/ Paris Louvre and Versailles: Walking to the Louvre in Paris we pass through the Palais Royale gardens and Galleries Vivien. We suggest starting a Louvre visit with the Italian sculptures, including Michelangelo and Canova on the ground floor of the Denon Wing. Then go upstairs to the large French paintings by David, Gericault and Delacroix. From here, enter the Grand Gallery with paintings of the Italian Renaissance, including Mona herself. Walk in along one wall and out along the opposite wall. And then you will find yourself at the Winged Victory, and then around the corner to the crown jewels in the Apollo Hall, with its elaborate walls and ceiling. Now go downstairs to classical Rome and Greece, veering into the Room of the Caryatids, and back across the hall to see fragments from the Parthenon, with a vision of perfect female beauty, the Venus of Milo, at the end of the gallery. Descend the stairs behind Venus and confront a dilemma: go left for the medieval foundations and the second half of the museum...
Now you are in perfect position to get to the Palace of Versailles by train. The station is right under your nose in front of the Orsay. Enter the metro station and take the RER to the end of the line at Versailles Rive Gauche. Round trip is only $5, and the palace admission is about $10, so you are saving big-time compared to buying a $65 bus tour to get to Versailles. Nothing could be easier than the 40 minute train ride, followed by a 15 minute walk to the palace.