A Taste of Paris : Day 4 - The Palace of Versailles, Bistro Volnay

The Palace of Versailles, France


VERSAILLES!

Another exciting day! If there is a place that can lure you out of Paris, it's Versailles! Yes, I am talking about the Palace of Versailles.

We started from Gare Saint-Lazare (St Lazare Station) right behind our hotel. Purchasing the tickets to Versailles was easy. We just used one of the ticket machines and chose the Versailles Rive Droite train station as the destination. The train was spacious and the ride was comfortable. It took about 35 minutes to get to Versailles. It did not feel like a long ride as we were enjoying the beautiful French sceneries. 😍

Train to the Palace of Versailles, France
Colorful Train

The walk from the Versailles Rive Droite station to the Palace of Versailles was approximately 25  minutes but we stopped for breakfast at a bakery on Rue du Maréchal Foch on our way there. There were quite a few eating places between the station and the Palace. There was even a McDonald's restaurant. The street signs are clearly marked and easy to follow.

Street Signs to The Palace of Versailles, France
Easy-to-follow Street Signs

Once you get there, you will see the Front (Main Entrance) Gate shown in the picture below.

The Front Gate at the Palace of Versailles, France
The Front Gate at the Palace of Versailles

After you go through the Front Gate, there will be two gates, A and B. Gate B (on the right) is for people who have a group booking. We went to Gate A (on the left) since we had tickets (Museum Pass). If you do not have a ticket, you can purchase it at the ticket office on the left.

The Palace of Versailles, France
The Line to Gate A (Left)

The line moved relatively fast. Once you enter, you can get an audio guide device, included in the ticket price. It was surprisingly very crowded in the Palace that morning. We basically had to move with the crowd.

The Palace of Versailles, France
The Amazing Hall of Mirrors

After the Palace tour, we went outside to the gardens. These gardens are simply breathtaking, in beauty and in size. We visited the beautiful Orangerie, which has a building that houses citrus and other fruit trees in boxes during the winter.

The Palace of Versailles, France
Versailles Orangerie

There are several restaurants available at the Palace. The map that we got at the start of the tour shows the locations of these eating places. We did not plan our lunch place so when we spotted Angelina, we just went and ate there. 

The Palace of Versailles, France
One of the views at the Gardens of Versailles

Keep in mind that the palace and its gardens are huge and it is easy to get lost. For people who would rather not walk, there are alternatives. There is a "hop on, hop off" mini train service or you can rent a small electric car if you have a driver license.

The Palace of Versailles, France
The "Hop On,  Hop Off " Mini Train Service

The Palace of Versailles, France
People Boarding the Mini Train

The Palace of Versailles, France
Electric Car Rental

We walked more than 30,000 steps that day! We certainly deserved a nice dinner at Bistro Volnay. 😊

Dinner at Bistro Volnay, Paris, France
Dinner at Bistro Volnay

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