Let them eat cake!
The former home of French royalty may not necessarily be the first place you think of as a kid-friendly activity, but hey, it works. Get your fill of history, culture, and even a bit of the outdoors while visiting the Château de Versailles, known as the Palace of Versailles.
Since it is only about an hour’s train ride from Paris, Versailles is a great day trip option from France’s capital city. During our multi-family trip (which included seven adults and two children), we opted to simply go for the day to see the Palace and Gardens, but you can also extend your stay to break up your visit or to check out the other city sights.
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We acknowledge France’s history as a colonizer of many lands. The oldest known inhabitants of Paris were of the Gallic tribe Parisii.
Trip Purpose
Do a multi-family trip to Paris & Versailles, especially while our 20 month old could still fly free!
Getting There
From Paris, you can take the RER line C train to the Versailles Château Rive Gauche (in Zone 4) by transferring at any number of Metro stations within the city. The total train ride is ~40-90 minutes. The Palace is a little more than a half-mile walk from the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station.
It was very crowded on the train ride back to Paris that afternoon, so be sure to buy a round-trip ticket so you can avoid the lines!
AGES OF THE KIDS: Great for any age (the kids were 20 months & 7 years during our visit)
SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: 3-8+ hours as a day-trip from Paris
TIME OF YEAR: There are great deals on flights for visits in March or April, so we visited in mid-April. We do what we can to avoid summer travel, since European summers can be hot and flights can be quite expensive!
BASE COST
- Entry to the Palace: €18+/adult, or included with a Museum Pass. Free for children under-18.
- Entry to the Gardens: ~€10/person. Free for children ages 5 and under. Free on select days.
- Metro/public transportation from Paris: ~€8 round trip
Add-Ons:
- Lunch: ~€15-€25/person
- Shopping & souvenirs
What We Packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Umbrella stroller
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier
Top tips to have the best visit to the Palace of Versailles
Before You Go
Visit the Official Website
Check out the Palace of Versailles website to plan your visit, noting that the Palace is closed on Mondays. The “For Families” page has a lot relevant information, such as whether you can bring a stroller or where to find lockers.
Choose Your Attractions
Decide whether you’d like to simply visit the Palace, the Gardens, or a combination of the attractions on the estate. We highly recommend visiting at least the the Gardens and the Palace.
Ticketing can be confusing since there are so many options and add-ons, but this table seems to give the best breakdown. Note that to visit the Palace you are required to book a time slot online.
Consider Purchasing a Museum Pass
I would recommend this only if you’re planning to visit at least several other Paris museums within a short span of time. Read about our Museum Pass considerations here.
The Museum Pass (which includes entry to the Palace and to the Estate of Trianon only) unfortunately does not give you front of line privileges at the Palace, such as those we enjoyed at the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie. But it does save you from having to go to the ticket office to purchase a ticket. And you could potentially save yourself a couple bucks if you use it in conjunction with other museum visits during your trip.
Bring a Soft Baby Carrier and/or Stroller
If you have toddlers or babies in-tow, I would highly recommend packing one or both of these items. I carried my then-20-month-old in an Ergobaby carrier for most of the tour in the Palace. While my hips and legs got achy, it was tolerable because she fell asleep in the carrier while we were walking from room to room. Plus with the crowds indoors, I felt more comfortable having her on me than pushing her around in a stroller (which isn’t typically allowed inside the Palace, but which are being allowed for the time being).
Make Use of the Audio Guide
Download the official Palace of Versailles app to your phone (free) or rent a headset (included with select ticket packages, or €5) to access the Palace audio guide. It’s great to have the extra context and commentary that the guide provides. It even includes kid-friendly audio guides for the gardens and musical fountain shows!
Top Recommended Activities/Suggested Itinerary
Arrive Early, or Plan to Visit During Non-Peak Times
By the time we arrived at the Palace at 9:45 am (it opens at 9 am), the line to enter the Palace extended all the way from the gates and down the cobblestone road of the Main Courtyard, looping back up once the line reached several hundred feet. We may have waited for about 45 minutes or even longer to enter, in addition to time spent going through the metal detectors at the entrance.
Conversely, since the Gardens open earlier than the Palace, you might consider visiting those first, and perhaps miss the early-morning crowd by the time you enter the Palace in the afternoon.
Roam the Palace
Estimated time: 2-4 hours
The interior of the Palace really is a must-see, but can be crowded.
Marvel at the Hall of Mirrors (an opulent sight to behold), and the hidden doorway that allowed Queen Marie-Antoinette to escape her chambers in 1789 during the French Revolution’s March on Versailles.
Beware of Entry/Exit Restrictions
If you decide to tour the palace first, don’t go outside to the Gardens until you are finished with your entire tour of the indoor Palace. We made the mistake of walking out into the Gardens to get a bit of air, thinking we would be allowed immediate entry back into the Palace, but that is not the case. So be sure to get your fill of the Hall of Mirrors and other rooms of the palace before you exit and hand over your audio guide headset.
Our cousins also made this mistake, and ended up having to re-enter the Palace through the front entrance—after waiting in the same long queue we had that morning! In their opinion, the wait and crowds were slightly less in the afternoon than the morning (another reason to visit the Gardens first).
Stroll through the Gardens and enjoy the Musical Gardens/Musical Fountains Shows
Estimated time: 2-4 hours
Choose a portion of the Gardens you would most like to see, and don’t feel the pressure to do everything because it can be A LOT. We enjoyed seeing the Orangery Garden with its whimsical green designs. The walkways are made of self-binding gravel, which is a bit dusty but was smooth enough for our stroller. Our kid was most content sitting on the grass, then playing with the sand and gravel found all over the Garden walkways.
If you visit on a day with paid admission to the Gardens, then be sure to get your money’s worth by catching the Musical Fountains Shows/Musical Gardens which occur throughout the day on select days. There is a great video of our kid giving a standing ovation when we caught the Musical Gardens at the Neptune Fountain. It was clearly a very magical moment for her, and it made a beautiful memory for our whole family!
Where to Eat
Enjoy Lunch on the Grounds
Estimated time: 1-2 hours
There are a number of eateries on the grounds, or you may also choose to pack a picnic lunch (on our wishlist for next time!). We chose to eat at Angelina (see below).
Angelina
~€25/person
We had already bookmarked Angelina (various locations; see our review of the Rue de Rivoli location here) to try out their famous hot chocolate, and so we were pleasantly surprised when we came across their restaurant in the actual Palace!
It ended up being awesome, because 1) it was much less of a wait to dine-in than it was to order from their bodega/to-go section, 2) we had access to their full menu (of hot food!), 3) we got some respite from all the standing and walking, and 4) the food was delicious, albeit a tad pricey.
Our kid even got to sit in one of the fanciest restaurant high chairs we’ve ever seen. She also really loved eating the cheese ravioli (the adults enjoyed sharing a salad niçoise) and we of course ordered the hot chocolate and a piece of strawberry cake.
Versailles is a great day trip option from Paris if you have an extra travel day on your hands, and if you’re really into French history and see into the ostentatious lifestyles of the rich and famous.
Have you ever visited the Palace of Versailles with your family? What was your favorite memory from your visit?
Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.
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