Versailles question - Best of Paris tour

Can't answer all your questions, especially about how the RS tour plans the day, because I haven't taken a RS tour. I will say a couple of things. I'm sure your tour will be just your group with a guide, not combined with participants of other groups/tours. I found that the gardens, the Trianons, and Marie's Hamlet appealed to me more than the chateau itself, but that's a personal opinion. So, I would say that the Trianons and Marie's Hamlet are most definitely 'worth' the time. If you're afraid that the walking will kill you, there is a small train from the far side of the gardens to the outlying buildings, there is also the option of renting bikes to ride around the grounds outside of the gardens. I can't give you any eating recommendations, maybe the group plans a picnic. I just ate at one of the stands by the canal/lake where the boats are, not great food but edible and convenient.

Hi Janet, I took this year a few years ago. As a group we took the train to Versailles and then had a "local" guide give us a tour of the chateau. The tour only included the members in our RS tour group. The tour extended to the gardens then the guide released us for the rest of the day. We had clear instructions on how to get back to Paris and train tickets. Your guide will give you suggestions for lunch and will answer any other questions.

I've been to Versailles a couple of times and really enjoyed exploring the palace, gardens, and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. Hope you have a great time!

My experience was like Donna's. IIRC when we got off the train we went across the street to the McD's for coffee and really to use the bathrooms. You do need to purchase to get the code to get in, so we had a quick break there then went to the Chateau to meet the local guide.

You are with the local guide thru the rooms but there are other people touring at the same time. As a matter of fact I saw one of the room docents say something to our guide and she quickly announced on the whisper system that the docent thought there were pickpockets working the room so to be on guard.

After the tour there were no activities for the rest of the day so another tour member and I stayed until about 5PM. Wow, we were beat but we did not see everything. DO see the Hamlet as suggested and the Petit Trianon and as much of the different gardens as you can manage.

This is a fun tour and WOW did it go a far way to making me feel comfortable doing Paris on my own. I've been back every year for increasing amounts of time, so you are warned....hahaha.

I really recommend renting bicycles and riding them around the garden. The rentals are inside the garden. Marie Antoinette's Hamlet is a must see if you have time. Right next to the bicycle rental they have a sandwich shop where you can buy lunch and something to drink. I believe the bikes had baskets so you can take your lunch and find a nice place to eat it.

A third vote for renting bikes. They're very affordable and the most fun and easy way to get around to see everything.

They also have golf carts you can rent, although very expensive.

I love it all... the palace, the gardens, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon and the Hamlet. The Trianons are far from the palace and the Hamlet is very far.

Food in the gardens is not very good. They recently opened an Angelina in the palace and they have very good food. You can go to their "café" or their sit down restaurant. We had lunch in the restaurant and really enjoyed it.

And if riding bikes isn't your cup of tea, you can rent golf carts! Be warned....you will need your driver's license to do so, at least you did when we were there in May of 2015! We had our passports on us but no driver's licenses......fortunately a very nice couple from Australia was behind us in line and offered to share their golf cart! You really can meet the nicest people in Europe! It was nice to share the cost, too.

Thanks for all your help. I am not very adept at riding bikes, so I might take the little train over to the Trianon area (or look for some Australians to share a golf cart). That is such a neat story! We'll probably grab a sandwich and sit down for a quick bite and then see as much as we can until our legs give out. We are so excited to see Versailles. My husbands' background was Landscape Arcitecture and mine was Interior Design. It will be a chance to see in person, what we studied in college 45 years ago!

Highly recommend renting a bike to tour the grounds.

OAN.....consider watching Versailles on Netflix......some of it was filmed in palace and focuses on LouisXIV.

Replying to a point Pam made in her post....
"You are with the local guide thru the rooms but there are other people touring at the same time. As a matter of fact I saw one of the room docents say something to our guide and she quickly announced on the whisper system that the docent thought there were pickpockets working the room so to be on guard."

I'm wondering about this whisper system. Is this something from RS and needs to be downloaded prior to the tour? This is my first RS tour so, not sure how many things transpire. (This is also my first post. LOL). Mary Ann

The whisper system or ears as some guides call them are just audio systems the guides use. You have an ear bud attached to a receiver you wear around your neck and the guide has a mike so they can talk and walk and everyone can hear. I take my own ear buds so I can have both in or just one but a more comfortable fit. Somehow the ear pieces that they supply never seem to be a comfortable fit for me. The boxes are handed out by the guide usually at the first meeting. All you have to do is turn them on and off when instructed.

Not all tours use the system but the Paris one does as there is a lot of time on city streets which are pretty noisy.

And welcome to the forum!

Mashort25:

Welcome to the Forum!

The whisper system is something your guide will hand out; no need to download anything or bring anything special. What this means is, your guide has a wireless microphone, and you get a wireless earphone, on the same channel So, your guide can just whisper or talk quietly, and everyone in your group can hear what is being said. In a crowded place like Versailles, every group is on their own channel, so you only hear your own guide (no cross-talk).

Before the whisper system, all the guides in a crowded place were shouting over each other to try to make everyone in their group hear them. When you factor in that they were doing this in multiple languages, the result was a cacophonous nightmare! Now, each guide is speaking quietly and being heard only by their own group. It's MUCH more pleasant! More and more places (museums, house tours, mine tours, etc) actually require them, and I wish every place did.

Hi Janet:
Will you please report back after your trip? I'm considering taking the Best of Paris OR the MY WAY France with a few extra Paris days next June. The bicycles at the gardens sound like a great idea!
I'm curious if they allow outside food brought in backpacks in the gardens.
I hope y'all have a fabulous time (from a fellow native Texan!).

Shawn, yes you can bring your own food into the gardens at Versailles.