Tourists today are still struggling to catch a glimpse of, well, anything in the palace. This is especially true during the summer when busloads of people from all over the world dump into the former royal residence, snapping photos of Marie Antoinette’s bed and the historic Hall of Mirrors.

There is no surefire way to streamline your visit, and the biggest tip is to wear comfortable shoes, have a bottle of water, and be prepared to just go for it. You won’t regret it. While the crowds are unavoidable, there are a few tips that can help you maximize your time at Versailles.

1. Get the passport

Buy the Versailles passport ahead of time. It costs €18, or €25 on the days when the fountain shows are on (Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday) but the ticket will get you into every part of Versailles: the chateau, the smaller buildings in the gardens and the gardens themselves.

Each of these sights has its own ticket line, but with the passport, you’ll only have to wait in the security lines. Unless you are eligible for free entry, the passport pays for itself in time and money, especially in the summer when there are lines for the gardens (which aren’t free between April and October).

2. Line up early

If you were wise and got to Versailles early, hop in the seemingly massive line to enter the chateau immediately. If you are armed with tickets already, the security check line won’t take that long, but it only grows longer with each passing hour. The other option is to wait until later in the afternoon, right before closing, but you run the risk of a long line at 6 p.m., the last entry into the palace.

3. Do not neglect the other parts of Versailles.

After taking in the grandeur of the palace, tourists who push on towards the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet fall more and more in love with Versailles. Strolling through the fairytale garden created for Marie Antoinette, complete with farm animals and grain mill, adds another layer of allure to the already bewildering estate.

Many visitors are reluctant to walk all the way out there, which means there are fewer crowds than the tour-bus-laden chateau. It’s impossible to imagine ignoring such a fascinating part of Versailles.

4.  Discover the king’s other garden

For a mere €3 you can visit the Potager du Roi, the king’s personal vegetable garden. It sounds goofy, but it’s another experience that compliments the grandiosity of Versailles. Most of the garden’s layout is similar to how it looked during Louis XIV’s time and it still produces tons of fruits and vegetables sold at the markets in Versailles. Talk about a meal literally fit for a king…

5. Picnic by the Canal

While you can’t technically picnic inside the gated part of the gardens, you can sit along the Grand Canal just outside the gates of the domain – you’ll need your ticket to re-enter the grounds, however. It’s easiest if you pack a sandwich and a bottle of water in your bag as it will save some time and money.

When you head back into town after your visit you can sit down to a nice glass of wine or pint of beer before boarding the train back to Paris.

Your Versailles tips?

Aside from claiming divine right and declaring yourself the Sun King, what other ways have Cheapos found to take advantage of Versailles? Share with us in the comments section.

The post Palace of Versailles: 5 tips for making the most of your visit appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Bewitching with its seductive cave, mystic temples, a miniature village (surrounded by pens of farm animals and vegetable plots) and romantic lake (complete with island and lighthouse), it’s no surprise that the countryside in miniature was Marie Antoinette’s favorite retreat from the very public and frenetic life she led back up at the main Château.

Trianon, take me away!

Related: 8 Fantastic day trips from Paris by train

Trekking to Versailles

Get on the RER C line to “Versailles-Rive Gauche.” The scenic train ride takes 30 to 45 minutes.

Tip: Buy a round trip ticket while you’re still in Paris, because by the end of the afternoon ticket lines at the Versailles-Rive Gauche station can be horrifically long, while the self-serve ticket machines are often broken (and the customer is never right). Also, guard your ticket with your life because, unlike the Métro, you also need it to exit the RER. Lose your ticket on either system? Prepare to pay a fine. Cheapos, I have been there.

Fall for the Temple of Love

Going to the Temple of Love

Once you reach the Château du Versailles, start looking for pink and white “Petit Trianon” signs, pennants mentioning the “Hameau,” or green “Le Domaine de Marie-Antoinette” banners. After paying the entrance fee at the gate, you’ll either hoof it down through the gardens and fountains, or take a tram directly there. Personally, I’d walk the walk.

During the warmer months, amazing displays of aquatic artistry bring the palace fountains to life while piped in Lully and other Baroque favorites spray on to everyone’s delight. The weather and your entourage will most likely determine your mode of transportation. Take heed, because along the way you’ll encounter beaucoup steps and uneven ground, especially treacherous after a downpour. Pack your Keds, kids!

The tour  (I did it my way)

There’s no set order to touring the grounds. At the Petit Trianon entrance, you’ll find a café with benches and the best chicken salad sandwiches I’ve ever stuck a tooth in. Here you’ll also find a welcome center, a WC, and a gift shop. Pick up a map and plan your route over lunch.

Marlborough Tower and Lake (taken from Queen’s cottage)

I get my stroll going at the nearby Temple of Love, first paying homage to Cupid with crossed fingers and toes. Then, after putting in a cameo appearance at Marie Antoinette’s delightful little theater, I follow the winding brook down to the hamlet. Do stay on the path! Legend has it that back in 1903 two English women brazenly took a short cut and ended up time-tripping back to the 18th century. So for the love of your pocket-sized technology, stay with your group!

Keeping it real

Marie Antoinette was just 19 years old when hubby Louis XVI gifted the Petit Trianon to her. Initially built for his dad’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour, the royal haven gave Marie Antoinette what she craved most—personal privacy and room to blossom.

Visits were by invitation only, and costumes were kept unusually simple and informal for the time. Banned were big hats, long dress trains, and the wide panniers that put the hustle in the bustle. Soon, intimate co-ed suppers with the King and a handful of friends, and private theater spectacles featuring the Queen, became the norm at her private domain.

Approaching the Petit Trianon

On the boards in her very own theater, Marie Antoinette fearlessly took on her alter egos like an 18th-century Lady Gaga or Beyoncé, performing as milkmaids, shepherdesses, and village maidens. Studying theater, opera, and ballet (with celebrity tutors snagged from Paris), she managed to fine-tune her craft while crafting her own idyllic world. Despite her unfortunate fate, in this tiny theater, with its seats for only forty, its walls and ceilings of rich blue velvet and paper-mâché ornaments mimicking shiny gold and sleek, cool marble, her spirited dreams live on. More than anywhere else, you can still feel her presence here, so trust me, Cheapos, don’t miss it.

Oscar Wilde said it best:  “Illusion is the first of all pleasures.”

Need a lil’ hameau fix now? Sophia Coppola’s movie “Marie Antoinette” was shot on location.

More information

For more tips on visiting Versailles, check out our article “Day Trip from Paris: The Palace of Versailles.”

The post Paris Day Trip: Marie Antoinette’s “Petit Trianon” at Versailles appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.