Include Versailles in a 2 day trip to Paris?

You will have to sacrifice many museums in Paris.. there are well over 200.. not that you would want to see even a fraction of them.. lol

I personally would not sacrifice a day at Versailles with only a two day visit.. not just because you would be missing so much of Paris.. but also its high season ( May till Oct) and the crowds and lines at Versailles make it only worth while if its on your "top ten sights I want to see before I die" .. and you already have a terminal illness.

I love Versailles.. been many times.. but its just gotten insane.. You must arrive with a ticket in hand ( or a museum pass) at least 45 minutes to an hour BEFORE it opens.. get in the security line( you can't skip security even with a pass) .. and arriving even at opening will mean you will stand outside and wait to get through security for at least the same amount of time.. plus then be squashed in with all the tour groups.

There is a "Kings Apartments" tour .. which does let you skip the long security lines as it has a separate and timed entry time for the tour.. however.. the bonus is getting the early in the morning bookings( think the first one is 9.30) .. you will tour the Kings Apartments( not open to public) with a small group,, then you are free to access the rest of chateau( which will be a heaving mass of people).

The gardens and grounds are huge, and of course never crowded... but to go all the way from Paris just to visit them.. well , it would not be for me.

All in,, it is possible to do a half day at Versailles.. but you must keep in mind the travel time ( its about 45 minutes.. but getting to and from station adds a few minutes of course.. so lets round up to an hour each way.. so two hours of commuting for perhaps 2 hours? The palace itself takes 1.5-2 hours if you rush through it , then the grounds need another 2-3 hours( to visit Marie Antionettes Hamlet, the Grand and Petit Trianon. )

In a word, "non" !!

I would definitely skip Versailles. We arrived there before it opened and still had to wait in a very long line. Once inside the palace, it was insanely crowded, and we found the tourists there to be pushy and rude. Spend your time enjoying Paris!

Skip Versailles. Enjoy Paris.

Save Versailles for another trip. There is sooooo much to do in Paris!

Thanks all for the feedback!