In April 2025, our family finally checked a major item off our bucket list: a visit to the legendary Château de Versailles. While the palace is known for its opulence and history, navigating it with a family requires a bit of planning. Here is how we spent our royal day out.

Getting There: A Breeze from the City

One of the best parts of the trip was how accessible the palace is from Paris. We stayed in an AirBnB that was just a short walk from the train station. We hopped on the train for an easy, hour-long ride through the French countryside. Once we arrived at the Versailles station, it was another quick walk straight to the golden gates of the Château.

Navigating the Palace

We had heard horror stories about the wait times, but the system is actually quite efficient. You purchase tickets for a specific time block, which helps manage the flow. Despite the visible long lines, the process of getting inside was surprisingly smooth.

Once inside, we opted for the guided audio tour. The headphones are available in multiple languages, making it easy for everyone in the family to follow along with the history of the Sun King. To say this place is "huge" is an understatement—there are endless rooms, hidden side chambers, and corridors dripping in gold.

"The scale of Versailles is hard to capture in photos. Every room seems to lead to another even more ornate than the last."

A quick tip: Because Versailles is a world-renowned landmark, expect crowds. We found that the large tour groups made it a little difficult to move through certain areas at our own pace. If you go, try to aim for the earliest or latest slots in your time block to avoid the mid-day rush.

Burgers and Gelato: The Ultimate Reward

After walking miles through history, we were starving. We headed into the town of Versailles and found a spot called Good Food (11 Rue de Satory). I’ll be honest: I didn’t expect to find one of the best burgers I’ve ever had outside of the U.S. in a French side street, but it was incredible!

We topped off the afternoon with some authentic gelato at Lartecono Da Vinci. Watching the staff craft the cones was the perfect end to a long day of exploring. If you’re visiting the palace, do yourself a favor and wander into the town for a meal—it’s the perfect way to decompress after the grandeur of the estate.