The Palace of Versailles is best to visit between the months of April-June and October-November. Pleasant weather meets thinner crowds, making it the ideal time to visit. The low season months include November, February and March.
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Visit during the weekSo aim to visit between Wednesday and Friday. The result? Less waiting and a smoother visit around the palace.
The Palace of Versailles is the least crowded on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the week, and Sundays during weekends. The Palace is open on all days of the week except for Mondays. We would recommend avoiding booking tickets for Tuesday, because this is the most busy day for the Palace.
How Long is the Line at Versailles? The ticket office line at Versailles can take anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Afterward, you will need to again wait in line at the main palace entrance, followed by the security check, which can collectively take another 1-3 hours.
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.
The Palace of Versailles is at its busiest just after lunch. Suppose you want to visit the Palace without crazy crowds. In that case, we recommend visiting the Palace in the morning or afternoon. Basically, avoid anytime between 12:00 and 15:00.
animals, even on a leash or muzzled food and drink flash photography, tripods and selfie sticks Visitors are also asked to refrain from smoking in the museum areas, touching works and crossing barriers of visit. Pants and shorts must be full-length. Skirts must be of an appropriate length. Footwear must be closed-toe.
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 !
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.
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.
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.
bags and luggageNo bags larger than the maximum size (55cm x 35cm x 20cm) will be admitted, and all bags must be checked and left at the left luggage desk.
To make the most of your visit at Versailles, plan to spend a full day in the estate. Read our advices to better organize your visit. Guided tours allow you to visit otherwise closed rooms and then to directly join free visit routes.
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.
As you have probably already seen on the Versailles Palace official website, entrance tickets often sell out fast. It is almost impossible to buy a ticket online at the last minute. Usually, you need to book your tickets in advance, often one to two weeks ahead of time.
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.
No, a national identity card/passport, or a digital copy of it, is sufficient. Are the Palace Gardens open on Mondays? Yes, although the Palace and Trianon's Estate are closed, the Palace Gardens and the Park are open and admission is free.
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.