10 Tips for Seeing the Palace of Versailles and Making the Most of Your Visit

The palace and gardens of Versailles are located near Paris and if you want you can hire an organized tour because it is really worth it. Both the building and its surroundings are so impressive that today is a must visit (it has approximately 15 million visitors a year) and has been declared a World Heritage Site.

In this post I give you the tips you need to follow to avoid mishaps and you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.

The Palace of Versailles is a visit with a lot of tourists. I advise you to buy your ticket to the Palace in advance choosing one of these options: visit the palace with the gardens included, for which you can book your tickets now, or take advantage of your visit to see the palace, the gardens and the estate of Maria Antoñeta, booking these tickets. If, on the other hand, you plan to buy them at the box office, keep in mind that you can find a very long queue.

The first Sundays of each month in high season (from May to September) the entrance to the Palace is free, but even so, booking your ticket in advance is essential. My advice is to choose another day to visit the Palace, if you can balance the dates.

The Palace of Versailles is open every day except Mondays. The gardens and park are open daily, and can be visited for free. Being so large, this is a free visit that you can take advantage of and enjoy without any problems.

If your visit to Versailles is a getaway from Paris, you have the possibility to book an organized tour.

This is a very convenient option, because it allows you to save time in organizing transportation and deciding what to see. Specifically, what does this tour include? With the help of a specialized guide who will tell you all the details, history, anecdotes...

You will visit every corner of the palace, chambers, corridors... you will leave Versailles with a complete idea of the spectacular palace of the XVII century. In addition, with this tour you can also visit the famous Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, and the gardens, with 800 hectares of surface where you can enjoy its fountains, ponds, plants ... An unforgettable visit!

In short, this is a comfortable option where you can learn everything about the place in depth, make a comfortable and safe transfer, and have your ticket in advance to avoid queues and long waits.

Interesting facts

• Transfer: by bus from Paris.
• Departure: 22 Rue Jean Rey, 75015 Paris, France.
• Duration: approximately 5 hours.
• Price: From 109 €.

Another option to travel to Versailles from Paris is to **take advantage of the entrance to the palace included in your Paris Pass card. In this case you will not have to pay the entrance fee, but you will have to pay for the round trip and lunch.

If you decide to do this, I recommend you to download the app of the Palace of Versailles, so you can arrive with the necessary information to enjoy your visit (I tell you all about this app in tip number 7. Keep reading!).

I recommend that you dedicate at least 4 hours for your visit to the Palace of Versailles and the gardens. Keep in mind that the Palace of Versailles is neither a single museum nor just a stroll. It is one of the largest cultural World Heritage sites. If you want to spend 6 or 7 hours there, you won't get bored.

On your visit you can enjoy more than a hundred rooms, the painting and sculpture collections of the Museum of the History of France, the Hall of Mirrors, the royal chapel, the Gallery of Battles... and get lost in the 30 hectares of gardens. What I mean is that there is a lot to see.

For example, I advise you not to miss the stables. In addition to the carriages you can see the baby carriages of Marie Antoinette's children, or their sleighs. It is a part of the Versailles site that may go unnoticed next to the grandeur offered by other rooms of the Palace, but it is very interesting.

Interesting facts

• Hours: The palace is open from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. The gardens have a slightly longer schedule, from 8:00 to 18:00.

It is inevitable to associate Versailles with period movies, but to visit its 787 hectares is better to wear comfortable shoes, don't you think?

The duration of the visit to the Palace is 1 hour and a half (although I recommend that you give it the time it deserves and stop to enjoy it at your own pace), to which must be added the walk through the park and gardens and the trip to and from Paris.

In short, the visit to Versailles takes all day, and although in the following tips I tell you some tips so you can rest or take it easy (like renting an electric car to visit the gardens or stop for a picnic in the park), do not let uncomfortable shoes prevent you from enjoying this unique environment.

Is it possible to eat inside the grounds of the Palace of Versailles? Of course it is! And you have several options that are sure to meet your expectations. The price reflects the situation of these places (it is a bit more expensive than what you will find outside), but you can eat something simple at a reasonable price and without leaving the grounds. But when to eat during your visit to Versailles? You can organize yourself according to the entrance to the Palace, which has a set entrance time and duration. A good option is to visit the gardens in the morning, sit down for lunch on a terrace or in one of the picnic areas and then visit the Palace.

Here are some places to eat in the grounds, although you can also bring food from outside and eat at your leisure.

A simple choice: La Brasserie de la Girandole

In the gardens is the famous Brasserie de la Girandole, with two terraces where you can eat, have breakfast or a snack

They also offer takeaway food, if you prefer to sit on your own or continue walking while you kill your hunger. Would you like to take a look at the menu?

• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Have a picnic in a unique setting

You can also have a picnic on your own anywhere in the park (not in the gardens, mind you) except in the covered area. You can eat whatever you decide to bring on your own in the gardens or by the Canal. The best thing about this alternative is the view. A snack just doesn't taste the same in this setting.

Enjoy a chef's cuisine at Versailles

Although if you have gourmet tastes or want to indulge yourself, you can enjoy the restaurant Ore, by chef Alain Ducasse, at the Palace of Versailles.

It is a more expensive option than the two previous ones: for approximately 60€ you can eat in a 17th century pavilion.

This restaurant is open from Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to 3 pm and on weekends between 9 am and 5 pm.

Take a pastry workshop

And, if you have a sweet tooth, you can also take a pastry workshop in Versailles, to learn how to make the most typical French pastries from a professional chef. It is located in a very easy to find area of the city and you are sure to have a lot of fun with the experience. If you want to try this experience get your reservation here.

Enjoy!

The Palace of Versailles app is free. You can download it on a tablet or on your phone, and thus have an audio guide of the palace and gardens, as well as an interactive map of the entire Versailles site.

The audio guide is available in 12 languages (it's also Spanish) and you can use it offline, so it's perfect for the drive to Versailles.

Once there, it can help you decide the itinerary: it has information about very curious things apart from the official visit, such as the trees of the Trianon and two audio tours for children (they have made an adaptation for the little ones of the visit to the gardens and the musical fountains).

It is a free and very useful resource for you to learn more about the history of the Palace of Versailles. A very well thought out luxury that can enhance your travel experience. I recommend it.

If, despite your comfortable shoes, you need to take a break during your visit to Versailles, here's one of those tips to help you rest and take a break.

And the organization makes it very easy for you: to visit the gardens the Petit Trains are available. It is a little train that makes sightseeing toursof the gardens, connecting the different buildings of the visit.

The Petit Train has stops at the Chateau, the Trianons, the Canal and the gardens. You can use them to go from one side to the other and see everything in the gardens of Versailles: or to sit for a while and enjoy the view while you rest for a while.

Interesting facts

• Schedule: The Petit Trains run very frequently, every 15 to 20 minutes. You can go up and down freely.
• Price: Approximately 8€. Includes an audio guide in 10 languages (yes, also in Spanish) from 5€.
• Route: The train goes from the North Terrace of the Palace to the Petit Trianon. It then goes to the Grand Trianon and continues to the Head of the Grand Canal.
• Child-friendly: Of course! See Versailles with children: it's a good idea.

In the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, every Saturday in summer (from the beginning of June to the end of September) between 8:30 pm and 11:05 pm there is an amazing show of music and light: the " Grandes Eaux Musicales" or "Great Musical Waters".

Lights are projected on the fountains in the gardens and groves to illuminate this unique environment. There are choreographed water jets and light effects that are not to be missed. The night ends magically with a fireworks display. It is the perfect way to enjoy the beauty of the gardens.

I advise you to check the weather forecast before booking your ticket because tickets cost approximately 30 € and are not exchanged or refunded (even if it rains that night). However, it is free for children under 5 and there is a reduced rate for children under 17 or students.

Interesting facts

• Hours: Saturday nights from the beginning of June to the end of September, between 20:30 and 23:05.
• Price: The price varies according to the show, but there are tickets from approximately 25€.
• Suitable for children: Yes, in fact it is an activity especially recommended for children.

Visit Versailles in summer to fully enjoy the gardens and the Canal environment. High season in the Paris area is from May to September. Temperatures are pleasant (between 18 and 21 degrees) and mild, so it is perfect for strolling and enjoying the scenery here.

Also, this is the only time of the year when you can enjoy the outdoor shows in the gardens, like the ones I told you about in the previous tip.

If you go in winter, the average temperature is 6 degrees. Northern France is a cold area, and many of the places to buy something to eat on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles are closed.

This does not mean that the visit is not worthwhile, not at all! The interior of the Palace of Versailles has an enormous cultural richness, so you can exhaust the day touring these rooms. Only the visit to the gardens will probably be shorter, but it is a different perspective on this unique place.

I hope you enjoy your visit to such an amazing place as the Palace of Versailles with these tips. Have a nice trip!