I will be in Paris June 1-6 with my adult daughter for her first trip there. Because she has the Gift of Autism, it is absolutely mandatory that I plan and reduce the waiting times as much as possible. Most of the week / timed tickets is planned, we will have the Paris Museum Pass, BUT I am in late researching the Versailles day. I read inRS Book and this forum that taking the King's Apartment tour is a way to avoid longest lines due to the separate entrance. HOWEVER,the English speaking tours are book on June 5 and 6,the only days we can go. BUT there are French-speaking KAT tours available, and although we do not speak french, I am thinking of reserving that tour just to get in. Has anyone who is a non-french speaker taken the tour in french? Experience? Can we walk away fro that tour early? Many thanks. Any other suggestions are welcome
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1864 posts
We have taken several short tours in French. All of them provided headphone sets which offered the commentary in English along with several other languages. Is that offered on the KAT tour?
Posted by
OP
spencer, california, usa
16 posts
Thanks for the response. The Versailles website does not give detailed descriptions.I did email them to ask about doing this, but no response as yet.
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3991 posts
"We have taken several short tours in French. All of them provided headphone sets which offered the commentary in English along with several other languages. Is that offered on the KAT tour?" No, the tours are in English or French. They are led by a person who speaks to you.
I guess you could slip away from the tour but I have no idea where you could do it and where you might do it. I mean it's not like you are being escorted by armed guards. I actually lost my guide a couple of times when I took the tour but I found her each time because I was not trying to slip away. Have you looked at getting a timed passport, which guarantees entry within 30 minutes of the stated time? I bought some timed tickets for my travel group last year and they reported that they got in when they arrived at the scheduled time. The timed tickets and the KAT do not eliminate the need to wait at the quick perimeter check that was set up this year (I think).
Posted by
3123 posts
Similarly to the previous comment, I don't think headsets are available. You listen to the guide in either English or French. I'd be cautious about trying to slip away from the tour. While on our tour, we observed a woman being escorted out by the guards -- frogmarched, you might call it -- apparently for either touching the statues or trying to enter a no-access area.
Posted by
OP
spencer, california, usa
16 posts
Thanks for your comments. Since we have a Paris Museum Pass it would cost another 60Euro for the three of us to buy the timedentry. Think we will get there at 8 and have her brother save our place in line while we waner - standing still too long is not an option.
Merci
Posted by
45 posts
I just checked the Versailles website, and there is availability on June 6 (we were looking at the same time but decided not to). There are evidently two different Kings Apartment Tours: 1) Guided Tour - The Private Apartments of the Kings, and 2) Guided Tour - Louis XIV at Versailles. Both are 10 euro additional. #1 tour still has availability on June 6 (not sure how many), and tour #2 does not move off of the month of May. Hope something works out for you!