Visiting the Palace of Versailles is on many bucket lists, especially when planning a trip to Versailles. We recently visited for the first time and absolutely loved it, but we made a few mistakes. Those mistakes took away from the experience, even though we did many things right. We share what we would do differently so you can plan your visit to Versailles better. We also cover when to visit, what to bring, what you cannot miss, and what to skip. If we visited Versailles again, this is exactly how we would do it.
The Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is a huge royal palace just outside Paris that was home to French kings, especially Louis XIV. The Castle of Versailles is known for gold details, massive Versailles gardens, and rooms like the Hall of Mirrors. Marie Antoinette also lived here and had her own private estate on the grounds. She would escape there when palace life became overwhelming. It is important because the Treaty of Versailles was signed here, ending World War I.
How to get to Versailles…
Versailles is about 30 to 50 minutes from Paris, depending on whether you travel by train or car. We stayed in the town of Versailles, which we highly recommend for a smoother visit. It makes getting to the Palace of Versailles on time easy and stress-free. From there, you can walk or take a rideshare like Bolt, which is common in France.
If you are coming from Paris, there are three train options available for reaching Versailles. Most people take the RER C from Gare d’Austerlitz to Versailles Château Rive Gauche. From that station, it is about a 10-minute walk to the Palace of Versailles entrance.
How to buy Versailles tickets & Choose the best time slot…
One thing we did right was to buy Versailles tickets weeks in advance for our visit. Tickets to Versailles sell out quickly, and third-party options are usually more expensive. We paid €35 per person, so it is worth planning ahead and buying Versailles tickets early. It is also important to pick an early time slot for visiting Versailles. We chose 9:30, and the palace was already very crowded at that time. The 9:00 line stretched from the entrance to the main gates of the Palace. You can imagine how busy it gets later in the day.
That one decision shaped our entire experience. Versailles will always be crowded, but going early gives you more freedom to explore. You can explore the palace and Versailles gardens without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. You will likely finish before dinner, leaving time to enjoy the rest of your day.
If you want to buy Versailles tickets in advance like we did, go here.
You can also consider a Versailles private tour for a more guided experience.
Where you go in & what happens when you arrive…
Arrive early so you have time to find the entrance and take photos outside Versailles. The official policy gives you a 30-minute grace period after your scheduled time. If your ticket is for 9:30, entry is guaranteed until 10:00. We arrived about 15 minutes early. Once through the main gate, go to the line for your specific time slot. Make sure you are in the correct line, as there are several.
You can keep your tickets, called passports, on your phone for easy access. We recommend sharing access to the Versailles tickets across multiple devices just in case. You will also need to show ID or a visa when entering. EU citizens should bring ID because they get a slightly reduced ticket price. The discount is small, but staff do check eligibility carefully. Overall, the entry process was smooth, quick, and easy.
Inside the Palace of Versailles…
There are around 2,300 rooms inside the Palace of Versailles. The standard passport ticket takes you through about 50 rooms during your visit. These include the Chapel, Coronation Room, Royal Apartments, Gallery of Battles, and Hall of Mirrors.
We recommend following the standard route through the Palace of Versailles for simplicity. It guides you through the main rooms without needing to plan each step. Some spaces, like the Opera House, require booking a Versailles private tour.
If you prefer exploring alone, download the Palace of Versailles app for navigation.
The app includes a 3D map of the palace and Versailles gardens. It shows restaurant locations, toilets, and includes an audio guide for your visit. It is very helpful.
If you use the app and rely on your phone to take photos, bring a portable charger. You do not want your phone battery dying during your Versailles visit. We learned that the hard way during our time there. I forgot mine and couldn’t film the last parts of the visit. We had to leave the grounds just to charge the phone so we could order a ride home. Learn from us and avoid that rookie mistake.
Focus on the First Floor
In our opinion, the most important rooms are located on the first floor.
Hall of Mirrors
The Hall of Mirrors is the most famous room in the Palace of Versailles. It is a long gallery with mirrors on one side and windows overlooking the Versailles gardens. It was designed to show the power and wealth of King Louis XIV. Mirrors were extremely expensive at that time, making this room very impressive. Important public events happened here, including ceremonies and meetings with foreign ambassadors.
Gallery of Battles
Another favorite was the Gallery of Battles. It is a large, beautiful hall with paintings showing France’s major military victories. These paintings cover early history up to the 1800s.
The Coronation Room
The Coronation Room is also impressive and worth seeing. It focuses on Napoleon crowning himself emperor in a famous painting. The actual event took place at Notre-Dame, not at Versailles. This room was created later as part of the museum.
The Queen’s Chamber
The Queen’s Chamber is where the queen lived, including Marie Antoinette. It is beautifully decorated but was not just a private bedroom. This is where the queen gave birth in front of a public audience. This allowed people to witness the birth of the royal heir.
King’s State Apartments
We also enjoyed the King’s State Apartments inside the Palace of Versailles. Each room has a different color theme and is dedicated to a different deity. These rooms highlight Louis XIV’s power and path towards the sun. So there is the Hercules room, the Venus room, the Mars room, Apollo room, etc, leading up to the Hall of Mirrors.
Just before that you also see Louis XIV Rooms, or the History of France rooms, which are all different colours as well and much smaller so when you look back you see through the doorway all the different colours.
The Versailles Gardens…
The Versailles gardens are a major reason many people visit the Palace of Versailles. They are massive, impressive, and full of different areas to explore. It is almost impossible to see everything in one day at Versailles. This is especially true if you visit the Grand and Petit Trianon.
The Grand and Petit Trianon are smaller palaces within the Versailles grounds. They were built as private retreats for the royal family at Versailles. These spaces allowed kings and queens to escape the formal life of the main palace.
The Petit Trianon: Marie Antoinette’s favourite hiding place
We visited the Petit Trianon, where Marie Antoinette spent much of her time. It became one of our favorite parts of the entire Versailles experience. It is much larger than you might expect when visiting Versailles.
Inside, you will find rooms like the billiards room and warming kitchen. There is also the Silverware Room with Marie Antoinette’s porcelain collection. You will see the reception room, dining room, bedchamber, and her private boudoir. In the boudoir, there are movable mirrors used as shutters for privacy.
The gardens around it are stunning and peaceful. They include a formal French garden and a natural English-style garden. You will see temples, ponds, bridges, and many trees throughout the Versailles gardens.
Further in, you reach the Queen’s Hamlet, our favorite part of Versailles. It looks like a small Normandy village with farm-style buildings. There is a mill, dairy, barn, dovecote, and even a lake. The area is beautiful with flowers, houses, and wisteria throughout.
Make time for this area when exploring the Versailles gardens. Our favorite moment was sitting and taking it all in.
How to get around the grounds…
Getting around Versailles requires planning because walking alone is not enough. You can rent a golf cart, bike, or take the tourist train.
Golf carts cost €42 per hour, and one driver needs a license. Bikes cost around €23 per day or €36 for electric bikes. You need to leave an ID or €100 deposit per bike. Boat rides cost €16 for 30 minutes or €20 per hour.
The tourist train costs €9 and does not require any deposit. It has four stops and allows you to explore the Versailles gardens easily. This was our favorite option during our visit to Versailles. It saves time and offers beautiful views across the estate.
If budget is not a concern, a golf cart gives more flexibility at Versailles. You can move freely and explore at your own pace.
Important note about the fountains
One important thing about the Versailles gardens is the fountains. They do not run all day due to water usage and historical limitations. Even when Versailles was built, water supply was limited. Today, fountains run on a schedule throughout the day.
On weekends from April to November, there is a Musical Fountain Show. Water moves to music across the Versailles gardens during this event. It is not always included in standard tickets to Versailles. It is included with the Passport ticket, otherwise you need Versailles garden tickets. These usually cost between €10 and €16.
Where to eat in the Palace of Versailles…
There are many food options at the Palace of Versailles and surrounding areas. Inside, we had breakfast at Angelina’s, a famous tearoom. It is known for its décor and dates back to 1903. We had coffee, croissants, and juice from the takeaway counter.
There is also a restaurant area connected to Angelina’s inside Versailles. Be careful, as exiting here can take you out of the main route. You may need to backtrack to continue your Palace of Versailles visit. There is another Angelina’s near the Petit Trianon.
You cannot reserve tables, and it gets busy very quickly. It is best to go early when visiting Versailles. We arrived at opening and it was empty, but it filled fast.
For lunch, we recommend La Flotille near the water in Versailles. The food is good and reasonably priced for the location.
For a quick snack, we visited La Buvette du Dauphin. We had a Nutella crêpe for €5, which was decent. Some items are fairly priced, while others are not worth it.
Final thoughts and tips…
Versailles is a perfect day trip from Paris and easy to reach. It is possible to visit Versailles on a budget. It is also a great place to learn about French history.
If we did Versailles again, we would:
• Go at least 15 minutes early and take the early morning slot.
• Have your tickets ready on multiple devices
• Bring ID or passport and a driver’s license if needed
• Pack water and refill at fountains around Versailles
• Wear comfortable shoes for walking through Versailles gardens
• Wear sunscreen during your visit
• If you’re on a budget, bring snacks or a packed lunch. You are allowed to bring food into Versailles and you can even have a picnic, for example, by the water which is something we should have done, now that we think of it.
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