buying tickets to Versaille

The English version of the site says: Admission to the permanent collections of the Palace (Grand Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, etc.), the Trianon Palaces, Marie-Antoinette's Estate, the temporary exhibitions plus the audio guides is free for: under-18s, young people under 26 years old who are residents of the European Union, schoolchildren, teachers assigned to a French establishment bearing their "Pass Education", disabled persons and their accompanying adult, and French job-seekers on presentation of documentary proof dating from less than 6 months before, etc. To check if you are entitled to free admission, click here If you are entitled to free admission, when you arrive at the Palace go directly to the principal entrance with your documentary proof.

Rose; Yes, I did read this on the site, however when you go to the page to see if you are eligible for free admission, that particular page is in French and no translation is offered. When attempting to purchase tickets, no option is given to state whether the tickets are for adults or persons under age 18...

If there is any way you can rearrange your schedule I would. The first sunday of the month is FREE to everyone, and everyone will be there. Its always crowded, but on that day it will be insane. If you insist on going that day , plan to arrive at 8:30 or so .. and good luck. You won't need tickets you will need air.

Did you click the 'here' link in my reply above? It takes you to a page in English that lists the eligibility very clearly. It sounds to me like you would order 2 tickets, then to get free admission for the 2 who are under 18 you would have to do as it says in the statement below and they will give you 'free' passes. It also seems very clear that the teacher is not eligible, unless assigned to a French education establishment. If you are entitled to free admission, when you arrive at the Palace go directly to the principal entrance with your documentary proof.

Yes Rose is correct. American teachers not free. And kids just go to entrance with you, done it twice with my own kids so unless they changed it recently that's how it is.. no ticket for kids.

Thanks Rose and Pat; We ordered two tickets for the adults and have the information for the kids to gain admittance..turns out the free first Sunday of the month is only during the off season, so hopefully it won't be QUITE as bad. We do plan to arrive prior to opening..and hope for the best! Thanks again!

Great, Tammy! As an additional thought - I think a mistake some people make about Versailles is underestimating its vastness and therefore not planning enough time for their visit. It's truly a 'day' trip - in fact, I think one could spend a full, long day there and only scratch the surface, between the château, the other features outside the château, and the incredible hugeness of the gardens and grounds. I would have liked to spend some hours riding a bike to explore the grounds. And there's also the city of Versailles, which I would have liked to explore a bit more. It's quite historically significant because it was the capital of France for a long time. The tourism office puts out a beautiful 152-page booklet in French/English that includes self-guided walking tours of the city's various historic districts with detailed maps.