (C6 line) - several days in May

And you also have the direct commuter train from Gare Saint-Lazare to Versailles - Rive Gauche station several blocks from the palace. RER-C is the closest station so try to take it from places TimS mentions.

The train from Saint Lazare is excellent and quite close to the palace as well.

For variety take one route to the palace and one back - the Saint-Lazare route goes via La Defense i believe - interesting enough for a quick stop to see the Grande Arche de la Defense and the view right straight in line with the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees - or to visit one of the larger shopping malls in the Ile-de-France.

From La Defense you can also connect with RER A and Ligne 1 (i think '1') of the Paris Metro.

Thank you so much for the info!

I think I will try different ways - if I use the bus, where do I get the ticket? The metro tickets aren't enough, are they?

Thanks again!

For the sake of clarity, here are your route choices entirely by train:

1. RER C to Versailles-Rive Gauche, closest station to the chateau.

2. Gare Montparnasse to Versailles-Chantiers.

3. Gare Saint-Lazare to Versailles-Rive Droite.

5. La Defense to either Versailles-Chantiers or Versailles-Rive Droite.

You can buy a bus ticket from the driver.

and TimS forgot 4-

4- ?

Metro tickets are valid on the buses. The driver will tell you if you have to use one, two or three tickets for the full route.

The bus option i believe gives you a great chance to stop off, near the bus route, the Sevres Porcelain factory/museum which i visited not long ago and found really interesting.

Oops! Change the 5 to a 4.