I do not find anywhere on the Versaille website where it tells you what rooms you can access with a general ticket to the chateau (or using the museum pass.) It does have a long list of extra tours you can buy which includes rooms like the Queens Apts, etc. Can anyone direct me to a link which clearly states what rooms can be seen with the base ticket? I know when I was last there many, many years ago the only way to see many of the private rooms like the Queen's apts was to book a tour. You could see the Hall of Mirrors, the Gardens and Kings Apt and I don't remember being able to see much else. I don't care about the fountains and musical days. I do intend to go the Hamlet and I think that is included in a special Trianon ticket. What I am trying to figure out is what additional tours do I need to book and the logisticcs of see the main rooms (whatever they are) plus extra tours. Their website seems sparse on planning your day advice.
Posted by
3122 posts
As I understand it, the visites guidees (guided tours) rotate among different suites of rooms that aren't open to the general public, so on certain days you can see the opera house, on other days the chapel, etc. I suspect it's intentional that the website doesn't commit to which specific rooms are open to the public because they may need to change access on certain days or at certain times. That's just a guess.
One way to see off-limits rooms, or at least passageways (which I don't recommend) is to enter through the main airport-style security and then realize that you need to get across the courtyard by the start time of the visite guidee that you've booked. We convinced one of the many guards to let us out via a side passageway instead of making us "swim upstream" back to the x-ray machines to exit. As I said, I don't recommend doing this, as it was slightly embarrassing, and there was no guarantee of finding a sympathetic guard.
Posted by
OP
Twin Cities, Minnesota
1825 posts
Thanks, but please clarify, are you saying if you take an extra tour you have to go through security again?
Posted by
Chicago
8055 posts
When you do the Kings Apartment Tour you do not go back through security. Would assume that is the same with any tour offered by the chateau. My understanding is that with a timed ticket you would go to the head of the security line near your time, but haven't done that, so we need to hear from someone who had one. All reports I have read indicate that you do get in at your designated time. There would be no point in a timed ticket if you had to stand in the two hour long security line.
The Museum Pass does not give line priority; if I were using that I would arrive at the perimeter by 8:15 to pass perimeter security and be fairly close to the front of the security line for the chateau which opens at 9.