Bonjour mes amis- planning considerations and trip report
On the road. Point to point, no layovers, no weather, gotta happen, right. 
Before we get into the photos and fun stuff here is some potentially useful information:
Booking and planning consideration.
I realize this tour can change, so I will attempt to keep this relatively short. (figure the odds 
)
Considerable research and thought is needed before even booking this tour, unless your availability is limited, you are a traveler who doesn’t book pre- and post-stays, you are only interested in the published itinerary, and you don’t add your own additional on-tour activities. If you want to maximize your time and what you see, you’ll need to plan, and do it early
When to go considerations:
Weather: As with any tour, weather is always a consideration. Due to the effects of the nearby Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel, northwestern France can be cool and wet in the Spring and on into Summer. Annually, there are 161 sunny days in Paris and 155 or more precipitation days, the rest are overcast. Paris has an average annual precipitation of 25” and experiences light rainfall distributed evenly throughout the year, however, the city is known for intermittent, abrupt, heavy showers. WeatherSpark.com is a good source for historical weather trends.
Crowds: Crowds, like weather, are always a consideration and both are typically in conflict. The busiest months are May to September, with July being the busiest followed closely by June and August.
Schools/students: Unless you have researched French holidays, you may not know that in addition to an eight week summer holiday, schools in France have a two week spring holiday in April/May. The Ministry of National Education sets the dates for each of the three zones. The zone holidays overlap. French students and those from the EU get free admission to most museums and cultural sites. In many cases however, they are still required to have (timed-entry) tickets, but they still take up spots.
What departure and what will be open, when I’m there?: A new, classic or small group tour, typically starts every 2 - 4 days, so the days of the week tours start and venues are visited can differ from departure to departure. Why does this matter? Most museums and cultural sites, especially in Versailles and Paris, are not open 7 days a week and closures are not consistent among them:
e.g. at Versailles. The Palace and the estate of Trianon are closed on Mondays, the Gallery of Coaches is only open on Saturday and Sunday during the summer period, the Musical Fountains show is only on weekends, the Musical Gardens only run from Tuesday to Friday, and the Fountains Night Show is every Saturday night, plus Friday July 14th and Tuesday August 15th. Got all that?!?! So, when is the best time to visit Versailles??? If the venues are important to you, do your research, decide if a pre-stay is needed, then decide which departure will allow you to visit your preferred venues.
e.g. Paris. An after-hours visit to the Louvre is only scheduled for select departures. Tauck typically doesn’t know for certain which ones they will be until early in the year which I assume is why it is not mentioned nor listed in the website itinerary! Each time I called Tauck I was given a different answer- eventually we learned our departure does not visit the Louvre.
A few notable Paris closings: Musée Rodin, Musée d'Orsay, Musée Carnavalet, Petit Palais, etc. are closed on Mondays. The Louvre, Musée de l'Orangerie, and Pompidou Centre, etc. are closed on Tuesdays. The Arc de Triomphe, Conciergerie, Panthéon, Halle Saint-Pierre, Sainte Chapelle are closed on weekends:
For a complete list of weekly closings for cultural sites in Paris follow this link to the Paris Tourist Office Official Website: https://en.parisinfo.com/what-to-see-in-paris/info/guides/weekly-closing-days-of-cultural-sites-in-Paris#1
Also, a number of venues have free admission on the first Sunday of the month and on some French holidays- rather than an opportunity to save money, it should be viewed as an opportunity to navigate larger crowds!
Buying Tickets. You can purchase tickets to museums and other venues via their online websites or, in many cases, the Centre Des Monuments Nationaux. Timing varies as to when tickets go on sale- some can be purchased as early as 60 days prior, some only 30 days prior. Some venues release a full month’s worth of dates at one time. The Eiffel Tower, which is open seven days a week, deserves special mention. As I discovered, tickets are released day-by- day, EXACTLY 30 days in advance, starting at 10:45 pm EST. Despite tracking it closely and “sniping” (old E-bay term) to get on the site at the exact moment tickets went on sale for our desired date, I was unable to get tickets for 3:00 pm and felt lucky to get them for 3:30 pm. All half hour time slots for “Lift to the Top” tickets for our desired day sold out in less than an hour. You can also purchase many tickets through third party vendors like Viator, but they may cost significantly more and/or you might be required to pay for a package that could include activities or places that don’t interest you.
So, again, the bottom line, do your research early before selecting a tour date and purchase tickets as early as possible for places you want to visit that are not included in the Tauck itinerary.
I will update this thread with photos and a review over the next 13 days.
Comments
Oh, and, most important- bags were loaded on our aircraft at RDU and are with us now at CDG. We are waiting with the driver for another couple.
God speed John Glenn.
Gotta love that Delta “bag on plane” notice!
Great start to a fabulous holiday!😊
We just completed this tour 2 weeks ago. It was fabulous. I agree with Alan about doing research. We had planned our itinerary for our free time and extra days well in advance. We arrived at Versailles on a Monday so we went to see the Musical Gardens, which were open although the palace was closed. It was fortunate because it was a beautiful afternoon. We had tickets for the palace visit the next day—it rained all day. In Paris, we had purchased our tickets for the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Pompidou Centre, and the Rodin Museum well in advance. The Rodin was the only ticket that was not a timed entry. We worked with the concierge to get tickets for l’Orangerie and Saint Chapelle, which was not an easy task. Saint Chapelle was open on Sunday because that’s when we were there. One holiday we were unaware of when we booked was Ascension Thursday, which is essentially a long weekend holiday for the French and everywhere we went was very crowded. By planning most things in advance, we were able to see and do everything we had wanted. The tour itself was absolutely fabulous, and aside from the first few days of cloudy, cool and drizzly weather, we had fabulous weather for the balance of the trip.
Now I remember why I hate CDG! Actually, it wasn’t too bad. They kept opening stations at passport control, but slowly. We met the Tauck driver at baggage claim but had to wait for other passenger(s) who never showed up so we left. No accidents or stops, just incredibly slow traffic all the way to Versailles. The actual timeline might be different, but the end result about the same as Fran in April- we landed at 8:19 am but didn’t get to the Waldorf-Astoria until 11:20 am.
Timeline:
Takeoff from RDU 6:15 pm
Landed at CDG 8:19 am (6 hr diff. 8+06 flight)
Arrived at a “parking spot” at 8:51 (no terminal, no jetway, just a stairway and overcrowded buses (to Terminal 2.)
Arrived at passport control at 9:15- sign switched from 5 min. wait to 10 min when we got there. Complete lack of urgency.
.Arrived baggage claim at 9:25 where we met our driver and about a half dozen other Tauck drivers- more than one Tauck tour starting in Paris over the next few days?? We drove away in a Tesla S!
Arrived at the Waldorf at 11:20. Our room was not ready and wouldn’t be ready until 3:00!
We would have liked to get into our room to change shoes, etc, before we headed to the Trianon Estate. We spent all afternoon, seeing the Petit Trianon, Grand Trianon, and Queen’s hamlet. Approx 5 mi. 13,000 steps. More later, I’m nodding off.
I’m glad you made it safely! There were several drivers for Tauck the morning I was there too.
Today was all about the Trianon Estate which is comprised of the Grand Trianon palace, the Petit Trianon (and their associated gardens), and the Queen’s hamlet. Trianon opens at 12:00. Since we arrived at the Waldorf Astoria at 11:20 and couldn’t get into our room, we decided to head to Trianon. The planning issue, again, while we could have changed in a hotel restroom, we thought it a hassle so wore what we were wearing on the flight to Trianon. The clouds burned off earlier so we had bright sun, and check out the blue sky!!! The mild temps rose throughout the afternoon and peaked at 80 or so about 3:00 - 4:00. We both wished we had worn shorts! We walked about a mi from the hotel to the Petit Trianon. Near the entrance was a small cafe, Angelina, where we stopped for Cokes and split a ham and cheese sandwich before touring. From the Petit Trianon we followed one of the many gravel paths that lead to the hamlet, then we backtracked to tour the Grand Trianon, before catching the little train to the Palace before walking back to the hotel. We finally got into our room and showered and rested before heading out for dinner at Sisters Cafe. Total walking today = 8 mi. / 17,800 steps!
We were using the Versailles app which you can use offline once it has been downloaded. The narration is clear and easily understood, but there isn’t narration for all rooms that you see, and it does not always follow the sequence visitors are likely to follow. There are placards in each room with the same and sometimes more info.
Another comment about planning and tickets- the hotel gives you “Passport” tickets to tour the Chateau and other places, however it is a “timed entry” if they have any tickets availabile. At the Chateau you get to “tour” with the masses, almost being swept along with them. It is an audio guided tour. Like Fran, we got the “Year in Versailles” pass that allowed us to go to the head of the line and enter, for as many times as you want for a year. It is worth it in my mind if you will be visiting Versailles longer than just one day. Check out all the options and also read Fran’s review.
Tomorrow we have a guided tour (Versailles staff guide) of the King’s Apartments at 9:30 am which we booked a month or so ago. This tour is one of the only guided tours available in English. After that, we may tour the remainder of the Chateau and wander through a few of the gardens. The welcome dinner is tomorrow evening.
I forgot to include a few photos of grand Trianon🙃 Some major construction going on.
Alan, the walking path along the road makes me hurt just looking at it. Our first visit there pre-knee replacement and the second time after the knee was just barely healed. I've done a lot of miles walking that estate.
Alan - You need to lengthen your stride if it takes you 17,800 steps to go 8 miles. That number of steps takes me almost 9.3 miles. Looking at it the other direction, it only takes me 15,360 steps to go 8 miles.
The weather looks wonderful. I hope that's what you get for the whole trip.
Alan - You are bringing back happy memories. This was one of my top 5 Tauck trips - many years ago.
What a difference the sun makes!
Sorry the pictures are sideways. At least I got them posted.🤪
Don’t miss seeing the Chateau after your private tour, especially the Hall of Mirrors. I’m sure it will be crowded, but it’s amazing!
That step count includes a lot of baby steps standing in line at CDG Passport Control, etc. and to some extent wandering Trianon.
I had some major leg cramps last night, nothing like l suffered after my treks at Petra, but still painful 😫
My husband always grouses at the end of a tour day that we've gone the same distance but my Fitbit registers more steps. It's all about leg length.
I get those too when I’m dehydrated. Have fun today! Can’t wait to hear how you liked the small group tour of the King’s Apartments.
Alan wonderful report and pictures, have a great time
Ok, I know I'm biased, and lazy. While I'm impressed with those finely calibrated bucket lists, here's hoping y'all consider taking an hour off now & then to just wander Paris, etc. That's the best part of travel for me. (I visited Versailles my first trip to France, but now have a lot more free time since I gave up palaces/castles/fortresses years ago.) Btw my two weeks in France April-May were warm (60s) and dry, even up north in Brittany. Enjoy!
Day 1. It was almost chilly this morning with a thin overcast, but by late morning we had another day of, clear, deep blue skies. It was cooler when the wind kicked up, but generally we had another beautiful day. We started the day with a guided walking tour of the king’s apartments that we had booked several weeks ago. This behind-the-scenes tour avoids the mass of humanity touring the palace. And, yes, surprise, surprise, due a combination of factors we, like Fran, were shown the opera house which is supposedly not normally part of the tour. After hearing reports from others who have taken this tour, I’m beginning to think the visit to the theater has actually become a permanent feature of this tour.
The tour is conducted using a device similar to a VOX, but between device issues and the guide not always speaking into his (directional) microphone, the narration was less than adequate. My experiment with wireless connection to my new Bluetooth enabled hearing aids was a failure. I’ll try again tomorrow with Tauck’s VOXes. They worked great with my iPad and the app, however! 🙂
After the private tour, we remained in the Chateau and toured it on our own along with the masses snaking their way through the remainder of palace. We then headed outside to visit a few of the gardens before having lunch at Flotille where we sat outside in a covered area overlooking the Grand Canal and rental rowboats. Then it was back to the hotel for a nap. The welcome dinner was changed to outdoors where it was a tad cool. We met our TD who has only worked for Tauck for two years. She is a relatively young American but currently lives in Belgium. She has tour and hospitality experiences so is no rookie in that regard. If first impressions are truly an indicator, she should be great- she knocked it out of the park this evening!
Today we logged 6 miles. I had some leg cramps last night. Tomorrow we are headed to Chartre.
A few additional comments about touring the Château and grounds today. First, I suggest you download the app. to your phone or iPad. It has the same narration as the audio guide device you can rent, but the app includes a graphical representation of where you are- it is easy to lose track of where you are. Every room has information placards, and in the upper right corner of each is the room/sequence #, but many rooms have two signs and two different explanations/numbers, so while navigating the crowds, it can be easy to get ahead or behind the narration. The main features of many rooms, which, in some cases are almost devoid of furniture, are the paintings of the royals, family, events, battles, etc, so it is easy to lose interest. Don’t forget to look up, there are some fabulously painted and gilded ceilings. Don’t plan on having unobstructed views- it gets very crowded. You can book private (?) and staff guided tours, but the masses, using audio guides, maps etc etc , are let in 15 minute intervals, and due to the jackrabbits and turtles, individual groups merge into one long mass of slowly moving humanity. Don’t forget there will be school kids and other youth groups, tours, some quite young! While selfie sticks are prohibited (thank goodness 😀 ), there were still a few scofflaws.
As has been said before, don’t under-estimate the size of this place. Don’t under-estimate the effect of the gravel paths on your feet, ease of walking, and your shoes- wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes. You’ll need to use a shoe brush or cleaning cloth you’ll find in the room closet to clean the fine gray dust from your shoes!!!
They following are not in chronological order, I was tired (I actually nodded off a few times) so did some batch uploads.
Let them eat cake.
Nice pics Alan.
Interesting to see in one of the last ones... someone having his picture taken with the Venezuelan Flag. (Most be one of the low-class members of the Venezuelan corrupted government). Still my heart breaks when I see it.
Do enjoy your trip and keep reporting, I always love to see people enjoying their vacation! specially you, that I know...how much you like to plan ahead and study everything about the country.
Day 2. First full day with Tauck- Chartres and on to château country. Weather- another perfect day, maybe a tad too warm. I’m glad I brought a pair shorts on the trip and wore them. Tomorrow I’m gonna wear my safari zip-offs. How long can this weather last? 😀
Frankly, I was a little underwhelmed with the cathedral- not as large and soaring as I expected and a lot of ongoing renovation. Before touring, we had a very interesting presentation about stained glass. The interior of the cathedral was rather dark, and since it was not heated, rather cold. The widows that had been cleaned were impressive and lived up to the hype, many others, not so much. It will be interesting to compare the windows with those in Ste. Chapelle in Paris. We had lunch on our own in one of many nice little places nearby. (Fran- we ate at the Serpent- very convenient and a good meal.
We boarded the bus again for a rather long trip to Château Rochecotte for a two night stay in châteaux country. We were running slightly ahead of schedule so at the driver’s suggestion we drove along the Loire River and passed several château. Not long after arriving we re-boarded the bus for a short trip to Château Champchevrier for a presentation about (deer) hunting dogs, a tour of the château that has been in the same family since the 17th century, and a nice dinner. The son of the Baron who now runs the estate was our host. We arrived back at our hotel at 10:00 pm.
Our bus has Wifi and it works! Tomorrow- more Loire Valley château- Château de Langeais and Château Villandry.
Great pictures.
What a difference a warm sunny day makes! I’m glad you packed the shorts too and enjoyed lunch at Serpent. I expect you’ll be blown away when you see the stained glass in Sainte Chapelle. Really enjoying your day to day review as it beings back such fond memories☺️
Day 3.. Oh, darn! Another beautiful day.
It was cool enough to wear a light wind breaker when we left the hotel this morning, but was comfortable during our tour of the Château de Langeais, so I removed my wind breaker and zipped off the lower legs of my safari pants. It was pretty warm by the time we visited and had lunch at the vineyards of Le Moulin Blue. It had only cooled a little by the time we reached Château Villandry, but was still warm enough to hit the nice pool when returned to Château de Rochecotte, our hotel.
Château de Langeais was an interesting medieval castle and the site where Charles VIII secretly married Anne of Brittany to finally achieve a unified France. We had a guided tour here. Afterwards we had time to stroll a fantastic open air market that was surprisingly large for such a small town. Many small towns have a “market day,” here it happens on Sundays- so only Friday departures of the tour get to experience this one! Another planning issue.
A short distance away were the vineyards of Le Moulin Blue. After we arrived, we walked into the vineyard where we received a presentation about growing grapes in this region of France, especially the effects of AOC rules which regulate everything from what grapes they can grow, how much acreage, whether they can irrigate, etc.etc. The presentation was followed by a wonderful lunch actually prepared by the owners.
After lunch we headed to visit the château and garden of Villandry. The walled estate spans 15 hectares, seven of which are beautiful gardens. We only had slightly over a hour to spend here, not enough time if you really wanted to spend any amount of time touring both château and gardens.
Since it was still warm I headed for the pool after we returned to Rochecotte. I expected it to be quite cool, but the sign said it was heated and it had a roll-up cover, but I was still skeptical. It initially seemed a bit cool, but was just right after a few laps, however it was salt water, not my favorite😏. We had a wonderful dinner on Tauck at the hotel. Tomorrow we are off to Château Angers, home of the Apocalypse Tapestry and Port du Crouesty. Will the weather change??
Technical note: I got hearing aids in Dec. I found it a pain to wear them, a VOX earphone, and sun glasses at the same time, plus I hate that the earphone cord was always getting in the way. I can now confirm after 3 days I found a better, cordless, solution. My Phonak brand hearing aids are Bluetooth enabled so I was able to use the Phonak TV connector to transmit VOX narration to my hearing aids. Unfortunately, the TV connector requires 5 volts to operate. I found a small battery bank, the size of a roll of nickels, fills the bill. I no longer need to wear a VOX ear piece and mess with the cord, plus I hear narration in both ears. Other brands of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aid should also work the same.
The garden at Villandry is amazing. Definitely deserves more time than its given. Fingers crossed on the weather Alan. You still gotta get thru Normandy..
Ditto Claudia’s comment about the gardens.
Alan - I assume your audio configuration would work with Bluetooth enabled ear buds (like Apple ear buds) just as it does with your hearing aids?
Beautiful pictures Alan
This was such a fantastic trip. Pictures are bringing back wonderful memories.
It’s many years since I went to all these chateaux, I love the French countryside and actually have better memories of all my visits there than my one visit to Paris, which I guess is an unusual opinion. Bringing back great memories.