Palace of Versailles

Wow this is such a magical place! Definitely worth the visit. It is just 40-45 mins from Paris by public transport. We visited in December so it wasn’t that crowded, however the gardens weren’t in bloom😢 so if you are going for the gardens I would suggest spring or summer. Aside from that we spent 6 hours exploring the chateau!

What an amazing place. So ornate, so much gold. We had tickets for the first entry of the morning, still busy, but no coach tours until later in the morning. Make sure you buy tickets for the tour of the King’s private apartments. A very informative tour by guides who tell you all about the things that went on behind closed doors. Everywhere is so ornate and opulent.

Such a magnificent palace. One of the must dos when you are in Paris. It is very easy to get there where you just need to get on the Metro. The most memorable room is definitely the room full of golden decorations. It’s so grand. When you get tickets online, there are tickets for specifically the entry of the palace and you need to select a time. Our entrance time was 1530 and we thought we would have plenty of time to look around. But it was so big and there were so many people, we basically just skimmed through half of it and we were just being pushed by the current of people. Time just pass by in a blink of an eye and the employees were closing the door to different exhibit rooms. Better choose a earlier ticket if you would like to spend some more time there. It is so big that it takes some time for you for walk through the whole thing. Also be sure to book your ticket ahead to ensure you get them during peak travel periods.

Very beautiful palace but so incredibly crowded. While there is no way to avoid this, it was a stand out factor. I would get a morning ticket to try to get around this. The train station is very easy to navigate, but then again most of them are. The wait to get into the palace was 45 minutes plus and we go there on time for our ticket reservation. That being said there is much to look at even in the heat. There was a stretch of bedrooms leading to the war room and hall of mirrors that took 25 minutes to get through because it was so packed. The sheer amount of people makes the experience a little more difficult yet I would still recommend it for the perspective, history, and beautiful architecture. There are places to eat in the gardens, expensive but good and there was a fountain show as well. Much to see and do, took a whole day and I enjoyed it. Maybe plan it earlier in the trip so that you have energy to walk around, my friends and I did it on the last day and were thoroughly exhausted throughout. Still an enjoyable day, no doubt about it.

Visiting the Palace of Versailles was one of the highlights of my trip to France. It completely lived up to the hype. The palace itself is absolutely breathtaking, with stunning architecture, beautifully decorated rooms, and incredible attention to detail everywhere you look. Walking through the Hall of Mirrors and seeing the lavish interiors really gives you an appreciation for the history, the monarchy, and the scale of what life was like during that time. The gardens are just as impressive as the palace. They seem to go on forever, and every path leads to another beautiful fountain, sculpture, or perfectly manicured landscape. It's easy to spend an entire day exploring the grounds. One thing I highly recommend is booking a guided tour. Learning the stories behind the rooms, the kings and queens, and the events that took place there made the experience so much more meaningful. Without the historical context, you're simply looking at beautiful rooms, but with a knowledgeable guide, the palace truly comes alive. There are so many fascinating details that I would have completely missed on my own. Be prepared for crowds, especially during the busy season, but don't let that discourage you. Arriving early and wearing comfortable walking shoes will make your visit much more enjoyable because there is a lot of walking both inside the palace and throughout the gardens. If you're visiting Paris, Versailles is absolutely worth the trip. Whether you're interested in history, architecture, art, or simply beautiful places, there's something here for everyone. I left with a much greater appreciation for French history and would gladly visit again. It's an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to anyone traveling to France.