We are going to Paris the first week of April and planning on going to Versailles. The first weekend of the fountains being turned on is when we are there. Rick mentions that Saturdays are better than Sundays, but both will be crazy I'm sure. Does anyone have experience with which day would be better? Or would we be better off to skip the fountains and go on a week day?
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2350 posts
The least crowded days to visit Versailles are Wednesdays and Thursdays. Fridays and weekends are busy because so many of Paris’ visitors wrap their visit around the weekend and the French are free to visit then as well.
Best strategy is to buy a timed ticket online in advance for the opening hour of 9am at Versailles. The bused-in tour groups get there soon after opening time and you want to be first to get into the Palace before it becomes absolutely mobbed.
We were there on April 1 and planned to get there at opening time by taking an RER train to Versailles. Got to the train platform and a notice went up on the board that a strike was going to limit the number of trains going to Versailles.
About a half-hour later a train did pick us up. Unfortunately we arrived about one hour after the doors opened and we were caught in a 30-minute line to buy our admission tickets. By the time we entered the Palace, it was so crowded that no one could move forward. Guards had to move people along to unclog all the human traffic inside the palace.
It is inside the palace that gets crowded— the gardens and Trianon are not really a problem as far as crowding.
Had I known, I would have returned another day when we could be there right as the doors open.
Posted by
1093 posts
What Kenko said! We last visited Versailles 10 years ago. The crowds INSIDE are so insane. No fire marshall in the US would ever allow it. The gardens and fountains were a huge relief and we couldn't have been happier to have tickets to escape to the gardens. You won't feel crowded out there. The gardens are expansive; so spread out and it won't make any difference if it's Sunday or Saturday. In all honesty, the fountains were nice; but they weren't the most amazing thing we've ever seen. So they are very nice to see if you are there on a fountains day, but if you aren't, you'll enjoy the gardens either way.
We had the train shut down when trying to leave Versailles. So we ended up wandering around the town and found a lovely restaurant. Something we wouldn't have experienced otherwise before eventually returning to Paris.
Advance tickets are a must.
Enjoy!