The lines are very long at Versailles. If you go, buy a ticket and a guided tour online because the tour gets you into the park faster than waiting in the regular line. I guess there are timed admission tickets available but I didn't find any when I purchased the tickets, probably because I waited until the day before and all the timed ones were likely sold out.
The tour was interesting and the palace is opulent as one would expect. Mike and I have been to Herrenchiemsee in Germany which King Ludwig built as a copy of Versailles because he admired the Sun King. It is a very good copy and I would even say that the Hall of Mirrors in Herrenchiemsee is bigger and better than the one at Versailles,
We concluded our tour and looked around a bit then went outside into the gardens. It was hot outside that day and inside the palace was pretty warm as well. The gardens are not gardens in the sense of a garden with lots of flowerbeds, but more of a garden that has lawns, trees, fountains, etc. It is very large and a lot of walking involved unless you hire a little golf cart. It was really disappointing that none of the fountains are running except on weekends and a few specific days during the summer. A little water mist from a fountain would have been a welcome refresher.
We walked down to the lake and had some lunch at a cafe there and even indulged in some ice cream sundaes for dessert. The food was very good and it was nice to sit in the shade.
We then walked over to try to find the little hamlet of Marie Antoinette's, but we were a little confused trying to find the entrance and it was really hot so we eventually gave up. If I were to visit again, I would choose to come in the off season and preferably on a weekend to see the water fountains.
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