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Palace of Versailles
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
poi · FR

Palace of Versailles

Getting around: About 45 minutes to an hour from Paris via RER C direct to Versailles Château Rive Gauche station, then a 10-minute walk to the palace.
Hours: Typically closed Mondays; open other days, roughly 9am-6:30pm in high season and shorter (9am-5:30pm) in winter; the gardens have their own, generally longer, hours.

The Palace of Versailles was the primary residence of the French royal court from Louis XIV until the Revolution, and its scale — the Hall of Mirrors alone runs 73 meters with 357 mirrors reflecting the garden-facing windows — remains genuinely staggering in person. Beyond the palace, the gardens designed by André Le Nôtre extend for hundreds of hectares with fountains (some performing choreographed musical shows on select days), the Grand and Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's rustic hamlet retreat.

This is one of the most-visited sites in France and crowds, especially at the palace interior, can be intense in peak season, so booking timed-entry tickets online in advance is close to essential. Because the estate is so large — palace, gardens, and the Trianon estate are genuinely separate zones requiring significant additional walking or a paid shuttle — a full day is realistic for seeing more than just the palace interior, and many visitors find a single day still isn't quite enough to unhurriedly cover everything.

Palace of Versailles FAQs

How much time should I plan for the visit?

A full day is realistic if you want to see the palace, gardens, and the Trianon estate; the palace alone can be done in half a day.

Should I book tickets in advance?

Yes, essential in peak season — timed-entry booking online is the standard way to avoid the worst queues.

How do you get there from Paris?

RER C runs directly from central Paris to Versailles Château Rive Gauche station in about 45 minutes to an hour, followed by a short walk.

Are the gardens free, or do you need a palace ticket?

The gardens are generally free to enter most of the year, though a fee applies on days when the musical fountain shows run, and separate tickets are needed for the palace interior and the Trianon estate.

Is the Trianon estate worth the extra time?

Yes if you have a full day — it includes Marie Antoinette's more intimate retreat and hamlet, quite different in character from the main palace, though it does require significant extra walking or a paid shuttle to reach.

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