Versailles Travelers Recommend

Your time in France is not complete without a visit to the world-renowned Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles), located just 15 miles (25 km) southwest of Paris. This impressive estate, built by Louis XIV as a symbol of absolute monarchy, boasts extravagant facades, elaborate furnishings and the magnificent 2,000-acre (800-hectare) Gardens of Versailles (Jardins de Versailles). You have two options for getting to Versailles. Take a day trip to Versailles from Paris, or, if you’re already staying in Versailles, meet your guide and head straight to the palace and gardens. Make sure you book the right tour by choosing your correct departure location. If you’re staying in Paris, escape the busy city and enjoy a relaxing trip to Versailles. Take a half-day or full-day trip to take advantage of all that Versailles has to offer. The Versailles Small-Group Day Trip from Paris offers convenient round-trip car transportation.

The best way to truly appreciate the history and detail of Versailles is to put yourself in the hands of the expert. Join a guided tour, where a guide-interpreter will bring back to life the history of the Palace of Versailles. You'll discover the Great Royal Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen's Apartments. See where the inspiration for those famous Impressionist paintings originated from in a trip to nearby Giverny, Claude Monet's home from 1883 to 1926. (This is also an ideal day trip from Paris if you're there.) It was here that he painted his famous Nympheas water lily sequence. For your last day, feel truly French by taking to your bike, cycling through the greenery of Versailles and stopping for a picnic. Sounds like heaven, right? Together with a guide, you'll get to see highlights of Versailles that most visitors miss, including Marie Antoinette's country-style Hameau, the Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon.