NEAR PARIS - France 2014 - page 316

long lines in the morning—avoid the wait by using the ticket machines at the back of
the room (you'll need a chip-and-PIN card or bills—which half the machines accept).
Hours: The Château is open April-Oct Tue-Sun 9:00-18:30, Nov-March Tue-Sun
9:00-17:30; closed Mon year-round.
The Trianon Palaces and Domaine de Marie-Antoinette areopenApril-OctTue-
Sun 12:00-18:30, Nov-March Tue-Sun 12:00-17:30; closed Mon year-round (off-sea-
son only the two Trianon Palaces are open, not the Hamlet or other outlying build-
ings).
The Gardens areopenApril-Octdaily9:00-20:30,butmaycloseearlierforspecial
events; Nov-March Tue-Sun 8:00-18:00, closed Mon.
Last entry to all areas is 30 minutes before closing.
Crowd-Beating Strategies: Versailles canbepackedMay-Sept10:00-13:00.AvoidTues-
daysandSundays,whentheplaceisjammedwithaslowshuffleoftouristsfromopen
to close. Ticket and security lines can be long: To skip the ticket-buying line, use a
Paris Museum Pass or Le Passeport, buy tickets in advance, or book a guided tour.
Unless you take a guided tour, everyone—including holders of advance tickets and
passes—must go through security at the Château's Royal Gate entrance (longest lines
10:00-12:00). For strategies once you get into the palace and its grounds, see “Plan-
ning Your Time,” earlier.
Pickpockets: Assume pickpockets are working the tourist crowds.
Information: Before you go, check the excellent website for updates and special
events— www.chateauversailles.fr . The palace's general contact number is tel. 01 30
83 78 00. Versailles has two information offices. You'll pass the city TI on your walk
fromtheRERstationtothepalace—it'sjustpastthePullmanHôtel(daily9:00-19:00,
tel. [phone]). The information office at the Château is on the left side of the
courtyard as you face the Château (WCs, toll tel. [phone]). Pick up the free,
useful map just inside the Château.
Guided Tours: The 1.5-hour English guided tour gives you access to a few extra rooms
(the lineup varies) and lets you skip those long entry lines (€16 includes palace
entry—just €1 more than entry alone, €7 if you have a Paris Museum Pass or Le
Passeport). Ignore the tours hawked near the train station. You can book a tour in ad-
vanceonthepalace'swebsite,orreserveimmediately uponarrivalattheguided-tours
officeintheChâteaucourtyard—it'stoyourrightasyouapproachthepalace(lookfor
Visites Conferences signs). Tourscan sell out by13:00. At least two English tours run
every day, usually departing at 9:30 and 14:00—but often running hourly from 9:00
to15:00(toursareaddedasguidesbecomeavailable).Ifyouweren'tabletobookon-