Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The palace audioguide and my audio tour complement one another: Eager students
can easily transfer earbuds between devices and listen to both tours as you shuffle
through the lavish rooms.
Baggage Check:
Large bags and baby strollers are not allowed in the Château and the two
Trianons (use a baby backpack or hire a babysitter for the day); you must use the free
baggage check and retrieve your items one hour before closing.
Services:
There are WCs on either side of the Château courtyard (in the ticket-sales office
and in the guided-tours office), immediately upon entering the Château (Entrance H),
and near the exit from the Dauphin's Apartments. You'll also find WCs near the Grand
Café d'Orléans, in the Gardens near the Latona Basin, at the Grand Canal, in the Grand
Trianon and Petit Trianon, and at several other places scattered around the grounds. Any
café generally has a WC.
Photography:
Allowed, but no flash indoors.
Eating:
To the left of the Château's golden Royal Gate entrance, the Grand Café d'Orléans
offers good value self-service meals (€5 sandwiches and small salads, great for picnick-
ing in the Gardens). In the Gardens, you'll find several restaurants, cafés, and snack
stands. Most are located near the Latona Fountain (less crowded) and in a delightful
cluster at the Grand Canal (more crowds and more choices, including two restaurants).
In
town,
restaurants are on the street to the right of the parking lot (as you face the
Château). Handy McDonald's and Starbucks (both with WCs) are across from the train
station.ThebestchoicesareonthelivelyPlaceduMarchéNotre-Dameinthetowncen-
ter.
FountainSpectaclesintheGardens:
Onspringandsummerweekends,theGardenscharge
a mandatory admission fee for these spectacles. Loud classical music fills the king's
backyard, and the Gardens' fountains are in full squirt. Louis XIV had his engineers lit-
erally reroute a river to fuel these gushers. Even by today's standards, they are impress-
ive.
The fountains run on Saturdays and Sundays from April through October
(11:00-12:00&15:30-17:30;finalestartsat17:20).TheyalsoperformonTuesdaysfrom
lateMayuntillateJuneatthesametimes.Onthese“spraydays,”theGardenscost€8.50.
(Pay at the Gardens entrance; covered by Le Passeport but not Paris Museum Pass.) The
calendar of spectacles also includes a few music-only days (on the rare Tue, €8.50) and
elaborate sound-and-light displays (Sat mid-June-Aug at 21:00, €23). Check the Ver-
sailles website for what's happening during your visit.
