Category: Paris

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Palace of Versailles and Gardens

 

The Palace of Versailles is huge!!!  I learned a few tips from a Jay Swanson’s Youtube videos. (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jay+swanson+versailles+)

Tips:

  • Huge lines (to the point we decided not to go inside the Palace).
  • Garden is massively huge, and free
  • But Fountains are off during certain months/times
  • While it was gorgeous, it felt like a waste to go there
  • Market on certain days, definitely worth checking out.

 

After getting off the RER, we ate a cafe right next to Starbucks.

We then walked down the street to the front of the Palace of Versailles. Immediately, you can see the line. Not to mention more than 60 tourist buses!

 

We planned to come here on Sunday, because the market up the street is well known.  So we decided to go there before attempting to go inside the Palace of Versailles.

 

Marche’Notre-Dame Market

 

After going to the market, we came back to an even longer line that zigged zagged. I went up to one of the staff members and said we had a Paris Pass and she said to fall in line.

I just took pictures of the gate. I didn’t want to wait for an hour to get in.

 

Since this was already in the late morning, we decided to see the Garden behind the Palace. The Garden is HUGE and can be a whole day exploring and enjoy itself. The views were spectacular.

Jay noted in one of his videos that the Fountains are not always on… this was true on our trip.

 

As I said in my tips, it didn’t seem worth the time (unless you plan a day out here) to come out here. I wasn’t fully disappointed because I enjoyed the gardens and market.

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RER C – To Palace of Versailles

From our place in Strasbourg- Saint Denis, we jumped on the Metro 8 to reach the Invalides station. This is where you jump on the RER C (trains that go outside of inner Paris).

We took some stairs and got to the RER part of the station (different hall and platforms).

 

The RER trains are 2 level compared to the metro (at least the metros we used on this trip).

Monitor tells you want train has arrived its destination as well as the next trains and destinations with times.

 

RER train with upper and lower levels.

 

If you can see on the far bottom left of the station map, our stop was going to be Versailles – Chateau/ Rive-Gauche stop.

 

A good 45 minute ride (if that) and we are here.

Arrival!

 

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Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile

credit Google Maps

 

One of the most iconic and famous structures in Paris ( there are many!) is the Arc de Triomphe.

Located at the west end of Avenue des Champs-Elysees, this structure was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile honors the soldiers that fought in the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars. Their names are inscribed on the Arc itself.

There is also the Tomb of the Unknown soldier with flame below the Arc.

When we arrived, we didn’t know how to get there. The Arc is the center of a bunch of avenues and the circular traffic is known in many movies.

On Champs-Elysees, there is an entrance that goes below.

 

Once you get out, you will be right next to the Arc.

 

There was a huge line to go up. We had the Paris Pass, so that helped us go pass the waiting lines and straight to the stairs. YES I SAID STAIRS.

 

I read that the Arc is about the equivalent of a 15 story building…. so those spiral stairs will have you sucking wind quickly!!!

we got to where it is kinda like a tiny museum.

 

A couple more flights of stairs, you go outside and on top of the Arc.

There is also a gift shop and a small history lesson about the Arc when you go back inside again.

The Arc is truly gorgeous and when you break down the sculptures and inscriptions… you can’t stop looking at this monument with awe!

3 different artists did the sculptures seen here.

 

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Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

It’s infamous. The hunchback of Notre Dame help fuel the name, but also helped bring awareness to its decaying condition.

 

This is a huge tourist attraction and the gothic features are amazing. Inside is breathtaking.

* There is a way to go to the top of Notre Dame and see the Gargoyles, but there is limited visits each day and the time we went, it was sold out by morning. We were not able to go on top.

 

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Riverside Bouquinistes of Paris

Jasmin read about the book vendors that have stalls along the Seine. You can read here: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/paris-riverside-bouquinistes

You will see these wooden storage compartments next to the sidewalk and bridges. You will find these along the Seine on both sides.

These are book vendors (also have other items for sale) that typically sell used and older books and magazines.

While brick and mortar shops are abundant, these vendors are part of the old style of selling in Paris.

We decided to buy some books from them.

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Paris Big Bus review

 

The Paris Big Bus (and others) offer tourists the hop on/hop off experience at many of Paris’ local attractions.

This can help cut time if you buy their ticket on top of the Paris Pass. I think it was about 32 Euros.

The bus offers earplugs and audio tour as it is going about the city.

The buses we jumped on were open top, so we sat up there, even though it was cold.

I felt this was worth it, especially if you are still unfamiliar with the Metro or bus system.

We took this from Palais Royal to Notre Dame to Arc de Triomphe to Trocadero and around.

They told us that they could take us to Palace of Versailles, but we had to show up in the morning and pay (which I forgot the amount).

 

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Paris Pass

One of the things I really wanted to get was the Paris Pass. The Paris pass would give you access to all Museums, Paris attractions such as River boat on the Seine, free public transportation within Paris, which includes Metro, RER and buses. Picking this up also gave us one day on the Big Bus, which is a double decker, open top, hop on/hop off style bus. These buses visit all the main attractions and museums.

The Paris pass is offered in variations from 2, 4, 3 or 6 days. Obviously price increases with more days.

* Once you scan your pass, the pass is active consecutively.  If you have a 2 day pass, the day you activate it, the next day it has be used too.

With that said, have your itinerary and spots down so it doesn’t go to waste.

We got our Passes at Costco. It was $230 for each pass and covered 3 days of attractions (with fast track) and 2 day travel card (public transportation). The travel card isn’t enough IMO.

Seeing as many attractions are about $15-20, it just depends on what you want to use it for.

The Louvre and Musee D’ Orsay, and Arc de Triomphe we were able to bypass lines, which was great.

Palace of Versailles didn’t work out. I asked one of the staff members there and she said to get in line… and that line was long and zig zagging!

 

In all honestly, I didn’t maximize it as much as I wanted, but I did feel it was worth it not standing in those long lines.

We had an E-voucher from Costco, which we brought to Paris Big Bus office and picked up our Paris Passes.

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Statue of Louis XIV, Le Palais Royal, Fontaines de Pol Bury and Les Deux Plateaux

It doesn’t take much to see something amazing in Paris.

 

We were walking to get our Paris Pass and on the way there we came up Place des Victoires and the Statue of Luis XIV in the middle.

 

The Place des Victoires is at the confluence of six streets: Rue de la Feuillade, Rue Vide Gousset, Rue d’Aboukir, Rue Étienne Marcel, Rue Croix des Petits Champs, and Rue Catinat.

 

Taking one of the streets led us to the Palais Royal and the Jardin du Palais Royal. We took some pictures and enjoyed the stroll through the Garden.

 

Before exiting the Palais, checked out the Fontaines de Pol Bury and Les Deux Plateaux.