Versailles Strategy - need answers to questions

A lot of questions - I'll answer the ones I can.

The gardens encompass the entire estate of the chateau. I refer to the formal gardens and the rest of the estate. The formal gardens are just behind the palace and have flowers, shrubs and trees laid out in paths with fountains and sculptures. Alone this area is huge and you can wander or explore for some time. Just beyond the formal gardens is the Grand Canal. Beyond and to the right of the canal are the grounds of the estate, which are nice but not as landscaped (like taking a walk in the French countryside). Out in the estate are the Trianon Palaces and the Hamlet. The Trianons and Hamlet are very much worth visiting. You can rent bikes, ride the tram or just walk and enjoy the scenery. Note that on fountain days, you must pay to enter the formal gardens (but not the estate). Otherwise, the gardens are free and you only pay for each palace entry.

I'm a big fan of having a picnic. There are plenty of shops where you can buy sandwiches or snacks in town and then eat down by the canal. Otherwise, the restaurants on the estate are fine, just don't expect too fancy or incredible service - they are serving tourists only.

People's opinions here are split on the fountain show. I like it but love Versailles and have spent a lot of time there (I lived there too). It can be a bit cheesy with the music, and it is very crowded. But you can still find quiet areas to explore. The fountains don't all run at once; they turn a few on at a time and you wander from fountain to fountain as they turn on and off. So plan to spend awhile to see most of them run. To see the Apollo Fountain or Neptune Fountain run is an amazing sight. If you saw the fountain show, you could skip over the formal gardens your next time and just head for the Trianons.

As said.. fountain show opinions are divided.. I personally was very underwhelmed. I have been to Versailles many times.. but finally did the fountain show a couple years ago.
The thing is.. the fountains do not come on all at once.. just a few come on every few hours.. so you have to constantly look at schedule to see which one are coming on .. and be there when they do.. as they are only on for a short period of time. Personally I recommend not altering plans to visit on Tuesday.

As for palace.. you are able to proceed into public areas and continue on your own after tour. Taking the Kings Apartment tours is a good idea.. you will have a timed entry and will avoid line for security that even pass holders have as you will enter at another entrance just for tour participants. Buy ticket early enough to get the time slot you want.

The cafes etc on the grounds are "fine".. not great.. not cheap.. but fine. .We usually just buy a sandwich or pizza at the concession in the gardens now .. Since its your first time.. if the weather is nice.. splurge on some over priced drinks at the café at head of canal.. the view if of course worth paying a little more for a little less.. and do NOT let waiters bully you into tipping .. round up only.. they will prey on unsuspecting Americans.. trust me.. locals will only round up if tipping at all.

Douglas and Pat, thank you! Your responses are so helpful and just what I needed to help me figure this out.

Based on your advice for the fountains...we will not plan to see any of Versailles on Tuesday, just get into Paris. Good to know on the dining/tipping, and picnicing -- I think we'll decide what we feel like doing that day when we get there. A picnic might not be fun if the weather isn't good.

We'll plan on exploring the formal gardens for a while and then move onto the Trianons and the Hamlet. Would you recommend renting a bicycle at the Grand Canal for exploring the Trianons and the Hamlet?

The formal gardens at the back of the palace are walkable...bikes aren't allowed in there anyway. The park comprises all the rest of the grounds. I highly recommend renting bikes to see the rest as well as the trainon and the petite hameau. The grounds are VAST and you can't easily walk them....bikes will allow you to quickly get out to the other buildings and then take a spin through the woods, allees, and wheat fields. You'll love it!
...and just to add my two cents about the fountains. You can't compare them to modern fountains! People seem to think that they are going to be dazzled by some snazzy show...they are very old and an engineering marvel for their time! They are gravity fed from a huge tank hidden next to the chateau - for me, seeing them turned on adds to my understanding of what life was like back in the chateau's heyday. They are part of the history of the place and not intended to compete with the Bellagio!

Hello,
Our family will also be visiting Versailles last week in July (a Thursday) and would like to understand if any of the fountains are turned on at specific times outside of the planned days for the fountain shows. Is there a Queen's tour that is offered in English ? Is there a recommended sequence if we are planning to spend the day (and can consider renting bikes). We have one senior and will need to also have a tram option. Thanks in anticipation.

The fountains are only on when they are on -- not randomly at other times. When they are running the gardens are by ticket only. Otherwise you can wander the formal gardens like the rest of the estate for free. The fountain shows are on weekends and Tuesdays. I love old fountains and enjoyed them long long ago when we visited Versailles and they were on more often -- or perhaps we were just lucky. We p lan to go to Versailles for the gardens this fall and will pick on a non-fountain day for fewer crowds I think.

The new movie by Alan Rickman is about a fictional architect working with la Notre to create the Ballroom fountains. Although the movie is so so, it is kind of neat to see the construction of one of the great fountains even in fiction. You might catch it if heading for Versailles soon. Rickman also makes a rather beguiling Louis XIV.

We took the Private Apartments of the Kings tour at 9:30am just 2 weeks ago. It ends just one room away from the start of the main self-paced tour. Go through one small doorway, and you're there.

It was really worth it to take the tour, because, as noted, you get a private timed entry to the palace. It's pretty easy to miss the private tour entrance, though. We stood in line at the group tour entrance until just before 9:30, when after the 3rd time I asked whether it was the right entrance (the first 2 said yes), someone finally pointed out the entrance we really wanted. If you're standing in main courtyard, looking at the palace, the private tour entrance is all the way to the right, pretty much at the furthest east corner of the building.

As I said, the tour was worth it for the private entrance. But it lasted too long, about 90 minutes. I say that because the private rooms are not as opulent as the public areas of the castle, and there are only so many bedrooms and pieces of furniture that you can look at (well, for me anyway, and for our 12 year old granddaughter). Still, it's an interesting tour, and would be more than worth it for 30 to 60 minutes. And avoiding the lines for the main entrance was worth its weight in gold.

We ate at a place that I think was part of the Angelina Terrace. We got sandwiches and pastries at a little "counter service only" restaurant and then ate them outside in an area they had designated for eating. It may have been part of the restaurant that I see pictures of online, but was more of a cash and carry place. We enjoyed it very much. It was by the Petit Trianon as you already know, so I think it is related to the restaurant. It was a great way to grab a quick bite and saved us from having to buy and carry food all morning.

Bicycles are the best.
Am sure you are boning up on history because that is what Versailles is really about.
The town is there with nothing interesting to offer. You will have to walk via it to the train in any case..

Thanks again everyone! I think we will plan to stick to a full day on Friday, without fountains. Hopefully we will get to see them on another visit. We will also plan on renting bicycles, sounds like a great way to move around.

Does anyone have a good book or movie to recommend for the history? Janet, we'll have to look for the one you spoke of.