The 10 best Versailles tickets and tours

You can get a one to twoday pass to the Palace and explore the entire place at your own pace. You'll learn more about the "Sun King" and other legends of the French Monarchy thanks to the audio guide, and you can take a stroll through the beautifully kept gardens, as well as having a browse round Marie Antoinette’s personal estate. Plus, you can also select the option to have access to the fountain show (with music!). 

Thinking of making a hole in your pocket? If you’re happy to drop your dough whilst vacationing, then this helicopter ride is a sure-fire way. You’ll get to drift over the capital and Versailles in all your Bond-esque glamour while landmarks are pointed out to your by your pilot - including the Eiffel Tower, Parc des Princes and Longchamp Racecourse, and of course, the remarkable Palace of Versailles. Easily enjoyed in a spare afternoon (the whole trip only takes an hour-and-a-half) it’s definitely one for sightseers but maybe not a great idea for those with an aversion to high places. Oh, and when you land at the pit-stop at Saint Cyr heliport, you can enjoy some refreshments and try your hand at a bit of helicopter training, too.

Versailles is super popular, which means queues can get very long. And who wants to waste valuable time queuing on holiday? These tickets are well worth it as they allow you to skip the queue and just walk straight in. That leaves you with extra time to take in the beautiful city.

There's no denying that the Palace of Versailles is huge, so employing a Segway is a fun and easy way to look around the grounds. This two-hour tour will take you through the park, along the Grand Canal and past the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Queen’s Hamlet. Your knowledgeable guide will narrate en route.

Begin a great day out with a visit to Monet’s House in Giverny and its famous water lily gardens. Stop at the Monet Foundation for a short introduction to the estate before enjoying lunch in a town en route to the Palace of Versailles. Skip the lines at the Palace to get straight into the Hall of Mirrors, State Apartments, the glorious gardens and more.

Ask anyone who's been to Versailles Palace before and they'll tell you that the hoardes of visitors is astounding. So if you don't like queueing or you're impatient, grab a skip-the-line ticket and explore the extravagant grounds with an expert guide. These small-group tours depart from either Paris or Versailles.

See the Château de Versailles as French kings once did, with this VIP small-group tour that includes a private viewing of the palace’s Royal Quarters. This exclusive tour gives you priority entrance to Versailles through a reserved door and provides you access to magnificent private rooms (such as Louis XVI’s library) that are normally off-limits to the general public.

How about spending a day cycling around Versaille’s stunning surrounds. It’s the best way to see the palace’s expansive gardens, plus you’ll get to see highlights of Versailles that most visitors miss, including Marie Antoinette’s country-style Hameau, the Petit Trianon and the Grand Trianon. You'll also get to enjoy a picnic by the Grand Canal before taking a tour of the Palace of Versailles.

If you simply can't decide how and where you want to explore the spawling grounds, then this 'best bits' day trip is the perfect option. Leave from Paris first thing in the morning and travel in an air-conditioned bus to Versailles, where you'll have skip-the-queue entry. See the State Apartments, incredible Hall of Mirrors, gardens, Grand Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet. Plus enjoy a three-course lunch (included in the price) by the incredibly tranquil Grand Canal.

Visit the furthest reaches of the Versailles Gardens via Les Petits Trains. These little carriages provide shelter from the sun or rain, come equipped with audio guides and even play a Baroque soundtrack to put you in a royally French frame of mind. The trains run every 10-20 minutes, depending on the season.