I finally found my photos from my European adventures in 2012! I already had some loaded into Facebook, which is where I had been taking them from. Why?
I never deleted any of the photos from my memory card, nor from my external hard drive which had all of the photo edits. But my laptop had gotten a virus, my external hard drive wouldn’t connect to any other computer, and then I lost my memory card!
Well, I finally found my memory card. Unfortunately, I had to re-edit all of my photos, but it was still fun to review them. So, in honor of finding my photos again, Here’s round one, complete with a Versailles travel guide!
When I was traveling around in Paris, I of course had to visit the beautiful Chateau de Versailles and her gardens! It didn’t disappoint. So many people say not to go because it’s so crowded!!! Of course, certain parts are super crowded and it’s hard to get by people, but there are a lot of areas that have virtually no people and it’s absolutely wonderful. I think it’s completely worth it to go to Versailles.
How to get to the Chateau de Versailles
Train is the best and cheapest option. You can get there by just about any train station in Paris. I went from Gare Saint-Lazare. I took the metro to the train station and then asked the information desk which train goes to Versailles and bought a ticket. They are super cheap, but by now I’m sure they are a little bit more than when I went. I’ve heard that they are about 7 EUR round trip now. The train was easy to ride and it did stop at other places along the way, so make sure you pay attention when you are. They’ll say it on the overhead speaker. After that, exit the train station and follow the signs!
Getting in to Versailles
The line is soooooo long. If you’ve never been, but have researched how to get tickets, you’ve probably heard it before: the line is the longest! Ooof! Here’s how to avoid it:
There are 3 ways to avoid the long long line!
- Buy a Fast line Versailles Ticket here !
- Purchase a Paris Museum Pass for 2, 4, or 6 days and gain entrance to most museums and sites in Paris and just outside of Paris! You’ll also get skip-the-line entrance to most on the list! You can purchase that one here!
- Third is going on a skip-the-line tour. This can be really great because you’ll get to see all of the important sites and get a history lesson along the way! Check it out right here!
Where I went in the Chateau – and where you should go!
I had no idea what I wanted to visit when I went to Versailles and I had no idea how big it was. I had thought it was just some huge Palace with some gardens in the back. Nope. It’s absolutely huge. The gardens are even bigger than the palace itself.
The first thing to do it go around in the palace. Everyone says you have to visit the Hall of Mirrors. What disappointment. Remember when I said some places are more crowded than others? This is the most crowded room and place everywhere in Versailles. You can barely make your way through it and forget getting a photo. You can only get a photo without people in it if you make a special request for after hours with some pretty hefty credentials. Basically, you’re not getting that photo.
But the rest of the palace is beautiful and because most of the parts of the rooms are all roped off, you’re able to get the photo you want. And because the rooms are small and there’s so many of them, it’s not really that crowded. I even have photos of places that aren’t roped off with no one in them. It’s such a huge place, that it’s not really that crowded, except for the hall of mirrors.
Take your time in each room. The decor is so amazing and there are so many details you can easily miss if you don’t. The detail in the architecture and the sculptures are breathtaking and you’ll want to take it in! If you don’t take your time, you’ll regret it!
My favorite place though, was the Royal Chapel. Even though it was roped off, I could have stayed there forever to take photos! But this one is my favorite! The architecture and the paintings were so beautiful.
The Beautiful Gardens
Not much to say about this. The photos speak for themselves! 🙂
What I missed
Like half of it and more!!! I missed the stables and the village for Marie Antoinette on the grounds. To be honest, I could have visited all of it, but I still had to walk back to get to the exit and if you’ve read a couple of my first blog posts, I had hurt my foot badly a couple weeks prior. While I was here and visiting the gardens and park, I realized I wasn’t going to make it much further. I still had to walk back to the exit, to the train station, get food, and go back to the hotel. So, I missed the other two huge attractions at the Chateau.
It’s a long day when you visit the Chateau de Versailles, so plan accordingly. Wear comfortable shoes and bring some money with you for the cafe there. After all that walking, you’ll need something to eat. You can definitely go into the city and grab something to eat as well, but you’ll want to eat in the middle of your visit. I had an amazing brie sandwich. Very light, but so fresh and delicious!
Thinking about a trip to France or somewhere else in the world and don’t know where to start? Book a free phone consultation session with me and let me help you get started and hopefully to continue working with you on booking a trip! Schedule one here
Do you have any tips for visiting Versailles? What was your favorite place there? Haven’t visited yet and want to ask some questions? Ask them below and don’t forget to subscribe!!
Adventuresome Nicole 