La Flottille
What to order: gratinéed onion soup or duck confit with orange; children have a menu
Open every day from 9:00 to 18:30 · on the banks of the Grand Canal
geocalia
Day itinerary · 48.80° N · 2.13° E
Versailles in a day, 40 minutes from Paris on the RER C.
The palace in the first time slot, lunch beside the Grand Canal and the afternoon at Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. No car, 40 minutes from Paris on the RER C.
Leaving from
Direct flight to París fromAsturias 1 h 45Barcelona 1 h 45Bilbao 1 h 45Santander 1 h 45Madrid 2 hPalma de Mallorca 2 hSantiago de Compostela 2 hValencia 2 hAlicante 2 h 15Ibiza 2 h 15
Part of Versailles
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car30 min each way
From ParisRER C · about 40 min
WalkingAbout 10 km
DifficultyEasy
Cost€60–90 pp
ClosedMondays
BookingPalace slot, compulsory
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Paris 45 min by train
RER C from Saint-Michel, Musée d'Orsay or Champ de Mars to Versailles Château Rive Gauche · €2.55 ticket
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1
The Palace of Versailles and the Hall of Mirrors
first slot · Hall of Mirrors and Grands Appartements · 2 h 30
- 4 min on foot
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2
Le Nôtre's gardens and the Grandes Eaux Musicales
down through the gardens to the Grand Canal · 45 min
- 12 min on foot
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3
La Flottille
La Flottille · on the banks of the Grand Canal · open every day from 9:00 to 18:30
Parc du Château de Versailles, 78000 Versalles
Restaurant €€€Book - 14 min on foot
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4
The Trianon estate and Marie Antoinette's Hameau
Grand and Petit Trianon and the Hameau · included in the Passport · 2 h
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Back home 45 min by train
25 min on foot from Trianon to the RER C · in Paris around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
The Palace of Versailles and the Hall of Mirrors
Versailles is the classic day trip from Paris: Louis XIV's palace, its gardens and the Trianon estate are about 40 minutes away on the RER C, with an ordinary metro ticket. This plan begins with the palace's first time slot, before the groups arrive, eats beside the Grand Canal and devotes the afternoon to Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. It is a day of a lot of walking: between palace, gardens and Trianon it comes to about ten kilometres.
The day, hour by hour
8:00 · RER C to Versailles. From Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, Musée d'Orsay or Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel, in the direction of Versailles Château Rive Gauche, the last stop. About 40 minutes. From the station, ten minutes' walk to place d'Armes.
9:00 · The palace. With the Passeport, from €25, bought online for the 9:00 slot: it is the only ticket that guarantees entry and it adds Trianon and the gardens. The Hall of Mirrors, the royal chapel and the Grand Apartments, in about two and a half hours. Under-18s and EU residents under 26 go in free, but they also book a slot.
11:30 · The gardens. From the terrace, the Latona Fountain and the great perspective to the Grand Canal. On Grandes Eaux musicales days, from April to October, the fountains play with music; the Passeport includes them.
12:30 · Lunch at La Flottille. The Grand Canal restaurant, in a 1900 pavilion with a terrace on the water: gratinéed onion soup, duck confit with orange, children's menu. Open every day from 9:00 to 18:30.
14:30 · Trianon and the Hameau. The pink-marble Grand Trianon, Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon and the Hameau, the queen's village, with farm and pond. It opens at 12:00, so by this hour there is no queue. If the children are tired, the park's little train stops at Trianon.
17:00 · Return. On foot to the RER C station, about 25 minutes from Trianon. In Paris around 18:30.
Is it for me?
If it is your first time at Versailles, yes: it is the full day with the essentials. If you are with teenagers, swap the plan for the guided e-bike tour, which includes the palace and Trianon. If it falls on a Sunday, the equestrian show at 15:00 in the Grande Écurie is a good alternative to Trianon.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Le Bœuf à la Mode
What to order: the starter, main and dessert menu at €40 with the braised veal cheek
Open every day with continuous service · next to the Notre-Dame market
La Table du 11
What to order: the single menu in several courses; let yourself be guided by the cellar's wine pairing
Dinner Tuesday to Saturday · lunch only Friday and Saturday
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Versailles
Any day except Monday, best Wednesday to Sunday. From April to October, if it coincides with Grandes Eaux musicales, the fountains play with music; in winter the gardens are free and there are fewer queues.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the Passeport online
With the 9:00 slot. At the ticket office, on busy days, there may be no room.
- 2Never on a Monday
The palace and Trianon are closed.
- 3Bring water and comfortable shoes
You walk about ten kilometres.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the trip to Versailles cost?
The Passeport from €25, the train €2.55 each way and lunch; between €60 and €90 per person.
Is there time to see everything in a day?
Palace, gardens and Trianon, yes, starting at 9:00. For the town and the market, you need another half day.
Can it be done with children?
Yes. Under-18s go in free and they like the Hameau and the fountains more than the palace.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/france/ile-de-france/versailles/itineraries/versailles-palace-grand-canal-and-trianon
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.