From Paris: A Day Trip to Versailles

When people hear of Versailles, the first thing that may come to mind is the spectacular Palace of Versailles that was built by King Louis XIII in 1623 when it started out as just a small hunting lodge.  But what you might not know is that Versailles is its own town, about 14-miles west of Paris, and it has much more to offer aside from the palace.

Versailles is 10.11 mi² with a population of 85,000+ residents.  While the Palace of Versailles is what brings most people to town, there are more things to do than wander the palace grounds.  Because of its beauty, Versailles has inspired urban layouts of some of the most famous cities around the world like London, St Petersburg, and Washington.  If you’re visiting Paris and want to explore nearby, I highly encourage you to venture to Versailles for a day!

 

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Getting to Versailles from Paris

The easiest way to arrive to Versailles from Paris is to take a taxi or an Uber that can drop you off in front of the palace.  But if you’re looking for a more cost friendly option, then taking the train would be your best bet.

If you plan to take the train from Paris to Versailles, you’ll want to get on the RER (line C) train, departing from the center of Paris and dropping you off at Versailles Château Rive Gauche station – the closest station to the palace.  From the station, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the Palace of Versailles.  The ride takes about one hour and costs a few euros.

Tip:  If you have Google maps on your phone, you should be able to input your exact location of departure and Google maps will show you the quickest train to take to Versailles.

 

If you’re visiting Versailles from Paris, don’t miss…

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Purchasing Tickets to the Palace of Versailles

As I mentioned earlier, you can purchase tickets to the Palace of Versailles ahead of time, which I recommend.  You do need to pick a time slot and show up at your designated time, which you can do here.  You should also know that you can buy tickets to just the palace, or add on the gardens too.

 

BOOK YOUR TICKETS TO THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES HERE!

 

Should You Book a Guide for the Palace of Versailles?

I have visited the Palace of Versailles on two separate occasions.  Once by myself with an audio guide, and a second time with a licensed tour guide.  I will say that I got so much more out of my visit with a tour guide over my audio guide.  But it really depends on what you’re looking for.  If you want to leisurely move at your own pace, a guide probably isn’t for you.

If you do want a guide, here are tours I recommend…

• Skip-the-Line Palace of Versailles Bike Tour
• Intimate Palace Tour:  Private & VIP
• Versailles Full-Day Guided Tour with Lunch
• Private Half-Day Guided Tour from Paris

 

History of the Palace of Versailles

In 1623 the Palace of Versailles started out as a small hunting lodge, but was quickly expanded into a full-scale royal residence by King Louis XIV in 1668.  The palace went through ups and downs as it was abandoned some years, and lived in others.  In the 20th-century, during WWI, Versailles was unscathed, and in 1919 it was chosen for the signing of the peace treaty, drawing attention from around the world.

Today, the Palace of Versailles welcomes more than 15 million tourists per year, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world.

 

Best Time to Visit Palace of Versailles

Truthfully, there is no bad time to visit Versailles.  If you want to see the gardens, and spend time outdoors, then the spring, summer, or fall would be your best bet.  But it’s also a great place to go in the winter or on rainy days to escape the cold and wet.  The other thing to think about is during the summer months, when tourist season as at an all time high, you’ll likely be battling bigger crowds and longer lines.  To avoid this, you might consider visiting in the winter instead.

No matter what time of the year you choose to visit Versailles, I highly suggest showing up first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon.  I made the mistake at showing up around noon and lines were crazy long.  Try to plan ahead, purchase tickets online ahead of time, and your visit will go much smoother.

 

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Misc Information About Versailles

• The Palace is open everyday besides Monday and May 1st; the gardens are open every day
• Hours of operation are 9 am-6:30 pm for the palace; and 8 am to 8:30 pm for the gardens
• There are three train stations in Versailles, but the Versailles Château – Rive Gauche station is the closest
• You can download a free, interactive guide (with an audio guide) to Versailles called Palace of Versailles

 

How to Spend a Day in Versailles

Believe it or not, there are things to do in Versailles aside from visiting the infamous Palace of Versailles.  I suggest spending a full day in Versailles to see its beauty away from the crowds!

Start your day early, and head to the palace at opening time (around 9 am).  Remember, you can purchase tickets ahead of time and this will save you a lot of time as you won’t have to stand in line to purchase tickets.  Expect to spend a few hours at the palace, especially if you’ve decided to add on the gardens.  There is food to purchase inside the palace, but I don’t recommend as its overpriced and there are better options.  Instead, after spent the morning at the palace, walk to Rue de Satory, a street filled with restaurants, bars, and patisseries.  From Rue de Satory, you can wander the quaint streets surrounding the area.

For lunch, I highly recommend Le Jasmin.  While it’s a “fast-food” restaurant, their kebab was one of the best kebabs I’ve ever had.  After a quick lunch, find a patisserie for some sweets, and then pick an outdoor café where you can sit for a glass of wine or two.  You can also relax in a number of green spaces in Versailles.

 

Should You Spend the Night in Versailles?

While Versailles is an easy day trip from Paris, if you’re looking to explore more in depth, you might want to consider spending the night.  Another plus side to spending the night, is being able to arrive to the property bright and early before the crowds, or even hanging around later in the evening once the crowds disperse.

If you do want to stay in Versailles, there are the hotel I recommend…

• Hotel Les Lumières
• Hotel Le Versailles
• MGallery Le Louis Versailles Chateau

 

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While the biggest draw to Versailles is to visit the Palace of Versailles, I hope that you stick around to see some of the other charm this small town has.  An easy day trip from Paris, it’s more than worth it to spend time in exploring Versailles.

 

If you’re interested in other trips that are easy to make from Paris, don’t miss…

• From Paris:  How to Have the Best Day Trip to London
• From Paris:  A Weekend Trip to Mont Saint-Michel
• From Paris:  How to Spend One Day in Dijon

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For more information on things to see and do in Versailles, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinfrance” or under my highlights for “France 1”, “France 2”, “France 3”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “France” highlight

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