How to Take a Day Trip From Paris to Versailles (Château de Versailles)

versailles, FRANCE

Where is Versailles and is Versailles Worth Visiting

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how to get from paris to versailles

Taking the Train from Paris to Versailles

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how much time you’ll need in versailles

A Day Trip to Versailles

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best time to visit versailles

Seasons at Versailles

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visiting the Château de Versailles and gardens

Best Things to Do and See at the Chateau de Versailles and Versailles Gardens

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Bonjour

If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams.

In January of 2022, my husband and I left our home in Atlanta, packed our bags and moved to Paris! Every day we wake up in disbelief that we get to call this incredible city our home, a city full of rich history, world-renowned food, and beauty hidden around every corner.

In this How to Take a Day Trip from Paris to Versailles we will give you all the information you need (from train times to the best time to visits) to plan a day trip from Paris to the Palace of Versailles.

versailles, france

If you’re headed to Paris for the first time (or second, third or one-hundredth) and are considering planning a day trip from Paris to Versailles, you’re in the right place. A day trip from Paris to Versailles is one of the top things to do when visiting Paris for the first time or France for the first time, as the Palace of Versailles and its gardens are an extension of the history of Paris and are one of the best examples of French chateau found in all of France (that’s not to say there isn’t some hefty competition).

Is versailles Worth Visiting?

If you’re wondering whether or not a day trip to Versailles is actually worth it, I’m here to tell you that Versailles is absolutely worth visiting when coming to Paris, especially if you have more than a few days at your disposal. It can be challenging to narrow down your top itinerary items when visiting a city as full of sights and landmarks as Paris, however, Versailles offers a taste of countryside and grandeur that you won’t necessarily find in the city.

On a weekend trip to Paris during my study abroad in 2014, I only had two days to discover the city, and I dedicated an entire day to visit Versailles, as I had been studying French fashion and Marie-Antionette’s leading of the Rococo fashion movement and I felt drawn to learn more about the opulence of both the palace and Marie-Antoinette.

If you love Paris, architecture, history, fashion, France or gardening, then a day trip from Paris to Versailles is 100% worth it.

HOW TO GET from Paris to versailles

Versailles is a small French village roughly 9 miles (14km) from Paris and the easiest and most direct way to visit Versailles from Paris is to take the regional Paris line, RER C from the center of Paris. You can purchase tickets for Versailles Château Rive Gauche in the metro station by scrolling through the destinations available in the region at a kiosk in any metro entrance.

If you do plan to take the RER C, I would advise that you go ahead and purchase the round trip tickets in Paris, versus waiting to purchase your return ticket in Versailles. The train station in Versailles is small and there are always long lines at the ticket booths of people waiting to purchase their return ticket to Paris.

From the Versailles Château Rive Gauche train station, it is a short and lovely 10-minute walk to the palace entrance.

Be sure to reserve your tickets to the palace and gardens in advance by purchasing them here.

If you don’t feel like navigating the train system on your own, you can book a transport included trip to Versailles with GetYourGuide, like this one. You can also discover guided tours through the palace available below.

how much time you’ll need in Versailles

It’s hard to take a day trip from Paris to Versailles without making it a full day affair. The Palace and gardens are quite extensive, and even in a full day of exploration, you might not be able to see everything! Regardless, if you’re wondering how long to set aside for your travels to Versailles, I would recommend a full day (or at least arriving back to Paris in time for dinner), in order to give yourself the time to discover Versailles at your own pace.

That being said, just note that a day trip to Versailles can and will wear you out! You will be on your feet the majority of the day as you walk through the Palace halls, the acres of gardens, and the additional structures within the gardens, so be sure to build in time for breakfast and lunch and coffee breaks at the various restaurants on site.

We particularly love grabbing a bite to eat in the good weather at La Flottille, located near the boat rentals.

You can discover all of the restaurants and facilities onsite here.

If you don’t think one day is enough time, you can always plan to stay the night in Versailles, as the town has is lovely and a great spot to rest if you want to explore the palace and grounds more thoroughly.

best time to visit versailles

You can visit the Palace of Versailles any day of the week expect for Mondays, year round. The Palace opens at 9:00 am, the estate of Trianon opens at 12:00 pm. For planning your visit, be sure to check all of the detail times and tickets needed on the practical information section of the Palace of Versailles website here.

I’ve personally visited Versailles four times, once in April, once in May and twice in July. The two Spring visits were absolutely lovely, with perfect temperatures for strolling around the gardens without getting too overheated. The images below are from a visit in April.

If visiting in the summer, there’s a chance that your visit might coincide with a heat wave. If so, just be prepared with water and take breaks as needed.

Seeing the Fountains on Versailles

If seeing the famous Versailles fountains in action, you’ll want to do a little additional planning for your trip to Versailles. The fountains are only running on certain days of the week, which according to the Versailles website are most Tuesdays, Fridays and weekends between the end of March and the end of October.

Visiting on these dates might mean the gardens are slightly more crowded, but the gardens themselves can handle it and its quite fun to follow the map between the fountains and see their engineering in action.

visiting the palace of Versailles and gardens

Palace of Versailles

Although it technically doesn’t matter which order you discover things, generally your day at Versailles will begin inside the Palace of Versailles. The Palace of Versailles was built by the French kings as a hunting lodge and eventually became the residency of the French royalty and court.

Since 1979, the Palace of Versailles has been listed as a World Heritage and is one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art and today the Palace contains 2,300 rooms spread over 63,154 m2. (ChateauVersailles.fr). As you discover its many rooms and grand halls, you’ll take in the finest of materials, architecture and art that the monarchy could lavish upon its walls.

There is history to be discovered in every room, and the audio guide that comes with the ticket purchased will guide you along your journey.

Versailles Gardens and Grounds

After soaking up the grandeur of the palace, you’ll find yourself in the Versailles gardens and grounds, which extend over 800 hectares (1976 acres). Within the gardens, you can discover the fountain shows mentioned above, rent boats on the lake, have a picnic in the forest (only in dedicated areas) and simply enjoy the landscaping and expanse of the curated green spaces.

the grand trianon and the petite trianon

After visiting the many halls of the Palace of Versailles, it might be hard to imagine that there are more spaces to discover within the grounds, however, as the monarchy needed to “escape” the daily burden of life at court, three additional areas were created within the grounds.

One of those spaces is The Grand Trianon, a structure of pink marble commissioned by Louis XIV in 1670. In my opinion, it is one of the more beautiful spaces to be discovered within the grounds of Versailles, and if your day trip allows, I recommend making your way to the palace after your strolls through the gardens.

The second of those spaces is The Petite Trianon, was commissioned in 1758, by Louis XV, and after his death was gifted to Marie-Antionette by Louis XVI, who quickly made it her own.

the queen’s hamlet

Oddly, set deep within the grounds of Versailles you can discover a Normandy-inspired village, known as The Queen’s Hamlet, featuring half-timbered structures, thatched roofs, a windmill and little gardens. The area was commissioned by Marie-Antionette in 1783 and is now a tranquil part of the gardens to stroll and feel as though you’ve entered into a different region of France entirely.

STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE

Looking for other day trips from Paris that we love or need help planning your trip to the city of lights?

If you need more Paris day trip inspiration, you can find a roundup of our favorite day trip destinations in this Easy Day Trips from Paris by Train guide, or check out our day trip guides to Chantilly, France or Fontainebleau, France. You can also discover all of our Paris guides and France guides to help you plan your full itinerary.

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