Versailles Palace is the famous French Palace built before and used during the time of the French Revolution and is a little far from Paris. We bought tickets to visit Versailles with the tour company that operates the Hop on Hop off Paris. As our Hop on Hop off 24 hour ticket was still valid that morning, we went by Metro to the Pyramid station near where the Hop on Hop off office is.
We boarded the first Hop on Hop off bus to go to the Tour company that would take us to Versailles. We had a nice bus ride around Paris again, going round the loop.
There were not many tourists and the top was nearly empty we had a nice go around Paris by bus.
We passed by the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris again.
Also the magnificent Arch de Triumph built on order of Napoleon, the most famous French Emperor (actually he is a Corsican and his native land is in Italy now).
After passing the Maritime Museum, we had to get off near the Eiffel Tower as it is the nearest hop off stop to the Tour office. We had hopped off at the Maritime Museum and walked down to the Eiffel Tower the previous day so I do not know which usual route the HOHO bus takes.
Looking at the photos I had taken, we had passed in front of the Tour office without realizing we should get off here.
After passing through a boulevard, and going for some time, I noticed a building which was quite far from the Eiffel and which I had observed on the HOHO bus tour the previous day.
I got up and asked the bus driver. He said the usual route was blocked that day because of the Marathon and they had bypassed the Eiffel stops. We got off the bus and walked back. I did not see the Eiffel anywhere and checked the map and noticed that we could not make it in time by walking. I stopped and waited for a free taxi to come along. There was not much time to get to the tour company in time, and luckily, a vacant taxi came along.
I was surprised that the taxi was bigger than usual ones and a Mercedes. Furthermore, the taxi driver, a white middle east looking man, was dressed smartly in a suit. It would be a limousine and I was worried about the fare. However, it was a meter taxi and the rate was reasonable. When we got off, the Eiffel tower was not in sight and I asked him whether it might be the wrong place. He indicated to the opposite side of the road and drove off.
We arrived in time, but had to wait for others before our Touir guide called us and we all boarded the Tour Bus to Versailles.
During the time we waited, I walked around for a short distance and found an interesting shop selling souvenrs including aprons, French style.
Tags: Europe, infotainment, Travel
Nyiwin's Blog 
Leave a comment