A year in Versailles
Published by 
Pablo Rojas Abad
— 4 years ago
5 6
Tags: Erasmus experiences Versailles,
Versailles,
France
Architecture and Landscapes
Versailles is for sure one of the best places in the world to walk and enjoy the city. It's Versailles for god's sake. If you look in google maps, half of the city are actually gardens, you have the chateaux, the Sain-Louis quartier... I always regarded it as a Paris in miniature, much easier to handle... Gotta love it if you like historical and quiet cities.
Weather
Very hot in summer and very cold in winter, not much to say.
Culture and Customs
When I was there, there were a couple of cinemas, one of them playing movies in original version. But anyway, aside from the obvious monumental and touristic places you can also enjoy all that Paris has to offer. I'll say it again in the transport section, but you can be in the middle of Paris in about 40-45 minutes.
Party
Being Spanish I can't say Versailles is very party-friendly, sorry. At least the town itself. Maybe the university is more lively.
Entertainment and Spare Time
It is the same as in culture and customs
Gastronomy
Incredible. Lots of restaurants to choose, and you are in Paris after all. There is a street (no cars allowed, which is always a plus) between the Sain-Louis cathedral (I lived in the cathedral square) and the Palace full of restaurants from all over the world. It is called La rue de Satory, and there are also many restaurants in the Chantiers area. You gotta go every Sunday to the market place if you like to cook...
Prices
Expensive. Very expensive. Not only the apartments or houses, but in general prices are very high. Even the 8a8 (french seven eleven) are expensive. Try to buy in the Auchans or Carrefours as much as you can!
Transport
It's extremely well communicated. Two RER lines finish in Versailles (Rive droit and Rive gauche), and there is also Chantiers. As all the stations with those names, Rive droit gives service to the northern part of Paris and the other two to the south. Rive Gauche (actually more like the center) you will take this one every time you want to go to the center of Paris. The line is awesome, it has stops in the Eiffel Tower, Sain Michel... almost all the most touristic places in Paris are covered by this line (it's the C line I think by the way, but it's easy to check). This line takes about 40-45 minutes to get to the very center of Paris, and the views in the trip are gorgeus.
Photo gallery
Content available in other languages
- Español: Un año en Versalles
Share your Erasmus Experience in Versailles!
If you know Versailles as native, traveler or as exchange student... share your opinion on Versailles! Rate different characteristics and share your experience.
Add experience →
Comments (6 comments)
I forgot to say, I spent one year in Versailles, but I did not attend to Versailles University, I was working in Vèlizy, a close village, so I don\'t know how universitary life can be there, I can make an idea, as I was 19 when I arrived there, and most of my workmates were below their 30s, so we all liked to party and stuff, I don\'t think it can be that different.
I liked your experience, thank you very much. I gave you a positive vote! What a pity about the party. If you want to update your experience, there is an \"update\" button. Just in case you want to add more details. Thank you again!
Thank you for the vote. I really did enjoy the experience, I hope I made that clear in my experience, and you\'re right, the thing about partying is a pitty, but you still got Paris to go from time to time (but you have to wait untill the first train departs...) Otherwise there are a couple of bars we used to go to, but were more like relaxed drinking than the usual drinking&dancing spanish bars. I can\'t comment on the univerity thou, that\'s why this experience is about the city, not the university, sorry about that, but I learned there was a university there like 2 months before coming back...
Don\'t worry, it\'s ok. An experiencie about the city is about the city. There will be other that will write about the university in the future, I hope :) What about uploading some photos of Versailles to the gallery? Thanks again! http://www.erasmusu.com/city/12832/photos
Positive vote al canto!
Pics uploaded