Should I get to Versailles early?

If you have not planned anything ahead, it helps to arrive as early as possible to tour the palace. 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.



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As a rule of thumb, it is not recommended that you visit Versailles between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. without a skip-the-line ticket. Naturally, the off season (November to March) is generally when wait times are the shortest. Also be sure to avoid “deal days” like the Journées du Patrimoine or July 14th.

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Access to the Versailles Palace and gardens To start your visit, you will pass two entry points: one before you purchase tickets and another when you go through security. The wait time for each of these is one hour, according to testimonials. In other words, you must wait in line twice for one visit.

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Each reservations done to the Palace by ourselves is for an exact date and hour. It is not possible to make another way. Thousands of visitors are coming to Versailles every days and the administration of the Palace can't accept visitors who are late.

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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 !

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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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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.

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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.

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Peak times and season As a rule of thumb, it is not recommended that you visit Versailles between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. without a skip-the-line ticket. Naturally, the off season (November to March) is generally when wait times are the shortest.

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bags and luggage No 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.

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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.

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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.

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food and drinks are not allowed inside the museum; picnics are not allowed in the gardens. However, it is possible to have a picnic in the park.

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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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Any visit to Versailles involves a lot of walking. The palace itself is huge, but the gardens are what really takes it out of most visitors.

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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).

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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.

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Booking and access To access the Palace, all visitors must book a time slot. Due to the high number of visitors, admission to the Palace within half an hour of the booked time slot can only be guaranteed for tickets purchased online. The Palace closes at 6:30 pm, evacuation begins at 6:00 pm.

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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.

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Water displays of the Musical Fountains Show on 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.

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