Overview
Versailles is popularly known for vast royal palace and gardens. The best time to visit Versailles is late spring or early summer. Versailles is located in on western edge of the French capital city Paris. Versailles enjoys a fairly protected setting, with fine weather for much of the year.
Statistics
Location: Île-de-France / Suburb of Paris
International Dialing code: 33
Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October)
Average temperatures (January): 6°C
Average temperatures (July): 24°C
Official Language: French
Currency
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency in Versailles, France. Currency can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and some large hotels. Major credit cards are widely accepted.
1.00 GBP = 1.13 EUR
1.00 USD = 0.69 EUR
Note: These currency exchange rates are not updated daily and should be used as a guideline only.
Emergency Contacts
Police: 17 - free call
Fire service : 18 – free call
Ambulance : 15 – free call
Attractions
Palace Gardens
Arboretum de Chevrèloup
Grand Trianon
Petit Trianon
Hameau de la Reine
Nightlife
Versailles has a special lifestyle, an art of living that goes on all year long at countless sidewalk cafes and bars.
There is no shortage of festivities, places to meet people and numerous discotheques. When it comes to nightclubs, Versailles's got something for everybody. Clubs to satisfy everyone's taste, style and age group.
Shopping
If you are looking for souvenirs of your visit, then the Palace of Versailles won't disappoint. Here you will find a number of gift shops selling King Louis mugs, books about the château itself, colourful T-shirts, postcards and other touristy merchandise.
Hotels
Many people visiting the Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) choose to base themselves within Paris itself, so that they can visit the many attractions that the city has to offer and take full advantage of the undeniable Parisian atmosphere. Whilst Paris has an enormous selection of accommodation at all levels, there are a number of hotels within Versailles itself, which offer a high standard of lodging in quieter surroundings.
Most hotels in Versailles are not particularly cheaper, but they do offer an excellent standard of accommodation and are a good place to base yourself, whether you wish to explore the palace, the city itself, or nearby Paris.
Restaurants
There are a number of restaurants to note dotted around the city of Versailles. However, since many people come here just as a day trip from Paris, to visit the Château de Versailles, it is often easier to simply eat within the palace itself.
The main dining venues in the Palace of Versailles include a pleasant cafe close to the Cour de la Chapelle, along with two relaxed restaurants, named La Petite Venise and La Flotille, which are close to the canal itself. Of course, on a sunny day the palace grounds really do lend themselves to picnicking and visitors are permitted to bring their own food and picnic on the lawns, or around areas of the gardens. Affordable snack food is also available at a number of kiosks, particularly around the palace's Bosquet de la Girandole and Grand Trianon areas.
