Versailles - and Vax
Hello everyone!
I wanted to provide an update as to our experiences with Covid, vax requirements etc. We landed at CDG at around 7 am local time Sat morning and the airport was empty! I think we must have been the only flight coming in at that time. On the plane AA handed out “fast passes” for customs. We handed those, our passports and our vax cards to the agents and breezed through. Our Tauck driver was waiting for us after we picked up our bags and then it was about a 45 minute drive to the Waldorf Trianon. Still, it was only about 8 am so we checked our bags and got our tickets for the Versailles Palace and Gardens for a 9:30 entrance. Once again, we had the gardens literally to ourselves near the hotel entrance. It was only when we got to the entrance to the castle that we encountered a short line. Our vax card was easily accepted and we had free reign of the castle and the gardens for the whole day, but you do have to show your ticket again for the main garden entrance. I’ve posted some pics - grounds are breathtaking and we got really lucky with the weather.
We hiked back for a late lunch at the Veranda and then pretty much crashed after that - jet lag, hiking, etc. The breakfast buffet was spectacular with all kinds of both traditional and French foods to eat, all covered by Tauck of course. Everyone wears a mask at all times, except once you sit at the table to eat or drink. Today we’ll walk into town and explore. Happy travels to you all!
Comments
Exlandlubber,
Great post and pictures! Thanks for sharing.
I know its hard to post during your adventure, thanks for sharing the information especially for those going soon!!! Enjoy!
**Exlandlubber ** Thanks for sharing. I've visited the extravagant Versailles castle and gardens many times and I must say, I have never seen that few people in the grand hallway or empty gardens. BTW, when I tour Europe, my schedule is exactly as what you experienced. I arrive early morning and proceed to the hotel, drop off bags and enjoy the wonderful breakfast and then I hit the road and start touring. I stay out and about until dinner time. I'm in bed by 10PM. This alleviates any jet lag (which I almost never experience). The next day I am fresh and ready to do it all over again. Enjoy your tour!
Hello fellow Tauckians!
We are in Arzon in the Port of Crouesty in Brittany. We have lucked out with both our tour director and our weather. Nils Wurster started to get a little choked up during his introduction at the welcome dinner as we were his first tour in almost two years. He is a self-admitted perfectionist who has gone out of his way to make everything run smoothly. The last two hotels we checked into, our room keys were waiting for us and our checked luggage was brought up within 10 minutes. He has cleared our entrance to every museum and castle we have visited but has warned us we might not have the same luck on our own. But so far whenever we’ve shown our vax card to anyone they’ve been fine with it. Paris might be different but who knows. Everyone is masked indoors and everyone is not masked outdoors. I think most folks just want to do what’s right for the shop/restaurant owners and they in turn, don’t want to be fined, but don’t want to alienate tourists either. People are just trying to do the right thing and get past this. We skipped the first outing this morning because the hotel pool and “bubbly tub” were very inviting and we just needed a little down time. I wish we had more than two nights here. It’s a lovely hotel. Tomorrow, we head to Dinard. Back on the bus! Enjoy the pictures. Kim
I’m sorry, I have no idea why the second two pics went sideways
Maybe you drank some "bubbly" while in the "bubbly tub"
Thanks so much for sharing these pictures, looks beautiful, we can't wait to go!!!!
We ended out tour last night at the Louvre with an after hours tour - currently sitting at Lax awaiting connecting flight. Tour was fantastic. I did finally get my Pass Sanitaire but never needed it. The CDC cards worked fine for all sites and all restaurants we visited.
Claudia Sails,
I'm looking forward to your trip reviews after you are home and rested up!
Claudia, congratulations on a successful trip, giving hope to everyone still waiting for their next Tauck tour to lift off !
It's so sad that so many canceled their tours this year. Both of ours were great. The weather was near perfect and the crowds so light. We did everything scheduled on our tours plus more (as always), very little hassle due to covid, and always felt safe.
So sad that Tauck canceled my tours! I didn’t cancel any!
Looking forward to your reports Claudia!
British, you didn't but so many others did. Both my tours had been sold out or Limited Availability not long before their starts but many canceled when the EU seemed to change their minds (again). I feel bad for the TDs and drivers whose work load doesn't decrease that much with fewer travelers. The bus company Tauck has been using in France went out of business and they had to find a new one. Thankfully the driver we had was excellent and very personable.
I have been trying to encourage people to not cancel their trips. We have done two trips in the last three months. One with Windstar to the Caribbean and one with Tauck to the Mediterranean on Ponant. I am sure we were safer than staying home. This is actually the best time to travel. No crowds and there are lot of people who are going to be really happy to see you. Don’t cancel… go!
Claudia is so correct! Even yesterday at Mont St Michel (the island monastery picture for this tour) it was busy but not crowded. Our local guide said we were her first group tour in two years and that normally she’d do 2-3 a day! She must be in great shape - we were all huffing and puffing after climbing all those stairs. I find both sanitation efforts and compliance to be far more consistent here than in the states. Also - had a rare “dinner on our own” last night in Dinard and a copy of our vax card was sufficient. Here’s a picture of the monastery - it lives up to the hype😊