A fun day at the palace and park of Versailles, France

It hurt a bit, getting up at 7 on a Saturday morning. But we got over it and left home around 8. We decided to go by car, as I had calculated that this would be quicker, less hassle and cheaper than going by train.

Where were we heading? The palace and park of Versailles!
 

Visiting the Palace and Park of Versailles

When I told people I’d be going to Versailles in France for a day, they thought I was underestimating the trip. “That far, in only a day?”, they would say. But Versailles is only 350 kilometers from Leuven. That’s about 3,5 hours in the car, unless there’s a lot of traffic, of course…

Our drive went smoothly until we reached the “périférique”’. This highway around Paris is famous for its traffic jams and it did its reputation justice this Saturday as well. We lost more than half an hour there and arrived at Versailles at 11.50 a.m.

We’d entered the Palace of Versailles address in the GPS and found it without a problem. There weren’t any parking spots available on the road to the palace and parking in Versailles on the street wasn’t free, so we decided to just park our car at the paid Versailles parking lot right in front of the palace.
 

Starting with the Versailles park

When we got to the main square there was a huge line waiting to get into the palace. Although we had “skip the line” tickets, we decided to go to the Versailles palace gardens first.

We walked from the Latona Foutain through the Royal Walk until we reached the Fountain of Apollo’s Chariot. We noticed you could also enter the domain there, because when we walked a bit further, to the Grand Canal, we saw locals relaxing on the grass, going for their run or having a pick-nick, just like they would in any other public park.

 

The Grand and Petit Trianon

We turned right and headed to the Grand Trianon. I was surprised that we could take pictures inside:

When we came out again we were a bit hungry, but we didn’t go to one of the takeaway food stands or the restaurant (although the prices there looked reasonable – we had a look). Instead, we came prepared with a pick-nick. Well, we’d prepared some sandwiches anyway. We had lunch overlooking a side arm of the Grand Canal before walking towards the Petit Trianon.

 

Marie-Anoinette's Estate

After that came our favorite part of our visit: walking through Marie-Antoinette’s Estate towards the Queen’s Hamlet. Marie-Antoinette’s Estate is completely different from the rest of the Versailles estate. It has a much wilder look and feel. There are small paths to explore and plants seem to be growing much more freely.

While in the Hamlet we came upon a guided tour and just heard how the guide told his group that Marie Antoinette used to come to the Hamlet to drink coffee, play with the cards and smoke opium. That last activity might even have caused her her life, or so he said.

 

The Palace of Versailles

After we’d visited the parks and gardens it was finally time to go to the main palace. We skipped the line that was still pretty long (but seemed to move forward nonetheless) and started the tour.

I have to say the palace was my least favorite part of the visit. After all the stories I’d heard and read I thought the Palace of Versailles would be amazing, overwhelming, shiny and decadent, but I have to admit, it left me a bit in the cold. I’d been to Windsor Castle near London in the UK. not long before and I must say I found Windsor to be more luxurious and ‘filled’ with art, furniture, and other interesting objects.

Of course, the fact that you could barely see anything at Versailles because of the hordes of groups pushing you around didn't help.

 

The day's conclusion

We had a great day at the Versailles palace and gardens and think it's definitely worth a visit. Just don’t go for the Palace alone. Visit everything. The parks and gardens are great to walk around in and so much less crowded than the actual palace.

When we left again around 5.30 pm we had to pay €12,4 for the parking at Versailles (this was in 2013). We’d feared that we’d get stuck in traffic again on our way home and although it was busy on the périférique, the traffic jam was still on the other side. It took us a little more than three hours to get back home to Leuven.

We had done Versailles in a day.

Of course, there are also other ways of doing this. You could spend a weekend there or combine Versailles with another smaller city like Amiens.

And yes, you can also combine Versailles with Paris. You could easily spend a few days in the City of Light and drive on to Versailles (30 minutes by car from the center of the city) or vice versa.
 

Practical information

How to get to the palace of Versailles?

By car
Getting to Versailles by car is quite easy. You can drive straight up to the estate and use the Versailles palace parking which is right in front of the palace of Versailles entrance.
The Versailles palace address is: Palace of Versailles, Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France
 

By train
There are also three train stations in Versailles, which are a good option to travel to when you're coming from Paris:

• Versailles Château Rive-Gauche: 12-minute walk from the palace. RER line C arrives here.
• Versailles Chantiers: 20-minute walk. SNCF trains from Gare Montparnasse arrive here.
• Versailles Rive Droite: 20-minute walk. SNCF trains from Gare Saint Lazare arrive here.

If you come from Paris, make sure to purchase a ticket to the Versailles train station or use a pass (Navigo, Mobilis or Paris Visite) covering zones 1 to 4. T+ tickets cannot be used to get to Versailles.
 

By shuttle or bus
There's a Versailles Express that runs between the Eiffel Tower in Paris and VersaileVersailles as a bus line that goes to the palace. Check here for more information.
 

How much does the palace of Versailles cost?

So how much does Versailles cost? Well, it depends.

There are a lot of different tickets, depending on which part of the grounds you want to visit. To find out which ticket you need, check out the ticket section on the Palace of Versailles website.
 

Versailles opening days and times

Opening days and hours for Versailles are a bit complicated because they're different for the palace, the gardens of the palace of Versailles, the wider park, and the Trianon Palaces, and Marie-Antoinette's Estate.

For up-to-date opening times, it's best to check the website.
 

Getting around at Versailles

While you can easily do everything by foot like we did, you can also rent a bike like Audrey from That Backpacker did, a segway or a golf car or take the little train that rides through the domain.
 

Versailles tours and deals

There are many different ways to visit Versailles: on a tour from Paris, with a guide or an audioguide, on bike or segway, or simply by purchasing skip-the-line tickets so you don't have to wait in the oftentimes enormously long queue.

To see as much as possible in at least time as possible, a self-guided visit is probably best, but if you want to learn more about the spaces you're visiting, the best way to see Versailles is with a guide.

These are the most recommended options from Paris:

And these are the most recommended options when covering your own transport to Versailles:

 

Fun facts about Versailles

Want to read up on Versailles before your visit? Here are some palace of Versailles fun facts:

1. The domain of the palace of Versailles is the largest royal domain in the world, but the palace itself is not the largest palace in the world. That title goes to the Summer Palace Complex in Beijing.

2. The royal bedrooms at Versailles used to be equipped with silver chamber pots. These ended up being melted in 1689 to finance the wars Louis XIV was waging.

3. The craftsman who made the mirrors at the palace of Versailles were all assassinated. They were Venetians who'd gone to France at the request of the king as at the time, the Venetians were the best at making mirrors. However, the Venetian government didn't want these trade secrets to fall into French hands and so it had the mirror makers killed.

4. Leaving aside the imported Venetians, everything used to build and decorate the palace of Versailles was made in France.

5. The two Peace of Paris treaties were signed at Versailles.

And for some fun palace of Versailles garden facts:

6. There are more than 400 sculptures in the gardens.

7. There are more than 1,400 fountains in the gardens.
 

Where to stay in Versailles

Budget: Ibis Budget Versailles Chateau
If you’re looking for a feasible option that doesn’t break the bank, an Ibis Budget is always a good choice. This one has all the necessities for a great stay, including free WiFi, a breakfast buffet, flat-screen TV and free toiletries, free parking, and most importantly, it’s not far from the Palace of Versailles at only 1.9 miles from the landmark.
Compare prices / Book a room /
Read reviews on TripAdvisor
 

Boutique: Hôtel la Residence Du Berry
Situated very near to the Palace, the Hôtel la Residence Du Berry is a quaint and unique lodging. Low ceilings slung with wooden beams, an 18th Century wine cellar, a billiards table and courtyard patio all contribute to its special atmosphere. It’s located on a quiet square with plenty of nearby restaurants, and guests can also make the most of the free WiFi and breakfast buffet.
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Chain: Mercure Versailles Chateau
Another wonderfully located hotel, this Mercure is chic and stylish, a stone’s throw from the historical landmarks of the area while remaining away from the hustle and bustle of noisy main streets. All rooms have en suite bathrooms, flat-screen TVs and work desks, and the hotel is sited only 650 yards from the RER station allowing easy access into Paris.
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Luxury: Waldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon Palace
The Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace is a truly luxurious place to continue your adventures. Each large guest room has a balcony and fireplace, and the hotel has beautiful communal areas with fantastic views across the palace and gardens. Enjoy fine dining and cocktails at the Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon Restaurant and brasserie, and recline in the award-winning Guerlain luxury spa with heated pool and sauna.
Compare prices / Book a room / Read reviews on TripAdvisor
 

Apartment: Appartement Le Petit Cloud
There are several wonderful apartment options in the area but Appartement Le Petit Cloud is a delightful breezy studio flat with sunny courtyard, located on the first floor of an 18th Century building. Location is one of its best assets – you couldn’t get much closer to the Palace of Versailles.
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And that's it! If you visit the palace of Versailles with the help of this post, please let me know in the comments :)
 

Pin for later

 

It was 2013 when Boyfriend and I visited the palace of Versailles. I had a crappy point-and-shoot camera back then so I decided to replace some of my own ugly images with stock photography to give you a better idea of what the place looks like. I've also updated the information since I first wrote the article.