Paris is known for its dozen palaces and hundreds of historical buildings.
However, the most fascinating royal residence stands about 14 mi (22.5 km) outside the French capital.
We’re talking about the opulent Versailles Palace. The French Baroque masterpiece and former royal residence will enchant you with its majestic grandeur, mythological scenes, marble decorations, and magnificent parks.
In this guide, you’ll discover how to organize your day trip from Paris to Versailles in the best way possible.
You’ll learn how to travel to the palace, what treasures to explore there, and where to find the best culinary temptations.
Ready to explore?
Let’s dive into the lavishness of Versailles!
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How to Get from Paris to Versailles by Train
The easiest way to travel from Paris to Versailles on a day trip is by train. It’s the best way to get from the French capital to the former royal palace in terms of ease of navigation, travel time, and cost.
Several options to get to Versailles from Paris exist. Pick the best for you depending on where you’re staying in the French capital.
Trains to Versailles from Austerlitz Station with Several Stops Along the Seine
The RER C train offers the best route for a day trip from Paris to Versailles.
The train from the Austerlitz Station follows the River Seine. You can hop on at any of the seven stations within the city limits. Here are your options:
- Gare d’Austerlitz
- Saint-Michel Notre-Dame
- Musée d’Orsay
- Invalides
- Pont de l’Alma
- Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel
- Javel
The train ride from Gare d’Austerlitz is approximately 40 minutes long, and a bit shorter if you catch the train at another Parisian station.
You have to get off at the 15th stop. Your destination is Gare de Versailles Château Rive Gauche. From there, you’ll need about 15 minutes to walk to the gates of Versailles Palace.
This makes the overall travel time from Paris to Versailles 1 hour max. The single ticket costs €3.65 ($4.12), while the reduced fare is €1.80 ($2.06). You can purchase it at the ticket offices or from the ticket machines in the train and metro stations.
Trains to Versailles from Saint-Lazare in the 8th Arrondissement
The TER L train from Gare Saint-Lazare has 11 stops along the way and takes about 35 minutes to arrive at Versailles Rive Droite. From the station, you’ll have to either walk around 20 minutes or hop on Bus 4 for three stops.
You can catch the train from one of these stations in Paris:
- Saint-Lazare
- Pont Cardinet
- Clichy – Levallois
- Asnières-sur-Seine
- La Défense
Your overall travel time from Paris to Versailles using this option will be approximately one hour.
You can buy your train tickets from the sales office at the station or from the self-service machines. The full fare costs €4.45 ($5.00) and the reduced – €2.23 ($2.50).
Trains to Versailles from Montparnasse in the 14th Arrondissement
The TER L train from Gare Montparnasse has the shortest route from Paris to Versailles. It stops only eight times along the way and takes about 25 minutes to arrive at Versailles Chantiers.
Versailles Palace is a 20-minute walk away from the train station.
This train doesn’t stop within the city limits, so Montparnasse Station is the only chance to catch it in Paris.
If you decide to pick this option to travel to Versailles, your trip duration will be around 45 minutes.
You can buy train tickets from the sales office at the station or from the ticket machines. The price is €3.65 ($4.12) for the full fare and €1.80 ($2.06) for the reduced one.
How to Get from Paris to Versailles by Bus
Bus 171 connects Paris with Versailles.
The starting bus stop is Pont de Sèvre on the outskirts of Paris. You can reach it by Metro Line 9 from other parts of the city.
The bus takes approximately 30 minutes and 24 stops to get to the Palace of Versailles. It runs every 8 minutes.
The single ticket costs €1.90 ($2.15) if you purchase it before getting on board. You’ll pay €2.00 ($2.25) if you buy your ticket from the driver.
Note: You can also find companies, which run direct buses between Paris and Versailles. We don’t recommend them as they’re much more expensive and only operate twice a day in each direction. This doesn’t give you enough flexibility, plus you’ll visit the palace during the busiest hours.
Below, you can find all the information you need about the train and bus routes from Paris to Versailles:
| Name | Start Station | End Station | Stops | Ride | Walk | Price |
| Train RER C | Austerlitz | Versailles Château Rive Gauche | Saint-Michel Notre-Dame Musée d’Orsay Invalides Pont de l’Alma Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel Javel Pont du Garigliano – Hôpital Européen G. Pompidou Issy Val de Seine Issy Meudon Val Fleury Chaville – Vélizy Viroflay Rive Gauche Porchefontaine | 40 min | 15 min | $4.12 |
| Train TER L | Saint-Lazare | Versailles Rive Droite | Pont Cardinet Clichy – Levallois Asnières-sur-Seine La Défense Suresnes Mont Valérien Saint-Cloud Sèvres – Ville-d’Avray Chaville Rive Droite Viroflay Rive Droite Montreuil | 35 min | 20 min | $5.00 |
| Train TER N | Montparnasse | Versailles Chantiers | Vanves – Malakoff Clamart Meudon Bellevue Sèvres Rive Gauche Chaville Rive Gauche Viroflay Rive Gauche | 25 min | 20 min | $4.12 |
| Bus 171 | Pont de Sèvres | Château, Versailles | Musée de Sèvres Parc de Saint-Cloud Sèvres Rive Gauche / Mairie Marché Saint-Romain Place Gabriel Péri Hôpital Jean Rostand Marivel Guilleminot Atrium Cours Général de Gaulle Mairie Puits Sans Vin Pointe de Chaville Les Fleurs Grâce de Dieu Gabriel Péri / Viroflay Rive Gauche Président Doumer Edouard Branly / Pierre Edouard Place Louis XIV Porchefontaine / Octroi Jean Mermoz Vergennes Hôtel de Ville | 30 min | 2 min | $2.15 |
To plan your journey, visit this website.
How to Get from Paris to Versailles by Car
Although convenient, getting to Versailles from Paris by car can be challenging and might turn out to be more expensive than other options.
Depending on your starting point in Paris, your trip by car to the Palace of Versailles will take between 45 and 60 minutes.
You can park your car at one of several paid parking lots in front of the palace and around it.
The prices start from €3.00 ($3.40) per hour and drop the longer you stay. This means you might end up paying between €15 and €30 ($17 – $34) just for parking.
How to Get from Paris to Versailles by Tour
If you prefer to avoid public transportation, you can choose a half or a full-day tour to Versailles from Paris. This option gives you enough time to explore the palace at your own pace but lacks flexibility.
Have in mind that tours generally don’t offer hotel pick-ups and drop-offs. You’ll have to find your way to the meeting point.
Our recommended tour includes:
- Transfer by bus from Paris to Versailles.
- All-access, skip-the-line ticket to the estates of the palace.
- Audio guide.
- Entrance to the Musical Garden or the Musical Fountain Show (depending on season and availability).
The meeting point is at 41 Avenue De La Bourdonnais. It is centrally located, near the Eiffel Tower.
The full-day tour to Versailles starts at 8:15 AM. For the half-day tour, you have two available time slots – at 8:15 AM and at 1:20 PM.
Click on the button below to book your Versailles tour.
Versailles Palace: The Grandeur of the French Classicism
Now that you know how to travel to Versailles, let’s discover more about the palace.
Louis XIV transformed and expanded the estate from a simple hunting lodge to the center of the French monarchy within just a few decades. In 1682, he even moved the royal court and the government of France from Paris to Versailles.
Château de Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage monument and one of the largest palaces in the world. It boasts more than 700 rooms. (Nothing near the 1,440+ chambers of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna but still very impressive.)
Inside the Palace of Versailles, you’ll be able to see the State Apartments of the King, the Private Apartments of the King and Queen, the Hall of Mirrors, the Royal Chapel, and the Royal Opera.
The fascinating State Apartments consist of seven salons and were used on various state occasions, as the name suggests. Each of them has breathtaking decor and features scenes from Roman mythology.
The Private Apartments had both personal and official functions. The Queen’s and the King’s Apartments have the same design. Each suite consists of seven rooms. The ceilings in both depict mythological acts.
By far the most fascinating area in the palace is the Hall of Mirrors. The marble-covered long gallery overlooks the gardens. 578 mirrors face 17 windows and reflect the light, creating a unique, vibrant spectacle. Depictions from the reign of Louis XIV decorate the ceiling.
The Estate of Versailles also encompasses the Trianons, the Gardens, and the Park. The Trianons include three buildings: Trianon de Porcelaine, Grand Trianon, and Petit Trianon.
Tips for Visiting Versailles on a Day Trip from Paris
Keep in mind the following important tips before starting your day trip from Paris to Versailles.
COVID-19 Warning:
- You need a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR/antigen test result from the last 72 hours to enter the palace.
- Ticket reservation is required, even if you’re eligible for free entry.
- The cloakrooms are currently closed, so don’t bring any bulky luggage.
The Opening Hours and Ticket Prices of the Versailles Palace
The Palace of Versailles consists of several buildings, parks, and gardens. Their operating hours and entry fees vary.
Here are the most important tips about the opening hours and ticket prices:
- The Palace, the Estate of Trianon, and the Coach Gallery are closed on Mondays.
- The park, the gardens, and the Estate of Marly are open every day of the week.
- The combined ticket is called passport ticket. It costs €20.00 without the Musical Fountains Show and the Musical Gardens spectacle. During the shows, its price is €27.00. You can reserve yours via this link.
- Several groups of people can visit the Palace of Versailles for free. They still need to reserve their timeslots and tickets. Click here to see if you’re eligible for a free entry.
- On the first Sunday of the month from November to March, the admission to Versailles is free for all visitors.
- You can always visit the Coach Gallery, the Estate of Marly, and the park free of charge.
- You can also explore the gardens for free, except during the Musical Fountains Show and the Musical Gardens spectacle.
- From April to October, you can enjoy the Musical Gardens spectacle on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On weekends, the gardens of Versailles will enchant you with the Musical Fountains Show.
- For an exquisite experience, attend one of the special events. Operas, concerts, and equestrian shows regularly take place at Château de Versailles.
- Audio guides are included in the price of the ticket. To avoid waiting to get yours, you can also download the free app for Android or iOS.
To help you plan your day trip to Versailles, we’ve compiled the following table with the current opening hours and ticket prices:
| Estate | Low season (Nov 1 – Mar 31) | High season (Apr 1 – Oct 31) | Price |
| The Palace | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM The ticket office closes at 4:50 PM Last admission at 5:00 PM Closed on Mondays, Dec 25, and Jan 1 | 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM The ticket office closes at 5:45 PM Last admission at 6:00 PM Closed on Mondays and May 1 | $20.00 (€18.00) |
| The Estate of Trianon | 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM The ticket office closes at 4:50 PM Last admission at 5:00 PM Closed on Mondays, Dec 25, and Jan 1 | 12:00 PM – 6:30 PM The ticket office closes at 5:50 PM Last admission at 6:00 PM Closed on Mondays and May 1 | $13.50 (€12.00) |
| The Coach Gallery | 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM Last admission at 4:45 PM Open on Weekends and during the Christmas holidays Closed on Mondays, Dec 25, and Jan 1 | Closed | Free |
| The Estate of Marly | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Last admission at 4:30 PM | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Last admission at 4:30 PM | Free |
| The Gardens | 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Last admission at 5:30 PM | 8:00 AM – 8:30 PM Last admission at 7:00 PM | Free Musical Fountains Show – $10.65 (€9.50) Musical Gardens – $9.50 (€8.50) |
| The Park | 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Last admission at 5:30 PM | 7:00 AM – 8:30 PM Last admission at 7:45 PM | Free |
| Combined ticket – all estates | $22.40 (€20.00) | ||
| Combined ticket – all estates plus Musical Fountains Show or Musical Gardens | $30.25 (€27.00) |
Further Tips About Visiting Versailles on a Day Trip from Paris
- You’ll find several eateries on the Versailles Palace premises. They include:
- La Flottille: a high-end brasserie serving traditional French cuisine.
- Angelina Petit Trianon: an open-air restaurant, which will seduce you with sweet and savory gourmet temptations.
- La Petite Venise: pamper yourself with Italian cuisine in a rustic environment.
- La Véranda: this brasserie will surprise you with its contemporary continental cuisine.
- Gordon Ramsay au Trianon: the fine-dining restaurant of the world-famous chef tempts with culinary creations, which will live up to or even exceed your wildest gastronomical dreams.
- The area of Versailles’ park is humongous. You’ll need to spend hours roaming its alleys and still not manage to discover every corner. If you want to cover as much ground as possible in as little time as you can, rent one of the transportation options in the park.
- Bikes: the rates are $7.85 (€7.00) for half an hour, $10.10 (€9.00) for an hour, $21.30 (€19.00) for 4 hours, and $23.55 (€21.00) for 8 hours. Due to weather conditions, you can’t rent a bike between mid-November and the end of February.
- Mini-train: a single journey costs $5.15 (€4.60), the round trip is $9.50 (€8.50). The mini-train runs every 10 to 20 minutes depending on the season. There are four stops en route.
- Electric carts: rent them for $40.40 (€36.00) per hour. Every additional 15 minutes will cost you further $10.10 (€9.00). Four people can ride the carts simultaneously.
- Rowing boats: if you wish to explore the Grand Canal on a boat, you can rent one for $15.70 (€14.00) per half an hour, $20.20 (€18.00) per hour, and $5.05 (€4.50) for every additional 15 minutes.
- If you decide to spend a night at Versailles, here are our recommended accommodations, worthy of royalty. Click on the links to book your exquisite stay:
- Waldorf Astoria Versailles: this fabulous establishment is perfectly located between the Palace of Versailles and the Trianon Palaces in a historic building. Apart from the luxurious rooms and Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, the award-winning SPA center will further pamper you.
- Hôtel Le Versailles: just a minute away from the Palace of Versailles, you can stay in this magnificent 4* gem. The spacious rooms and the impeccable service will make your visit unforgettable.
- Les Demoiselles à Versailles – Au Pied du Château: the elegant two-bedroom apartment provides fantastic views of the Palace of Versailles. Located in an 18th-century building, the luxurious suite features bright decors and modern facilities at affordable prices.
Now You Know How to Plan a Day Trip from Paris to Versailles
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Versailles is the perfect destination for a day tour from Paris.
Immerse yourself in the opulence of one of the most magnificent palaces on the planet.
Pamper yourself with culinary creations worthy of kings and queens.
And, if a day doesn’t suffice to explore everything you desire, spend the night overlooking the Palace of Versailles.
Now, it’s your turn:
Have you done a day trip from Paris to Versailles? How did you like the experience?
Share with us in the comments below.
