Versailles timing

Only have a weekend in Paris in June. Can I see all of Versailles if I get there at two in the afternoon on Friday?

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The palace and grounds are extensive and I don%26#39;t think you can see everything in an afternoon.

Take the tour of the palace first if that is what you want to do - you can just walk through on your own without a human or audio guide.

If you want to go to the Petite Trianon or Petite Hameau you can either walk from the chateau - it%26#39;ll take you 20 minutes minimum to walk there at a quick pace. If you have a car then I recommend bypassing the car park at the front of the chateau and driving to the gate near the Petite Hameau at the north side of the grounds. You can drive right onto the grounds and park at the grand canal, the petite trianon or the petite hameau for a lot cheaper. These sights close around 5 at the latest so to see both the palace and either one of these would be very difficult.

You can also rent a bike at the foot of the grand canal to ride around the grounds.

Probably your best bet would be to tour one of the buildings (palace, trianon or hameau), walk the gardens surrounding the chateau and maybe rent a bike at the foot of the grand canal to get a quick overview of the larger parklands. The side gate closes a bit later than the lot at the front and, if you park just outside the gate, they keep the pedestrian gate open even longer. The grounds in the late afternoon are beautiful.

Even if you can%26#39;t see everything a visit to Versailles is well worth it - it is unique in the world!

Good luck!

Anita

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My wife and I were at Versailles last weekend and spent about 7 hours there and still did not see everything. We toured all the open rooms in the main palace and walked to the grand Trianon but missed much of the garden area and the petitie Trianon was closed. They have Golf carts you can rent or golf cart shuttles that take you from the back of the palace to the Grand and petite Trianon for 6 Euro roundtrip. Versailles is amazing and I definitely recommend the audioguide which was free.

Snickerbilly

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Something to keep in mind: During the summer, the queues to get into various parts of the palace can be long (%26gt;30 minutes). With the sun just about straight up, you%26#39;d be well advised to have a broad hat and a bottle of water. The lines to get into the palace are on the cobblestones of the place surrounded by the palace, with the sun radiating from six directions. And the line to get out onto the grounds is on nearly-white gravel, so dark glasses are in order, as well. It%26#39;s all more than worth it, but just go with eyes wide open (or squinted, as the case may be).

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Thanks so much for everyone%26#39;s great posts. This forum is so helpful for all the little things that help make a trip flow smoothly. Appreciate you getting on and sharing.