Versailles in March

Are you arriving from an international flight on Thursday? If so, I would not try to Versailles then. Too far away in case you feel you need to crash, probably will be crowded and there are pickpockets that work the rooms in the palace so you need to be on top of your game.

BTW, I was in Versailles on a RS tour with a local guide. I saw the room security person motion to the local guide who went over to him, then came on our whisper sets and said security said there were pickpockets in the room and to watch our belongings. Not sure why the security guard couldn't do something about them but clearly recognized them.

Just agreeing with Pam that a weekend visit, crowded as it may be, is better than a jet-lagged visit.

The important thing is to have a timed ticket -- if timed tickets are not available then arrive an hour before the place opens to limit line time. Have ticket before you go (but the line will still be blocks long for security as the morning goes -- which is why it is critical to have a timed ticket which uses a different line and gets you in close to the time)

If I get the Paris Museum Pass when we get to CDG (still debating it), we can't get a tuned ticket, right? It's only if we buy tickets to Versailles directly?

Hi javaduplex,
Actually Versailles doesn’t offer timed tickets in March. The closest thing you can get to a timed ticket is the following:

First buy your Passport admission ticket:
https://billetterie.chateauversailles.fr/passport-visite-domaine-de-versailles-29-march-2020-css5-chateauversaillesmobile-lgen-pg101-ri6613513.html

Then buy a €10 Private Side Tour at 9:30 run by the Palace:
[https://billetterie.chateauversailles.fr/guided-tour-versailles-private-side-visite-chateau-de-versailles-29-march-2020-css5-chateauversaillesmobile-lgen-pg101-ri6690377.html

Why the tour? Not only is it worthwhile in itself, but it offers you access to a special entrance and shorter security line. Definitely worth the €10, when you see the length of the regular security line.

If you have the Paris Museum Pass, you will join the regular security line. But with the Pass as your admission ticket, you can still buy the separate Private Side Tour, and use the special entrance with its shorter security line.

Wooooow now that's an insider tip-thanks Barbara!

Off topic but speaking of the pass... I think I read I read on a RS forum that you can't go back to the same museum on a seperate day.. But you go to a museum, leave for a meal, and come back the same day? In some cases I guess the severity live wouldn't be worth it, but I was thinking of going to the Louve for example on Friday afternoon/evening, bit not sure how early to get there-can we leave and come back in after an early mall for example, or do we have to eat at the museum cafes?

We did this with the KAT tour -- it added a very dull 90 minutes to the front end of the trip and used up the energy of our one somewhat less mobile member of the party. If you can't get a timed ticket, I'd come early enough to be fairly far forward in the line by 9. the behind scenes tour does give you a comfortable place to wait and you bypass the security line (for a short internal security check). But the cost is 90 minutes of somewhat boring rooms and patter; we have seen dozens of chateaux - perhaps it would be more interesting if this was the first chateau ever.

Javaduplex, you can use the PMP for one entry only for each museum, period. They cracked down at the Louvre in particular because unscrupulous tour companies were reusing passes for multiple people. So no, you can't visit, then go out for lunch and come back.