A day at Versailles!

Exploring the grand Versailles:

If you are visiting Paris sometime in the near future, and are putting your itinerary together, make sure to definitely have Versailles as one of your places to check out. You simply cannot visit Paris and not stop by Versailles. Although it is not located within the Paris parameters, it was once the centre of France back in the 1600’s - the days of King Louis XIV!

If you want to learn more about the history of the palace and what it was used for, and why it no longer serves as the main residence of the French court and government, visit this incredible estate and you will learn so much! In order to get more out of your trip, it would also be quite useful to have some insight into the history of one of the most opulent places in the world prior to going. My husband and I visited back in November and we had a lovely trip, which I want to share with you!

How to get to Versailles from Paris?

Getting to Versailles is actually not that bad. There is an RER train that commutes every 15 minutes (give or take a few). From the centre of Paris, it is roughly a direct 40-minute ride on the RER C. This time estimation is if you were to depart from the Notre Dame Cathedral. If you want to make your life much easier, download the SNCF application from the APP store! I cannot express how useful and important this application is when getting around Paris. You enter your current location and your destination (Versailles), and you will be given several itineraries based on different preferences such as the least walking route and the fastest route.

The RER is the cheapest option and it will cost you about 7 euros round trip. The ticket can be used for the metro as well, as long as you do not leave the station. And keep in mind, you need to have the ticket on you at all times until you reach your destination otherwise you’ve got a hefty fine in your hands. Also, make sure to board the correct RER C train because there are two RER C trains heading in two opposite directions. You want to board the train heading towards Versailles Château. Once you arrive at the Versailles station, make sure to exit out of the correct Sortie and from there, it is about a 15- minute walk to the palace and gardens.

How much is the entrance fee? Are there days when you can enter free of charge?

The grand Versailles palace is enveloped by towering gold gates. The estate is HUGE and according to the Versailles website, it is a massive 250 acres. How insane is that?! The entrance lines are usually quite long but definitely doable. Usually, you are looking at a 1-2 hour wait. If you want to avoid standing in line for too long, make sure to arrive early. All in all, if you want to have a productive day at the palace and gardens, I would advise you to arrive early in the morning so you can devote a whole day to exploring the estates.

Here is a photo to give you an idea of what the lines looked like when we visited. It was an open- museum day when we went so that can explain the extra-long lines but I am quite confident these lines are no different during the high-tourist seasons so, make sure to plan your trip accordingly!

As for the tickets, you can purchase them in person or online. Here is the link to the website to purchase your tickets and you will be given various options.

If you want to skip the line, there is a package for you. There are also various special packages for other circumstances. Just check it out. Keep in mind if you are planning to purchase your tickets online, you need to book them in advance to make sure tickets are available on the day you want to visit.

And most importantly, since many of us are students and are living on student budgets, we appreciate things that are discounted and if we are lucky, free of charge! I am here to give you some great, exciting news! There are days when the entrance to the palace museum and gardens are free! And that also usually applies to all the other museums in Paris and the Paris region so if you are an avid museum goer, I would definitely advise you to plan your trip to Paris around these days. I mean you would be saving some moolah, and wouldn’t you just love to use that money on something else, perhaps a glass of wine? Actually, make that a few glasses of wine because museums in the city of light can be quite costly!

On the first Sunday of every month from November to March, admission to the Versailles palace is free. There is also free admission and reduced rates if you fall into certain categories, for example, if you are a teacher at a French school or if you are 18 years old and a resident of an EU country, you get to be admitted in for free. Anyways, if you would like to find out whether you qualify or not for free admittance then check out the link above for more information!

An important thing to mention, when my husband and I visited Versailles, we made sure to get an audio guide. I have to say there is no point in walking through the palace without any sort of guide. There is a lot of information you will be missing out on if you just roam around; you will just feel lost and clueless! There is so much to gain and learn from, and plus the audio guide is free for all visitors so you have nothing to lose by getting one! Add a map and you are set for your adventure!

When it comes to the gardens, they are outright humongous. And by no means, am I exaggerating. You will need a map to get around the gardens as well, that is how big it is. So be prepared to walk a lot if you plan on exploring the gardens. Oh, and they are gorgeous! And if you want to visit the Grand and Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet, you will need to walk through the gardens to get there. If you are not much of a walker, there is also a mini train to take you from one estate to another for a small charge.

In the spring and summertime, I have heard there is a lovely fountain show in the gardens of Versailles. I have yet to witness one for myself but I have seen pictures and videos online and they look superb! They are not included in your entrance package so prepare to pay extra if you want to view these delightful fountain shows!

What can you see at the palace of Versailles?

• The palace;
• gardens;
• estates;
• hamlet...

There is so much to see! When we went, it was rather crowded, both inside and outside. Because there is a lot to see and retain, I will give you a short list of some of the things you should definitely check off from your list when you are at Versailles. If I am honest, I did not know much about the palace before going. So naturally, when I visited, I learned so much! I was especially excited to experience the lavish lifestyle of the extravagant Sun King in the 17th century, and of the queen Marie Antoinette, in the 18th century. Each room is remarkable and fancy. It was so cool to get insight into the lives of how the French kings and queens functioned and lived at the time. To give you an idea of how colossal the palace is, there are 2300 rooms! Some of my favourites are:

• The Royal Chapel with its breath-taking painted arched ceiling;



• The Hall of Mirrors with its magnificent hanging chandeliers and countless high mirrors + the husb posing;



• The Venus room named after the Ancient Greek Goddess of love;



• The Apollo room's deep colors are brilliant, and there is an epic painting of the Sun King hanging over the fireplace;



• And the Hall of Sculptures where some of France's most famous historical figures are mounted on stone such as Descartes, Napoleon Bonaparte, and King Louis XIV himself. For those of you who are not familiar with these important French men : Descartes was a famous philosopher who once said the famous line "I think, therefore I am", and Napoleon was an emperor of France.

What to see besides the Versailles palace? Are there other properties on the estate?

Once you are finished exploring the grand palace, it is now time to make your way to the other properties of the estate, which are the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. These places served as a retreat for the Royals when they tired from the exhausting labouring life of the French court and government. Fortunately, this part of the estate is not too crowded because as I mentioned above, it is quite the walk to get to this part of the property and not everyone is willing to take that hike. Also, Marie Antoinette's estate is not included in the ticket price so many are not willing to pay the extra charge.

Here is a shot I took from the Grand Trianon. The pink marble is stunning and it is quite the view! I was lucky enough to capture this shot as the sun was setting. It was pretty cool to get an insight into the lives they had when they were not working and outside of the court.

The chandeliers in this room of the Grand Trianon are quite magnificent and it is amazing how the blue hue of the drapes and chairs in the room has been able to be preserved.

Unfortunately, I do not have any photos from Marie Antoinette's Hamlet because we arrived just before the property's entrance gate was closed. Even though we arrived 10-15 minutes before the official closing time, they had closed the gates early. So, if you really want to experience the lavish lifestyle of the remarkable Queen of France, then I would suggest heading there approximately an hour before closing time. The pictures I have seen of this part of the Versailles setting are incredible and it is something I definitely want to go back and see. If I do, I will undoubtedly take photos and share on this blog!

We were absolutely disappointed for not being able to enter the Hamlet however, we were immediately put in good spirits when we stumbled upon a lovely sheep farm, which is right outside of the Petit Trianon, near the Queen's Hamlet. I love animals especially farm animals so as you can imagine, I was stoked! Oh my goodness, they were so fluffy! And, I am pretty sure petting them was not permissible but I couldn't deny myself this simple pleasure. I mean, look at them! How can you just walk away?!

Miscellaneous: Are there cafes? Bathrooms? Lockers?

There are a few cafes scattered out in the gardens. I am not completely sure what is included on the menu and how the pricing is as we brought our own food, but I am sure it is not the most affordable, being a touristy place and all! There is also an Angelina's restaurant inside the palace. Or, you can bring your own food and enjoy a lovely outdoor meal! The gardens are gorgeous and would serve as great picnic spots. Just make sure to check the weather forecast beforehand.

There are bathroom facilities available at Versailles however, they are in limited locations and usually rather packed. Thankfully, for those traveling heavy, the palace offers lockers where you can store your goods and not worry about carrying a million things! Keep in mind there is an intense security check at the entrance so avoid huge backpacks and suitcases.

As I have mentioned numerous times, the Versailles estate is enormous! And that means lots and lots of walking. So make sure to wear appropriate walking shoes if you do not want to kill your feet. For those who want to avoid walking and save time on footslogging, do not forget to grab some cash to pay for the mini trains that commute to-and-fro in the estate.

All in all, a trip to the incredible and historical Versailles is a must when visiting Paris. You will not forget your experience to the flamboyant and crazy sumptuous Parisian landmark of Louis the great Sun King.

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