Peerless Versailles

Versailles is considered the most significant and magnificent palace-park ensemble in Europe. This unique place was created by the French king Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King.

What to expect

During the tour, I will tell you about the king who was an extraordinary personality, about the backstage of palace life, and the reasons for creating a new palace. Louis had an extraordinarily long life for his time. The king was born on September 5, 1638, and died on September 1, 1715, at the age of 77. During his lifetime, he was married twice and fathered over 20 children, not only with his wives but also with numerous mistresses glorified in the novels of A. Dumas.

Was the king handsome? You will have the opportunity to form your own opinion - during the tour we will see his portraits, but they say no woman could resist his attentions. After all, His Majesty the king was intelligent, educated, and in excellent physical shape. Louis spoke 5 languages, played three musical instruments, and until the age of 27 performed ballet roles.

During our walk, I will explain why Versailles is France's pride to this day, and Louis XIV is a role model for leaders that top French companies strive to emulate, such as Vinci, Total, LVMH... During the reign of the Sun King, France reached its zenith in development, protected its borders, became a center of world culture, and a country with an absolute monarchy. Even after Louis XIV's death, all the royal courts of Europe continued to speak French, palaces reminiscent of Versailles were built everywhere, and French culture prevailed in fashion.

We will visit the king's apartments in the Grand Palace together with the main park in the French style. And during the warm season, we can also admire the Versailles fountains.

Important to know before booking

• Travelers and guide enter the palace without waiting in line through a special reservation
• Guide buys tickets to Versailles in advance for a specific time. If you are late, you will have to buy new tickets (make a reservation). But there is no guarantee that tickets for that day will be available.
• Tickets sold on the museum's website in open access do not give the guide the right to conduct a tour in the palace
• Admission to the palace is free for children under 18. To enter the museum with a guide without waiting in line, you need to reserve two paid entrances. If you are a mother with two children, you will still have to pay for one child €23.
• In order for me to buy tickets in advance, you need to transfer the full amount to my account (PayPal transfer, to an account in a French bank, or to a Sberbank card)

How the tour goes

• If you take a taxi or car, I will pick you up from the hotel and start the tour in the car
• If you travel by public transport, I will meet you at the train station (Montparnasse or RER C Invalides)
• The duration of the tour to Versailles from Paris is 4 hours (including the journey there and back). We will spend 2.5 hours in the palace and garden.
• In the winter period, it is better to visit the Grand Palace, and in the summer, visit the gardens, the Petit Trianon, and Marie Antoinette's farm
• I recommend getting to Versailles by taxi: in this case, the tour starts on the road
• If you go to Versailles by train: it will be inconvenient to talk, as a lively conversation may disturb other passengers. By car - less time is spent on the road, more time is left for a walk in the park after visiting the palace.

Additional Expenses

• Tickets to Versailles - €23 per person, free for children under 18. If you visit the tour alone or as a couple, you still need to buy three tickets (Versailles rules)
• Transportation to Versailles
• From April to October, on days when the fountains are active or music is playing in the gardens, entry is €9

Additional Options

• If you wish, besides the Grand Palace, in Versailles, you can also visit the Petit Trianon Palace and Marie Antoinette's Farm. In this case, the duration of the tour will be 7 hours, and the cost will be €420. You can get to the Petit Palace on a special bus that runs inside the park - €9 per person (for guides - free). Entrance to the palace and the farm - €10.
• If the tour takes place in the afternoon, instead of the Grand Palace, you can visit the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Farm. This option is recommended for travelers with young children (up to 5-6 years old) and in the summer for all travelers, as there may be no tickets for the Grand Palace to visit it with a guide.

Transport Options from Paris to Versailles

• by taxi - €35-45, payment by the meter
• by Uber car - €45-120
• transfer - €80-90
• by public transport (train) - €4.5