Heading into Versailles

Our one day adventure is going to start at 9:00 AM sharp, so make sure you get to Versailles bright and early! Versailles is easily accessible by public transportation from Paris, and you’ll step out of the train only a short walk away from the Château de Versailles. Make sure to pack a picnic lunch – we’re going to be enjoying lunch “en plein air“.

First Stop: The Palace of Versailles

Our first stop of the day is going to be the Palace of Versailles in all it’s glory. Make sure to pick up “The Passport,” a ticket that gives you access to all of the different sites on the Palace grounds. It’s advisable to purchase your ticket before you arrive to save some time, but you can get it at the Palace if necessary. If you want, grab an audio tour or sign up for the first guided tour of the day. Hearing about the different rooms and areas of the Palace as you tour them will help you to appreciate it even more. Prepare to be stunned by the lavishness and beauty of the Palace! Make sure to plan for about 2 hours or so for exploring the Palace.

Next Stop – the Petit Trianon

Many people think that the Palace itself is all there is to see on the Palace grounds. But if you’re thinking that, think again! There are several other fascinating sites to see on the palace grounds, and that’s where we’re going to head next.

Pick up the Versailles train from the North Terrasse of the Palace, and take a ride over towards the Petit Trianon. If you’d rather, you can walk to the Trianons, but be prepared to walk about mile or so. Another option for those who like a little exercise is to rent a bicycle, which gives you a little more freedom to explore. Once you get off the train at the Petit Trianon, continue walking until you reach the Hameau de la Reine, a picturesque farming village that was built to allow Marie Antoinette to “enjoy” the life of a commoner (who doesn’t like milking cows with porcelain milk cans?) . Take a look around the Hameau, then stop and enjoy your picnic lunch (you did pack it, right?).

After you eat lunch, head back to the Petit Trianon, and take a walk through this interesting château that was built by Louis XV for his mistress, Madame de Pompadour.

On to the Grand Trianon

By this time it’s either late morning or early afternoon, and you’ve seen a lot, but there’s a lot more to see. Onward! The train you’re riding runs throughout the day, so hop on the next one (or grab your bike) and get off at the next stop – The Grand Trianon. This smaller palace is also extraordinarily lavish and is still used by many foreign dignataries when visiting France. Now that’s living in style!

Gardens, Gardens, and more Gardens.

The Versailles palace gardens are enormous. If you’ve rented a bike, then take a ride around and check out some of the spectacular fountains and gradens. If you’ve come on a weekend, try to catch the “Grandes Eaux musicales”, fountain show at 3:30 which sets the garden fountains to Baroque music.

Versailles – the City

You might be filling a bit worn out at this point, but if you’re up to it, the city of Versailles has a lot of interesting things to see. Since it’s about supper-time, I’d recommend heading over Les Carrés Saint-Louis, a series of squares surrounded by some beautiful 18th century buildings that are only a short walk away from the Palace. And at this point, the best thing about this square? Restaurants! There are a wide variety of nice restaurants here where you can grab some dinner and take a break from all the walking you’ve been doing.

One Last Thing

If you’ve come on a Saturday, there’s one last thing for you to do this evening. If you can, check out the Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes back at the palace. From 9:00 to 11:20, the Palace puts on an amazing light show that shows off the Palace gardens in a manner that king Louis could only have dreamed of. This show couples the already beautiful garden grounds with lasers, lights, and music.

A Day to Remember

Well, you made it! There’s a lot to see in Versailles, and you didn’t get to see everything, but you made the most of your day. If you check out all of these sites in your day at Versailles, you’re already ahead of most of the 3.45 million visitors that come to Versailles each year.

If you feel a little intimidated getting around to all of these places by yourself, you can always book a packaged tour on our Versailles tours page.

To educate people on these challenges, the Maison de quartier de Porchefontaine is hosting an exhibition called “Versailles en Perspectives” – an exhibition focused on the urban development of Versailles. The exhibition is designed to give visitors a glimpse into the future of Versailles as a city, and helps visitors picture this future through a variety of mediums, including photographs, maps, video, and models.

Urban development in Versailles can present unique challenges, because of the immense amount of historical significance all over the city. In addition, new architecture and development needs to blend in with the aesthetic that visitors know and expect when they visit Versailles.

This exhibition is on display from August 1, 2010 to November 13, 2010 and should be an interesting perspective for those who want to learn about the city of Versailles.

The exhibition was designed and created by two notable French designers, Alexis Tricoire and Jean-Philippe Poirée-Ville who have worked together to create a new take on Baroque gardens.

The exhibition was created as part of France’s Rendez-vous aux Jardins, an annual event sponsored by the Minister of Culture and Communication, designed to help the French public learn about gardens and conservation.

Access to the exhibition is free with the purchase of a ticket to the Trianon Palaces (10 euros) and will be open until September 26th.

Why Would I Want To Camp

So why should you try camping when going to Versailles? There are a variety of reasons you might want to…here are a few.

Price – You can often camp for a fraction of the price that a hotel would cost (if you don’t mind roughing it a bit)
Meeting People – It’s often easier to meet people when camping than at a hotel. Many of the campsites offer a variety of activities to do that campers can do together.
Slower Pace – If you’re camping outside of the hustle and bustle of Versailles or Paris, you can have a slower pace to your trip, making it more relaxing.

Why Wouldn’t I Want to Camp?

No Transportation – If you’re at a campground, then you’ll most likely need your own car to get into town. If you don’t want to rent a car, or just want to use public transportation, then you are most likely out of luck.

Amenities – Although many campgrounds offer full service cabins or have public showers, camping isn’t quite as convenient as a hotel.

Where Can I Camp?

There are a variety of campgrounds in the Versailles region. The closest and probably most popular is Huttopia. Huttopia is a chain of campsites that offers a wide-variety of camping options, from “canadiennes” (a type of permanent tent) to large cabins. They also offer many activities, including canoeing, volleyball, bike-riding, and swimming.

You can find many more campgrounds in the Versailles and Paris areas at this website.

When done well, these photos can look amazing and show all sorts of details that you wouldn’t normally see in a photograph. In this post I’ve found some amazing HDR images from around Versailles.

The Tram In Versailles

Le Hameau de la Reine

Château de Versailles

The Palace Gardens

Château de Versailles

Many of the fountains around the palace grounds will be decorated in lights of all colors turning the gardens into a wonderland. Music, lasers, and fireworks are all part of this unique show. If you are going to be visiting the palace this summer, then be sure to stay late and check out the show!

Tickets are 21€ (17€ for students), or 36€ (25€ student) for tickets to the water show and to a dance show inside the palace.

Make sure you check out our  Versailles tours page to find the palace tour that suits you best!

Like many other cities in the world, the town of Versailles has a website, that is used to keep residents informed of different things going on in the city. Many of these sites are pretty low tech or not very well done, but I was impressed with Versailles’ site.

One feature that I found very interesting was what they called “Versailles TV“. Versailles TV is a collection of videos highlighting all sorts of useful information for residents of Versailles, including famous personalities, child care options, and activities for older people, to name a few. This information is very apt for both new residents and people who have lived in Versailles for a while, but would like to know more about their town.

The painting was completed in 1736 by François Lemoyne and was the finishing touch on the Salon d’Hercule (the Hercules Salon), a room on the first floor that was originally a chapel. The room was given its name because of this painting, which covers the entire ceiling.

According to legend, Hercules was the tenth king of ancient Gaul, and in Roman times, he was even worshiped in Gaul (present-day France), so the depiction of Hercules was often used as an allegory for the French kings (most of whom were not know for their humility). The painting in the Palace of Versailles depicts the deification (or “Apotheosis”) of Hercules upon his death.

The painting contains 142 different characters and was so celebrated that Lemoyne was made First Painter to the King. However, shortly after completing the painting, Lemoyne committed suicide by stabbing himself with a sword.

Would you love to see the Versailles gardens, but can’t make it to Versailles, France? Well now you can visit the gardens virtually on your iPhone! The official Palace of Versailles website has developed an iPhone application that allows you to virtually tour the gardens. The app is very well done with video, audio, and slideshows of various parts of the gardens.

If you are actually at the Palace of Versailles, the application can go one step farther and actually detect where you are via GPS (only with your permission of course) and will load the correct information for you. The application is free until August 1, 2010 and is available in both French and English.

In addition to the official iPhone app, Rick Steve also offers a Versailles tour guide for the iPhone. This app takes some of the information from his tour guides and puts it on the iphone.

If you’re looking for a more personal experience or would prefer to have a guided tour, then check out our Versailles tour page.

Since 1991 (except for two years), the French Open has been held at Le Golf National in Versailles, a world class golf course just nine kilometers south of the Palace of Versailles. Green fees can vary from 25 to 120 euros depending on the time of day, time of year, and the number of holes played.