Versailles - worth spending one of two days in Paris?

[Laura Corin]

I lived in Paris for a year and visited Versailles. Now the whole family is going to Paris just for two days on the way to Normandy. Hobbes really wants to see Versailles but I feel that we could use that day in a more productive way in central Paris.

 

And I found Versailles... ugly, overblown, unmanageably big.... It was very hot the day I went, so that didn't help. I just remember gaudy interiors and unappealing landscaping.

 

Can anyone persuade me otherwise? Or confirm my impressions?

 

Thanks

 

Laura

[nono]

When I was at Versailles, I was tired, and at the time, enjoyed the gardens more than the interior. And, the exterior was getting its face-lift, so I couldn't appreciate that. It's been 30 years since I've been there. You know what I remember best? The interior. It made such a lasting impression, even though I didn't enjoy it at the time.

 

I feel like it put so much of my world in perspective for me to have experienced that level of grandeur (my brain is screaming excess!) that until I was there was simply inconceivable for me. History made more sense to me. Ideas I couldn't wrap my head around became less confusing, and I gained the ability to allow that where my thinking ended wasn't the end of thoughts for others. In the end, it made a big impression. :D

 

So, my personal experience, combined with a son asking to go there, would cement it for me to go.

 

But, I totally get where you are coming from as far as limited time being spent better in the city. Good luck deciding!

[Peela]

Funny you should ask. Just today a friend was suggesting to dh that when he takes Gen to Paris on April/May for 10 days, he make sure they do the short trip by train to Versailles. I think there is a palace there, as well as a room that Mozart used to play piano in? He was raving about it.

But they have 10 days so that is different to just 2. I think if I was only going for 2 days I would want to go to the Louvre and just walk around and go to cafes- Versailes woudl be too much. I have never been there, though.

[jeri]

But I haven't been there in 30 years and I have the same sorts of memories--overblown, boring opulence. But we did (dh + 6 kids) go to Paris last year and even though V. was in the back of my mind, we never made it. I would do something more *fun* (in my kids minds) like taking the sewer tour in Paris!

 

Jeri

[Princess Peach]

DH and I spent a week in Paris for our honeymoon. We did go to Versailles, but I would not spend time on it if I only had 2 days.

[Melinda in VT]

What time of year are you going?

 

I've been to Versailles twice. The first time it was just DH and I, in November. We took a tour of the interior and then rented bikes and rode through the gardens. It was a great day.

 

The second time was this last April, with kids. We used this as our jet-lag recovery day, going there straight from the airport. Most of the fountains were not on yet, and none of the flowers were planted, so the gardens weren't nearly as attractive as they had been in November 9 years previously. Because we didn't think our 4yo was up for the inside tour while jet-lagged, we stayed outside. It was an ok day, but probably my least favorite day of the trip.

 

That said, I also think your boys are old enough that I would give serious weight to a request like that.

[Beth S]

(I LOVE being able to give advice about Paris on the boards. Never thought that would happen!)

 

My 18yo dd and I went in May, the less-busy season. Her close friend advised us not to miss Versailles. There were literally 15,000+ people on the premises. We got separated for about 20 minutes (only time in 2 weeks this happened), which was scary.

 

The interior is very ornate, and we toured about 10 rooms following a mass of people. You can pay for a guided tour (the guide speaks to you via earbuds).

 

The Hall of Mirrors, the family chapel, the king & queen's bedrooms. Lots of history right in front of you. Great if you're interested in it! However, it was too formal for me.

 

But I LOVED walking through the extensive gardens. The outside is free during the week, but we went on a Saturday (paid $7 or so?). All the fountains are turned on with piped in music. I think we spent 90 minutes walking all around--the scale is phenomenal. 3 big fountains, small lake at the end, where you can rent little boats. Fresh-squeezed OJ for sale, statues everywhere, potted orange grove that is moved indoors in cold weather (historical).

 

Younger kids would enjoy the exterior, and can run & explore without getting lost.

 

We had two days in Paris. We got the Museum Pass (gives "line jumping" privilege) & rode the Metro. We saw: Eiffel & Versailles on Day 1 (we were delayed due to Chunnel fire alarms!) then Notre Dame church service & Tower climb. (Tower climb gives you a birds eye view of Paris, without the hour-long+ wait to go up the Eiffel. Free with the Pass. Spiral stone staircases.) Then we walked to the Arc D'Triumph stopping at: Louvre, Museum D'Orsay (every impressionist), Museum de l'Orangerie (Monet's murals), some shopping, to catch our shuttle bus on the outside of town (to fly out of Beauvais).

 

If we had not bought the Museum Pass ahead of time (at train station), we would have had to wait in a 90-minute line to buy admission tickets to Versailles. Also, the Metro is an easy connection to Versailles, but it is on the outskirts of town & takes time to travel there & back (30 minutes each way?)--and you must get on the right train! (Rick Steves' Paris guide explains all this.)

 

Eiffel and Arc D'Triumph were being renovated, and thus had scaffolding.

 

We LOVED our 2 days in Paris & would highly recommend what we did!

[chiguirre]

I lived in Paris for a year and visited Versailles. Now the whole family is going to Paris just for two days on the way to Normandy. Hobbes really wants to see Versailles but I feel that we could use that day in a more productive way in central Paris.

 

And I found Versailles... ugly, overblown, unmanageably big.... It was very hot the day I went, so that didn't help. I just remember gaudy interiors and unappealing landscaping.

 

Can anyone persuade me otherwise? Or confirm my impressions?

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

:iagree: with your Versailles opinion completely, but I also agree that it's important to honor Hobbes' request. I'd probably suck it up and sacrifice the Picasso museum/lunch in the Marais (one of my favorite Parisian morning activities) to please Hobbes and try very hard to be enthusiastic about gold-plated mirrors.:iagree:

 

OTOH, perhaps you can split up and get your dh to "volunteer" to do the Versailles trip while you stay in Paris with Calvin and do something a little more interesting.

[Mrs Mungo]

If *I* only had two days in Paris I would skip Versailles. However, if I had a child who really, really wanted to see it, I would try to accommodate him. I would suggest taking the earliest train (or driving there early) and being there when it opened. You could probably save a half day that way.