Versailles, France

If you’re visiting Paris, it’s almost a requirement to visit Versailles. Once home to the kings and queens of France, the Chateau de Versailles is an opulent, extravagant, gold-flecked experience that should be part of every Parisian itinerary!

When Matt and I visited Versailles in the summer of 2016, it was just one day before he would propose to me in the Luxembourg Gardens. After our trip, Matt told me that he’d actually toyed with the idea of proposing in the gardens at Versailles. So why did he shy away from that? The crowds!

If you’re traveling from Paris to Versailles, expect big crowds—they come with the territory. But don’t let this dismay you; below, I’ve provided some tips on how to experience the royal jewel of France in the most enjoyable way possible.

A Brief History

The Chateau of Versailles that we know today was once just a hunting lodge that grew and evolved when King Louis XIV began developing it. In 1682, he moved the French Court to Versailles, bringing with him the French bourgeoisie and all their accoutrements. When King Louis XIV married Marie Antoinette in 1770 at Versailles, she assumed the title of Queen of France. In 1789, she and King Louis were forced to leave Versailles as a large crowd of women marched on the palace, an event that would mark the beginning of the French Revolution. Famously, they were both later beheaded in 1793.

(If you’re heading to Versailles soon, consider watching the movie A Little Chaos which dramatizes the intrigue and work in the construction of the Ballroom Grove in the gardens).

When To Visit

Matt and I visited Versailles in the summer, which is likely the busiest time to visit, but also one of the most beautiful times. The gardens—which are instantly recognizable for their design and symmetry—were green, lush, and blooming in July.

The Palace of Versailles is open year-round except on Mondays, from 9:00am. The Park and Gardens, however, are open every day, and access is free. The palace grounds sit about an hour train journey from central Paris, and from the train station, expect a 10 minute walk to Versailles’ golden gates, where the queue forms.

I suggest getting to the gates at 9:00am sharp, right when the chateau opens. For this, you’ll need to plan to leave Paris around 8:00am.

This is a good time to tell you: buy tickets in advance! You can find pre-booking information here. The Passport includes admission to the entire estate of Versailles, including the gardens, temporary exhibitions, and the Estate of Trianon. If you don’t purchase in advance, you will inevitably have to wait a very long time (we waited almost two hours) to get in. Everyone entering the palace will have to go through security.

Getting There

Matt and I took the RER regional train from central Paris to Versailles Chateau River Gauche, on Line C. Please note that this is a separate train from the Paris metro, and you’ll need a different ticket. Tickets were fairly inexpensive, and the train ride lasts about an hour. Be sure to purchase a round-trip return ticket.

The train itself was not an unpleasant experience when we left early in the morning. We were joined at various parts of the journey by a traveling group of musicians who played classic French tunes for us!

The Palace

Matt and I followed a standard course for seeing Versailles: visiting the main palace first, followed by lunch, then the gardens, and then the Trianon. Take your time here and don’t rush! There are over 2,000 rooms in the complex of Versailles, which at some point in history housed almost 5,000 people.

We spent approximately two hours in the palace’s interior, moving slowly through the bedrooms and galleries and pausing for an especially long stay in the exquisite and famous Hall of Mirrors.

The Hall of Mirrors is the most famous room in the Palace. Thirty paintings hovering against the vaulted ceiling pay homage to the political successes of France, and on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in this room, ending the First World War.

Other must-see rooms include the King’s private and state apartments, the Queen’s apartments, and the Gallery of Great Battles.

The Gardens

The gardens were, naturally, my favorite part of exploring Versailles. The formal gardens, or parterres, include large rectangular pools of water, flower gardens displayed in the iconic French swirls and geometry, and the Orangery.

The Orangery Parterre sits just below the palace and boasts orange, lemon, oleander, palm, and pomegranate trees from Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Some of these trees are over 200 years old.

As you wander across the parterres, everywhere you look, there are magnificent fountains, statues, flowers, and trees. Stately, crisp hedges line the gardens, creating maze-like passageways where you stumble upon a secret fountain or a hidden pizza vendor! These small, obscured groves closed off by walls or trellises and reached only by discreet paths were my favorite part of visiting Versailles.

Explore the Ballroom Grove to see a green amphitheater with cascades and marble ramps decorated with shells; peep inside the Chestnut Grove for a gallery of green with fountains at each end; or step inside the Colonnade Grove to gaze in awe at the thirty-two Ionic marble columns in various shades of blue, purple, and pink.

Finally, don’t miss the water features: Neptune Fountain with 99 jet streams; Latona’s Fountain depicting the story of the mother of Apollo and Diana; and the Fountains of the Fight of the Animals featuring realistic sculptures of a tiger, bear, lion, and wild boar.

Le Petit Trianon

This smaller chateau is located within walking distance of the larger palace, within the grounds of the Grand Trianon. This estate is most closely associated with Marie Antoinette, who commissioned its gardens and regularly escaped to the chateau to get away from palace life.

Matt and I visited this in the afternoon and noticed it was relatively devoid of other tourists, even in July. Because of this, we highly recommend making the Trianon part of your trip to Versailles—it is more intimate and less crowded than the main palace, but also intricate, architecturally stunning, and carefully designed just like its grander cousin.