Versailles in August
 

Hellow Fellow Fodorites,

My fiancee and I will be honeymooning in Paris soon. We're planning for a day at Versailles. I was there a couple of years ago, but it was February at the time so crowds were sparse.

Have any of you been to Versailles in August? Are the crowds of tourists unbearable? Granted, we'll be tourists too, but we get annoyed with huge crowds of gawkers.

Would you recommend waiting outside the gates prior to their opening at 9:00 a.m.? Or does everyone get an early start?

Any other tips for beating the crowds?

There will be more tourists than in Februrary. We went in the beginning of October and it was crowded.
I would say get there as early as possible, do the building tours first. Keep the tours inside as short as possible.

Then spend the rest of the day in the gardens(especially since you probably didnt see them in their best light in Februrary). The gardens are so gigantic they can absorb a huge amount of people. Wander around the lake and you will see the crowds diminsh.