How to Visit the Palace of Versailles: Tickets, Tours, And Tips

The Palace of Versailles is Paris’s most extravagant day‑trip and, if you’re not prepared, a logistical nightmare. This guide strips away the confusion and lines so you can spend your time gawking at gold. Keep reading to discover how to visit the Palace of Versailles with grace, ease, and skip-the-line tickets.

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👉 Want to skip reading? Book our Palace of Versailles and Gardens Tour from Paris and leave the logistics to our team.

Skip to What You Came Here For:

• Tickets & Hours for Versailles
• How to Get to the Palace of Versailles
• What to See
• Best Guided Tours of Versailles
• Secret Tip

Versailles is only 12 miles from Paris, but getting there can still throw people off. Here’s the easiest breakdown:

• Train: Take the RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche. It’s the closest station and just 10 minutes on foot from the palace. Trains run every 15 minutes and take 35–45 minutes.
  

• Bus: Bus 171 departs from Pont de Sèvres (Metro Line 9) and stops right outside the palace. It’s cheaper but slower.
  

• Taxi: You’ll pay more (about €50–€70 each way), but it’s door to gate.
  

• Motorcycle: Yes, you read that right. Join our Half-Day Versailles Tour by Sidecar Motorcycle and ride in style straight to the gates.
  

Interessante Fact: There are three train stations in Versailles—and only one puts you near the palace. Miss the right one and you could be walking 30+ minutes.

Best Guided Tours Palace of Versailles

Because a good guide turns this pretty palace into the most dramatic soap opera in French history.

Palace of Versailles and Gardens Tour from Paris | 3 hrs  | €€
Round‑trip train, skip‑the‑line palace entry, intro to gardens, Trianon tickets.

Versailles Palace and Gardens Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line | 2.5 hrs | €
Meet at the gates, breeze past the queue, focus on palace highlights.

Versailles Bike Tours from Paris | 7 hrs | €€€
Outdoor market picnic, bike the Grand Canal, Hamlet & Grand Trianon visit, palace at your own pace.

Versailles Gardens Tour from Paris with Skip‑the‑Line Palace Access | 6 hrs | €€
Guided garden deep dive, then self‑guided palace entry.

Private Golden Versailles Palace and Garden Tour | 3 hrs  | €€€€
Your schedule, your questions, your pace.

Monet’s House and Palace of Versailles Day Trip | 10 hrs | €€€
Two icons in one day—Giverny morning, Versailles afternoon.

👉 Not ready to pick? Browse all our Versailles tours to match your timeframe and budget.

What to See at the Palace and Gardens of Versailles

With 2,300 rooms and 3 square miles of gardens, you won’t see it all. Here’s what you can’t miss.

👀 Click the name for a detailed explanation.

• The Hall of Mirrors: 357 mirrors reflecting garden light and royal ego. Site of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
  
  
• Gallery of Battles: Created by Louis-Philippe I to honor France’s military history.
  
  
• Gardens & Fountains: Latona, Neptune, Four Seasons, and the mile‑long Grand Canal—rent a rowboat or bike.
  
  
• Queen’s Hamlet: Marie Antoinette’s faux farm where she “played peasant” while Paris starved.
  
  
• Petit & Grand Trianon: Intimate palaces built for escape and, allegedly, illicit affairs.
  
  

👉 Want the full story? Our Private Golden Versailles Palace and Garden Tour tailors the pace to your interests and digs into the scandals behind each room.

What to Skip at Versailles

Want to avoid wasting time and energy? Here’s what not to do.

• Don’t arrive at the wrong train station. Only Versailles Château Rive Gauche is near the palace.
  
  
• Skip “Free Sundays” unless you love shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
  
  
• Don’t forget a timed ticket—entry isn’t guaranteed otherwise.
  
  
• Don’t rush the gardens. They’re half the experience.

Interessante Fact: The current Golden Gates were rebuilt in 2008 with 100,000 gold leaves, replacing the originals destroyed during the French Revolution.

Secret Tip for Visiting Versailles

Train in for the 9 am opening, but tour the gardens first. At noon, enjoy a picnic lakeside, then enter the palace around 2 pm when morning tour groups are gone. You’ll glide through the Hall of Mirrors with space to twirl.

👉 Our Versailles Bike Tour from Paris follows this reverse flow.

Where to Eat Near the Palace of Versailles

At some point, you’re going to get hungry. Here’s where to go:

Inside the Grounds:

• Ore – Ducasse au Château de Versailles (€€€€): Upscale French with palace views
  
  
• Angelina Paris (€€€): Famous hot chocolate and pastries
  
  
• La Flottille (€€): By the Grand Canal, classic brasserie fare
  
  
• Brasserie De La Girandole (€€): Light meals in the gardens
  

Nearby:

• La Veranda (€€€€): Michelin-starred magic at the Waldorf Astoria
  
  
• Le Pincemin (€€€): Inventive French by a Top Chef winner
  
  
• Marche Notre–Dame (€): Grab goodies for a garden picnic
  
  
• Chez Tiouiche (€€): Excellent Moroccan, 5 min walk
  
  

👉 Need more options? Browse our Best Restaurants Near the Palace of Versailles.

How to Visit the Palace of Versailles: Final Thoughts

Versailles is one of Europe’s greatest day trips, but only if you plan it right. Don’t wing it, don’t arrive late, and don’t expect to figure it all out at the gate. Whether you go with a guide or just use this article as your roadmap, you’re already ahead of the crowd.

👉 Want the smoothest experience? Book our Palace of Versailles and Gardens Tour from Paris.

More Travel Resources:

• Best Versailles Tours to Take & Why
• Where to Stay in Paris
• Day Trips from Paris
• Paris Podcast Episode