kamleshrut

Dear all,
We will be having time up to 2pm. Catching TGV to Berne from Gare de Lyon at 3:15 pm.

Can we embark upon doing Versailles? We will be staying near 'Republique'.

Kindly guide us.
K.

mlaffitte

Yes, you can definitely do it in half a day. However, you might want to consider booking a tour, to avoid having to wait in line at the chateau. For example Cityrama has a tour leaving from the Place des Pyramides at 9:15 am, returning about 1:15 pm.

Trudaine

You certainly don't need to book a tour to visit Versailles. To avoid wasting time in the lines, buy a "forfait loisirs" (train ticket and chateau entrance combo) at any RER station. Be there when the place opens (train ride is about 40 minutes from Paris).

Half a day is awfully short for all there is to see at Versailles. With that little time, you will simply be "doing" the place. Except if your interest for Versailles does not go beyond the fact that it is presented as part of the obligatory "must sees" in your guide book, I would save it for another trip...

Web site : www.chateauversailles.fr/en

hausfrau

Short answer: yes, you "can" do it.

Long answer: Versailles is vast, and to really do it justice (without exhausting yourself), you need a full day, with a nice lunch break at one of the restaurants out in the gardens. You don't get a real understanding of the whole place and its role in French history without visiting the gardens, the smaller palaces, and Marie Antoinette's Hameau.

That being said, if this is your only chance to see it and you don't think you'll be back any time soon, go for it. Try to arrive when it opens, and you will have time to do the audio tour of the palace (about 40 minutes, as I recall), and depending on how fast you walk, you could probably visit the Petit Trianon and Le Hameau.

We managed to fit quite a lot into our visit between 9:30 am and 3:00 pm. I described our visit in detail in Day 7 (last day) of my trip report at:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34920803

janisj

The others have explained how it can be done. But you are staying at Republique - so you need to count on about an hour from Versailles to your hotel. In order to pick up your bags and get to gare de Lyon by 3:15 you'd want to leave the Palace by 1:15 at the latest (the train is only 40 mins - but you need to factor in the walk to the station, travel time to your hotel, and travel time to Gare de Lyon.)

So yes, it CAN be done - but I probably wouldn't . . . . .

sharon1306

Agree with the others. Can be done if you plan on arriving when the palace opens. We enjoyed the day we spent there, and if this is your only chance to see it, I think you should do it.

kamleshrut

Woods are lovely---. We do not know, in this short life we will get one more chance.

Thanks for showing both sides of the coin. At least we will be prepared.

"forfait loisirs" seems to be a good choice. Will buy this ticket a day ahead. Probably I will check out and leave the luggage at Gare de lyon luggage room early in the morning. [What should be the cost per piece?]
Then catch the Versailles train and after 40 min ride will reach well in advance of opening the gates. With one day pass ["forfait loisirs"?], lines will be less of a problem. [Correct me].
Leisurely walk will not be my cup of tea. But I will see some glimses for which this awesome monument stands for, rather than not seeing at all.
Thanks a lot for the inputs.
Kamlesh.

Rastaguytoday

I took a bus on my first trip and arrived fairly early, before the palace opened.

I met a Brit and she and I walked the grounds together when we were the only folks. Best way to see it, in its natural beauty without the masses.

We came back to the palace as it just opened and got to see much without it being too crowded. Back to Paris in the early afternoon and we parted ways, she was off the the Louvre.

kamleshrut

So, we have been to Versailles.
Alas, we could not visit Garden, Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Hameau. Yes, you were right, Hausfrau.
We realized that it would have been better, had we spent the whole day over there.
I had much more expectations on this palace. Not spending enough time over here and aftereffects of visiting other monuments in Paris resulted in some disappointment.

But no regrets. as there were no 'long lines'. We could stroll & see the rest of the palace at slow pace.
Thanks for your suggestions.
k.

Robespierre

After checking your luggage, your best route would be to walk across the river to the Gare d'Austerlitz and ride the RER C all the way to Versailles Rive Gauche. Trains run every 15 minutes in the morning, but note that at midday they're 30 minutes apart (13h02, 13h32, 14h02 etc.).

kamleshrut

Dear Robespierre,
Thanks for all of your suggestions in this forum.
We did exactly the same. Kept luggage in the lockers at Gare de Lyon, walked across the Seine, and did the journey to and fro to Versailles.

I will have to come again for Paris, that is for sure.

I had followed your advise and let me tell you that my PDA cum mobile [it was Sony Eric 990i] worked well. I did not purchase ipod [at least till date]. My photographs were stored on memory cards [2 GB SD cards].
I will get back to the forum with my experiences soon.
Till then, Bye
k.