We took 1 day in France and headed over to the Palace of Versailles. I've heard people say this destination is either one you love, or one you find over-the-top. My family and I fell into the love category. We spent 12 hours there, and still did not see everything, or spend as much time in some locations. The palace is already on our list of return trips to make, and spending more time in the garden will be our focus. 

First and foremost, it is recommended you book your palace tickets before arriving, as timeslots do sell out. There are tickets for only the palace, and only the gardens. If you want to visit both, make sure your ticket includes them. You could also plan a couple days at Versailles and do the palace one day, and the gardens another day. There were also 2 lines at the entrance to the palace. If you walk up to the signs at the front, you will see which line your specific timeslot will be entering from. 

Walking up to the gates is jaw-dropping, especially if you've ever wanted to visit Versailles. Getting a picture in front of the large, golden gates is tricky, but possible. Everyone wants a picture here, so you need to be patient. If you don't mind others being in your picture that makes it a lot easier. Once through security you can collect an audio tour, unless you want to use the app on your phone and push the sound through your own headphones. If you choose the app, be sure to download the tours prior to arriving at the palace, as wifi will not be your friend.

After you're set with the audio tour, you enter the courtyard. From the courtyard you can branch off to different parts of the palace for their respective tours. If you want to see more artwork and painted ceilings, head to the left. If you want to see more grandeur (like Hall of Mirrors), walk straight across the courtyard to the other side of the palace.

Once inside the palace you are pretty much free to move around at your own pace. Most rooms and hallways have ample space, so even on crowded days you're not always on top of one another. That being said, there are a few spots where traffic bottle necks. 

Now for my personal feelings about the palace. I will admit I had certain expectations going here. Many of them were far exceeded. However, there were a few areas where I felt a little disappointed. There were some areas where some of the molding, wall coverings, statue nameplates, etc. felt a bit DIY-ish. Certainly not what I expected from a grand palace. Now, I'm well aware of how old the palace is, and how some things would not stand the test of time. But, in some spots I honestly could not tell if the space actually looked like that all the time, or if it was a temporary display while restoration was going on. In other areas, it was quite obvious there was restoration happening. I will also say, there were some parts of the palace I was wondering how long it was going to still be standing. There are lots of cracks in walls and ceilings.

With all of that being said, I was still blown away by the sheer majesty. Marbled hallways, a grand chapel, the Hall of Mirrors, the statues.....it was all amazing. Then, we made our way out to the gardens. I grossly underestimated the size of the gardens. Honestly, it's kind of easy to do, as there are much of the gardens you don't really see when you first enter. In the distance you'll see a bunch of trees on either side. However, there are smaller gardens/spaces within those trees. 

One thing we did not get to see much of was the fountains actually being on. To conserve energy and water, the fountains only run at certain times. In the grand scheme of our first visit, the fountains were not a priority. We'll definitely spend more time at them on our next visit. We did catch the dancing water show at Neptune's fountain, which was pretty nice. 

During certain times of the year, on weekends and special holidays, you can book tickets to some nighttime events. Our tickets included champagne, a drone show, and fireworks. While waiting for the fireworks there were also fire shows behind the palace. We went August 15th, which is Assumption Day in France. I'm not sure if that made the crowds bigger or smaller, but it was why the fireworks were on a Tuesday night.

Tips I learned:

(Most of these have already been pointed out above)

-DO NOT believe the internet, when it says 2 hours is enough time. It most certainly isn't.

-Wear very comfortable shoes

-Places and times to eat within the palace are limited.

-Yes, wheelchairs and strollers were able to be used inside the palace (you sometimes need to see an attendant to gain access to elevators)

-Photography was allowed in all areas, just no flash

-Lines for women's restroom are long. Do not wait until the last minute to go.

-For those with disabilities, elders, or small children, you can have a golf cart take you around the garden grounds.

-Download all tours on your phone app before arriving at the palace.

-Be sure your tickets includes what you want to see (garden, palace, both, etc.)

-If you are staying for the fireworks, try sitting up the by castle, center to the Grand Canal.

To access the album click here https://altlensphotos.com/p812103851

Our first trip to France started in, none other than, Paris. We were there for 1 and 1/2 days, which is not nearly enough time to accomplish much. However, we already know we will be going back, likely 2025, to see Notre Dame Cathedral when it is reopened. It is still close from the 2019 fire, but is scheduled to reopen December 2024. While it was sad that we could not see the inside of the cathedral this trip, we are grateful for the amount of support shown to rebuild. Initially, the repair and restoration of the cathedral was estimated to be 30+ years. 

Being that we had such limited time, and from previous experience elsewhere, the first thing we did was book a ticket for the Hop on, Hop off bus tour. If you travel to a city that has this, I recommend you do it early. This gives you the best overview of what's available, and can help you better decide how to plan out your stay. Heck, you may even see something you did not know was nearby that interests you. One little confession, most of the pictures you see in this album we taken on the bus tour. Hopefully, that proves my point of taking the bus tour ;)

We had some weather to deal with, too. Rain and heat were fighting us. Rain we could handle, it just meant my camera wasn't out. The heat.....that's a different story. I knew I was not drinking enough, the heat pointed that out by making me feel a bit ill. If you are wondering why we went to an aquarium in Paris, that's why. It was indoors, shaded, and something we could do at a calmer pace. Plus, the whole family enjoys marine life, so it really wasn't that bad of an option. 

I will say, Paris is a very beautiful city. There was quite a bit of construction/restoration happening around the entire city. However, this seems common in most cities, especially when it comes to historical buildings/landmarks. If there is something in particular you want to see, check for details ahead of time to make sure it will be open the day you want, and if there are any areas closed for repairs. 

Now for some pointers I learned.

- If you plan to visit the Louvre, be prepared for crowds and a larger than expected building.

- The lights on the Eiffel Tower are on a timer. They come on at dusk and go off around midnight. Keep in mind, the "sparkle" effect (blinking strobe lights) only happen at the top of an hour, and last for roughly 5 minutes. Some might think it silly to wait, but it's worth it, in my opinion.

- The Hop on, Hop off bus tours stop early. Don't get caught on the other side of the city, unless you don't mind calling for an Uber. (Extra tip: Uber is cheaper than a taxi). So, double check the time the bus stops running for the day you are using it. 

- Some public restrooms will need to you either pay to use, or show a receipt that you are a patron of a particular establishment. For instance, the bathroom for the restaurant out in front of the aquarium required you to show a receipt. 

- Book a tour for the Eiffel Tower. If you were in Paris prior to 2015, you may remember being able to walk directly up to the Eiffel Tower and walk under it. That is no longer the case. You must enter through 2 security checkpoints to get onto the tower. The reason I suggest booking a tour is because the wait time can be quite long if you do the walkup line. To save yourself from waiting so long, and to maximize your sightseeing time, book a tour and report at the time suggested. You will still need to wait in a line, but the line is much shorter.

- Be sure to either have access to the internet on your phone, or have a translation app on it. To get menus and brochures in different languages may require this technology. Or, you could always just learn French.

- Be prepared to see their police and military walking the airports and streets. Why is this something to know? Because some people, may be caught off guard seeing groups of officers carrying their semi-automatic rifles around. 

- If you travel in July, be prepared for detours due to the Tour de France.

- If you travel in August, expect some places to be closed for European Holiday (Vacation). Yes, entire businesses close for vacation.

- Be prepared for lots of street vendors, particularly around the Eiffel Tower. Most of what they sell can be found in giftshops anyway. Will the street vendors be cheaper? Sure. However, with as many times as they pick up their cloth and bang the items together, you may wish to spend your money on something that is treated better.