Versailles - is there a "back" entrance?

[mez]

Hi all.

Let me preface by stating I have looked at the Versailles website and could not find anything but I thought it worthy of asking my know-it-all OPF friends ... and I do love that you know it all.

Are there other entrances to Versailles apart from the main one?

My primary interest this time is spending time in the gardens. While I may wander up to the house, it's not a priority for me.

Thanks in advance from an excited Mez who is definitely counting down the days now!!! ;D

[PariS]

I'm pretty sure there's no alternate entrance there, Mez. But it's exciting that your trip is coming up so soon!

[sunshine817]

There is, indeed, a 'back gate' -- it enters into the garden, so there's no admission kiosk there. You can go in there and wander the gardens to your heart's content.

If it's a fountain weekend, they put up some barricade tape further down so that you have to go past the ticket kiosk to get down to the major fountains, but there's a small terrace that you can still wander for free.

Now if I just knew how to tell you how to find it -- we stumbled across it.

As you're facing the main entrance from outside, it's to your right a few blocks, down a very unassuming-looking side street. Go to chateauversailles.fr, and on the left-hand side there's a plan interactive. Open that, then drag the palace toward your left - you'll see a gate just below the red dot labeled #45. Sadly, the streets aren't named!

...on to Google Streetview -- it's at the corner of Rue de la Paroisse and Rue Maurepas -- but the Streetview shows it as being closed...which is good to keep in mind.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Last summer I took my bike into that entrance Sunshine is speaking about and it's true that if you are facing the front of the château and just keep following the wall to your right eventually, after a few blocks, you will find the entrance by the Bassin de Neptune.

[mez]

You guys are worth your weight in gold!

Thank you.

[bpollet]

Hi! I may be late for this answer.

There are actually many back entrance.
One is located close to the orangerie (south of the palace) just in front of the Pièce d'eau des suisses
One other is on the north side just close to the bassin de neptune

Both of them give acces to the garden and the back side of the palace.
they can be closed during the water show.
In that case there is still one option a bit further to access freely to the garden especially the "Grand Canal", its located somewhere between Versailles and St Cyr, on the main road to this city. To get there from the train station it a 25 minute walk.

[mez]

Thanks, bpollet.

In the end, I did not make it to Versailles so it's still on the list for next time. :-)