Paris in August-day trips to Versailles and Giverny

DT .. I have been to Versailles numerous times,,at least 8 or 9 times now.. and always in summer( june-Sept) It will be crowded no matter what day you visit in summer.. the only way to avoid that is to NOT visit inside the palace but just enjoy the gardens and other buildings. So in other words, if crowds are an issue. Don't go. Hate to break this to you.. Giverny will be crowded too. Avoiding crowds in August means going to lesser known sites.. I can suggest if you visit Chantilly you will have a lovely day, no crowds there ever ( I have been four times , all in summer ) and its never crowded . They have an amazing museum inside chateau(Conde Musuem ) and the gardens have a nice litte cafe that serves the best strawberries and Chantilly Cream desserts.

One way to lessen (not eliminate) crowds is to go first or last thing of the day. Since people on vacation don't want to get up too early (and who can blame them?), if you do get up early and get to a busy place before they open the doors, you can have at least a short time before the herds arrive. Similarly, others have posted that the Chateau at Versailles is less crowded about an hour before closing, as all the daytrip bus tours have left. For busy places like Versailles and Giverny (although I have no personal experience with these two), I've learned that sacrificing some sleep is worth it. I've always remembered a friend's advice about seeing the Statue of Liberty (even though this was over 25 years ago): "Be on the first boat, no matter what it takes, or you'll be sorry!" She was so right about the SoL, and I've heard similar things about Versailles.

Harold is right, either go to Versailles when the doors open or visit the palace portion at the very end of the day. The gardens are so huge you can easily find places where you'll feel alone in the world. And even at the major fountains, it's big enough to have plenty of space. Avoid days when the fountains are running. Try this: Head to Versailles mid-day with a picnic lunch in tow. Sit along the Grande Canal and enjoy a pleasant lunch. Then walk out to the Trianons and Hamlet. Explore the formal gardens on your return to the palace itself. Tour the palace after the busses have whisked away the hoards.

I was in Paris last August and went to both. For Giverny I took an early train (@8:00am) to Vernon, took the bus to Giverny and got there just when they were opening the ticket window. There were about 10 people in front of me in line so it was a breeze. It didn't feel overly crowded until after about an hour or so, but even then it wasn't horrible, even inside his house it was bearable. When I left (@11:00am) it was really getting crowded. I also went pretty early to Versailles, I think I took a train at about 9:00 or 9:30. I had been to the palace before so just went for the gardens and grounds, including the Trianon and Marie's hamlet. Crowds were not an issue at all at those places. If you want to tour the palace get there a bit before opening and do that first, then do the gardens and estates.

DT the suggestions about the TIME of day when visiting Versailles or any other site is very important, almost more so than the time of year, in a way. If you know the hours and go early or late in the day, that makes a huge difference. I was at Versailles last May and the palace-chateau was thick and packed like sardines in molasses but there wasn't really any choice because it takes time to enjoy and absorb it all (palace, gardens, transport to/from). Make sure you have a tour guide or at least an audio; otherwise, it may be not worth it (if you want to take it all in because you'll lose focus and interest with all the people around you). When I went to the Louvre in Paris, it was around 5-6 pm or thereabouts, and this was a brilliant time to go and get very close to everything.

Thank you all for your excellent advice! I didn't have internet access for the last days of my trip but I did end up going to Versailles on Wednesday and had a wonderful time. for anyone considering a trip during high season: I recommend going on a weekday (not Tuesday) and arriving mid or early morning and doing the gardens and Trianon first. I headed for the chateau around 3:30/3:45 and waited in line for less than 15 minutes before getting in. I had plenty of time to look around before closing and by the time I got to the Hall of Mirrors, it was not crowded at all and I really got to enjoy the space. All in all, a relaxing (as relaxing as can be!) day at Versailles!

Thanks for the DT. Your experience really reinforces the idea of visiting the palace late in the afternoon, even more so than trying to be the first in line in the morning. In fact, I've had that experience in many "packed" museums. For example, walking into the Accademia (Florence) about an hour before closing - no line and few visitors. This strategy doesn't always work for people's schedules, but when it does, do it.