In my humble opinion, Versailles is a must-see in one's lifetime, even though it has its drawbacks. First of all, the palace is frequently unbearably overcrowded. And, being the early inspiration of grand royal residences, it is exceeded in splendor by some of its imitators, so if you've been to places like Peterhof or Schönbrunn, you may not even rate Versailles all that high. I don't expect that many people would make a return trip to it unless they are bringing first-time visitors with them. In April of 2025, I came to Versailles for the third time in twenty-five years, for the benefit of my youngest child, who's never been before.

The interiors of the vast palace can be explored via several circuits, of which ninety-nine per cent of visitors would only go on one. The Royal Apartments consist of a couple of dozen luxurious spaces that are largely empty of furnishings, save for statuary, occasional paintings, and a bedroom or two. Fireplaces are always impressive, but ceilings and crown mouldings are the standout features of practically every single room. You also get a glimpse of the Royal Chapel and eventually reach pièce de résistance - the incomparable Hall of Mirrors. On a normal day, you will share the hall with a few hundred people at any point in time - a small price to pay for seeing its splendor.

Group tours frequently do not include the gardens in their program, so the vast Versailles grounds do not feel as crowded as the palace proper, especially on weekdays when the fountains do not operate. Each of the garden segments - they are called "groves" - offers secluded walking paths and a large fountain at its heart, sometimes two. Due to centuries-old water supply constraints, Versailles' fountains are turned on only on weekends from late spring through early autumn, and even then on a limited schedule. In fact, different parts of the waterworks come on and off at different times, so if you want to see more than just the main fountains, you need to structure your entire schedule around the proper time intervals.

I should posit that, for all their magnificence, the gardens feel visually underwhelming when the fountains are not on. You can still enjoy the form, the scenery, and the extensive classical statuary across two thousand acres. Your mileage will vary with respect to the extra cost of garden tickets on Grandes Eaux days.

The bookends of the Royal Alley, the Apollo Fountain at the bottom and especially the Latona's Pool at the top, are the most dazzling fountains of all. Music accompanies the waterworks, but don't be fooled if your ticket says Eaux Musicales: it is not a synchronized performance - there are the fountains, and there is also the music. Some of the grove fountains may not be on even if the schedule says that they should be, as I realized to my chagrin on this most recent trip.

Parts of the Versailles complex, located far enough on foot so that extra investment of time and effort is needed to reach them, are home to smaller palaces, such as Queen Marie-Antoinette's estate of Petit Trianon and the larger Grand Trianon. Their interiors are only mildly interesting, but the grounds around them are pretty, alternating French- and English-style gardens with various eye-catching features.

Versailles is reachable from central Paris via a direct line of RER commuter train, taking slightly over half an hour. The walk from the station to the palace entrance courtyard is five to ten minutes, depending on your pace. Prepaid tickets necessitate a 20-to-30 minute wait to shuffle through the security checkpoint if you join the line close to your prescribed time; you'll wait longer than that if you want to be at the front, since it will only start moving around the time printed on the ticket even if you come an hour earlier. In fact, if you prefer to spend minimal time in line, your best bet is to join it with only a few minutes left in your entry interval - you will likely just waltz in without delay as one of the last people in that time slot.

If all you want to see is the Royal Apartments circuit, you may be able to keep your time investment to about two hours between getting off the train at Versailles and getting on a return train. Seeing the gardens in addition to the palace requires at least half a day of time investment. If the Trianons are included in your targets, you will need close to a full day. And as I mentioned above, careful consideration has to be given to the intervals of fountain operations if you come on a weekend in summer.