Trying to get to Versailles

A closed station

I went to Paris to attend a conference, but since the conference schedule was not revealed until long after I had booked my plane tickets, I turned out to have one day in Paris with nothing going on at the conference that I was allowed to participate in.

Since I had not been to Versailles, I figured it might be worth a visit. I read online that you really should be there very early or you will have to stand in line for hours just to get in, especially during the tourist peak season (which is now).

Sights along the way

Since I had severe jet-lag and kept waking up extremely early in the morning (afternoon time in Japan), that would not be a problem, I thought. I walked to the train station close to my hotel where I had got off the evening before when coming for the airport. The hotel was conveniently located close to a station that had both the line that goes to the airport and the line that goes to Versailles. From the day after I arrived until about a month later, it turned out that this station was going to be closed, though.

I figured it could not be that far to the next station and started walking in that direction. I was wrong, and it was actually a long walk. Once I got there, there was a similar notice stating that this station too was closed from today and a few weeks on... So I walked to the next station down the line, and ended up walking for more than an hour (and I walk pretty fast, haha).

Another closed station

The weather forecast had shown that Paris might be only 16 degrees (Celsius) during the nights, so I had brought only trousers, no shorts (I have too much work stuff in my bag to fit much clothing during work trips), but it turned out to be well over 30 degrees every single day and super hot during the nights too. I was almost dead from melting in the heat when I reached the station where a train finally would take me to Versailles. I passed a lot of famous sights and got to see a lot of Paris scenery on my way, though.

A station that was not closed!