We are in the final stages of our Paris trip planning and need some help with our plans to visit the Palaces of Versailles. Is it best to get a guided tour from Paris, get a train or bus and go it alone, or what would be advised? We will not have a car while in Paris so we need some mode of transportation to get to Versailles. Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

I would recommend going to Versailles on your own. It's very easy from Paris. You take the RER C to Versailles Rive Gauche (there is more than 1 Versailles station so be sure to get the train that goes to Rive Gauche) and walk to the palace (follow the crowd), about 10 minutes or less. The RER ticket to Versailles is a different ticket than the normal metro ticket within Paris. You buy the ticket at the RER station.

If you go on your own you can see what you want as long as you want and are not reigned in by a tour bus schedule.

PS - can you have the trip report tag removed from this inquiry. Trip reports are written after the trip has been taken.

Ditto the advice to go on your own. All the tours I have seen are quite pricey and restrict you to their schedule. You can easily get to Versailles on RER, the suburban train system that traverses the city. Transit time from central Paris is about 30 min or so.
To save time and avoid waiting in potentially long lines, get tickets in advance. The audio tour using headsets for the chateau is quite good. http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage

Either e-mail katie at [email protected], or click on the triangle w/ the "<B>!</B>" - and in the text box ask katie to remover the trip report tag . . . .

Adrienne and Seamus; Thank you both SO much for your help. We will be sure to get those tickets this week. I am sorry about the trip report thing, I had no idea that I had checked that. Again, THANKS. becky

I forgot to mention to buy 2 tickets each so you can easily return to Paris w/o having to stop and buy the return ticket. You can ask for a ticket "allez-retour" to get a round trip (2 ticket) fare.

My husband and I hired a tour guide for Versailles, Marie from Aeon Tours (www.aeontours.com). She met us at our hotel and escorted us to Versailles. I was hesitant about hiring a guide for the same reasons listed above, but luckily it turned into a great walking tour.

I am also planning a trip to Paris and learned that if you buy a special REC ticket with admission to Versailles it is less expensive. Also, the Paris museum pass admits you to the palace as well but I'm not sure if it admits you to all the sites at Versaille.

Looks like the SNCF Forfait Loisir (combo deal) are no longer available.

I'd take the RER and get there first thing, since it gets quite busy when the coach tours appear. A good part of your visit can be used to see the gardens and Marie Antoinette's hameau, which is a little cottage she created so she could forget about being a queen and "be" a farm girl. You can rent a bike or take a shuttle train around.

You might also plan around a visit to the stables, when they have fountain events, or a night time concert.