Versailles: Yes or No?

We were there in early October 2012 and unfortunately, so were the crowds. The palace itself was crowded, but when you got outside onto the grounds it wasn't too bad.

I've been to Versailles three times, and yes, it was crowded in the palace. Every time was either in May or early June. As the above posters said the gardens and the outlying buildings like Le Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's domaine were not crowded at all (and very worth seeing). I think you should go. I console myself by not dwelling on the crowds and remembering that even in Versailles' heydey there were large crowds because it was mostly an open palace and many courtiers, servants, etc lived there. They never had any privacy. Just think of it like you're getting the authentic experience. ;)

If it is someplace you have always wanted to go and it is important to you, then go, but go early in the day...be there when it opens. However, if it is just someplace you think you need to go because it's there and you think you're expected to go, then skip it...with no regrets. Spend the time doing something you will truly enjoy.

If the palace itself seems too crowded for you, skip it and spend your time in the gardens and smaller palaces there. Or explore the town itself; it's a pleasant small city. You'll definitely find yourself wanting to get outside of Chartres; several days is a lot to spend there.

If it's a nice day, I always recommend a picnic down by the Grand Canal. Bring a lunch from a shop in town, or buy a sandwich from the vendor in the gardens. Take a bike ride. Or a paddle boat ride. You can easily spend an entire day there without ever going inside the chateau (or 9 months...).

I guess if you're going there specifically for the main palace and you hate crowds (and probably don't want to stand in a long line for security) it may not be worth it. However, I went there two years ago and never even went in the palace because of the crowds. Spent a half-day exploring the gardens, park, the trianons (small outlying palaces), and Marie's hamlet and found that most definitely worth the time and didn't regret not getting in the palace at all. And just doing those things saved me $$ - the gardens are free (except on fountain days) and the trianons/hamlet are a combined ticket for €10.

My wife and I spent 3 days in versaille in sept last year .spent the first half a day and afternoon walking the gardens ,then did the main palace after 3 o'clock . It was busy but not too bad . It's a nice town to stroll around in and enjoy a glass of wine ,and some nice restaurants to enjoy at night . Enjoy

A great many wonderful places come with unavoidable crowds , It would be a shame to exclude them on that basis . I wasn't crazy about the crowds in the palace ( or in the Louvre , or Florence , or Venice - I could go on forever ) but there are ways to get around that to some degree ( go early , go late in the day , you get the idea ) I didn't like the crowds either , but seeing the palace ( particularly , The Hall of Mirrors ) was worth it . As Nancy says , The Trianons and The Hameau were well worth the time in any event

Having been there at least ten tomes now , may thru sept.

The palacae WILL be crowded. I guarantee you, unless you arrive BEFORE it opens and are in first " wave " of visitors.

The grounds and other buildings are never that crowed however. Since you would be going on a Sunday the gardens behind the palace I'll be a bit busy, it " Fountain show day" bit its not that bad.

Do not go in to palace if you are not there very early .,or perhaps 45 minutes before it closes. There are hundreds if not thousands of people on there.

I went in October, 2011, on a gloomy Saturday that turned rainy. I hadn't planned on going, but the musee d'Orsay was still closed due to a strike. It was the last day of my museum pass, the RER C was right there, so I went. Very little line-I don't think I even waited 10 minutes for security. While there were a lot of people out front it didn't seem too bad. I started on the main tour, which then became a forced slog, elbow to elbow. No way to get off the route and leave early. I had about three "wow" moments, but it was not worth the crowds. I doubt I'll ever go back.

Check out Ina Caro's book "Paris Through the Past" for more ideas not far from Paris. You'll find a lot of historical context.

I think you have a good idea of the trade-offs now. Le Hameau is my favorite part of Versailles, but I would brave the palace crowds either early or late (unless they really are unhealthy for you).

Thank you all so much for your thoughts. I think we're going to have to go for it! We've passed on Versailles too many times and who knows when we'll be back. I've decided that we should go on Saturday, even thought that probably means even more crowds, so we won't have to worry about getting back in time for our 5 p.m. tour meeting on Sunday. That way, we'll have a full day to devote to Versailles and, perhaps, the lines won't be so stressful since we'll have no time limit. Again, many thanks for sharing your personal experiences. I've taken note of all of your suggestions.

It sounds like you have decided to go to Versailles so I won't try to dissuade you. (I don't like crowds either so Versailles wouldn't be my first choice. That said, I did tour Versailles 30 years ago on a gloomy winter day and hardly anyone was there. I mostly remember it as being enormous!)

In formulating your plan, make sure you will be able to do what you want to do in Chartres -- on a Sunday. Tours of the cathedral may be more limited on Sunday, but you may have the chance to see some awesome church services which would be harder to see on a weekday.

Hi Nancy, we did this tour in May and had a great time. Good decision to visit Versailles on Saturday, it takes the better part of a day to see the house and gardens. We really enjoyed Chartres. The group tour of the cathedral was about an hour. We went back after lunch and took more photos. We didn't climb the steps to the tower but I bet the view would be nice. The lower village was also very scenic. The illumination was wonderful. I took some videos with my camera and I-pad and we have watched them many times (you can see some examples on youtube). Hope you enjoy the tour!

Eef, I'll hope for a gloomy September day :-). We'll have a tour of the Cathedral on Monday with our RS group, so I'm not worried about seeing it thoroughly on Sunday.

Donna, was your tour of the Cathedral with Malcolm Miller? If not, we may go on his tour on our own.

Definitely see Malcolm Miller, if you can. I did a tour with him...30 years ago. I can still remember some of his lines! It sounds like you have plenty of time in Chartres.

You're probably trying to pack light but you may want to bring some binoculars to see the stained glass better.