July in Versailles

I’ve decided to do things a little different this month, and focus entirely on one specific place: Versailles.

It’s not only one of the most historically significant and influential palaces I’ve visited, it’s also one of the biggest. With so many buildings to visit, I figured I would give over the entire month to a place that it would take roughly the exact same amount of time to explore.

Seriously, this place is monstrously big.

There are full and half day tours available for Versailles but honestly neither will give you the full on experience, so here’s what I recommend.

If you’re making the effort to go to the literal symbol of the bourgeoisie, make it a bourgeoisie day. Take the full day, pick-up and drop-off guided tour with lunch and a skip the line pass. It will be worth every penny you spend. Aunt River and I took that tour and I can honestly say we wouldn’t have gotten through Versailles without it.

I’m all for public transportation, it makes getting around in European cities so much easier, but in this case it would have taken us way too long to get to our hotel in Montmartre to Versailles. The tour bus we took was much more relaxed and infinitely more informative. It also afforded us the chance to have a coffee and a bathroom break before we truly headed off.

Now, for the most bourgeoisie thing we did in that entire trip, we purchased the skip-the-line package for Versailles. Aunt River and I got there pretty early in the morning, but already there was a giant queue waiting. There was even a queue of people who had bought the skip-the-line package like we had. We waited for about fifteen minutes, but it was much better than waiting for what would have been hours. Versailles is a popular spot!

When we got in it was already packed; so much so that it was difficult to keep up with the tour guide and hear everything they were saying.

Covid might change both of these situations, but Versailles starts instituting timed entry, keep in mind that the lines are long, and that there is no shelter. You will be waiting outside for hours, rain or shine.

Inside Versailles you’ll see the elegance and splendor that inspired the rest of Europe. The grand entrance, the gold gilding, Italian marble, and intricate murals, there is so much to see and learn. Don’t worry, you can’t miss the Hall of Mirrors, you need to go through it to get to what is known as the King and Queen’s private chambers.

You’ll be told all about the three King Louis (Louii?) who used Versailles in the state you can see it in today. There’s a simple rule to remember them. Louis the 14th, the Sun King, built the palace. Louis the 15th lived in it, and Louis the 16th and his bride, Maria Antonia (colloquially Marie Antoinette), paid for it.

Just before lunch you’ll have some time to wander around the gardens and see the famous fountains. Aunt River and I spent our time exploring and trying to figure out which deities were depicted in the many statues both in the gardens and in the fountains themselves.

After lunch you’ll be taken around the rest of the grounds, to the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon, and the little mock village that lays between the Petit Trianon and the main palace. I’ll be covering those in the next few articles, so don’t worry, there’s plenty more to see!

Once the day is done you will be given just a little bit of free time before your bus takes you back to wherever you caught it. Use it wisely!

Next week I’ll be posting about the next part of the Versailles adventure, the Grand Trianon, France’s hosting house for kings and presidents!