Day trip to Versailles (from paris). what time of day shld I go?

I would go early. I was there last week and took the 11:38 train from D'Orsay and it was busy. I was packed in the trains like sardine on my trip to and from there. The palace was busy as well. We walked through the crowded halls like a herd. The king and queen's rooms were the busiest as everyone wants to take photos. The garden/park is a delight.

thanks! has anyone had experience going later in the day, in the afternoon?

i would think that it would take more than 1 hrs to tour the palace (if the palace opens at 9am, and steve says it gets crowded starting at 10am, that only gives an hour). please correct me if i'm wrong.

thanks!

Do leave enough time after you tour the palace for the gardens. They are magnificent. You can rent a bicycle beside the grand canal for a few Euro, which is a great way to get around the huge grounds.

Phell - Our family went to Versaille on a Sunday last summer. We arrived about 45 minutes before opening. I would also suggest getting you ticket ahead of time.

Phell, how long it takes to tour the palace depends somewhat on how many people are there, as well as whether there's any restoration going on. The chapel and opera were closed when we were there. But, only portions of the main palace are open for you to tour (which make those even more crowded!).

Others who've visited more than once may have something to add, but based on our trip, the last poster who got there 45 minutes ahead of time has the right idea!

If we were to go again, we'd get the full day pass and go out to visit the Trianons and the Domaine de Marie Antoinette, and probably use the golf cart! I think the whole package would be more satisfying than just the palace and gardens, as we did.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! It seems like the vote is to go super early in the morning at like 8am. I'll be going in August on a weekend day. hopefully going early and buying tickets in advance will allow me to avoid some crowds!

Marie Antoinette's summer house (or was it a weekend house?) was my favorite part. I'm surprised by how many people skip it! Although if the gardens had been in full bloom that probably would have been my favorite part...

Get a train and Versailles ticket combo from Metro: Invalides where you get RER C train. You will be glad you did that when you see the long lines at the palace itself. From the Versailles- Rive Gauche station it is about 10-15 mins walk to the palace. Check the departure times at the station before leaving so you can time when to get back to Paris. Inside palace grouds, take the Petit Train (little trams) to tour the vast grounds. It is hop on and off and don't forget to get off the Petit Trianon which is the Queen's mini palace and follow the path behind it to her miniature village complete with cottages, manmade lake, farm animals and beautiful mini gardens.

Hi Phell,
I was in Paris last year, and I purchased a 2 day museum pass which covers Versailles (as well as the trianons) in addition to many of the other Paris sights. I got off the train, walked past the ticket lines at the palace, then right in to the chateau. The chateau is great, although a bit unfurnished (a revolution will do that), but the gardens... They're the best. Rent a boat in the grand canal, rent a bike and tour ride through the gardens, and most definitely see the domaine du Marie Antoinette. Oh yeah, don't forget to hit the market before you leave Paris and get some picnic supplies. The gardens are a great place to have picnic. Have fun!

Phell,, I actually have been to Versailles 7 times now.. er,, a little obsession. Its always been crowded, but surprisingly( or perhaps not) the least crowded time I have been inside the palace was when my dd and slept in and didn;t get out there till after 1 in the afternoon.
I attribute the slight lull in crowding to the fact that most tour groups and buses seem to pull up in the morning . Plus of course all the other tourists who like to get there first thing.

Now, I don;t know if I would recommend going that late in the day,, we didn;t seem to have as much time as I would have liked to cover the whole grounds and out buildings,, but, it was definately less crazy inside.

I personally would go on friday, not sat or sun if you are trying to minimize the crowds for your visit, the weekends are always more crazy because of the fountain show in gardens( which, yes I know puts me in minority as I didn;t consider extra crowds worth the 1/2 hr fountain displays with the taped music)

thanks all for sharing your experiences, i greatly appreciate it. i never thought about marie antoinette's place, riding bikes, having a picnic, or seeing the fountains. The picnics especially sound fantastic!

pat, thanks for letting me know how it is in the post-1pm range. everyone was able to tell me about it in the morning, and so its nice to hear your experiences in the late afternoon!

Parts of the RER-C line have been closed for re-construction during August in the past. ( I think it was St Michel and Invalides last year. ) . Check their schedule.

I guess it's a good sign we're getting old. We will be in Paris in August, and I'm starting to question even visiting Versailles. The stories of the immense crowds make me wonder if it's worth it for me. Might pick something more calm. Is that awful to be so close to Versailles and not go?

Sharon, while the crowds in the Chateau can be overwhelming, most of us who visit there spent only 1-2 hours inside,, its the gardens, Marie Antionetts Hamlet, the Opera/Theatre , the Petit and Grand Trianons that can take hours and hours.. The grounds are so vast, you can find many quiet corners to get away from crowdes.

If you really want a much different experience consider a daytrip to Chantilly. No crowds, and I have been there 3 times in summer( relatives live near there so when I visit them I visit it). The grounds are not nearly as huge, but there is a lovely moat with swans swimming in it, a large enough estate to spent an hour or two wandering in,, and visiting the little outdoor restaurant that feature many strawberry and CHANTILLY cream desserts.. and the painting collection in the Conde Museum, which is in Chateau is second only to what you would see at Louvre. Look it up,, its a wonderfully overlooked place.. I guess I shouldn;t even tell people.. keep it to myself if I was smart.

Take note -- The fountains flow on Sunday only. We enjoyed that and the other smaller palaces more than the interior of the chateau itself.

Another vote for Sunday just because the fountains are on. A true spectacle to see.

The inside tour on Sunday was really crowded but the outside grounds are so massive that you can certainly find a place all to yourself.

The train back into Paris can also get really crowded but well worth fighting it to see the fountains.

Actually , the fountain shows run Saturdays and Sundays all summer long. Plus in May and June they run on Tuesdays.
Plus there are a few extra dates, like July 14 th ( a thursday and national holiday) .

I suggest any visitor look up the very informative Versailles website, just click on the language icon on the top of first page to get it in english.

One should always check the Offical website site for special openings and closings for anything. . Some people on this site( Helpline) mean well, but they are often talking about their perosnal experiences, and things change, or they may have encountered an anomally in scheduling and not be aware of it.

thanks to all for info about the fountains!

Thanks for the info about the fountains... while some may think the crowds aren't worth it, i think the other people whom i'm traveling would very muc hliek to see them.