Skip the Line: Versailles Palace and Gardens Day Trip from Paris by Train

Awesome day! Great way to cover the grounds as the property is much bigger than it appears. Palace is awesome and its great to skip the lines

We took this tour while spending 3 days in Paris as it turns out, May 5th was a partial holiday. Met the tour director near where we picked up the local train. Interestingly enough, a few guys playing accordians and a trumpet came through the car, playing mariachi music for Cinco de Mayo, and accepting donations. Wasn't really expecting that in France! The train ride is brief, and we disembarked at Versailles. Our guide explained on the way down that he was there to show us the gardens, but that we'd be on our own in the Palace. That was a disappointment I don't know if the inability to have a tour guide in the Palace is unique to Versailles, but other tours we've taken have guides with radio headsets, so that they could talk to everyone in the group quietly into our earbuds. This was done extensively in Italy, so it was a bit of a disappointment. In any event, the guide was very knowledgeable about the gardens, and then we toured the palace on our own. The gardens are interesting, but the Palace is over the top in terms of decor, art, etc. So much to see! The Palace does get a bit crowded, but the hallways are wide enough that you could go as quickly or as slowly as you wanted. We wrapped up our tour of the Palace, walked back to the local McDonalds yes, a McDonalds at Versailles, and then across the street to the train station to make our way back to Paris. We managed to remember which stop to get off at, and our tour was complete. I marked it 4, knocking off 1 because we were not aware of or missed the note that the guide wouldn't accompany us through the Palace. It would have been more informative if the guide could have helped us understand all of what we saw in the palace. By the way, Skip The Line proved well worth the extra cost we also used it at Eiffel's Tower and at various locations in Italy.

Oh my goodness! As our guide said, all that glitters IS gold at the palace in Versailles. The gardens were beautiful though we were too early for the flowers to be in bloom. The palace was packed full of beautiful art and furnishings of the period. The Hall of Mirrors was unbelievable! This was a GREAT reprieve from the crowds and traffic in Paris. Kudos to Fat Tire tours for making it such a fun and memorable day!!

I would highly recommend this tour to everyone. the train made the trip quick and easy. Versailles is elegant and huge. Something for all interests. When the guided tour ended we were free to visit as long as we liked and catch any train back to Paris that day.

By Far Extraordinaire....to much to absorb in one visit. Amazing history of Louis XIV and ornate placements of the Palace along with the vast beauty of the grounds and gardens. Certainly worth a revisit!

This tour was excellent, and Sonja, our tour guide was the best! Highly recommend!

So easy we met at an appointed place, and even as we hit traffic and were a bit late, the tour waited on us. Our guide, Jess, was fantastic, knowledgeable and warm. The palace is a must-visit, as are the gardens. Gorgeous classical music plays as fountains dance. Just a great outing.

FANTASTIC! we really enjoyed going to Versailles. So important to book a tour... skipping the long lines!

Definitely worth getting skip the line in advance so you don't have to deal with the line at the palace. Our host Richard was nice and very knowledgeable about the history of the palace. For the price i would have excepted more than just a metro ride to Versailles which you can take on your own, but overall a good experience.

Jess was our tour guide. She was energetic and made the tour that much more special.