Where is the Palace of Versailles? : Palace of Versaille (Château de Versailles) is one of the highly visited palaces in the World. The palace is in Île-de-France region in the city of Versailles, 20 km West of Paris. Every year, millions of tourists visit the palace to witness its splendor. It had been a UNESCO World Heritage site for the past 30 years.
What is the Historical Significance of the Palace? : The palace was built to impress. It started as a hunting lodge for the royal family outside of their primary residence in Paris. It has undergone many changes and emerged into the present-day palace under the reign of Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Lous XV, and Louis XVI. It became the symbol of grandeur and an expression of the monarchy. Later during the french revolution, the palace experienced a duration of neglect. However, enough attention was paid to the painting to conserve them. By the end of the Fench revolution, the royal residence was transformed into the Special Museum of the French School dedicated to French painters. Louis-Philippe, the last king of France returned the palace to its former glory. Many important events were held in the Palace throughout history like the declaration of the German Empire, the birth of the Third Republic, the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War.
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| Royal Chapel |
Where to Buy Tickets?: The best option is to buy timed entry tickets from the palace website. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, the timed-entry tickets might not be available on the website. If that is the case, readjust your trip dates and look for 'Passport With Timed Entry' tickets. Another option would be to go with a day trip package from Paris. The day trip package would include transportation from Paris and the entry. Without a timed-entry ticket, the wait time can be 5 hours outside the palace.
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| Salon d'Hercule |
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| Hall of Mirrors |
Visiting With Kids? : Unlike other museums in Paris, families with kids will not gain a priority entrance to the palace. It is sad to see people waiting in line with young kids for hours just to gain entry into the palace. No food is allowed in the palace for good reasons. Only young kids are allowed baby food and bottle inside the palace. Strollers and backpacks will be inspected and checked-in at the free left luggage counter. They can be collected later at the end of the palace tour.
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| Feast in the House of Simon |
How to Reach? : There are multiple transportation options to reach the Palace. The cheapest would be to take public transportation from Paris. RER C starts from Gare D'Austerlitz and has multips stops at famous tourist sights like Notre Dame, Muse d'Orsay, Champ de Mars. The closest station to the Palace of Versailles is Versailles Château River Gauche. Almost all the passengers in RER C get off at this stop. So the chance of missing the stop is very slim. Palace's main entrance is about a 1km walk from the train station. Multiple tour operators offer transportation from Paris along with the Palace tour. Though expensive, this might be a better option during busy months.Tip: If using public transportation, buy a two-way ticket before boarding the RER C.
What to See? : The Palace of Versailles is the popular attraction in Versailles. The Palace tour covers the Royal Chapel, Hall of Mirrors, hundreds of beautiful paintings, and notable status. The Palace Gardens with its beautiful fountains and marvelous status is also home for Grand Trinion, Le Petit Trianon, Marie-Antoinette's Estate. Visiting the palace and the 800 hectares of gardens can take up the whole day. Even though The Palace, the Palace Gardens, the Estate of Trianon, and the Park are far apart, little train in the place grounds can help visitors with the commute. Tickets can be purchased on the train or at Palace's North Terrace.
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| The ceiling in The Venus Room |
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| Palace Gardens |
