My wife and I greatly enjoyed our visit to the Palace of Versailles complex in late 2022. We are, however, planning to return the first week of May 2025, skipping the Palace itself. We would like to see the Gardens, the Park and the Trianon estates, only this time not in the dead of winter. We once booked tickets to Versailles on an earlier visit but took the dollar loss because the day turned into a deluge and we decided not to brave the torrential rains. So, my question is this: how busy is the Gardens Only ticket window (we plan on going during a Musical Fountains day so admission ticket required) at the main entrance? Not too bad or do we just check the weather report and buy a day or two in advance on the website? The plan would be enter at the main entrance, enjoy the Gardens show and the groves, walk through the park on up to Trianon and Marie A's village and then exit out the Queens Gate into Versailles for a meal before returning to Paris. Restaurant recommendations near the Queens Gate neighborhood? Comments? Suggestions?
Posted by
Chicago
8550 posts
We did just the gardens on a fountain day and the Trianon a few years ago. There was pretty much no line for the garden entry which as I recall was to the right of the palace once on the grounds and through perimeter security. There were maybe 6 people in line ahead of us and we bought tickets and went in. We saw the fountains that rain in the morning, then exited at the base of the gardens and got lunch and then walked over to the Trianon. We returned in late afternoon when the afternoon fountains were running and entered through the bottom of the garden entrance. I have since learned that you can enter twice but have to use different entrances which we did although we hadn't planned that. Here are some snapshots from that trip:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/fountains-of-versailles-a-little-chaos/
If you are not visiting the palace you clear perimeter bag check but then can easily buy tickets and enter the gardens. WE have done this twice. Once we visited the palace but hadn't bought the passport because we were unsure of weather. ONce there we decided to go to the garden and the lines were maybe 15 or 20 people to get tickets. That earlier time we used the entrance around the corner away from people entering the palace, and that ticket window had maybe 6 at most ahead of us.
Posted by
Germany
626 posts
I don't know the answer to your questions, but I know that we got a ton of eye candy over the last two weeks at the equestrian parts of the Olympics. Especially the cross country course! Don't worry, it will all be taken down and returned to its original look before you go, but if you want a teaser, see if the coverage is still available.
Posted by
OP
18 posts
Thanks, Janet, pictures are great. Reminds us why we want to go back when the water is flowing! Think we'll take our chances and go to the main garden tix window the day of our visit. Thanks again.