Paris – a visit to Louis XV

A visit to Versailles has been at the top of my to-do list for quite some time. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time during my last visit to Paris. For this reason, I have planned Versailles this time. To get from Paris to Versailles, we chose the metro and bus option (by metro to Pont de Sèvres and then by bus 171 to Château Versailles). From the city center this takes about 45-60 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the RER, line C1, to the Versailles Rive Gauche stop.

When we arrived there at about 11 a.m. (weekday: Friday), a considerable queue had already formed. The queue didn’t last as long as expected. On a positive note, free WiFi is provided in the waiting area in front of the castle – thumbs up! In principle, it is recommended to arrive as early as possible. But we didn’t want to miss out on sleeping in :-).

We bought tickets for 18 euros each, which include access to the main castle, the Trianon, Marie-Antoinette’s estate and the gardens. First, we made our way through the main castle. Basically, there would still be audio guides to take with you, but since there were a lot of people, we did without them and strolled leisurely through the many royal apartments.

Afterwards we explored the huge park, which really impressed me. The garden was largely designed by the famous landscape architect André le Nôtre. If you like this kind of garden, I recommend visiting the Château de Vaux le Vicomte in Maincy (close to Paris), as it is the first work of André le Nôtre. We explored the entire garden on foot, which is really like a hike in terms of distances. You could also rent bicycles or ride a kind of electric train through the park.

We enjoyed the very French lunch (Croque monsieur & Tartare) in the restaurant Flottille at the Grand Canal. The prices and portions were okay and so we were able to make our way to Trianon.

Personally, I also really liked the gardens around the Trianon and Marie-Antoinette’s estate. The highlight was getting to know a very social fish! Overall, it was worth buying a ticket for all the attractions. I recommend all those interested in Versailles to plan a day, because a visit to the huge complex is hardly feasible in half a day. Very good detailed information can be found on the official Versailles homepage.