Getting to Versailles from the Eiffel Tower: the RER C, and the winter visiting order we recommend

The journey: the RER C, no changes

From the 7th, we send everyone to the RER C. The Versailles branch is the old Invalides to Versailles-Rive-Gauche line: you board at Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel station, at the foot of the tower, or even at Les Invalides, and you get off at the terminus, Versailles Château Rive Gauche. No connection, no taxi to negotiate.

Two precautions before you leave:

• The ticket: Versailles is in zone 4. Check on the Île-de-France Mobilités app that your pass covers the journey before validating.
• Works: the Versailles branch of the RER C is regularly closed for works. Check the traffic status the evening before. If it's cut, Versailles has two other stations, Versailles Rive Droite and Versailles Chantiers, and the palace lists all three as access points.

The day to avoid: Monday

The Palace and the Trianon estate are closed every Monday, as well as on December 25 and January 1. This is the mistake we see most often. The gardens and the park, however, remain open every day, from 8am to 6pm (last access 5:30pm, except in exceptional weather).

Winter hours, and the order we recommend

In low season, from November 2 to March 22, the days are short and everything closes early. Here is what the palace publishes:

Our advice: leave early to be at the Palace for opening, at 9am, when the State Apartments are quietest. Trianon only opens at noon, so save it for the afternoon, crossing the gardens on foot. On weekends, the Coach Gallery is free and slips in easily between the two.

On the way back

The same RER C brings you back to Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel. In winter, the tower is already illuminated when you return: if you want to see it sparkle, we have noted the times and the best viewpoints in the 7th on a separate page.