VERSAILLES
VERSAILLES |
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The following information is intended to give you an idea of what kind of
town to expect of Versailles. Everyone knows Versailles was the home of
Louis XIV, but it will be your home, too, for three months at least. What
kind of place is Versailles?
To quote the Plan de Versailles: "Versailles (pop. 100.000), capital
of the department of Les Yvelines, is one of the most famous centers for
tourism in the world and attracts thousands of visitors all year round. ...The
city owes its very existence to the palace of Louis XIV, built in the second
half of the seventeenth century. The three broad avenues of Saint-Cloud, Paris
and Sceaux converge in the Place d'Armes, outside the gilded gate which marks
off the great courtyard of the palace. Between the three avenues stand the
Grandes Ecuries, outstanding examples of seventeenth-century architecture
by Mansart. To the south lies the quarter of Saint-Louis with the cathedral;
it is the oldest part of the city. To the north, the fashionable rue de la
Paroisse centres the main shopping area."
You will find that Versailles has all the amenities you would expect to find in an American town. All you need to know is where they are and how to use them. Banks and post offices are abundantly scattered throughout the town. Shops, department stores, bookstores, restaurants and markets are all over the downtown area. There is an open-air market several days a week, Sunday being the busiest, at the recently renovated Place du Marché. There is also a large shopping mall located a short bus ride away at Parly II. (Student comment: Take the bus, DON'T walk. Another student and I got lost walking there during the first week and it WASN'T fun.)
Place de Laboulaye
The Place de Laboulaye is about a 12-15 minute walk down the route de Rueil from the director's apartment (or you can hop on good old Bus A). There you will find:
Place du marché
A wonderful open-air market with fresh, fresh food. It is open only a few days a week, Sunday being the busiest. There are also lots of inexpensive restaurants around the Place du Marché--see the section on restaurants. (Student comment: Spend some time here watching how the market works. Be sure to check out the fish and meat markets. Very different. I went to the market with my [French] mother one day and it was great!)
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There is a Monoprix (the French version of K-Mart) across from the bus stop at
the Place de l'Europe. There is a supermarket downstairs and department store
merchandise upstairs. There is also a xerox machine on the first floor (frequently
out of order, but quite acceptable when it is working!).
(Student comment: This was one of our favorite places to shop--very cheap!
Some of us even bought some clothes there that did, in fact, last.)
Codec
There are several Codec grocery stores in town around the Place du Marché. Prices here are quite reasonable.
Librairie Ruat
This was everyone's favorite bookstore in Versailles. It is located just around
the corner from the Monoprix at the Place de l'Europe. Downstairs you will find
all sorts of pens, paper, folders, binders, etc. Upstairs you will find a
good assortment of books on all topics. A browser's paradise. Prices here are full
retail. You may wish to browse here and then try FNAC out at Parly II or the
book department of the BHV at Parly II for better prices. There is also
a FNAC at the Forum des Halles (in Paris), another one at La Défense, and
a third one near the Tour Montparnasse in Paris. (Note: Just as we were
leaving in 1993, a new bookstore opened up on the rue de la Paroisse- I can't
remember the name of it, but it is wonderful-check it out and bring me the name
so I can include it in the next edition!)
Rue de la Paroisse
The Rue de la Paroisse is the best rue commerçante in Versailles. It is a
wonderful street for browsing and has great patisseries, confiseries
(my personal favorite is "Au Roi Soleil"--the chocolate there is to die
for!), and charcuteries. There are also clothing stores and gift
shops on this street. There is a very nice needlework shop at the very end
(near the palace) for the artsy-craftsy among you.
Parly II
Parly II is a fairly recent centre commercial just outside of Versailles.
To get there from town, take Bus H. From the director's apartment, either walk
down to the Place de Laboulaye or take Bus A there, get off, walk around the
corner to the bus stop for Bus H and take Bus H the rest of the way (you
can't miss it--it will be on your left). It is a large shopping mall with
several large chain stores (BHV, Au Printemps, etc.). It used to have a sort
of food court in the section called "Belvedere," but this entire section
was closed down in 1993. On the lower level, there is a large supermarket
with lots of things (mostly imports) you can't buy in Versailles. There
is also a bank there that is open on weekends and in the evenings if you need to
change money. (Student comment: Things are more expensive here.) You never
know what's going to be happening out at Parly II. In the fall of 1993, there
was a horse show--inside the mall!!
The Palace
Of course, one of the delights of living in Versailles is being in the same city as the palace of Louis XIV. You will have the opportunity to visit the palace many times while you are in the city of the Sun King, either in the context of a guided tour with your art history class, an organized outing such as a bike ride and picnic in the park, or a Sunday afternoon spent at the Grandes Eaux. However, you will have unlimited access to the gardens (at no charge--there is no fee to visit just the gardens) during the daylight hours. This is a wonderful place for a quiet stroll, a friendly conversation, or a contemplative pause in a busy schedule. Students in the past have come here to read, study, write letters, walk, jog, or ride bikes (which can be rented at the rear entrance to the palace).
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The following list is hardly exhaustive, but we hope it will point you towards some decent places to eat in Versailles.
Now then, there is a catch to eating out in Versailles. Most restaurants do not open for dinner before 7:30 pm (a very few are open at 7). If you leave home and go into town to eat and you get there at exactly 7:30 pm, you have one hour before the last bus of the night leaves to take you back home if you don't want to walk. You will be very pushed for time in a lot of places (dining out is a leisurely event) if you try to catch a bus home. Plan to do a lot of walking!!
Boeuf à la mode
(Place du Marché)
This restaurant was highly recommended to me and I was very disappointed. The entrées range from 35-80 F. The food was mediocre and high-priced for what you get. Reservations are a good idea on the weekends. It opens at 7:30 pm (and not one minute before).
Crêperie
(Place du Marché)
Menus at 55, 65, and 75 F (also à la carte). I had the 65 F menu. You get 3 crêpes ( I had one with
crab meat filling, one with egg and sausage and one dessert crêpe with ice cream, caramel sauce and nuts).
The service is fast, the crêpes are good (although I have had better). In the evening, this restaurant opens
at 7:30 pm. (Student comment: One of our favorites--a real treat. Also open for lunch.)
Good, cheap meal (entrées at 22 F-38 F). Pizza of all kinds--very good
(bready crust), spaghetti, lasagna, and wonderful ice cream desserts. Be
sure to go downstairs--the dining room in la cave is much nicer than
the one upstairs. It opens at 7:00 pm (a little earlier than most).
The address of this on is 9, rue des Deux-Portes. It is a very good, quite reasonable Chinese restaurant. Appetizers (egg roll=12 F, soup=16F), entrées (20-50 F), rice (7F). It is open at 7:30 pm. We all liked this one. (Student comment: Chinese restaurants everywhere seemed to be one of the cheapest options.)
At lunch time, there are two possibilities: 1)there is a walk-up window with fast-food take-out (pizza, quiche, sandwiches, etc.) or 2) there is a small restaurant (a couple of tables in the back) with a cheap menu (poulet-frites, steak-frites, etc. -about 25 F). The restaurant portion is open only for lunch.
The service here is very slow. It's a real push to sit down at 7:30 pm and get out in time to catch the last bus back at 8:45 pm. Still, it's pretty good and fairly reasonable. They have a formule minute menu at 49 F (steak-frites, salade, dessert) and another menu at 65 F. There are lots of choices on the menu. This place is a step above the Marché restaurants--pleasant atmosphere, cloth tablecloths, waiters, etc.
There is a couscous restaurant (the name of which I can't remember) right near the Pizza Capri at the Place du Marché. Forget it- it's AWFUL (and I love couscous).
The students discovered this restaurant and all pronounced it "wonderful." The price for a three-crêpe meal plus cider and dessert was 40 F- 55 F. The atmosphere is rustic and the ambiance delightful.
For those in search of a light repast or afternoon tea and patisserie, try the elegant salon de thé on the rue de la Paroisse. Very nice.
Despite indications to the contrary, this is a seafood restaurant. It is very nice. It is rather expensive, but blow your wad on it at least just once just to try it. Be sure to have the tarte fine for dessert--order it when you order your meal (you have to give them advance notice if you want it).
On weekday afternoons, the Trianon Palace Hotel (the most expensive hotel in Versailles) has a patisserie buffet for about $12.00. Expensive, but elegant, and great fun for a treat.
On the lower level of Parly II there is a "Free Time" restaurant (like McDonald's).
It's not bad. There is also an Italian restaurant at Parly II. The usual
pizza and pasta menu at fairly reasonable prices.
Dining out is always an adventure. Keep two things in mind: 1) All restaurants must post their menus outside so you can check it out and avoid any unpleasant surprises when either the menu or the bill arrives. 2) By law, the tip (a set 15%) is included in the price of your meal. However, it is customary if the service was good to leave a little extra change on the table in addition to the set gratuity. Look for the phrase service compris on the menu--this means that the gratuity has been included in the price of the meal.
Although I hesitate even to mention the following restaurants, there will inevitably be some visitors to Versailles who won't survive without them. In my opinion, to patronize them while in France constitutes a cultural travesty, but if you insist, rest assured that there is a cure for a Big Mac attack, even in Versailles:
The usual, but open during American-tyoe hours (later than most restaurants in Versailles). A meal here will run about 40 F (sandwich, drink, fries). The cookies, I'm told, are great because they are more buttery than the ones in the US. Beer is served, but only with food. Students had two reasons for going to McD's: the iced drinks (a rarity in France) and the clean restrooms.
You know the drill here.
Yes, Pizza Hut delivers to you, even in Versailles. This was brand new in 1993 and at that time it was a delivery operation only. Just call them up, place your order, and an underpaid student on a bicycle will deliver your pizza to your door.
Student comments: In Paris, browse the Quartier latin. Try some Greek restaurants for fun. Pick one where they're breaking dishes, but wait until abotu 9:00pm because they don't get started breaking them until then (you may even get to dance!). Also, don't be shocked when you see the bathrooms in some places--they are literally holes in the ground.
The students are right--a good place to find inexpensive restaurants in Paris is in the Quartier latin, just off the Boulevard St. Michel. You will find ethnic restaurants there of all sorts, most of which are priced for student budgets. Another good spot for reasonable meals is in the Rue Mouffetard, also in the 5e arrondissement.
If you are truly an adventurous eater and enjoy a good meal at a reasonable price, ask Dr. Pecoy for her private list of wonderful Paris restaurants. The "ugh, I might not like it" crowd need not apply. Safety
Versailles is a city like any other and it is therefore wise to be careful. During the day, it is as safe as any American city would be. At night, it pays to be more cautious. In particular, it is not recommended that you frequent the various parks in and around the city after dark. If you are returning home late at night, do not go home alone--either go in a group or ask someone to escort you to your home. You will see signs in Paris at many of the well-known sites warning you of pickpockets. In the subway, at train stations, and on the trains, be aware of who is behind you and don't tempt fate by leaving your purse unzipped or your wallet hanging out of your back pocket. Finally, several places in Paris are downright dangerous after dark: the Bois de Vincennes and the area in front of the Pompidou Center.
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