Bewitching with its seductive cave, mystic temples, a miniature village (surrounded by pens of farm animals and vegetable plots) and romantic lake (complete with island and lighthouse), it’s no surprise that the countryside in miniature was Marie Antoinette’s favorite retreat from the very public and frenetic life she led back up at the main Château.

Trianon, take me away!

Related: 8 Fantastic day trips from Paris by train

Trekking to Versailles

Get on the RER C line to “Versailles-Rive Gauche.” The scenic train ride takes 30 to 45 minutes.

Tip: Buy a round trip ticket while you’re still in Paris, because by the end of the afternoon ticket lines at the Versailles-Rive Gauche station can be horrifically long, while the self-serve ticket machines are often broken (and the customer is never right). Also, guard your ticket with your life because, unlike the Métro, you also need it to exit the RER. Lose your ticket on either system? Prepare to pay a fine. Cheapos, I have been there.

Fall for the Temple of Love

Going to the Temple of Love

Once you reach the Château du Versailles, start looking for pink and white “Petit Trianon” signs, pennants mentioning the “Hameau,” or green “Le Domaine de Marie-Antoinette” banners. After paying the entrance fee at the gate, you’ll either hoof it down through the gardens and fountains, or take a tram directly there. Personally, I’d walk the walk.

During the warmer months, amazing displays of aquatic artistry bring the palace fountains to life while piped in Lully and other Baroque favorites spray on to everyone’s delight. The weather and your entourage will most likely determine your mode of transportation. Take heed, because along the way you’ll encounter beaucoup steps and uneven ground, especially treacherous after a downpour. Pack your Keds, kids!

The tour  (I did it my way)

There’s no set order to touring the grounds. At the Petit Trianon entrance, you’ll find a café with benches and the best chicken salad sandwiches I’ve ever stuck a tooth in. Here you’ll also find a welcome center, a WC, and a gift shop. Pick up a map and plan your route over lunch.

Marlborough Tower and Lake (taken from Queen’s cottage)

I get my stroll going at the nearby Temple of Love, first paying homage to Cupid with crossed fingers and toes. Then, after putting in a cameo appearance at Marie Antoinette’s delightful little theater, I follow the winding brook down to the hamlet. Do stay on the path! Legend has it that back in 1903 two English women brazenly took a short cut and ended up time-tripping back to the 18th century. So for the love of your pocket-sized technology, stay with your group!

Keeping it real

Marie Antoinette was just 19 years old when hubby Louis XVI gifted the Petit Trianon to her. Initially built for his dad’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour, the royal haven gave Marie Antoinette what she craved most—personal privacy and room to blossom.

Visits were by invitation only, and costumes were kept unusually simple and informal for the time. Banned were big hats, long dress trains, and the wide panniers that put the hustle in the bustle. Soon, intimate co-ed suppers with the King and a handful of friends, and private theater spectacles featuring the Queen, became the norm at her private domain.

Approaching the Petit Trianon

On the boards in her very own theater, Marie Antoinette fearlessly took on her alter egos like an 18th-century Lady Gaga or Beyoncé, performing as milkmaids, shepherdesses, and village maidens. Studying theater, opera, and ballet (with celebrity tutors snagged from Paris), she managed to fine-tune her craft while crafting her own idyllic world. Despite her unfortunate fate, in this tiny theater, with its seats for only forty, its walls and ceilings of rich blue velvet and paper-mâché ornaments mimicking shiny gold and sleek, cool marble, her spirited dreams live on. More than anywhere else, you can still feel her presence here, so trust me, Cheapos, don’t miss it.

Oscar Wilde said it best:  “Illusion is the first of all pleasures.”

Need a lil’ hameau fix now? Sophia Coppola’s movie “Marie Antoinette” was shot on location.

More information

For more tips on visiting Versailles, check out our article “Day Trip from Paris: The Palace of Versailles.”

The post Paris Day Trip: Marie Antoinette’s “Petit Trianon” at Versailles appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Nearly everyone in Paris is both food critic and advocate. So, while visiting the City of (De)lights, take advantage of the gastronomical convictions of the knowledgeable locals. Hint: Look for lines snaking out of doorways—that’s always a good sign. Ask merchants for personal recommendations. And if you’re invited to a dinner party, brace yourself for at least one heated debate about food, and when it erupts, for the love of Julia Child, don’t take cover—take notes!

Cheapos, let’s take it to the streets (or the table)!

Sandrine’s pick: Gérard Mulot at 76 rue de Seine (Metro Odéon)

“I’m gluttonous!” confesses harpist Sandrine, “so on special occasions, I indulge in their decadent tarte à la orange. It always pleases!” (By the way, Sandrine taught Kirsten Dunst how to play the harp for her title role in film, Marie Antoinette. What if she’d said, “Let them eat tartes?”)

Stéphanie’s pick: Pâtisserie Arnaud Larher at 53 rue Caulaincourt (Metro Lamarck-Caulaincourt)

“He makes extremely good pies and tartes, but he’s more famous for his chocolate and award-winning macarons,” according to media analyst Stéphanie.

Yohan’s pick: Arnaud Delmontel at 57 rue Damrémont (Metro Lamarck-Caulaincourt)

“In France, many bakeries don’t make the pastries themselves, so it is difficult to find really great ones, but this one makes it all on the premises,” says television editor Yohan.

Both Yohan and Stéphanie also mentioned: Les Petits Mitrons at 26 rue Lepic (Metro Blanche)

Ooh la la; More tartes at Les Petits Mitrons

“Paris is changing. Most of the good bakeries and patisseries are near La Madeleine or across the Seine, so we’re very lucky to have three so close to our apartment,” Yohan says. Stephanie adds, “I highly recommend Chef Samie Didda’s mouth-watering chocolate tarte.”

Jeff’s pick: Encore! Les Petits Mitrons

Musician and composer Jeff Hallam often takes his band here just before or after rehearsals. “The crust is confection perfection. They caramelize the bottom of the light and flaky crust with butter and sugar. It’s to die for!”

Karine’s pick: Et encore une fois! Les Petits Mitrons

Engineer Karine admits, “But when I was younger I loved tartes aux fruits from Tarte Julie.” (Tarte Julie is a national franchise that’s been around since 1974.)

Swati’s pick: Les Petits Mitrons (must be habit forming!)

It wasn’t the pies in the window that caught clothing designer Swati’s eye during one of her early morning walks. It was the little bags of soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies. “Along with the music of Prince, they soon became my dinner party staple.”

Cat’s pick: Les Petits Mitrons (maybe we’re on to something?)

Gypsy band violinist Cat (a confirmed French Cheapo at heart, down to her Monoprix t-shirts) buys by the slice for just a few euros. “The slices are big. The crust is thin. It’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Miam! Miam! And the pink boxes they use are super cute!”

The scene at Legendre. Yummy.

Laurent’s pick: Pâtisserie Legendre at 2 Butte aux Cailles (Metro Place d’Italie)

“To tell the truth, my favorite bakery is always the one closest to my apartment! What can I say, I like to buy local. It makes me feel connected,” says film editor Laurent.

Annelise’s pick: Tarte Julie outlets located all over France.

“When I don’t make my own tartes myself, I buy from Tarte Julie, or the frozen food store Picard. Yes, the frozen tarte is surprisingly nice, but it’s not as good as mine!” boasts book editor Annelise, referring to two popular chains.

Nausicaa’s pick: Pâtisserie Legendre

“Maybe it’s not the cheapest, but the pies are always fresh. Texture is perfect. So I’ll buy one in a pinch. The chocolates are also very, very good, ” she says.

Anne’s pick: Pâtisserie Tholoniat at 47 rue du Chateau d’Eau (Metro Chateau d’Eau).

“This confiserie has existed for seventy years. It was also my father’s favorite shop, when he was a boy,” says book designer Anne, with a nostalgic sigh.

Pierre’s picks: Le Grenier à Pain at 36 rue des Abbesses (Metro Abbesses)

“I know you asked about pies, but can I tell you where the best Christmas log cakes come from? No? Well, they have wonderful pies, too,” according to photographer Pierre.

And my own personal pick? Coquelicot (the poppy) at 24 rue des Abbesses (Metro: Abbesses). It’s dangerously located just below my apartment windows, so I’m able to smell their signature Piccola baguettes bake as I type. I can tell every time they open the oven door!

Do you have a favorite boulangerie or pâtisserie in Paris? Come on, Cheapos! Let’s rumble!

The post Paris Tip: The best tarte in town! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.