honeybee_84

Hello!

I am stuck deciding where to rent an apartment: Versailles or Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Rent and accessibility aren't an issue as they both fit my criteria.They both seem like very nice areas.

Which is better? Can anyone compare Versailles vs Saint-Germain-en-Laye? (culture, people, area, ect)

Thanks

Ka Ora!

Welcome to the Forum, Someone who knows the region will be along

If you get any issues give me a shout

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
I used to live near Versailles and visited St Germain once or twice, and can say that they are both "nice" towns to live in, with nearby forests for walks. But both are very expensive....
If you intend to go into Paris often, Versailles might be better, with more possibilities of public transport (don't contemplate driving into Paris!)

cyrian

A frfiend of mine who worked in La Defense on 2 different secondments lived in Parly2 and then Marly le Roi. He chose them for easy transport to work.

Peabrain

Hi,
I don't know whether you have kids, but if so there is a very well-known state-run lycée international in Saint-Germain with a high academic level. Otherwise I'd go for Versailles, where there are also excellent state schools, some of the best in the country, plus several good private state-aided schools, but be careful to get an flat in the right catchment area for the state schools. The market place is nice, Glatingy, St Louis in the older part, Notre Dame are all nice areas. Montreuil is further from the centre but has a good (ish) suburban train service (RER) into La Défense. You gain one stop compared with the terminus Versailles Rive Droite. Beware of going out into the suburbs around Versailles like Trappes.
Versailles and SG are both upper middle-class cities; posh and fairly expensive. Some might even say snobbish. Stay away from Sartory or Chantier, and avoid areas like Chantiers or Jussieu (especially). It might not be that easy to make friends, but an "Anglo-Saxon" still has considerable kudos in a place like Versailles. You might find more ex-pats in SG, but who needs those in France?
There is a decent cultural life, with cinemas, a theatre and of course the palace, where there are also concerts from time to time; even operas. (I saw Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in the Opera House there). The park of the Palace is huge and a marvellous place to wander around in. Generally speaking, Versailles is a leafy place, steeped in history, but by no means sleepy. Compared with Paris, it's also marginally cooler in summer, because of all the trees. There are loads of little restaurants where one can dine reasonably cheaply or go up-market in places like the Trianon Palace Hôtel.
There are quality shops galore, a market to die for, and a big shopping mall in Parly II or easy access to other DIY stores and hypermarkets in the outer suburbs.
Access to Paris is easy along the A13, though of course in the mornings it's choc-a-bloc in, and choc-a-bloc out in the evenings. Otherwise there are three different railway lines into Paris.
It takes about an hour and a half to two hours to get to the Channel; three and a half to the Tunnel.
If I had the choice I'd go for Versailles, but only because in another life I knew it well; SG I only know because of the hospital...
Good luck
PB