Two Days Exploring Paris and Versailles
My alarm went off at 4:45 Friday morning, as the Home Depot Theme Song reminded me that doers get more done. I especially needed that message this morning, as it was early and I only had 20 minutes to get ready before a C12 bus near my apartment left. After I finished throwing everything I needed for the weekend into my backpack, I walked outside to the bus stop to catch the bus to Metz’s main train station. I was on my way to Paris!
Traveling from Metz to Paris
The bus dropped me off at the Gare du Metz before boarding began, so I hung around in the waiting room area for a little while. Soon an announcement sounded throughout the station notifying me that my train had arrived so I walked to the boarding area, got my reservation scanned, and found my seat. A few minutes later I was headed to Paris on my first trip of the semester!
TGV to Paris Gare de l’Est
I had heard a lot about the famous French TGV trains, and they definitely lived up to expectations. I was amazed how smooth the ride was. We glided over the countryside as the sun began to peek above the horizon. As the sun rose, however, my eyes did the opposite, and I got a bit of sleep until the train workers came around. I got my ticket scanned, and my passport was checked as well. I noticed afterwards on an informational screen in the train car that at the moment we were traveling at 311 km/h or almost 200 mph. Unreal.
Exploring Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
After about an hour and a half I arrived in Paris’s Gare de l’Est. I left the TGV and walked to the ticket area of the station for the Paris Metro to purchase a weekend pass and begin the day’s exploration. After a short ride east I got off at Laumière station and walked down the street towards Parc de Buttes-Chaumont, stopping at a bakery to get a pain au chocolate for breakfast. The park was beautiful, with lots of walking paths circling a rocky island in the middle of a small lake.
Climbing the Eiffel Tower
I walked back to the metro station and headed southwest towards the Seine River. I walked past a couple of architecturally impressive museums on my way to the most iconic landmark in the French capital, the Eiffel Tower. It was stunning, and the civil engineering student inside of me was incredibly excited to be seeing this marvel with my own eyes. I spent some time wandering the grounds before purchasing a ticket to climb up the tower.
I began hiking up the stairs to the main level of the tower and was rewarded with incredible views of both the intricate construction of the Eiffel Tower and of the surrounding panorama of Paris as well. After walking around the perimeter to see the sights from all angles, I got in line to take an elevator the rest of the way to the top. It was worth the wait, as the views from the top were even better, and I spent some more time taking pictures and enjoying the view.
Paris Gardens and the Louvre
Once I got back on the ground I walked across the Champ de Mars to the École Militaire metro station to travel back across the Seine to the Place de la Concorde. After leaving the station, I walked through the Jardin des Tuileries to visit the Louvre, another famous Parisian destination. The lines were long and I had other places I wanted to visit with the limited time I had available so I decided not to enter the museum and instead take the metro back south across the Seine. I spent some time exploring the gorgeous Luxembourg Gardens, then continued on walking to Gare Montparnassee to take a train down to Versailles.
Château de Versailles and Wandering the Gardens
After arriving at Versailles-Chantiers station, I headed up to visit the famous palace and gardens the area is known for. I spent hours wandering through the perfectly manicured gardens, watched musical fountain demonstrations, discovering countless hidden ponds and serene outdoor areas along the way. I was in awe with how much there was to see on the property, including additional ornate residences along with the main grand Château itself. Despite spending an entire afternoon roaming the palace’s gardens, it still felt like there was even more to see, a testament to the historical significance and wealth the area possessed.
Visiting the Paris France Temple
As the sun began to set I finally left the expansive grounds and walked to a nearby location that held even more significance for me, the Paris France Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a beautiful building with grounds that would’ve fit in perfectly into the Palace of Versailles. I checked in to the patron housing for the night, and after spending more time on site the next morning walked back to the Versaille-Chantiers station to catch a train back to Gare Montparnassee.
Paris Rail Network
As I experienced this weekend, the Paris rail network makes getting around the city and the broader Île-de-France region a breeze, offering a range of services to suit every travel need. Within Paris, the Métro serves as a quick and convenient way to reach nearly every corner of the city, with frequent stops and connections between neighborhoods and major landmarks. For trips beyond central Paris, the RER (Réseau Express Régional) commuter rail steps in, linking the city to suburban areas and well-known destinations like Disneyland Paris and Versailles. With its five lines (A through E), the RER seamlessly connects with the Métro, making it easy to switch between local and regional travel.
Extending into the Île-de-France region, Transilien trains cover suburban and semi-rural destinations, departing from major Paris stations such as Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare Montparnasse, and Gare de l’Est. The network also includes a growing number of Tramway lines that form convenient links between suburban areas, helping locals and visitors navigate neighborhoods without needing to go through the city center. And of course, to travel from Paris to cities across France and Europe, the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) offers various high-speed connections to neighboring regions.
Paris FC vs. Bordeaux Soccer Game
Once I arrived back in Paris I took the metro to Porte d’Orleans and then a tram to the Stade Chartley for an early afternoon soccer game between Paris FC and Bordeaux. Watching the teams play was a lot of fun, the views from my seat in the stadium were fantastic, and I even got some free swag from the club as well. Bordeaux ended up winning, but regardless it was amazing to attend a European match for the first time.
The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre
I took the tram back to the metro station and traveled to the Avrons station so I could walk to the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. The views from the top of the hill where the church was were amazing, and the basilica itself was very impressive as well. I spent some time walking around inside and outside of the church and the surrounding grounds before heading back to the metro station to head back to Gare de L’Est.
TGV From Paris Back to Metz
Rushing to catch my train before it left, I found the platform for Metz and hopped on to find my seat. Once we got out of the city the conductor came around to check tickets, and I found out that I had gotten on the wrong train. Apparently there were two TGV trains leaving to Metz at the exact same time right from the exact same platform, but one was going on to Luxembourg afterwards. So even though these two trains were practically identical, I apparently was on the wrong one.
After explaining the situation to me in mixed languages, the conductor said it would be okay as long as I got off in Metz, so gratefully there weren’t any dire consequences due to my mistake. I still felt pretty dumb though, but was grateful the situation wasn’t worse. It all worked out in the end, and I made it back to my apartment later that night, completely content from a fantastic weekend exploring the French capital, Paris, the city of light and love.