The Palace of Versailles is an enormous and spectacular Palace located about 17km outside of Paris (about a 30min to 60min train ride depending on what part of the city you are staying in). The gorgeous palace and gardens are one of the most amazing places to visit in Paris and well worth the trek out to see it.
The Palace was the principal residence of the Kings of France from Louis XIV in 1682 until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. Every detail of its construction was intended to glorify the king, which you will most definitely notice as you travel though. Its opulence and fascinating golden details make it one of the most amazing Palaces you can visit today.
First things first. Book your tickets! Do not rock up and buy your tickets at the palace because you will have to wait in two separate lines to get in, one for ticketing and then another muuuuch longer one for security. And please note, the lines for security and for ticketing are separate! Don't spend an hour in the line, only to get to the front and find out you need to go back outside and start again. The ticketing office is to the left of the palace when you are in the square, please make sure you have a ticket before jumping in the huge line.
Do pre-book your tickets! Can you use a Paris city pass or museum pass? Yes, absolutely, and this will help you skip the ticketing line. However, it does not let you skip the security line, which is minimum an hour long in the peak summer months. My best advice is to book a timed ticket directly from the Palace website. This will give you an allotted time slot and at that time you can go straight to the front of the lines and although you still have to go through security at least you get to go right to the front. If you don't, get comfortable and be prepared to wait, but do come early. The earlier you arrive the smaller the line.
I also recommend doing the Palace first. You can also go around the back and enter the garden to do the garden first, but you still have to come back to this line later to get into the Palace and it only gets longer as the day goes on. The palace opens at 9am and this picture above is of the line at 9:15. So the early bird gets the short line.
If you decide to visit the gardens as well as the Palace, which I highly recommend, please note that with all of the Paris passes (City Pass, Go Card, Museum Pass etc) the garden is NOT included, so make sure you go on to the Palace's website to purchase your garden ticket before you arrive (its around 8.50 Euros).
Once you make it through security, you will be inside the gates leading up to the front of the Palace. Make sure to look up as the Palace's spectacular facade is littered with gold accents and amazing statues. Its truly a sight to behold.
Next, you head inside to view the multiple wings of the expansive Palace. You will make your way through the Kings Estate Apartments, Queens Apartments, Mistresses Apartments, The Daughters Apartments, the magical Hall of Mirrors and the Gallery of Great Battles. Each room is decadently decorated and has an expansive display of beautiful art works and ceramics.
As you walk though the palace, take the time to look not only at the decorations of the rooms, but also look around you as the detail in the Palace is absolutely stunning. Every wall and even the ceilings are intricately decorated so the Palace is also a marvelous work of art in itself. The craftsmanship and man hours that have gone into this Palace are truly astounding.
Keep in mind when visiting the Palace that you will not have the place to yourself. All those people waiting in line with you had to go somewhere so every room you go into you will have to fight a little for the prime place of viewing. However, the crowds do tend to keep moving in a fairly orderly way, so you wont miss anything but you will just have to be a little patient.
One of the most amazing rooms to see is the Gallery of Great Battles. This long room showcases art works spaning the decades that tell the story of the greatest battles in French history and the comanders that led them. They are quite marvelous and its a great way to explore French history through imagery.
One you have made your way though the enormous Palace, you can then head out to the Gardens. Be prepared to walk though as the gardens are a lot bigger then you expect. They are so large that you can even rent little golf buggies to use to get around (which I would recommend. You may think its silly at first, but after a few hours of walking you will regret not doing it). Make sure to grab a garden map on your way in as well so you can make the most of your visit.
Side Note - Before heading out to visit the Palace and Gardens, check your days as in the summer months (from around March to October) the gardens host wonderful Musical Fountain shows on certain days of the week (usually Saturdays and Tuesdays with some additional days of the week depending on whats on at the Palace). So if its at all possible, try to plan your visit on a day coinciding with the fountain shows because they definitely add something magical to the gardens.
Each garden and grotto is made with a shape and theme in mind, most with beautiful fountains and statues in their center. On the hour (if you are visiting on the right day of the week) the Musical Fountain shows also start (Some of the smaller ones run every 15 minutes as well). These have dancing water spurts perfectly timed to classical baroque musical pieces and are a magical way to sit for a few minutes and enjoy the show and the gardens.
Take your time in the Gardens as there are some really amazing hidden gems off the beaten path.
Once you reach the end of the estate, just outside there is a large rectangular water pond where you can hire paddle boats and join in other water activities. There are tables and chairs and picnic areas as well as a restaurant and food vendors so you can sit and enjoy your lunch before making your way back to the front of the Palace.
If you have the time, you can also make your way to Marie Antoinette's Trianon. Not technically a part of the main Palce of Versailles, it sits on the edge of the massive estate and itself boasts 2 Palaces/residences. They are a completely different style and feel than the Palace but are most definately worth the extra visit. They are a separate ticket, unless you get the Estate Passport (or free with the museum or city pass) but its a nominal fee of only 12 Euros. They are a little bit of a hike from the Palace grounds, but there is a mini train/shuttle that you can take for around 4 Euros, or there are also Bike Rentals available.
To visit the entire palace and gardens, you should allow at least 3 hours as its really quite large. If you dont have tickets and need to wait in the security extended line allow an extra hour, and if you decide to visit Trianon allow about another 2 hours. Really its a full day visit if you want to get everything you can out of your ticket, but it can be done in a half a day if you really push yourself.
Head to the Palace website for details of the grounds and maps to plan out your visit. The website can be also viewed in English so its very easy to use and to purchase your tickets. If you buy the Passport ticket, it is for the whole grounds including the Palace, Gardens, Music Shows and the estates of Trianon for around 20 to 27 Euros (depending on if you are going on a day with the musical fountain shows) which is a great deal as the ticket for the Palace alone is 18 Euros. Timed entry is only 27 Euros with the Passport, so well worth the money. You can also view a variety of musical and equestrian shows at the palace throughout the year so be sure to check the website for those details as well. For all these details and more just go to: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/
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