How to Successfully Visit Palace of Versailles with kids, 2024
Are you planning a Paris trip and debating visiting Palace of Versailles with your younger kids? I understand your dilemma. I was recently in your shoes. My husband and I, with another couple, just braved the palace with five kids under 12. It is entirely worth the trouble!
Versailles is magical, and seeing its grandeur and majesty through your kids’ eyes is priceless. Our kids have previously visited Windsor Castle on another trip, but the Palace of Versailles is on an entirely different level.
I’m excited to guide you through the ups and downs of planning a visit to Versailles with kids. I’ll share our victories and mistakes to help you maximize your time and reduce difficulty for your next family trip.
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Versailles, photo credit: R. Schwartz
General Tips
- Purchase tickets in advance
- Allow for plenty of travel time to the palace
- Bring snacks for the littles, as it can be a long day
- You can purchase audio guides or do a self-guided tour
- Plan time to explore the gardens
- Be patient as lines can be long as well as crowded rooms. Plan on bringing some activities to entertain kids if there’s a long line.
History of the Palace of Versailles
In case you didn’t know, I’m a high school history teacher. My love for history started at a young age, and I deeply appreciate French culture and history. I studied French for years and have visited Versailles three times. I was excited to bring my husband and kids to the magnificent palace.
Before you go, it’s helpful to have a crash course on the palace’s significance and role in French history. Starting in the early 1600s, French kings traveled to the dense forests of Versailles for hunting and eventually built a small hunting lodge as a retreat.
By the mid-1600s, King Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, started to build a palace for the royal family. He moved the French court to Versailles, symbolizing his power and prestige.
In the 1700s, the French King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antionette, called Versailles home. Louis supported the American Revolution and a lavish lifestyle for his family. The Americans’ success inspired many Frenchmen, and eventually, they overthrew the monarchs in a bloody revolution. After the revolution, the royal court never returned to Versailles. In the 1800s, the chateau transformed into a French history and culture museum.
My Best Tips for Visiting Versailles
Front of Versailles, photo credit: R. Schwartz
Due to its size, Paris as a whole can be overwhelming. Adding Versailles to your trip can be even more daunting because it’s more than just a typical Metro stop. Don’t worry—I’ll explain that later. Keep reading. Here’s what I’ve learned to help ease your visit to Versailles.
Tickets
You must purchase a ticket for the palace, and I highly recommend you do so in advance. You will choose a timed ticket and must enter during your assigned time slot. Getting to Versailles takes time and patience, and I would hate for you to arrive and find no tickets available.
There’s much debate on the best time to enter the palace. Some of my family recently visited and suggested late afternoon. Honestly, it was packed, especially inside. We waited for a long time in the queue outside the main entrance of the palace. The staff creates lines for each entry time, and people wait in long lines to enter. We visited in early April for reference.
We knew some acquaintances who visited later in the week in the early morning, and the inside was just as crowded. I will say there’s a major perk to a late afternoon time- the gardens were NOT crowded, and we didn’t have to wait in a long line to buy train tickets back to Paris.
General Tips:
- A general ticket grants entrance to the palace only.
- A passport ticket includes entry to the palace, estate of Trianon, and gardens. It costs a little more, but it’s completely worth it.
- You can purchase additional tickets for the fountain shows. Before you buy a ticket, pay attention to the days it is offered. We almost made this mistake.
- You can purchase tickets through a tour company that allows you to skip the line. It may be worth the cost if you are in a time crunch.
#1 piece of advice if you want to go in the morning: You can purchase a combo ticket that includes breakfast at Ore—Ducasse au château de Versailles and your palace ticket. The perk of this combo is the ability to skip the line! You can enjoy a full day at the palace without the long lines.
Purchase your Breakfast/Palace combo ticket by clicking HERE!
Must-See Sites
You will line up for entry in front of the palace, giving you plenty of opportunities to take pictures of the gate and front entrance. Our tour started in the palace’s interior. Remember, in the 1800s, the palace focused on France’s history, so many rooms have artwork instead of furniture.
Hall of Mirrors
The iconic Hall of Mirrors is the palace’s masterpiece. Louis XIV built the hallway to showcase his wealth and power. Today, influencers flock to the hallway to film videos, but the hall has historical significance beyond King Louis XIV.
In 1919, the Allied powers gathered at the palace to formally end WWI in the infamous Treaty of Versailles signed in the Hall of Mirrors. The treaty laid the groundwork for WWII.
Even if you aren’t a history buff, the hall is magnificent, with mirrors on both walls and beautiful paintings on the ceilings. Warning- this is one of the most popular spots, and expect crowds if you visit on a busy day.
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Visit Versailles with kids
The Gardens of Versailles
If you purchase the passport ticket, entry to the gardens is included in your admission price. Make sure to leave plenty of time to explore the palace grounds. You can always rent a golf cart to help you see more of the magnificent gardens in less time.
Our kids loved the gardens, and we had the best time exploring. You could easily spend hours walking the gardens, so plan to bring snacks or visit one of the snack shops on the property.
Check the schedule and see if the musical fountains show is available. Unfortunately, we visited on a day when it wasn’t offered, but we had hoped to see it.
Tip: The gardens stay open later than the palace. So, if you are short on time, go to the palace first, and then you can explore the gardens with fewer crowds. Keep in mind that all the shops and restaurants close when the palace closes. We didn’t realize this and had some hungry kids. Luckily, I had a few snacks with me!
walking through the gardens, photo credit: R. Schwartz
If you have extra time at the gardens, consider checking out the Estate of Trianon and Petit Trianon, the Queen’s retreat. These were “smaller” retreats away from the French court at Versailles for the royal family to enjoy away from prying eyes.
We love to take our kids on tours of magnificent homes, check out the Biltmore House in Western North Carolina.
Transportation Options for Versailles
Arriving at Versailles is tricky as it’s more than just a normal Metro stop. You need to board a specific train headed to the city. You also want to plan your travel time so you have plenty of time to explore the palace and gardens.
- Private Family Tour—If you prefer a small group setting, consider booking a private tour with a professional guide. There are many great options, and I love this tour geared toward families. Click HERE to book a family private tour of Versailles.
- Tour from Paris—If you prefer an easy transfer to the palace, consider booking a tour with a professional guide and transportation out of Paris. Click HERE to book a full day tour with skip the line entry, a guided tour and train tickets.
- Uber- If you don’t want to mess with an organized tour or trying public transportation, you can catch an Uber to Versailles. One warning- traffic can be terrible in Paris.
- Metro- You can arrive at the palace using public transportation, but it does require specific tickets. There are three routes, but the easiest is to take the RER line C and walk about 10 minutes to the palace. The other routes are SNCF trains from Gare Montparnasse and Gare Saint Lazare, but they have longer walks.
the RER line C to Versailles, photo credit: R. Schwartz
Important Note: You need a specific ticket for the RER line C. We caught the train near the Eiffel Tower and waited 30 minutes to buy tickets. Some tourists find the ticket process confusing and spend excessive time at the ticket counters/machines, so the line takes forever.
Plan extra time to purchase tickets. When we arrived at the station, Versailles Château —Rive Gauche, a large crowd was trying to buy return tickets to Paris.
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Private Family Tour
Guided Tour out of Paris
In Conclusion: How to Successfully Visit Palace of Versailles with kids
I hope my guide on how to visit the Palace of Versailles with kids helps you plan your next great adventure. I know firsthand how exhausting traveling with kids can be, but trust me—the journey to Versailles is worth the time and effort. You will walk away with memories to last a lifetime.
