floridapugmom

We are going to visit Versailles the first week of October and I was getting ready to order our tickets so we will not have to stand in long lines. It seems that the price of admission has gone up since we visited a year ago, am I right? In your opinion, where or how is the best way to order Versailles tickets? Thanks for the help!

Christina

yes, I think the price went up in 2010 about 1-2 euro. There isn't any place that is going to give you a discount over the official price, you can bet that, so I would think the website would be as good as any. It appears that if you buy online, you can print the ticket yourself at home(assuming you reserve a particular day), so you wouldn't even have to stand in a line to pick up a ticket. Otherwise, you could just buy one at a FNAC store or Virgin, they do have a service charge but it isn't very big (maybe 1 euro per ticket). If they make you reserve a date, there isn't really any advantage to that, though.

If you know the date you want, I don't see any reason not to buy online. YOu aren't going to get them any cheaper than from the source.

floridapugmom

Christina, Thanks for the advice. We will probably just go ahead and order and print out on line just before we leave. I appreciate your response.

sylvieR

if you don't have car in Paris, I would make a booking with a sighseeing tours company. Otherwise, the transportation to Versailles is rather awfull. You have different companies fcomfrance, parisvision. They include ticket (direct access, no line), transportation from opera and and hostess in the coach.

PalenQ

If you are also visiting Louvre, Orsay, etc it takes only a few of these entries plus Versailles to make the Paris Museum Pass pay off and i believe you get priority admission to all those sights so no long waits in line. Plus you may visit other museums you had not planned - say you are strolling around Notre-Dame and see the Concergerie (sp?) where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned before her trip to the chopping block - see her cell, etc. If you had to pay the steep entry fee you may not go in but if you have the Museum Pass you may pop in - ditto for Cluny, Pantheon, Pompidou Center Modern Art Museum, Rodin Museum/House, etc.

Christina

In case someone pulls this up for advice who isn't familiar with the public metro/train system in Paris, I have no idea what the advice from sylvie is about as to claiming transportation to Versailles on your own is "rather awfull". Going to Versailles on your own by public transportation is extremely simple. The RER C line goes right there and only costs a few euro (I think around 4). The chateau is within a very short walk of the Versailles-Rive Gauche RER stop in Versailles. You can get on the RER C line at any of its stops in Paris (eg, Champ de Mars), you just have to make sure you are getting on a train that goes to Versailles Rive Gauche, as some RER C trains do not. The overhead boards on the quays tell you the stops of a particular train. There are trains all day long about every 15-30 minutes.

floridapugmom

PalenQ - Thanks for the suggestion on the Museum pass, I am going to look into that.

Christina - I am not sure what Sylvie was talking about either. We took the RER C line to Versailles last time, unfortunately we got on the wrong one but some very nice gentleman overheard us talking and told us to just get off at the next stop and catch the next train and that one would go all the way to Versailles. We are going to look up the french words for platform and stop this time. Thanks for your help!

StCirq

Ignore sylvie - getting to Versailles on the RER is a piece of cake.

PalenQ

Paris Museum Pass | Official Website
The PARIS MUSEUM PASS gives you free and direct access to over 60 museums and monuments of Paris and the Paris region. ... Musée de l'Institut du Monde arabeFive hundred works explore the history of the Arab civilisation and illustrate ...

The Pass - Price - Points of sale - FAQ
en.parismuseumpass.com/ -

PARIS.TICKETS.CARTE.MUSEES.MONUMENTS
This card entitles you to free admission to 63 museums and monuments in Paris and the surrounding area. Unlimited number of visits without any need to queue ...
www.paris.org/Expos/ParisTickets/CarteMusees/

RobertaL

I am going to Paris early October and plan to visit Versailles on a Sunday (thinking many stores in Paris will be closed). I was planning to buy my tickets at the tourism office once I arrived in Versailles, however, in October it opens at 11:00 am and I was planning on arriving earlier. I will buy them online a few days before my trip through the Versailles website.

floridapugmom

RobertaL; We will be going to Versailles on the 10th, maybe we will run into each other. We also will be getting there right after the doors open to avoid the very long lines we experienced last year. Have a great time, you will love Versailles. Becky

floridapugmom

P.S. PalenQ - The Versailles website says this pass can not be used for "water shows, musical shows", etc. Will we have to purchase an additional ticket to see the water shows that will be going on Sunday October 10th (while we are visiting)?
Becky

Mucky

I was at Versailles in July, the ticket holder queue to enter the palace was as long as the non ticket holder queue.

Thousands of people.

Ok October may be different, if it is, let me know and I will have another go, I can't be bothered standing in a queue for hours on end.

The gardens are lovely and took up most of my day.


Muck

d_claude_bear

I absolutely agree that "[g]oing to Versailles on your own by public transportation is extremely simple." There is no reason to do anything else.

crepes_a_go_go

Is the combo ticket for Versailles and the RER no longer available? Last time I took a group out there in March 2009, this ticket was about 25€ and purchased at the train station of departure.

jeanned

We went in July and had the museum pass. We had absolutely no wait to get in! Just make sure to go to the correct entrance. Also agree that it is very easy to get there via public transportation.

RobertaL

Perhaps I will see you there in October (we'll be the two American sisters trying hard to appear French,lol)
I plan to purchase the 25 euro ticket which includes the water show (just not the evening water show performance). From the Versailles website:

"The Grandes Eaux Musicales Passport-
This ticket allows you to attend this show in the gardens and includes admission to all the visits of the Château, the Châteaux de Trianon and the Estate of Marie-Antoinette and the temporary exhibitions."

I read about the combo Rer/Versailles ticket but I recall it no longer exists.

Becky, there is an annual autumn festival taking place that weekend in Montmartre ("Fete des Vendanges de Montmartre"). It is in the area surrounding Sacre Couer and it is full of vendors (cheese, wine, oysters, desserts, did I mention wine?). This will be the third time our trip coincides with this festival. So much fun...

floridapugmom

Found out that, unfortunately, with the Paris Museum Pass you still have to purchase a ticket at Versailles to see the musical water fountain shows that are going on right now; Bummer! We will not let that deter us from revisiting Versailles, it was one of the highlights of last years trip.

PalenQ

The Museum Pass does not cover special exhibitions in museums but the cost to enter the museum (or palace)'s regular exhibits.

tod

Floridapugmom - We were at Versailles on Sat. 21st August for the entire day including the gardens and then also for the 'Grande Eaux Musicales' that same evening.
In case anyone is thinking along these lines, be warned - They boot you out of the gardens (Yes every single person) at around 5pm and if you have an evening ticket or stand and buy one, you may enter the gardens at around 8pm. Believe me 3 hours sitting on a stone step is no fun!

Also, as you know, the fountains have to be sought out hidden from view among the hedges - so to see them ALL bathed in beautiful spotlights, you have to hurry from one to the other.
We found staying at the top looking down to the Grande Canal was all we could manage after a very hot day!