Our princess loved studying castles at school, so we thought, what about visiting THE French castle in real life? Off we went to the Château de Versailles with a bonus stay at the Trianon Palace.
The Château de Versailles is one of the most visited monuments in France, right after the Louvre Museum, and welcomes an average of 7 million visitors each year! This is a visit that must be well prepared ahead if you do not want to waste all your time waiting.
First tip: be there early and wear sneakers because there are many cobblestones. And for us, the best thing is to avoid visiting the Château de Versailles with young children, as they may be greatly bored and risk being jostled by the crowd.
First thing to know: it is essential to book your tickets online, because otherwise you will have to wait to buy it THEN wait to get inside, and the queue can quickly become gigantic. Be there at the opening:the Château de Versailles opens at 9 am and closes at 6.30 pm, BUT the gardens are open from 8 am so if you wake up early, this is where you have to start.
Good to know
A must do
If you must prioritize when you visit the Château de Versailles with kids, then pick the gardens that are beautiful and give children the opportunity to run and get some fresh air without being choked by the crowd. If you want to show them the inside of the castle, be there at the opening and go directly to the Galerie des Glaces. If you can, avoid weekends.
The princess loved
The princess loved the gardens, but didn’t like the inside of the castle at all, except for going up and down the stairs. Why? Maybe she was too young (5 years old) or, more likely, because there were too many people. Groups of tourists push each other, and lots of them are pretty rude. To put it in a nutshell, we quickly went out to breathe and relax.
The ups for kids
Your kids are over 8 years old
They should feel passionate about the history of the castle, the furniture, the decorations, but also the royal stables. Download the app to have an interactive map with you during your visit. Let them guide you and find specific places within the gardens.
Your kids are less than 8 years old
A beautiful garden tour will be a lot nicer than a whole day being bored in the castle. There are also thematic tours during the school holidays. They must be booked online but are free for children under 10. Workshops and visits are accessible from 6 years old and last between 1.5 and 2 hours.
Practical information
Rates
We strongly recommend choosing the Passport timed entry: it costs 20 euros (or 27 euros when there are Musical Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens) and gives you access to the whole Domain + it guarantees you access the Château de Versailles within 1/2 hour following the chosen schedule.
Entrance is free for under 18 and under 26 for people living within the EU. Nevertheless, you’ll have to pay for the gardens when there are Musical Fountain Shows or Musical Gardens (free up to 5 years old).
Details
Château de Versailles
Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles, France
Phone number: +33 (0) 1 30 83 78 00
Website: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/