We will be in Paris next month and are planning a day trip to Versailles and Chartres. Per recommendations on this site we are going to Versailles in the morning (Rive Gauche station, I know)and then to Chartres. I know the train station to Chartres is a different one from Rive Gauche (a few miles?). I am quite sure this question has been posed before, but I can't find it. How can we get the train schedules? tgv-europe.com says there are NO trains. Unless there is something wrong with the website (or my input)..that can't be true. Anyone know how I can find the schedules and prices? We plan to purchase the tickets in Paris and we are staying in the 5th. Thanks in advance.
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
Train to Chartres is from the Paris Montparnasse station. One leaves about every hour, takes about 1 hr 10 min & will cost about $20 each way.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
The station you need in Versailles to get to Chartres is Versailles Chantiers. Try putting that station name specifically into the tgv-europe.com site.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
I just took a look at tgv-europe.com, and it shows many trains from Versailles to Chartres. As Philip noted, its the Chantiers station in Versailles is your departure point. It's about twice the distance as the walk from the Palace entrance to Rive Gauche, so easily do-able. Go to maps.google.com and copy in the following coordinates to see it (48.795833,2.136111)
Posted by
OP
Reno, Nevada, USA
196 posts
Thanks for the info. I do think I worded my question wrong. What I am wondering is how to get the schedule from Paris (Montparnasse) TO Versailles (Rive Gauche)? When I put that combination in, I receive the reply "there are no trains" so the SPECIFIC station on either end must be incorrect somehow, or what??? I KNOW there are many trains, just need to know when. The rest of the trip...Chantiers to Chartres...and back to Paris is fine...I have those times and rates.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
OK....THAT's why you're not getting any response at TGV-europe.com. From Paris to Versailles, you're travelling by the RER (regional commuter train) which is separate from the main SNCF service. The RER's, while run by SNCF, come under the purview of the metro transit authority set up to cover Paris and the surrounding areas. Go to www.ratp.fr, switch to English (little Union Jack towards the top right), then click on "Finding your way" and "Itinerary" to open up their route finder. Use Gare Montparnasse as the first "station" and Versailles Rive Gauche as your destination "station." RER services run pretty frequently...several trains per hour.
Posted by
Fort Myers, FL, USA
264 posts
In Paris it's RER Line C that goes to Versailles. Depending upon what area of Paris you are staying you will want to take a regular Metro line direct to an RER Line C Station. (RER C does not connect to Gare Montparnasse.)
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
With all due respect to Norm, I don't think there are any trains from Montparnasse to Versailles Rive Gauche - only RER line C trains from the stations along the Left Bank. That's probably why you aren't getting any schedules - you need to look on the RATP website.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Sorry Philip....I thought it would have been obvious if the original poster checked out my suggestion to use the RATP website that there would be a combination of the Metro and the RER to get to Versailles Rive Gauche from Montparnasse.
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
4684 posts
Yeah, I realised that after I replied, sorry.