After the 13 hours flight, we finally reach Orly Airport, France at 9:00am local time. Since this is our free and easy tour, our first thing to do is to find taxi after our baggage claimant. There is information counter but pack with travelers. So, we try our luck walking outside to see is there any taxi. And we are lucky enough to met Ben, a taxi driver who can speak broken English. We show him our hotel address and bargain with him the taxi fare. From Orly airport to our apartment located at Chelles cost us 80€.
Chelles-Gournay is the last station of RER E. From our apartment to the RER station is about 20mins walk or have a bus ride which cost 1.70€. We do some walking for this 1st day under the fresh atmosphere and enjoying the sights. On our way, we drop by a café in this neighborhood to have our 1st coffee and some buns as our lunch. Sitting outside of the shop, sipping the aroma taste of the coffee, breezing wind blowing over our face and this is the slice of Parisian life.
From Chelles-Gournay is on RER E where Chateau de Versailles in on RER C. Paris has a wonderful transportation. All the bus/Metro/RER/SNCF lines are interconnected. Many stations throughout the Paris serve several different metro lines and RER train lines all within the same station. This means that a single station may have several vertical levels plus many different platforms going in opposite directions. Honestly, we do always lost and seeking help from those handsome/beautiful Parisian. All RER lines are letters, A to E and all Metro lines are numbers, 1 to 14. All lines have a terminus station, ie the last station on that particular line. Since we are going to Chateau de Versailles and we are not at that line, we have to play snakes and ladders on the map to go the closest RER C station.
In our case, Chelles-Gournay (RER E)--> Magenta --> Gare du Nord (RER D) --> Chatelet Les Halles (RER D) --> St.Michel N-Dame (RER B) --> Versailles Rive Gauche (RER C). Confusing ? Haha, it is. One easily get lost in this maze. Always follow the overhead signs and wall signs towards the platform. Ask is the simplest and fastest way. People always said French doesn’t speak English, ego and not helpful. To me, it is not. Not everyone of them speak fluent English but they are friendly and helpful. Even with the body language, they show us the way. Some even lead us to our platform then only heading back to theirs. Even we have experience that we standing at the split junction to different RER line and looking at the map, there is a guy stop besides us and ask “You seem lost. You need help?” How warm it is. Moreover he is super handsome French.
So, Chateau de Versailles is on RER C and you are getting off at the last station of Versailles Rive Gauche. Take note that the door will not open automatically. You have to press the button to open it. Once arrive at the terminus station, look for blue “Sortie” sign which means ‘Exit’. Search for the sign of Chateau Versailles and walk around 5 minutes and you reached.
Entrance fee is 15€.
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