Take a Peek Inside. We're guessing Marie Antoinette's TripAdvisor review of the Château de Versailles would have been decidedly mixed (Pastry chef: okay; security against angry mobs: subpar; verdict: two stars).
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You Can Now Spend the Night Inside the Palace Versailles For a Kingly $2,000 a Night. The historic site is now a hotel. Photo courtesy of Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle. If you're looking for a luxury cultural getaway to Europe, you just might want to book a stay at France's Palace of Versailles.
Rates at Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle start at $2,077 per night and include a dedicated butler, daily tours of the Château de Versailles, breakfast, and afternoon tea. This story was originally published on October 19, 2019, and was updated on June 2, 2021 to include current information.
While it smells fine now, hygiene practices (or the lack thereof) in France during Louis XIII's reign meant that the palace smelled like urine, fecal matter, and more. Some claim that a lack of toilets in the palace even led some visitors to relieve themselves behind curtains and pillars.
Visit during the weekOne of the top ten most visited sites in France, the Château de Versailles gets its biggest crowds on the weekends and Tuesday mornings (it is closed on Mondays). So aim to visit between Wednesday and Friday. The result? Less waiting and a smoother visit around the palace.
One of the top ten most visited sites in France, the Château de Versailles gets its biggest crowds on the weekends and Tuesday mornings (it is closed on Mondays). So aim to visit between Wednesday and Friday. The result? Less waiting and a smoother visit around the palace.
The venue rent itself varies from 18 000 euro for the Crusades Rooms to 70 000 euro for the Gallery of Battles or Orangerie. Considering the unique facilities of the Versailles Palace, it is highly recommended to opt for the additional services of operating fountains and fireworks.
Hidden doors, secret passages, private studies, libraries and apartments… the palace holds concealed quarters in which French kings and queens once sought refuge, far from court stuffiness.
You can skip the line for the audio guide at the palace by downloading the free app that houses all of the Versailles related audio guides in 11 different languages. To tour the inside of the palace thoroughly, it takes around 2-3 hours. Allow longer if you want to explore the gardens.
While the Palace of Versailles is open to the public, it is still a Royal Palace and visitors are expected to dress accordingly. This means no sandals, shorts, sleeveless shirts, or hats.
To avoid the crowd, prefer visiting the Palace during the weekdays. During the week-end, prefer coming Saturday at the opening (9:00 a.m.) or after 4:30 p.m.Sundays are generally very busy (I avoid the first Sunday of every month from November to March : it's free but crowded).
Rooms with toilets, cesspools, and drainage systems only started to become common in the 19th century. At the Palace of Versailles, people would conduct their business in the corridors or in the gardens. In 1715, it was decreed that once a week the feces would be collected from the corridors.
Yes, there is a direct train from Paris to Versailles. We usually find around 30 direct trains on the route from Paris to Versailles every weekday. There are typically fewer trains leaving at weekends, when we found around 18 departures.