We are thinking about using a tour operator for a trip to Versaille. Anybody have any recommendations on a tour operator?? This is our first visit to Paris so we are complete novices. Thanks so much!!
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
Are you asking about an organized tour, maybe a bus, that picks you up and transports to Versaille? Maybe provide a tour of Versaille? It is fairly easy to do on your own even if you are novices travelers. Besides the palace, the grounds are massive so you easily spend a day there. An organized tour might cut some of that short depending on your interests.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5436 posts
Agree with Frank. Do you want an operator who just provides tickets and transportation there and back, or one who will lead you (and the rest of the group) around for the whole day? Private tour or open group?
We've been there a few times and haven't felt the need for a tour. Getting there by public transportation is straightforward. Audioguides or guidebooks allow you to proceed at your own pace. (This is the most important thing for me. I want to linger when something piques my interest, and skip it when it does not). But TripAdvisor will no doubt have plenty of reputable operators who will be happy to do this at a fairly substantial increase in price over DIY.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC
179 posts
I’m going next June - at that time of year should we pre-buy entry tickets and self-guided tours or just buy when we arrive that day? Love to avoid lines if/as possible, thanks.
Posted by
64 posts
It depends on what you are looking to tour. I had the Paris museum pass which included entry to the palace and grounds. But I booked a private tour of the Kings Apartments thru the palace's official website. The tours are available in English, they are at a specific time, cost is 12 Euro's I think now, (I paid 10 euro's last year) . You get to go in a separate entrance, avoid the long line in the courtyard, go in a small group 10-12 people, go with a tour guide to rooms in the palace not available to the general public.(the private bedrooms, the church, the opera house) For me, it was well worth the extra 10 euro's just to avoid the ENTRY line. And you feel special as you are behind the velvet roped off areas. After the tour you are dropped off at the Hall of Mirrors and can go about seeing the rest of the palace and grounds on your own. The tours are available to book 3 months in advance, no earlier. You could do the timed entry and not a tour, but for me, I enjoyed the private tour.
Bon journee !
Posted by
Chicago
8556 posts
The key is buying timed tickets which are available during the summer season -- they stop providing them in November. You don't need a guide.