Paris June for 4 days

So far we have skipped it. With such a wealth of sights in Paris, it's hard to justify with four days, imho. Work out what sights are most important to you and start to group them by area; no crime in just putting one or two biggies on your itinerary for each day. Enjoy, there's so much to be experienced just walking around.

I've been to Versailles and it is wonderful, but it is a whole busy day and I would save it for another time. There are so many wonderful things in Paris and 4 days is not much time. sue

You will have plenty to do in Paris for four days without going to Versailles. I've been to Paris twice and have not been to Versailles yet, but I have the opinion that once you've seen the interior of one palace, you've seen them all. Plenty of people would disagree with me because everyone has different interests. It definitely depends on you.

Versailles is a half day at the very least; better a full day. In June it will be mobbed.

If you do go, it's worth it to book a guided tour "visite guidee" as you get to see rooms in the palace that aren't open to the other visitors. Be aware (we weren't!) that the guided tour starts at a different meeting point, so if you go through security and start following the crowd through the regular areas of the palace, you then have to persuade the guards to let you "swim upstream" (as it were) to get back out to the exit and across the courtyard to the guided tour meeting point.

The vast majority of visitors never go out to the gardens at all, so if you don't want to feel claustrophic, plan at least an hour to walk around the gardens or even 2-3 hours for a really long walk (or rent a golf cart) so you can see the Petit Trianon, Hameau etc.

The Hotel Ibis is right on the way between the train station and the palace entrance. Extremely convenient place for breakfast beforehand or lunch afterwards, though their lunch menu is only light fare.

Though I wouldn't agree with Rita that if you've seen inside one palace you've seen them all, I would agree with her and the others that Versailles is more than you should take on for a four-day visit -- it will eat up most of a whole day, and there's much more to see and do in the heart of Paris. As for "must sees," that's in the eye of the beholder. Many places would appear on anyone's list but it's better to take the attitude that you'll never see "everything" in just four days, so better to see a few places well, and as you say walk around and relax and enjoy -- which can be done better in Paris than in most big cities. And start with the assumption that this is only your first visit to Paris, not your last.

My travel mantra is, "I will see what I will see, and I will miss everything else, and that's fine, because it's all good."

If you don't go to Versailles, you won't know what you missed. Only by going will you be able to figure out, definitively, if you should have gone. Catch-22.

So, if you have a strong desire to go, go. If you don't, put the (considerable) time it would take to see, into seeing other things.

I've been to Paris six or seven times (yes, I've actually lost count) and have yet to go to Versailles. Others (like my niece) wouldn't consider missing it even on a very short first trip.

One factor is how much you will mind missing things that your friends have seen or heard about, and will ask you about. A coworker of mine is very worried about this - she doesn't want to miss any iconic sights. I don't care if someone says (for instance), "How could you have gone to New York and not seen a Broadway show? It's a MUST!!" But she would care.

Given that you say you want to walk around and relax and enjoy (something I also like while in Paris), I think that schlepping out to Versailles and dealing with the crowds is not something you should prioritize on a first trip. You'll have a better time walking around neighborhoods, and taking breaks in cafes to people-watch. Remember that for the price of a drink at a table, you can sit as long as you like - a great way to rest and "soak up local flavor."

You can certainly visit Versaille and all of the other major monuments and museums in Paris in your 4 short days. But just because you "can" doesn't mean you "should". Having fun and just doing "whatever" is a good thing, too. Don't overcrowd your schedule with mindless RUN RUN RUN. That's just not the way to make fond memories.

My family and I will also be in Paris in June for 4 days. We had the same conversation about Versailles. My husband and I were there once (more than 20 years ago). I was willing to skip it this time, but he felt that it was a must-see for our teenage daughter's first trip to France. Our plan is to see the chateau on our way from the Loire to Paris. We intend to spend much of the day in the gardens. I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.

You stated you "...do not want to over plan ... do too much ... want to ... relax and enjoy!" That being the case, I would suggest not going to Versailles this trip. Yes, it can be done within your time frame, but it will probably consume most of an entire day and that's 25% of your time on the ground. Plenty to do in Paris that is relaxing and enjoyable without Versailles.