Castles · Tour

Versailles by Golf Cart and Bike, with the Palace at 3:30

The clever part of this itinerary is the order. You spend the morning and early afternoon in the park by golf cart and bike, and go into the palace at 3:30, once the crowds have moved outdoors. Most visitors do it the other way round and queue for both. The golf carts take four at a time and stop at the viewpoints, including the Bosquets, the groves that most bike tours ride straight past, and the fountains. The schedule is set against the fountain timetable, which runs April to October at weekends. The cycling stays entirely inside the royal domain: no traffic, no city roads, just the paths. The bikes are stored on the estate itself, and the range covers adult, children's, mountain, city and tandem models, plus a trailer for babies, with helmets available. If you would rather not cycle, a shuttle replaces the bike at no extra cost, which works for anyone with mobility problems or with small children. The route reaches the Grand Canal, the Trianons and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet, where there is free time in the 18th-century village built to Normandy patterns, with a small farm and animals. Lunch is not included, but guests get 15% off at Angelina: sandwiches, quiches, salads, pastries, and the hot chocolate the house is known for. At 3:30 the guide walks you back to the front gate, hands over recommendations, and leaves you to the palace with your timed entry ticket. Meet after the security check at the first gates: cross the cobbled square to the golden gate, between entrances A and B, where the guide waits with a Kingtours sign and your tickets.