Things to do in Yvelines

The Palace of Versailles was an incredible experience and definitely a highlight of my trip to France. The palace itself is absolutely breathtaking, with stunning architecture, beautiful rooms, and so much history around every corner.The ticketing process was simple, and the ticket was easy to use for entry into all the main areas of the palace. We were able to explore comfortably without any problems.The only downside was that some parts of the gardens were under construction during our visit, so we couldn’t fully experience the gardens at their best. However, this did not take away from the overall experience. Versailles is still a must-see destination and a place I would highly recommend visiting.

踏入凡尔赛宫花园的那一刻，仿佛走进了太阳王的黄金梦境。修剪成几何图案的绿篱在阳光下泛着油亮的光泽，喷泉池中阿波罗雕像的金色战车似要破水而出。我赤脚踩过草坪参加夜间音乐喷泉秀，水柱随着巴洛克乐章起舞，月光给拉托娜喷泉镀上银边。最震撼的是站在大运河尽头回望宫殿，300年前的极尽奢华与人类的艺术野心，在夕阳中铺展成一幅活的油画。

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles is hailed as a treasure of the French royal family and is the most luxurious and magnificent part of the palace. - Basic Overview: The Hall of Mirrors is 76 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 13 meters high. One side features 17 arched floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the Versailles gardens. The other side consists of 17 floor-to-ceiling mirrors, each composed of 483 individual mirror pieces, corresponding to the windows and reflecting the ceiling frescoes and the surrounding scenery, making the entire hall appear even more spacious, bright, and resplendent. - Design and Construction: Designed by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, construction began in 1678 and was completed in 1684. It replaced a terrace that originally connected the king and queen's bedrooms, which was later removed due to its inconvenience and vulnerability to weather. - Interior Decoration: The ceiling features 30 massive frescoes by Charles Le Brun, Louis XIV's court painter, depicting the achievements of his first 18 years on the throne. The walls and pilasters are adorned with exquisite gilded bronze sculptures and reliefs, decorated with high-quality colored marble from around the world, and complemented by dozens of enormous silver chandeliers (later replaced by crystal chandeliers) and hundreds of candlesticks, exuding opulence. - Historical Significance: The Hall of Mirrors was the palace used by the Louis dynasty to receive foreign dignitaries and was the king's daily route. It was the central gathering place for courtiers awaiting audiences, socializing, and conversing. Furthermore, it is the site of important historical events: in 1871, Kaiser Wilhelm I was crowned in the Hall of Mirrors and proclaimed the establishment of the German Empire; in 1919, after the end of World War I, the Allied Powers and Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors.

An absolute highlight of our Paris trip! Going all the way up to the summit of the Eiffel Tower was worth every single penny and a complete must-do when visiting Paris.Once at the top, you are rewarded with a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire city. The pinnacle of the whole experience was the champagne toast right at the top—enjoying a glass of chilled champagne with that spectacular view was purely magical.Everything was top-notch and smoothly organized from start to finish. We would book this experience again in a heartbeat and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Paris!

I spent only £8 for the sein river cruise. The ticket process is very easy .I booked through Trip.com and got the e-ticket few minutes later. The trip took 1 hours. I can said that it the best experience I ever had. The view is breathtaking and so beautiful.

The food was mediocre and not worth the price, but the scenery was nice; we saw the entire Seine River in two hours. The service was poor; the set meal included a bottle of wine, and after I finished the first glass the waiter poured for me, it took 20 minutes for them to refill it.

Highly recommended! The layout is well-organized, showcasing masterpieces of Western art from 1848 to 1914. The collection is extensive, including Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. One gallery displays different designs and prototypes of the Statue of Liberty, which is particularly interesting. In addition, there are many works by female artists, as well as special exhibitions. Absolutely fantastic!

Very convenient to book online. Just go 30 mins before your time.

I came to Paris with my family, initially thinking that seeing the architecture and taking photos at Notre Dame would be enough. However, since we were already there, I decided to try a Chinese-speaking guided tour. This decision proved to be absolutely right. It was probably the most worthwhile guided tour of our entire European trip, as I learned a lot of religious knowledge I didn't know before. The guide, I think his surname was Li, spoke very naturally, not just reading from a textbook, but connecting the history, architecture, religious stories, and development of Notre Dame with the development of Paris, incorporating a lot of information. Many things I initially thought I wouldn't understand became clear after listening. Especially the stories of the sculptures, rose windows, and fire restoration – seeing them after hearing them made all the difference. Europe is full of churches, and not understanding them can be quite frustrating. After today's tour, I felt like I had a sudden enlightenment. There was a small regret, though: some areas inside Notre Dame aren't free and require separate admission. We met at 4:30 PM today, and waited in line for 10 minutes to enter. The pace of the tour was excellent; the content was rich but not tiring, and there was no feeling of being rushed. We could ask questions anytime during the tour, and the guide patiently answered them. He was highly professional and very approachable. Today, after the Notre Dame tour, we also visited the Latin Quarter of Shakespeare and Company. This wasn't part of the tour itinerary, but the teacher gave us extra time for free because we enjoyed it. By the way, you can also pay to climb to the top of Notre Dame, but the kids couldn't climb, so we skipped it... Afterwards, we went back inside Notre Dame on our own and watched a mass. We found that because we had the guided tour, we understood many parts much better than before when we just took photos. If it's your first time in Paris, I highly recommend not trying to see it on your own. Notre Dame is free, but the guided tour is definitely worth it; it significantly enhances the entire experience. It was one of the most worthwhile activities on our trip, and I've already recommended it to anyone planning a trip to Paris. Also, try to go after 4:30 PM, otherwise the square gets very sunny. Also, Notre Dame has a dress code; you can't wear anything too revealing...

Versailles is well-known, and has even produced peripheral works, such as the "Versailles style". As a model of palaces, the Palace of Versailles is an unparalleled example of luxury. Even people who have never been there know something about it. But not many people know about the Grand Canal. Although it is not particularly large and certainly cannot be compared with the real Grand Canal in China, it is still very beautiful.