Versailles Fountain

I would try to make the show, as it will certainly add something quite special to your visit. Even with heavier crowds, you’re outside and will at least have maneuvering room to put some space between you and the mob. The gardens are spectacular. As for visiting the interior of the château, huge crowds can make it nearly impossible to enjoy, especially in the summer (think heat, BO, wall-to-wall tourists, no air). Try to visit the château very early or late before closing. I’ve enjoyed the palaces of Munich, Würzburg, and Vienna essentially crowd-free in summer…not so with Versailles. My next visit will be off-season. With a bit of planning and strategy, you can mitigate the pain and have a great day. Enjoy your visit!

This is a matter of personal preference. IMO the fountains, in operation, add something special. Assuming seeing the fountains operating is a high priority to you or your daughter, I'd go on Tuesday; you'd go with the realistic expectation that there will be large crowds, but that it will be worth it.

Of course, the Versaille fountains are "older technology", it's not going to be a modern extravaganza like the fountain show at Bellagio in Vegas--but, hey, if it was good enough for the Sun King, it should be good enough for commoners like of us, right?!:)

I love fountains and think nothing is sadder than a dry one! I'd absolutely brave the crowds (and hell and high water) to see the Versailles fountains flowing. They are amazing.

Well thanks for all the advice. I think we will brave the crowds and just get there very early Tuesday morning. I agree there is nothing like a good fountain.

"I agree there is nothing like a good fountain."

Well, maybe there are a couple of things better than a good fountainbut a good fountain is right up there.;)

I don't want to be a drip and rain on any parade (puns intended :-), but I just feel I should say that I was there last summer on a fountain day and I found it underwealming. True, the opulent fountains look better with water running than without, but we found the running of the fountains to be staggered so that not every fountain was running at once. I would say that as we wandered, about 1/3rd of them were inactive as we passed them. That was a let-down after having paid the premium for the event.

I found the gardens, as a whole, a bit dissapointing. Mostly just lots of tall green hedges forming paths and grottos. There certainly were acres and acres of them, but that doesn't make them any more interesting. The palace, trianon(s) and hamlet were wonderful, though.

I found the hamlet to be adorable even if it was a little Disney-esque.

How about skip the palace and just do the grounds? I went in winter so missed the gardens and fountains which I could tell would have been the best part. If I ever go back I will skip the palace. But don't miss Marie Antoinette's weekend getaway house. I liked that better than the palace.

Kristin, I would just recommend getting there early to avoid the lines. Maybe even a little before opening time.

I was at the classical music/fountain festival last April and it was pretty cool. As anothe poster said, the fountains operate at 3 or 4 separate times througout the day, so they're not all running at once. The music is always on, though. If it wasn't 40 degrees and cloudy, it would have been even better, but I'm sure that helped with the crowds, as I didn't think that they were that bad. We like Versailles so much, we visited again 3 weeks later at the end of our trip. Whatever you do, do not miss the domaine de Marie Antoinette. The hamlet is spectacular.

I'd go with the fountains running. They are timed so plan your visit around that. It also costs extra but I think it's worth it.

If you get in the palace early or late, you may avoid the worst of the crowds inside. And it will be crowded around the fountains.

But leave lots of time to wander the gardens. You can picnic near the grand lagoon, take a row boat on the lagoon, wander aimlessly, or take the trams or rent a golf cart. Definitely go see both Trianons and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. You may well enjoy those more than the palace interior.

Kristin - I also vote to go on Tuesday and see the fountains. I would also highly recommend Marie Antoinette's Estate. The line to purchase tickets is a seperate line before entry(entry to Versailles in included in the museum pass). Palace of Versailles

Passport: Grandes Eaux Musicales, entry to the Château, the Trianons and Marie-Antoinette's Estate: €25. You can book this online. Click here

Grandes Eaux Musicales only: €8, tickets available at the entrance to the gardens

Reductions: ages 6 to 18: €6, tickets available at the entrance to the gardens - Free: ages 0 to 5