How much time should I spend at the Palace of Versailles?
To tour the inside of the palace thoroughly, it takes around 2-3 hours. Allow longer if you want to explore the gardens.
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Within half a day, you will have the opportunity of discovering all the richness of the castle, visiting the Hall of Mirrors and the royal apartments inside, but also the famous French style gardens. We propose two visits each day, departure from Paris center. The ideal formula to discover Versailles in half a day !
Full-Day Guided Tour of Versailles From ParisOpt for a full-day trip from Paris on this tour. This tour includes transportation to/from Paris, your guide, entrance to Versailles, Gardens, and Estate of Trianon, and lunch in the Palace Garden. This is a great way to get the most out of Versailles and learn more!
1. Best Time to Visit Versailles. The best time to visit Versailles is in spring or autumn because the site is less crowded than in summer. The garden shows usually take place between April and October, and they are also lovely in the shoulder seasons.
Visitors to the Palace must book in advance and select a specific time slot. We highly recommend that visitors pre-book their tickets online. Once you have booked your ticket online and printed it, go directly with your ticket to Entrance A of the Palace. Visitors eligible for free admission must pre-book online.
We suggest arriving right at opening time—if not a little before. If you did not pre-purchase Versailles admissions or a tour, avoid touring the palace in the late morning and afternoon, when crowds are at their peak.
Water displays of the Musical Fountains Showon Tuesdays and some public holidays (Friday April 7th, Monday April 10th, Monday May 8th, Monday May 29th and Friday July 14th 2023) : from 10am to 6.45pm*, 5 minutes every 15 minutes.
Anyway, this is the average time you will need to visit each of its attractions: Palace of Versailles: Between 1 hour and a half and 2 hours. Stroll through the Versailles Gardens: 2 hours. Visit to the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and the Queen's Village: 1 hour.
In Summer, don't forget a cap, solar cream and little bottle of water (50 cl maximum to be allowed during the Palace of Versailles' visit). In wet weather, don't forget a folding umbrella. Becareful : Umbrella that doesn't bend are forbidden inside the Palace of Versailles.
Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and VersaillesYou would need around 4,830.0€ in Versailles to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 5,300.0€ in Paris (assuming you rent in both cities).
If you do not plan on renting a golf cart or bike and want to explore the gardens or other areas of the Versailles estate, make sure you wear comfortable shoes. Sneakers will be the best choice as there are some areas where you have to walk on dirt and/or rock pebbles.
VISIT THE TRIANON PALACESIn addition to the Versailles Palace, there are other palaces in the area that you may want to see. The Estate of Trianon is made up of four buildings: The Grand Trianon, The Petit Trianon, the Queen's Hamlet and the Queen's Theatre.
RER C TrainThe RER C line (yellow) will take you from Paris to Versailles for just €3.65 ($4) per person each way. This train travels through Paris from east to west while following the river Seine. Each station is about 10 minutes from the next stop, and the train comes every 15 minutes.
Passport tickets with timed entry grant priority admission and are valid for thirty minutes every hour, at 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Priority admission to the Palace is permitted once only at the booked time on the ticket. There is no timed entry for the estate of Trianon.
To see the city's top tourist attractions with fewer people around, aim to visit on weekday mornings. Avoid booking with major tour companies, buy tickets that allow you to skip the line, and walk instead of squeezing onto public transportation. Paris is best enjoyed on foot anyway.