How to Get to the Palace of Versailles by Train | Paris City Getaway

Paris Travel Guide -  Start your Visit to Château de Versailles by Train from Paris

 

The Must See in Paris – the Palace of Versailles

If you come for more than a weekend city break in Paris, then the first must-see landmark outside the borders of Paris should be definitely the Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles. During the construction of the château, Versailles was a country village; nowadays, it is a suburb of Paris, located around 20 kilometres south west of the French capital, in the Île-de-France region and IT IS WORTH a whole day’s visit.

Château de Versailles is truly an architectural masterpiece and one of the very finest royal residences ever to be built. More than three million people visit Versailles each year, so if you decide to come, plan to be there all day, wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to queue – to visit the chateau, to walk inside its incredible gardens and even to go to the toilet.

A Rail Journey Fit for a King 

The best way to get to Versailles is to take the RER C train from Paris, a journey which you’ll remember. You won’t be travelling in overcrowded carriages, not to mention finding thrown away newspapers, sweet wraps or worse on the seats; you will feel like a royalty coming to its lands.

The train seems ordinary at first sight. It is only once you step inside its carriages that your fairy tale begins! See the amazing pictures video and plan your next paris weekend getaway!

How to get to Versailles

Start your trip by finding RER C line, which will be marked with a yellow C surrounded by a circle. It serves the western half of the Parisian area and with your day or week pass ticket, you can easily access it by any metro. The Palace of Versailles is located in the Zone 4, so you should pay a visit to the ticket office window in the station to buy a special ticket. Don’t worry, the staff will understand you (they should speak basic English if they work in the most visited city in Europe), but if you are lucky to meet that one person who doesn’t, then there comes the hand language. Prepare some cash, but don’t expect to use 50 euro note or your AMEX credit card. Don’t forget to purchase a return ticket, unless, of course, you don’t plan on sneaking off the tour path at the chateau and spending the night in one of the many king’s bedrooms.

Once you’re at an RER C station, all you need to do is find the right train platform. It might be confusing for the first visitors to Paris, but after a while you’ll quickly discover its simple pattern. One station may have couple of platforms on several levels, going in opposite directions, so in order to get to the right platform, always follow the signs RER C Versailles-Rive Gauche. This is the terminus station for you and the crowd following you to the palace. In merely five minutes’ walk from the train station, you will find why it is one of the most beautiful achievements of 18th-century French art. 

Bon voyage!