I really would like to do the Versalles bicycle tour. However, I%26#39;m afraid it may too cold the first week of April, especially if this weather keeps up. I was reading past posts but I am still unclear if The Hall of Mirrors is open yet or not? Also do you think the gardens are worth seeing that early in April? Thanks, Emily
|||
We went to Versailles last year during the last week in March. The weather was just a little nippy - but light jackets were enough if we kept moving. The gardens are fabulous even without all of the flowering shrubs and plants. I don%26#39;t know if the Hall of Mirrors is completely finished, but last year they still allowed people in and had up walls with lifesize murals of the real hall in the front of where the construction was taking place. Hardly even noticed because we were so enthralled with the ceiling! We bought tickets to the Hall of Mirrors and the King%26#39;s Apartments and skipped the other tour of the military hall. Everyone lined up at the line to the left, but we took advice from a trip advisor member and got in a very short line near the left that was for the King%26#39;s Apartment only. Got through the line in about 10 minutes!
|||
OOPS! I meant to say that everyone else got in a line that was forming on the RIGHT, not the left.
Sorry!
|||
A I am a fan of Versailles but you might want to know the following:
- The chateau and the park are undergoing a major renovation/remodelling scheme that will last for several years. So whenever you go there, there will always be scaffoldings in sight somewhere. The hall of mirrors is half restored. The good thing is that the part you can see is now the restored one, while the other half remains hidden by scaffoldings. Part of the garden facade is also, behind scaffoldings, while the chateau courtyard is currently torn up due to extensive remodelling
- Biking is a good option to tour the grounds, but it is essentially useful if you want to cover large distances, like going from the chateau to Trianon or the Queen%26#39;s Hamlet, or cycling around the grand canal which offers good views on the chateau complex. However, bikes are not admitted in the %26quot;gardens%26quot; proper, that is the formal areas immediately around the main buldings.
|||
Emily:
The average high in Paris during the first week of April is around 55F. I can%26#39;t remember specifically what might be blooming already in early April, but if it%26#39;s any encouragement, April 1 is the big day for just about everything. It is the day the gardens are no longer free with the Museum Pass, it%26#39;s the day the Grands Eaux Musicals begin (the fountains play), and it%26#39;s the day the Fat Bike people begin their high season schedule and host a bike tour every day.
Keep in mind that the first three weekends in April will be super crowded because the fountains start playing the very first weekend and then Easter is the third weekend.
By the way, for anyone who will be visiting during the Easter holiday, Versailles (including the Chateau) will be operating on it%26#39;s regular summer weekend schedule on Monday, April 17th (the day after Easter) which includes the fountains, etc.
fattirebiketoursparis.com/bikes/bike-tour/ve…
http://www.chateauversailles.fr
|||
i just posted a review (not forum discussion) of the versailles palace after having been there this past sunday.. should be fully there under versailles in a day or two.
two things to watch out for... Yes, the hall of mirrors IS under rennovation (until 2007, according to the display). i posted a picture of what you%26#39;ll see in my review (the picture not the best, but it shows that there is a mirrored construction wall about halfway through...).
Also, make sure you don%26#39;t go on %26quot;free day%26quot; .. we did, huge mistake... the ticket line was 90+ minutes long.. But if you do go on free day, you can get in free to the palace by paying 8 euro and going in to the saxon royalty exhibition.. after you go to the exhibit, you can go back out and go right in to the palace (though you%26#39;ll have to ask 5 people how to find it, the entrance of how to get in after exhibit is really not clearly marked.. and even the information desk ppl told us conflicting information).. the exhibit itself was somewhat cool, you got to see a lot of the king%26#39;s gear (crown jewels, diamond encrusted swords, artwork, horse gear, etc...).. its a somewhat small exhibit, so i%26#39;m not sure if i%26#39;d say its worth the 8 euro alone, but if it saves you from waiting in the 90 minute line its definetly worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment