Taking a day trip to visit the Palace of Versailles is a must-do for many travelers. This beautiful chateau features lavish and expansive gardens, brilliant interiors, and fantastic works of art. Having a successful day there requires some planning. Here are my top tips for having a great day trip to Versailles.
Tip 1: Book Tickets from the Official Website
You can buy Versailles tickets from many different sellers, but it’s often difficult to know exactly what you are getting. On our recent day trip to Versailles, I thought I was buying tickets from the palace’s official website. I was not, and I ended up with tickets only to the palace itself and not the gardens and other parts. Unfortunately, these tickets were non-refundable. I wasn’t sure if we could upgrade our tickets onsite. Instead of worrying about it, I just bought the tickets again. But this time I bought the tickets I wanted from the official website! It was a $40 mistake (fortunately, kids under 18 enter Versailles for free, so I only bought two tickets).
Don’t do what I did ! Make sure you are purchasing the tickets you want from the palace’s official website.
Tip 2: Purchase the Right Type of Tickets
Consider what you want to see before buying your tickets. There are a lot of things to do at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Palace of Versailles
You will obviously want to tour the palace itself with its famous Hall of Mirrors and incredibly decorated interiors. You will see the Apartments of Louis XV’s daughters, the King’s and Queen’s chambers, the Royal Chapel, the Gallery of Battles, the Hall of Crusades, and the Empire Rooms. It’s room after room after room of amazing art, tapestries, furniture, and architectural details. Make sure you take a peek out of the central window in the Hall of Mirrors to see the Grand Perspective, an amazing view of the gardens.
If you just want to see the palace, book the Palace Ticket which includes timed entry to the palace, temporary exhibits, the Gallery of Coaches (weekends only, opens at 12:30 p.m.), and the Park. It also allows access to the gardens when there aren’t fountain shows or musical garden days. Allow 2-3 hours for your visit.
Estate of Trianon
The Estate of Trianon contains two different buildings. The first is the Grand Trianon, a 17th century château-style palace built of pink marble and surrounded by beautiful gardens. It was built by Louis XIV to serve as a retreat from the main palace. The Petit Trianon is an 18th century château where Queen Marie Antoinette took refuge from court life from time to time. The area also contains the Queen’s Hamlet, a rustic village built for Marie Antoinette. It contains cottages, a mill, and a dairy. There are beautiful gardens surrounding both châteaus.
If you just want to see this part of the complex, book the Estate of Trianon Ticket which includes access to the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon, Queen’s Hamlet, the Gallery of Coaches (weekends only, opens at 12:30 p.m.), and the Park. It also allows access to the gardens when there aren’t fountain shows or musical garden days. The Grand Trianon area opens at noon. Allow 2-3 hours for your visit.
Gardens
Spanning almost 2000 acres, the famous gardens of Versailles are arranged in a series of terraced ornamental flower beds. There is a long rectangular canal that provides a focal point and serves as the central axis of the garden’s design. Numerous statues and fountains are scattered throughout the gardens. Scattered throughout the garden are sections of wooded areas. Some must-see sites in the garden are Bassin d’Apollon, Bassin de Latone, the Mirror Pool, and Bassin de Neptune.
Admission to the gardens are free except on days when there are fountain shows and musical garden days. These occur often in the spring and summer. Check the website for full information.
Ticket to See it All
I recommend purchasing the Passport ticket. It includes the palace, Estate of Trianon, the gardens on fountain show and musical garden days, the Gallery of Coaches (weekends only, opens at 12:30 p.m.), and the Park. Allow 5-6 hours to see everything in Versailles.
Tip 3: Avoid Weekends & Tuesdays
Versailles is most busy on weekends and Tuesdays. And the gardens are not free on weekends when there are fountain shows or musical garden days. Try to visit Versailles on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
Tip 4: Go Early
When you are purchasing your tickets, select the first time of the day which is usually 9 a.m. Yes, I know you will have to get up early to make your way to Versailles from Paris. But it’s worth it to be there before the crowds get overwhelming. Plan to arrive to the palace around 8:40ish. You will see massive lines everywhere. There will be a ticket line (if there are still tickets available), a 9 a.m. entry line, and a 9:30 a.m. entry line. Make sure you get in the correct line.
If you can’t go early or the 9 a.m. tickets are sold out, start your visit in the gardens. Then visit the Trianon Estate. You will have fewer crowds if you leave the palace to visit last.
Tip 5: Have Brunch at Angelina
One highlight of our day trip to Versailles was an unexpected brunch at Angelina. This branch of a famous Parisian tea house is located right inside the palace. It opens at 10 a.m. and starts to get a long line around 11 a.m. So try to get there closer to opening time. Our meals were delicious and we all loved the incredible pastries.
Tip 6: Download the Versaille App
I realized belatedly on our day trip to Versailles that I should have downloaded the Versailles app in advance. It includes audio tours, interactive maps, recommended routes, opening hours, and tips for your visit. Your trip will be smoother if you already have it on your phone and you’ve spent a few minutes looking at it in advance!
Tip 7: Have a Plan for the Gardens
Our day trip to Versailles went downhill once we entered the gardens. Although I’m a planner, I had no plan for how to tour this massive set of gardens! To spare yourself the same agony, spend some time looking at the map on the Versailles app. Figure out where you want to go in advance.
Then, as soon as you enter the gardens, opt for one of the three ways you can avoid hoofing around on foot. Your first option is to rent a golf carts. Budget to rent the cart for at least two hours. Then you will have plenty of time to enjoy the garden. And you won’t have to walk the mile between the main palace and those at the Trianon Estates. Another alternative is to get tickets to ride Versailles little train. This train stops at different places and you can hop on and hop off. If you are the athletic type, you can also rent bikes.
Please be aware that all of these experiences sell out on busy days. This is why you need to book them as soon as you get out to the gardens. The golf cart option is more expensive. But lines for the train can get long, so I think the golf cart is a better choice. If you like riding bikes, that might be the best choice overall as it’s cheaper than a golf cart and you can avoid the train lines.
Tip 8: Have a Plan for Musical Fountain Shows
If you don’t take my advice to avoid weekends, then you may be in Versailles when there are musical fountain shows in the garden. You can check exact dates on this website. Here’s a rundown of when the fountain shows occur:
- Mirror fountain show will occur every 10 minutes between 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Neptune fountain show will occur every 15 minutes between 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and then continually from 5:45-7 p.m.
- Water Theater Grove show will occur every 15 minutes from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- On Saturdays in the summer, the Night Fountain Show is offered from 8:30 -11:05 p.m. This is separately ticketed.
What are your best tips for a day trip to Versailles?
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