The Palace of Versailles is an extremely gorgeous and historic castle! Check out everything this beautiful Parisian palace has to offer!
Seeing the Palace of Versailles
Early on a beautiful, sunny, Thursday morning in April, after watching the sunrise at the Eiffel tower, Kevin and I hopped on a train to the stunning, awe-inspiring Palace of Versailles, just outside of Paris.
Background of Versailles & The Palace
Versailles is best known for the massive royal palace and expansive gardens built by King Louis XIV. It was home for three generations of French kings and queens from 1682 until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. Each one added improvements to make it more and more lavish and beautiful. As a result, the Palace of Versailles is considered one of the most beautiful achievements of 18th-century French art. Versailles itself is now one of the wealthiest cities near Paris.
This painting depicts an overhead view of the palace and gardens.
We got there early and explored the lavish royal palace before it got too crowded.
This is the two-story Royal Chapel designed after the Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel) in Paris.
The Hall of Mirrors, or The Grande Galerie as it was called in the 17th century, was commissioned by Louis XIV as a passageway and waiting area where the king could put on his most ostentatious display of royal power in order to impress visitors.
The Palace of Versailles has been the scene for several historic events. The Treaty of Versailles, which officially brought the First World War to an end, was signed here in the Hall of Mirrors on June 28, 1919.
One of the royal bedrooms.
This was The King’s Bedroom, created by Louis XIV in 1701, and was where he lived until his death in 1715. Here they actually had royal “rising” and “going to sleep” ceremonies.
And here is the Queen’s Bedchamber, where the queens of France spent most of their time.
When the palace was invaded by rioters demanding bread at the beginning of the French revolution, Marie-Antoinette escaped through the little door to the left of the bed, which lead into a corridor and on to the Queen’s other apartments, a dozen small rooms for her and her servants.
The massive piece next to the door is the Queen’s Jewel Box.
A sofa from the Countess of Provence.
Now from here on out, I really don’t know what all the rooms are, but it was incredible to see all the extravagance.
And the serious bling (aka gold).
We spent the morning exploring the palace, and the cloudless afternoon walking the gardens of the estate. Photos from the gardens to come next. :)
We easily spent all day there. I was glad we got there early, because the palace got super crowded as the day went on. By that time, we had moved onto the gardens, which are so large there are any number of spots you can explore without crowds of people around you.
How cute is this little bed??
Seriously just massive halls and paintings and chandeliers everywhere.
Next up: The Gardens of Versailles!
How to Take the Train to Versailles from Paris
- Be sure to buy your ticket to Versailles in advance, as they do sell out.We got the passport so we could explore the palace, gardens, and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate.
- Catch the RER-C train by 8:00am to arrive early at Versailles (before it opens at 9:00) and tour the palace’s interior. Trains run about every 15 minutes, and the ride is about 30 minutes.
- There’s a 50/50 chance the attendant at the metro ticket window will speak English, but if not, they’ll understand “Chateau Versailles” [Shah-Tow Ver-Sigh] and “Aller Rétour” [Alleh-Ray-Tour] which means and return ticket. Be sure to have cash on hand to cover the cost of the ticket just in case your card doesn’t work. Our tickets were around 6 euro each, round trip (April 2014).
- Here are the RER-C stations in Paris with direct routes to Versailles: Invalides, Gare d’Austerlitz, Musee D’orsay, Notre Dame, Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel, and Pont de l’Alma.
- Follow signs to the platform for the train going to Versailles Rive Gauche. Versailles will be the last stop, and everyone will be getting off.
More Posts From our European Adventure
What to See in Scotland
Scotland Day 1 & 2 — Inverness, Loch Ness, Skye, and Talisker Bay
Scotland Day 3 — Skye, Fairy Pools, The Highlands, and Oban
Scotland Day 4 — Islands of Scotland: Mull, Iona, and the Cave of Melodies
Scotland Day 5 — Fa’side Castle, Edinburgh
Scotland Day 6 – Edinburgh & Castle Driving the Coast of Scotland
Everything I Ate In Scotland — Restaurant Guide for Scotland
Our Experience in London
London Day 1 — Notting Hill, Seven Dials, and The London Eye
London Day 2 — Tower of London, Borough Market, and Big Ben
London Day 3 — Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Fortnum and Mason
London Day 4 — Bakery Hopping, Harrods Food Hall, and the London Tower Bridge
London Day 4 — Sunset at The View from The Shard
Where We Stayed In London — Hotel Indigo Tower Hill
Everything I Ate In London — Restaurant Guide for London
Exploring Paris
Paris Day 1 — Sunset at the Eiffel Tower
Paris Day 2 — A Walk Through Montmartre
Paris Day 3 — Palace of Versailles
Paris Day 3 — Garden of Versailles
Paris Day 4 — Sightseeing & Landmarks
Paris Day 5 — Hidden Paris (Self Guided Photography / Walking Tour)
Everything I Ate In Paris — Restaurant Guide for Paris
Where We Stayed In Paris — Incredible View of the Eiffel Tower
Thanks so much for looking!!
Gorgeous photos! Such a beautiful estate. I recommend renting a bike to explore the grounds. You get see so much more that way.
I wanted to just thank you for all the information you have put together for sharing. I am planning our mini Euro trip in June/July this year and I will have only 3 full days in Paris so I will try to do my best to see as much as possible. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions.
We took a bike tour of Versailles and it was a really fun way to get off of our tired feet, and see a lot of the grounds and gardens of the palace. We used Blue Bike Tours and they were great. Teenagers really liked the change of pace too.
Did you have a tour guide? I have been before and used their audio tours but I don’t remember them being as informative as you! Or did you use another sort of audio guide? And, your pictures are gorgeous. I’m amazed of how little people are in your photos! Good tip to go early! Thank you!
Haha! Thank you Alyssa! :) There were little signs with descriptions in every room, so every time I took a picture of a room, I also took a picture of the sign, so that way I could read about it more in depth once I got home and was looking at all my photos. :)
That is so smart! Thank you for your response. I’ll keep that in mind for the future.
These photos are stunning…there is so much happening in every single one! I could stare at them for days!
I really hope to visit here in the future. It just looks amazing! What a fantastic trip for you! I love all of it especially MA’s jewel box. ♥
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Hi Amanda! I came across your blog while doing some research for a trip to London/Paris coming up at the end of August. Thanks so much for your tips and reviews of restaurants and sites!
Gorgeous photos! Thanks for all the great tips – I can’t wait to go myself someday!
I am soooooo curious – how did you get so many great photos without any other people in them?!?
Thank you Cyndee! :) We got there early before it got too crowded, creative angles, and a lot of the rooms were roped off so you could just look in. :) But getting there early was definitely an advantage! :)
Ha! That’s exactly what I was going to ask.
These photo posts are bringing back so many memories of my backpacking days in my early twenties. I spent the day at Versailles and was floored by the opulence of the palace and the grounds. Your photos are gorgeous, Amanda!
Hi Amanda. Wow … Looking at all your pics makes me feel like I’m there! Now I’m really excited about my trip on the 20th. I’ve introduced two of our traveling companions to your blog and now they’ve mapped out a plan for us;). Thanks for all the tips and info. One gal is getting the phone service you suggested and the rest of us have downloaded google maps and will rely on free wifi at our hotel. I’ve also printed out your map of London for us to follow! Great job!!!
Many thanks again … A happy, loyal follower;-D
Wow, the pictures are so beautiful. I hope to make it to Versailles one day!
As a former high school art teacher, I began taking my (selected) students to Europe almost every summer (since 2000)! Paris was one of the most requested destinations, so I have visited that area close to a dozen times! It has got to be one of my favorite cities to visit and what would a visit be without Versailles?? If you all have a chance to get there, try to time it when the garden fountains are turned on. They do not run the fountains every day and it is a disappointment when they are not on because they are the ‘frosting on the cake’ so to speak! Also, rent a bike and take a leisurely bike ride around this huge property! We did that on one visit after we had toured the palace. It was so relaxing and enjoyable!! Also, Marie Antoinette’s separate ‘village’ can be closed on some days too, so obviously a lot of pre-planning on your part will make for a much more enjoyable day!
So much history! What an amazing opportunity to explore it!
Beautiful! Can not wait to see your pictures of the gardens. Versailles is so amazing!
I was in Paris in the late 70s as a young teen. The Palace of Versailles was my favorite tour, and is so beautiful. One thing your pictures don’t show is the size of the royal beds. I was amazed that the royals were so small of stature to fit on such small beds. Even I, with being just over 5 ft at the time, thought my feet would hang off the edge.
That is quite opulent! It almost looks like you guys had the whole place to yourselves!