Visiting the Palace of Versailles from Paris
A Brief History of the Palace of Versailles
Before visiting the Palace of Versailles from Paris, I wanted to learn about the history of Versailles. Below is a brief overview of the history of the Palace of Versailles.
The Palace of Versailles was the royal residence of the King of France from 1682 until 1789. Before 16982, the Palace began as a hunting residence for King Louis XIII. Following his death, his son Louis XIV officially moved his residence to Versailles. King Louis XIV preferred Versailles to Paris because he felt it gave him better control over his court. Throughout the reign of King Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles completed four building campaigns. Included in these building campaigns were a banquet room that could hold 600 members, new residences for the royal family, a royal stable, the Hall of Mirrors, a chapel, and apartments. By the time Louis XIV died in 1715, the Palace of Versailles had much of the appearance that it has today.
Note: All pictures below are from inside the Palace of Versailles. I apologize for the poor photography. This trip was before the purchase of my camera, and the pictures were taken with an iPhone 5.
Following the death of his father, five-year-old King Louis XV became King. His young age caused the royal family to move the court back to Paris. He would return the court to Versailles in 1722. During Louis XV’s reign, he added the Royal Opera House and a small chateau known as Petit Trianon.
When Louis XVI took over in 1774, following Louis XV’s death, he ordered remodeling of the famous gardens. He also began several renovations on various buildings throughout the Palace. After the beginning of the French Revolution, King Louis XVI would flee the Palace of Versailles in 1789, and move the court to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. Eight months after fleeing, Louis XVI was arrested, and the royal family was stripped of their belongings. In 1792, the paintings and sculptures were moved from the Palace to the Louvre, and on January 21, 1793, Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine. At this point, any items remaining inside the Palace of Versailles were auctioned off.
Napoleon Bonaparte became the Emperor of France in 1804. He considered moving his residence to Versailles but opted not to due to the extensive renovations that would be necessary. Following Napoleon’s exile in 1814, Louis XVI’s brother, Louis XVII, became King of France. Louis XVII had been in exile in England and thought about moving the royal residence back to Versailles. He had ordered restorations on the living quarters, but the cost turned out to be too much. When Louis XVII died, and his younger brother Charles X assumed the throne. Charles X was also unable to move back to Versailles.
The French Revolution of 1830 causes Charles X to live in exile. Louis-Philippe becomes the last King of France. He did not move the royal family back to Versailles. Instead, he turned part of the Palace into the Museum of the History of France. Louis-Philippe would continue the development of the museum until he was overthrown in 1848.
The next leader of France was Emperor Napoleon III (not to be confused with his uncle Napoleon Bonaparte.) Napoleon III would become the first President of France and used the Palace for ceremonies and events. One of the most spectacular was a banquet held for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom in 1855. The banquet was held at the Royal Opera of Versailles that had been constructed by Louis XV.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, the German Army took control of the Palace of Versailles. On January 8, 1871, Germany combined with Prussia to create the German Empire. This proclamation was written and read inside the Hall of Mirrors. The German Empire would control the Palace of Versailles until March of 1871. The new government of France, the Third French Republic, moved into the Palace and held its national assembly in the opera house. When the French Senate was created in 1875, a new hall was built to house the Senate. Today, the French Senate sometimes meets in the Palace of Versailles for special occasions and events.
In the 20th Century, the Palace of Versailles underwent extensive renovations led by French Poet and historian Pierre de Nolhac. These renovations were interrupted by World War I and World War II. The treaty to end World War I, known as the Treaty of Versailles, was signed inside the Hall of Mirrors. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles was the last great event that would occur inside the Palace.
Restorations continued thanks to a gift of over $2 million by US businessman John D. Rockefeller. Today, his gift would have been worth over $30 million. In 1957, the Royal Opera House reopened, and a performance was held with Queen Elizabeth II in attendance. Today, the Palace of Versailles continues to have renovations in an attempt to revive as many of the Palace’s original furnishings.
Visiting the Palace of Versailles from Paris - Table of Contents
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How to Get to the Palace of Versailles from Paris
My first question when planning my trip to Versailles was how do I get to the Palace of Versailles from Paris? Thankfully, visiting the Palace of Versailles from Paris is an easy day trip. I highly recommend taking a combination of the Paris Metro and Paris RER. I began my journey at Champ de Mars Station. From Champ de Mars, I boarded the RER “C” Line towards Versailles-Chantiers. When boarding the RER “C” line, make sure the terminus of the train is Versailles-Chantiers. Not all RER “C” line trains go to Versailles-Chantiers.
The cost of my ticket was around €7 roundtrip. After about an hour’s train ride, I arrived in Versailles. There are two Versailles stations, Versailles Chantiers and Versailles Château/Rive-Gauche. The line splits before the Versailles stations, so you must get on the train with a terminus at the Versailles station that you choose. I chose to go to Versailles-Chantiers.
From the station, it is a short walk to the Palace. Almost everyone that got off my train was headed to the Palace of Versailles, so I followed the crowd. It took about 15 minutes to reach the Palace from the train station.
Once I arrived at the Palace of Versailles, I was greeted by one of the longest lines of my trip. Two days prior, there had been a terrible terror attack at the airport in Brussels, Belgium. France was high alert, and there was heightened security.
I had the Paris Pass, so there was no cost to visit the Palace of Versailles. Otherwise, it would have cost €15 (recently raised to €18). It took over two hours to get to the front of the queue. After showing my pass and going through security, I was inside the grounds of the Palace of Versailles.
If you would like to purchase the Paris Pass, you can do so with the link to the right. The pass is sold in 2, 4, or 6 day increments. I am an affiliate of Viator. If you purchase the Paris Pass using my link, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
What to See Inside the Palace of Versailles
My trip to France was part of my first ever trip to Europe. I embarrassed to say that I did not plan and knew almost nothing about the Palace of Versailles. Actually, I wasn’t even going to go to Versailles until my father suggested it was an easy day trip. Much of this page was created by research years later. When I walked through the Palace Versailles, I did not know what many of the rooms were. I had definitely not researched what to see inside the Palace of Versailles.
Thirty countries later, I am a much better tourist. If you are going to visit the Palace of Versailles, I highly recommend you do your research and know what to see. For example, I did not go to the Royal Opera House, which I really regret. Thinking back, I believe it may have been closed. I also didn’t spend time walking through the gardens. Thankfully, I did find my way to the King’s State Apartment and the Royal Chapel.
If I went again, I would make sure I visited the following places:
The Hall of Mirrors, the Kings State Apartment, the Royal Chapel, The Royal Opera House, Marie-Antoinette’s Private Chambers, the King’s Apartment, the King’s Private Apartments, the Queen’s Apartments, the Dauphin and Dauphine’s Apartments, Louis XV’s Daughters’ Apartments, the Congress Chamber, the Crusades Room, the Empire Rooms, the Coronation Room, the 1792 Room, the Grand Commune, the Gardens and fountains, and the Royal Stables.
Below, are the places that I did see. If you visit Versailles, be sure to create a plan so you can see the most historic places. I plan to go back to Versailles in the next couple of years and will give this page a major update.
Palace of Versailles Tour and Packages
When I go back to the Palace of Versailles, I will most likely take a tour. Below, I have linked eight tours that caught my eye. I am an affiliate of Viator. If you book one of the tours or packages below, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of May 2023.
 Private Tour: Palace of Versailles Half-Day Tour from Paris - $155.41 If you have only half a day to dedicate to visiting Château de Versailles, the most famous palace in France, do it on this 4.5-hour private tour from Paris for the quickest and most comfortable way to reach the UNESCO World Heritage site. You'll explore its interior, learning about the extravagant life of French kings as you admire luxuriously adorned chambers. Then head outside to marvel at the French gardens and groves. |
 Skip The Line: Palace of Versailles and Gardens from Central Paris - $91.04 Immerse yourself in the magnificence of the Palace of Versailles with an informative audio guided tour including three departures points from central Paris and priority access to the Palace. Delve into a UNESCO - World Heritage-listed wonder and delight yourself with the luxury of the Hall of Mirrors and the State Apartments. Absorb the beauty of the gardens designed by André Le Nôtre at your own rhythm and walk through the steps of Louis XIV - "The Sun King". Maximize your time in Versailles with a 5-hour visit in the domain of Versailles |
 Versailles Palace & Gardens Priority Access Tour from Versailles - $58.63 Experience a guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with skip the line access, showing you the most important rooms of the Palace and giving you an insight into the Kings and Queens who once lived here. Your tour includes a visit to world-famous the Gardens of Versailles. On certain days you’ll see the fountain show, where water explodes to the sound of music, or enjoy visiting the gardens to the sound of classical music at the Musical Gardens event |
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