*** (31/12/2016 06:55)
Beautiful palace. Wonderful artwork, sculpture, history and architecture. The inside demonstrates the sheer ability and power of the French crown at the height of the Ancien Régime. The Hall of Mirrors was a little underwhelming, being as it was where WWI ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles -- or maybe I need played it up in my head.

*** (23/11/2017 03:50)
Travel from Paris was quite easy. Make your way to a RER train station and you'll be dropped off 3 blocks away.

Have fun!

*** (07/11/2017 21:22)
Great works of art, if your into that. Very grand palace, lavish and luxurious.
Crowded and hard to get good picture. Too many your guides not respecting other people their other than their own group. Kinda rude.
The park is very large. Prepare for lots of walking. Recommended on a good weather day. Gift shops are crazy expensive. Hard to see how they sell anything.

The grounds and gardens are beautiful (and the are free on non-event days). Would I pay to see the inside of the palace again? No. Is it worth visiting at least once? Yes.

*** (07/09/2017 02:41)
The place overflows with grandeur, but... honestly, having done a good amount of castles in a week, the audio guide for this one was pretty bad. It focuses too much on the art and architecture (which I love!) and leaves aside almost completely the history factor. What happened in this castle? How was everyday life? What great events took place here? I was lucky to have a French friend with me who knew a little of the place and its history, because otherwise it would've been a very pointless visit.

1. Beware of the QUEUE (or line for fellow Americans). I arrived at 11AM and waited in line for about 1.5 hours before getting in. Buy tickets before and get there early to avoid the wait.

*** (15/01/2017 02:36)
I read a historical fiction book which included the Hall of Mirrors. I couldn't wait to go and experience the magnificence myself. It truly was amazing!

*** (09/09/2017 15:57)
The palace of Versailles is amazing. It is such a large structure it is hard to take it in in a very short time. This structure is so large it so beautiful and there is so much to see that it should be planned as a day trip. I cannot Express how beautiful and or inspiring this building and grounds around it are. Its a must see! The city of Versailles beats Paris hands down for a true experience of what France has to offer.

Spend at least 2-3 hours at the Palace of Versailles!

MONDAYS ARE CLOSED - you cannot access the interior of the chateau or even the gift shop. If you only can go on a Monday, it is still worth going for an unforgettable walk here.

3. At around noon they stop selling audio tours. If you are stuck without an audio tour or a sufficient knowledge of French history, try one of two strategies: Google info using the Arts and Culture app OR find a tour group that speaks your language and just hang out near them for a free tour.

Now that I've been inside the palace, I would take a day trip just to enjoy the gardens.

The palace is truly opulent, as expected. I had expected to see more of the palace but at some point, once you've seen 10-15 rooms decorated and painted beyond comprehension, how many more do you need to see before you understand how they lived. Once you see how excessive their lifestyles were, you can understand why there was a revolution.

You can walk for days around this magnificent chateau just 30 minutes outside of Paris. This is a must see for any traveler - friends, couples, students or singles. It's breathtaking. I recommend that you look up some of King Louis XIV's writings to his son, the Dauphin to read while you walk the grounds. It helped to better understand what the palace meant to him and to his reign.

2. Beware of pickpockets. It is crowded in the palace, the perfect hunting ground for pickpockets. If you go early you will avoid that rush.

You can rent bikes or golf carts, but walking is best. If you're visiting France in February when the weather is gray and chilly, pack an extra scarf and gloves so you don't have to rush out.

*** (29/01/2017 08:25)
Beautiful place. The gardens were the draw for me. It was also neat to see the different bedrooms of past royalty etc. bring cash the terminals don't always work for tickets or pre purchase them online. Come early otherwise the crowds build. You only need a half day at most for this adventure so make plans for the second half of your day. Uber works great to get here and get back into the heart of Paris.

My favorite part was La Durée which is at the end of the museum visit. A perfect way to end a trip to the palace and Paris!

*** (10/12/2017 00:29)
Very beautiful and opulent palace (especially The Hall of Mirrors). I loved the 22 karat gold gilding in almost every room. This site is obviously gigantic and it's best enjoyed if you spend a full day and plan out what you want to really see. Best to use a museum pass to reduce waiting time to buy tickets, but you will still have to go through the security check line like any major site. Getting a guided tour can help you go to certain parts of the palace not normally available for regular visitors (do your research).

If you go, keep in mind that the castle visit itself lasts around 1.30h (2 if you do it thoroughly). I recommend getting the access for the Trianon too, bringing some sandwiches to eat in the parks and making a whole day out of it :)

*** (15/11/2016 22:05)
I visited the palace in June and found it very beautiful! The palace is filled with history, luxury and details, but the gardens in the back are a show apart and stand out for the beauty, grandeur and richness of detail.
The fountains work part of spring and summer, with a few exceptions, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., together with the gardens and the ambient music, create beautiful scenery! One of the most beautiful I have ever seen!
It's a day of visit - half a day to the castle (s) and a half day to the gardens - but it's a great experience!

*** (02/10/2017 13:59)
Beautiful castle and gardens. Easy to spend a day here just rambling in the various gardens. Try to visit on a day when the fountains are up as they are simply stunning.
The rental golf carts make a huge difference if you are going to the far edge of the palace. Even with the cart be prepared to be doing plenty of walking. We easily hit 20K steps on our visit.
The tour of the palace is crazy. So many people, many rude and extremely pushy. If you can avoid peak times for your visit to the castle it is much more comfortable and you are able to enjoy the ambience.

*** (30/11/2017 10:51)
Gorgeous place!!! Just like the photos. You have to get there early in order to truly enjoy your time and avoid the lines. The trip there alone is breath taking. If your planing on going make it a day trip. There's plenty of food options around and boutiques. Enjoy your time!

*** (23/12/2016 16:20)
Very beautiful place! Nice and smooth access to the (audio-)guided tour. Nice walk from the train station, where staff gave you directions to reach the castle. Absolutely recommended if you have the time!

*** (27/11/2017 10:45)
This palace is beautiful and you can easily spend an entire day here. After a trip across Europe with Paris being our last stop, we decided to take the trip to Versailles to view the palace and it was magical. Well maintained and very organized. I would suggest arriving early as the line to visit becomes very lengthy .. VERY quickly! Also the gardens are magical, be sure to enjoy the moment and not hide behind your cameras!

Anyway, some tips:

They gave our kids maps which were designed for young attendees. They enjoyed learning fun facts while following along on the map. Often times I referred to their map versus the "adult" map.

*** (07/09/2017 04:36)
The palace is Absolutely most impressive place in France. 18 euro including audio guide which is very good. The palace wow. It's amazing. But need to wait 1-2 hours. The security check is quite slow. Food and drink are expensive. The garden is quite big and nice. But seems like it's not free anymore.

*** (27/09/2017 13:10)
The Palace of Versailles cannot command anything less than 5 stars.

On the bright side, art is everywhere on this castle. Wherever you look there's a statue, painting, carving or just something that deserves appreciation. There's also plenty of seating spots so you can take your time and really see everything.