Day Trip from Paris to Versailles
Transportation by RER Train or Car to the Palace (Château) and Park
May 25, 2008
The Estate of Versailles with its famous palace (château) and magnificent Baroque gardens is a very popular day-trip destination from Paris and high on the sightseeing list of many visitors to France. Transportation from Paris to Versailles is very easy, especially when using a RER train.
By Train from Paris to Versailles
The easiest way to travel from downtown Paris to the Palace of Versailles is by train. The RER (Réseau Express Régional) is a regional express network with RER trains offering fast transportation with far fewer stops than the metros in the Paris region. However, RER trains frequently connect with regular Paris Metro trains for easy access to most parts of the City of Lights.
- From Paris to Versailles-Rive Gauche on RER Line C5
To get from central Paris to Versailles, take the RER train on the C line to Versailles-Rive Gauche station. Not all trains go to Versailles-Rive Gauche station – use only trains with the train name starting with a “V” or bearing the line number C5. (Lines C7 and C8 stop at the far less convenient Versailles-Chantiers station – see below.)
From Versailles-Rive Gauche station to the Palace of Versailles is an easy five-minute stroll – follow the signs (or the crowds!).
The RER line C5 stops in central Paris at amongst others the following left-bank stations: Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel, Pont de l'Alma, Invalides, Musée d'Orsay, St-Michel – Notre-Dame, Gare d'Austerlitz, and Bibliothèque François Mitterrand.
- Checking schedules is hardly necessary. The RER C5 line connects downtown Paris and Versailles up to four times per hour in just over half an hour.
The return fee from Paris to Versailles on the RER is around €6. However, a better deal is often the Forfaits Loisirs Château de Versailles, which includes transportation on the RER as well as all admission fees at the Estate of Versailles. It is around €22 (€26 on weekends) and is available from RER stations on the C line.
The Forfaits Loisirs Château de Versailles is only available for adults – children under 18 enjoy free admission to sights at the Estate of Versailles.
- Alternative Trains from Paris to Versailles
The RER Line C5 is not the only train from Paris to Versailles. However, it is generally by far the most convenient. Reject any itineraries that require transfer to buses or use stations other than Versailles-Rive Gauche – promised timesavings may evaporate when a bus connection is missed or the foreign traveler get lost.
Alternative stations can be used at Versailles but for most tourists these offer less attractive options when traveling from central Paris to Versailles. Versailles-Chantiers is a stop on trains from Paris-Montparnasse and Versailles-Rive Droite on trains from Paris-St Lazare. Both stations are around a twenty-minute walk from the Palace of Versailles.
By Car to the Palace of Versailles
Foreigners generally consider driving in Paris a nightmare but it can of course be done. Depending on the time of day, driving time from central Paris to Versailles can be as short as half an hour but generally takes longer.
- Taxis charge around €50 one-way from Paris to Versailles.
When driving from Paris to Versailles, follow the A13 highway (toll free) towards Rouen. Use exit 6 (Versailles Center) and follow the signs to the Château de Versailles.
Parking is readily available in the large, well-signposted parking lots at the Palace of Versailles. Parking fees range from around €5 for two hours to €12 for eight hours.
- Versailles is often seen as a good place to pick up (or drop off) a rental car for the non-Paris part of a French vacation. Driving from here is certainly less stressful than from Paris or Charles de Gaul Airport.
The Estate of Versailles has long opening hours and although tickets to individual sights are expensive, discount passes are available to bring down costs.
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