Paris

Tour de France

The Tour de France takes place every summer in France and the surrounding region.

It consists of around 20 to 25 stages and covers a distance of approximately 3,500 kilometers. Each year it varies slightly. Every year the Tour de France features flat stages, mountain stages, medium mountain stages, individual time trials, and team time trials.

The Tour de France begins in a different place every year, and ends, as always, on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

The tour goes throughout France and often through the surrounding countries at the beginning of the cycling event.

The Tour de France’s official website has details on all the stages, as well as news and updates on the tour: http://www.letour.fr.

Bastille Day in Paris

History of Bastille Day in Paris
Bastille Day, which takes place on July 14th, marks the anniversary of the beginning of the French Revolution of 1789.

Bastille Day is a celebration of the French revolutionaries’ storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, a powerful symbol of the King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s absolute power and misrule.

The storming of the Bastille and the celebration of Bastille Day in Paris do not commemorate an outright victory; rather, they represent a symbolic act of defiance and unity of the French people against the crown.

Bastille Day in Paris
Today Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14th as a national holiday in France.

The day is commemorated by a military parade along the Champs Elysees and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower at night.

Bastille Day balls, traditionally held by firefighters (and called bals des pompiers in French), are held the night of Bastille Day throughout Paris.

Transportation from Paris to Versailles

There are many ways to get from Paris to Versailles, including by train, bus, or car. Below are details about each option.

RER from Paris to Versailles

The RER C suburban train runs every 15 to 20 minutes from central Paris to Versailles, and costs 3.25 euros each way. Take the RER C from any central Paris stop (Gare d’Austerlitz, St Michel-Notre Dame, Musee d’Orsay, Invalides, Pont de l’Alma or Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel) to Versailles Rive-Gauche (last stop for trains with headsigns starting with “V”). The trip on the RER to Versailles takes roughly 40 minutes each way.

To get from the RER C station to the Palace of Versailles, exit the station and cross the street, turn right, and then take a left on Rue de Paris and walk to the Versailles Palace gates.

Trains from Paris to Versailles

Trains run regularly from Paris Gare Montparnasse train station to Versailles-Chantiers and from Paris Gare Saint-Lazare train station to Versailles-Rive Droite. Both stations are in Versailles, but are farther from the palace than the RER station. The train journey takes roughly 15 to 30 minutes each way.

Buses from Paris to Versailles

Bus line 171 goes from Pont de Sevres in central Paris (the end of line 9 on the metro) to Versailles-Place d’Armes. The journey takes 25 minutes or longer if there is traffic.

Driving from Paris to Versailles

Take the ring road that runs around the periphery of Paris, then take the A13 autoroute toward Rouen and follow the signs to Versailles. The trip takes around 35 minutes each way.

Once you have decided what kind of transportation to take, information about the Palace of Versailles, tickets, and discounts can be found here.