Versailles garden tickets on Water fountain show

Gardens are free on days the fountains don't run; it is a shame if they aren't running when you are there. We did love them:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/fountains-of-versailles-a-little-chaos/
If you buy a passport ticket it includes the gardens on fountain days as well as the Trianon and Hameau. It is also possible to get a timed entry. I am not sure how that works, but if it helps you skip the huge line that would be worth it. If you don't know for sure if the fountains are running, you can always buy the garden ticket there. This is not something with a long line.

Thank you for your response. We are not looking to buy the Paris Passport, but only the Paris Museum Pass. Do you know if all those areas are included with that pass? In reading online, I don't think so.

I love Versailles, been there more times than I can count. Will never go on a fountain day again. We did not enjoy it. The crowds alone were so much worse the day we were there and they blare classical music over a very bad PA system which was beyond annoying. And water coming out of a fountain wasn’t impressive imo. For us, it wasn’t enjoyable and wasn’t worth it.

We had no problem entering the gardens on fountain day, there was no long line.

Susan, are the gardens free on a water fountain day?

Andrea, no, you have to pay for the gardens on fountain days.

If going to Versailles, a passport ticket costs less than paying for each admittance separately.

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/sites/default/files/offre/every_ticket_in_one_look.pdf

With a Museum Pass, you still have to pay for the gardens on fountain days.

http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-chateaux-de-versailles-et-de-trianon-64.htm

Thanks Susan. I really only want to go to the gardens this time.

I was not talking about the Paris Pass but the passport entry for Versailles. If you have the Museum Pass then it would be superfluous but if you are just buying tickets to Versailles then the passport includes the fountains. If you are using the Museum Pass then just buy garden/fountain tickets when you get there.

I am
With susan in this , I have been to Versailles many times , and the worst was on a fountain day ! Would never go on a fountain day again !

With the Museum Pass we did have to buy seperate admission to the gardens , at that time I think it was 7-8 euros , and you paid around back at entrance to gardens , there was no line as most folks who have entered through palace ( which you would do with Museum Pass )already have admission .

You can also enter the formal gardens where the dog stinks are by entering from the canal entrance to the formal gardens , there's a little kiosk there , no lines to speak of

For others unfamiliar with Versailles who may read this thread, the Passport does include the gardens but the Passport is more expensive on Fountain Days. See link above.

Andrea, then your whole trip there will be free! With the Navigo and free gardens... : )

IMHO there is no point going to the gardens on a non-fountain day.

There are plenty of people that want to see the fountains operate. It's fine to warn people that crowds are bigger and how it operates.

Fountain day tickets are easily purchased right at the gates with no lines. There are separate entries for the gardens and one does not have to stand in line for the chateau to enter the gardens.

On days when the fountains are not operating, entry is free.

The gardens are so massive, that even with crowds, you can easily wander off and find peace and quiet. Those out of the way areas have fountains and sculptures too, but are not as heavily traveled.

Fountains operate on a rotating schedule - not all at once. This is actually how it worked in Louis XIV's time too. There isn't enough water in all of France to make them operate all at once (slight exaggeration).

Just be aware that if you go on a Tuesday that not all the fountains will be running. I went last year in April on a Tuesday and only 2 of the fountains were expected to run. It must have said so on the website but I didn't notice. They run on a schedule. We enjoyed the first fountain so we made our way to the second one, waited about 30 minutes, no show. Then we noticed someone trying to fix it. That was disappointing. If I do go again, I will have to do it on a weekend when more fountains may possibly run.