Palace of Versailles
Answered by the editors

Frequently asked questions.

Twenty-five of the most common questions we receive about visiting the Château de Versailles, grouped by topic and answered directly first — details below.

Planning & tickets

Do I need to book Versailles tickets in advance?
Yes — all visitors must reserve a timed 30-minute entry slot on the official chateauversailles.fr website, even holders of free-entry categories or the Paris Museum Pass. Same-day slots often sell out between April and October.
How much does a Versailles ticket cost?
The Palace-only adult ticket is €21 (approximately £18). The Passport, which includes the Palace, the Trianon Estate and the Gardens on a fountains day, is €32 (approximately £27). Children under 18 and EU residents under 26 enter free with a booked slot.
Is Versailles included in the Paris Museum Pass?
Yes. The 2-, 4- and 6-day Paris Museum Pass covers entry to the Palace and the Trianon Estate but excludes the Gardens on Musical Fountains days. A free timed-entry reservation must still be made online.
When is Versailles free to visit?
The Palace is free on the first Sunday of each month between November and March. Entry is free year-round for under-18s, EU residents 18–25, teachers with a Pass Éducation card, disabled visitors and one companion, and accredited journalists.
Can I get a refund on a Versailles ticket?
Official tickets purchased through chateauversailles.fr are non-refundable but can be exchanged for another date up to 24 hours before the booked slot, via the confirmation email link.

Getting there

How do I get to Versailles from Paris?
The RER C suburban rail line runs directly to Versailles Château Rive Gauche station, a 10-minute walk from the Palace. Journey time is 35–45 minutes from central Paris; the fare is €4.50 zone 1–4.
Which RER station in Paris goes to Versailles?
Board the RER C at any of: Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel, Musée d'Orsay, Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame, Invalides, Pont de l'Alma or Javel. Look for a train whose destination reads 'Versailles Château Rive Gauche'.
Can I drive to Versailles?
Yes. The Place d'Armes car park directly opposite the Palace has 950 spaces at €4.50 per hour or €26 per day. From central Paris the drive is 30–45 minutes via the A13 motorway.
Are there hotels in Versailles?
Yes — the town of Versailles has around 30 hotels ranging from budget chains near the station (from £65 per night) to the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace on the grounds of the estate (from £380). Staying in Versailles allows early access before the day-trippers from Paris arrive.

Inside the Palace

What is the most famous room at Versailles?
The Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces), built between 1678 and 1684 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Its 357 mirrored panels face 17 arched windows and it was the setting for the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
How many rooms does the Palace have?
Approximately 2,300 rooms across 63,154 m² of floor space. About 1,000 are open to visitors in some capacity.
How long does it take to see the Palace?
Allow 90 minutes to 2 hours for the main State Apartments circuit. A full visit including the Queen's Apartments and Battle Gallery takes 2.5–3 hours. Adding the Gardens and Trianon Estate makes it a full-day visit.
Can I see the King's Private Apartments?
Only on a paid guided tour (€10 on top of your Palace ticket). Tours run daily in English and last 90 minutes; book at least 48 hours in advance.
Is photography allowed inside Versailles?
Non-flash photography for personal use is permitted throughout the Palace and gardens. Flash, tripods, monopods, drones and selfie sticks are prohibited inside the buildings.

Gardens & Trianon

Are the gardens of Versailles free?
Yes, most days. Entry is charged (€12) only on Musical Fountains Show and Musical Gardens days — Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between April and October.
How big are the gardens?
The formal gardens by Le Nôtre cover 800 hectares. The complete UNESCO-listed domain including the Trianon Estate is 1,070 hectares. The central axis from the Palace to the end of the Grand Canal measures 3 kilometres.
What is the Queen's Hamlet?
The Hameau de la Reine is a rustic model village of twelve cottages, a working farm and a dairy that Marie-Antoinette commissioned in 1783 as a retreat from court. It is located behind the Petit Trianon and is included in the Passport ticket.
How do I get around the estate?
Free walking is straightforward from Palace to Gardens. A paid petit train (€8.50 round-trip) runs from behind the Palace to the Grand Trianon and Hamlet, or you can rent electric golf carts (€38 per hour) or bicycles (€8 per hour) at the Grand Canal.

Accessibility & practicalities

Is Versailles accessible for wheelchair users?
Yes. Entrance H provides step-free access, wheelchairs are loaned free of charge, and approximately 80% of the Palace interior is accessible via discreet lifts. The Gardens are partly accessible on upper terraces.
Where can I eat inside Versailles?
The Angelina tea room (branches at the Pavillon d'Orléans and the Petit Trianon) serves pastries from around €10. La Petite Venise brasserie by the Grand Canal offers a two-course lunch for approximately €35. The Michelin-starred Ore by Alain Ducasse is inside the Palace.
Can I bring food into Versailles?
You may bring food to eat in the Gardens. Eating is not permitted inside the Palace or the Trianon Estate buildings. Water bottles are allowed everywhere.
Where is the cloakroom?
A free cloakroom is located in the main courtyard, opposite the entrance. Bags larger than 55 × 35 × 25 cm must be checked in.
Are there toilets inside the Palace?
Yes — but only two facilities are located inside the visitor circuit, near the Chapel and near the Battle Gallery. Additional accessible toilets are in the main courtyard, at La Petite Venise and at the Trianon Estate.

History & context

Who built the Palace of Versailles?
Originally built as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII in 1623–1634. Transformed into a royal palace by Louis XIV with architects Louis Le Vau (1661), Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1678) and landscape designer André Le Nôtre.
Why did Louis XIV move the court to Versailles?
On 6 May 1682, to remove the nobility from Paris — where the Fronde uprisings had threatened his rule as a child — and centralise power under his personal supervision through daily court ritual.
When did Versailles stop being a royal residence?
6 October 1789, when a crowd of Parisian women marched on the Palace during the French Revolution and forced the royal family to return to Paris. The court never returned.

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