Palace of Versailles
The palace is now a historical monument and UNESCO World Heritage site, notable especially for the ceremonial Hall of Mirrors, the jewel-like Royal Opera, and the royal apartments. The Palace was stripped of all its furnishings after the French Revolution, but many pieces have been returned and many of the palace rooms have been restored.
Basic information
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Palace of Versailles (map) was the principal royal residence of France from 1682, under Louis XIV, until the start of the French Revolution in 1789, under Louis XVI. It is located in the department of Yvelines, in the region and province of Île-de-France, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwest of the centre of Paris.
⇒ Practical information • Discover • Tickets & Prices • What’s on
The Palace of Versailles offers a visual history of French architecture from the 17th century to the end of the 18th century.
The palace area consists of the main palace, a large garden, an extensive park, as well as a number of annex buildings which all are of historic and cultural interest. Seeing all of this in the pace it deserves, as well as the transport between different sites, take time.
If you have only one day to spend at Versailles, make a plan and prioritize what you want to see, and take into account that there are large distances between some of the interesting locations and possibly also lines to wait in at the entrance. Versailles palace is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
It’s a nice bike ride from Paris via Bois de Boulogne and Parc St Cloud.
Since June 2020, a booking is mandatory to enter the palace – even if you have Museum pass or benefit from free entrance (under 26 (EU only), under 18 (everywhere else), or with an EU student visa over 6 months). Slots can be booked online or on spot, and guarantee an entrance within 30 minutes from the entrance slot booked. Book early to be sure to entrance the palace on the time you want.
Missing the booked time does not necessarily mean losing your money, as the personnel at the ticket office will try to allow you to entrer later in the day, provided there are still slots available.
+ More info: Wikipedia • Wikivoyage • UNESCO
Must to See & Do
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Transport around Paris
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RATP ::: Metro timetables • Bus timetables • Tramway timetables • RER timetables
phebus.tm.fr – local buses around Versailles
⇒ Getting to the palace (chateauversailles.fr) • Public transport (parisinfo.com) • Getting to France (uk.france.fr)
sobus.travel — sells bus tickets for all the bus companies.
The Noctilien (Map of Noctilien) is a night bus service that operates in Paris and the Paris region from 12.30am to 5.30am. Ouibus • Isilines • FlixBus • Eurolines • Megabus >> (*Intercity buses in France)
Trains are a great way to get around in France. For regional trains, schedules can be found at ter.sncf.com. You can get from pretty much anywhere to anywhere else by train.
For long distances, use the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse, or High-speed train) on which reservations are obligatory. TGV • Thello • Ouigo. + RailEurope • Eurostar • Thalys • izy (Paris-Brussels) • TGV Lyria (Switzerland) • DB (Germany) • RENFE (Barcelona) >> *Rail travel in France
Several weekends throughout the year in France are known as ‘Black Saturday’ (Samedi noir) because of the start or end of school holidays and the coinciding traffic jams on French roads caused by thousands of tourists travelling to and from their holiday destinations. When possible it is wise to avoid these days. For traffic reports, see the website of the French traffic service.
⇒ Driving in France (wikivoyage)
aeroport.fr – list of airports in France. / parisaeroport.fr – Paris airport information.
Brittany Ferries • P&O Ferries • DFDS Seaways
England ⇔ France:
- P&O Ferries – operate freight and passenger services from Dover to Calais.
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Ireland ⇔ France:
- Brittany Ferries – operate ferry services from Cork to Roscoff.
- Celtic Link Ferries – operate ferry services from Rosslare to Cherbourg.
- Irish Ferries – operate ferry services from Rosslare to Cherbourg and from Rosslare to Roscoff.
Video source: Château de Versailles
Gardens of Versailles (wiki)
History of the Palace of Versailles (wiki)
Hall of Mirrors (wiki)
Tourism in Paris (wiki)
List of tourist attractions (wiki)
Art museums and galleries (wiki)
List of parks and gardens (wiki)
Historical quarters (wiki)
Landmarks (wiki)
List of châteaux in the Île-de-France (wiki)
List of castles in the Île-de-France (wiki)
Annual events (wiki)
French cuisine (wiki)
French Alps (wikivoyage)
Links to additional resources with useful information for planning your trip.