We will choose a flight from our home country in America to London. Ideally, we would be able to do so in mid-season, spring or autumn are good options, the prices will not be as high as in high season and at the same time there will be good weather and several hours of sunshine to make the most of it.

When choosing a flight on the search engine, if you have freedom of dates, it is better to be able to choose the best rate. Remember to include a checked bag.

We will dedicate 29 nights to the itinerary on this itinerary through Europe, not counting the round trip. This is a base; you will cut or add  days where you feel it is necessary.

London

We will dedicate 5 days to London of which one I dedicate to go to Harry Potter Studios, that will depend on whether it is important for you or not, so always with this base that I give you adapt it to your tastes.

►Where to stay in London

Start with a free tour as always, they have several, through several areas, but I recommend the first day to do the essential London tour to get to know the city.

►What to see in London

What to add near London?

If you want to add some day and make an excursion from London, there are two good options, one is Oxford with its colleges, the other is a tour of the Cotswolds, dream towns and some add Shakespeare’s town, Stratford Upon Avon.

►Excursion to Oxford

►Excursion to the Cotswolds

We will now take the train to Paris.

París

We will dedicate 4 days to Paris, if they have more it is always better, but we are going to give it a base of four.

►Where to stay in Paris

Starting with a free tour is also a good idea.

►What to see in Paris

Always remember, when putting together your vacation, to take out travel insurance. We use Iati, from our link they have a 5% discount on hiring it.

What to add near Paris?

If you want from here you can add a day to visit the Palace of Versailles, or a day to Disneyland Paris. They also have day trips to Mont Saint Michel, the Loir Castlesto, in short, they have many options if they want to add more days in Paris.

►Day trips from Paris

From here we will take a train again and go to Brussels in Belgium↓↓We continue with this itinerary through Europe.

Brussels

We will dedicate two days to the city, then we will see what we can add in the country.

To stay we can do it near the Grand Place, you have a variety of hotels and you can get a not so high price.

►What to see in Brussels

►Free tour Brussels

What to add near Brussels?

If you want to add more days you can take an excursion to both Bruges and Ghent, both cities are beautiful and I would not miss them, Bruges is always more requested.

►Excursion to Bruges and Ghent

From here we will take the train again, now bound for nearby Amsterdam.

Amsterdam

Once in the Netherlands we will spend 4 days in this city, because one of them will be spent visiting the nearby towns that are beautiful and I recommend you not miss them.

Where to stay? In the central area from the station where we will get off Amsterdam Central through the whole canal area is a good option. We stayed next to Dam Square.

►What to see in Amsterdam.

►Free tour Amsterdam

What to add near Amsterdam

I wouldn’t miss an excursion to towns near Amsterdam such as Zaanse schans, Edam, Volendam or Marken. As well as going to see the tulips if you are in the month of April until the beginning of May.

►Excursion to the villages near Amsterdam

Having internet is always important. During the tours we make around Europe we are connected with the Holafly eSim, we took out the one for unlimited use in Europe for the number of days we are there and it is always a very good option. You activate it with a QR code, follow the instructions and it is ready to use, it does not work on all mobile models, so check carefully on the page to see if it can be useful for you. With our code you have a 5% discount on the purchase. Here is the link with the discount for followers of Europe Accompanied! Holafly discount code, EUROPAACOMPAÑADA5

And from here we will also fly or evaluate the train to Florence.

Florence

We will dedicate 3 days to Florence, just to the city and then we will see what to add.

We will look for centrally located accommodation so that you can do a lot on foot.

What must-sees. The views of Florence from Piazzale Michel Angelo, the best views of the city. The Duomo, the number one must-see in the city without a doubt.

The Ponte Veccio, the Degli Uffizi Gallery, the Palazzo Veccio, the Accademia Gallery, the central market of Florence, the Boboli Garden. Do a walking tour if you can, it will help you with the history and location in the city.

What to add near Florence

If you can add more days, from here you can go on excursions to some of the towns in Tuscany such as San Gemignano, Pensiunea, Montepulciano or Lucca. Or you can also visit Pisa or the Cinque Terre. As you can see, the range of options is quite wide, you will have to evaluate the days to add to this trip. These are places that I recommend staying overnight and not just visiting during the day.

► Tour of Tuscany

►Excursion to Pisa

►Tour of the Cinque Terre

We will take a train now to Rome.

Rome

What to say about Rome, we will give Rome 4 nights. And get ready to walk.

My accommodation preference is near the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, but as the price of hotels is high, look for a lot.►Hotels in Rome

Must-sees: the Colosseum, go in, you won’t regret it. The Palatine Hill. The Vittorio Emanuelle monument, go up, the views are very beautiful. The Trevi Fountain.

The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Piazza Spagna. The Vatican and the Vatican Museums. There is a lot to see in Rome, walk a lot, plan your route well on a map.

What to add near Rome

►Excursion to the Catacombs and Appian Way

►Excursion to Naples and Pompeii

From here we will fly to Barcelona. We will dedicate 3 nights to Barcelona, but if you have more, take advantage of them.

Barcelona

Here they have many areas where you can stay, we have chosen near Paseo de Gracia at the last opportunity and it was a nice option, but the range of places is very wide. ►Hotels in Barcelona

►What to see in Barcelona

►Free tour Barcelona

What to add near Barcelona

►Excursion to Montserrat

►Excursion to Tarragona and Sitges

From here we will take the fast train to Madrid.

Madrid

We will dedicate 4 days to Madrid to be able to visit it in a more leisurely way and prepare for the return flight to our country of origin.

Where to stay?, the same, do your searches, my preference is near Gran Vía in the vicinity of Plaza del Callao.

►What to see in Madrid

►Free tour Madrid

What to add near Madrid

►Excursion to Toledo

►Excursion to Segovia

►Cuenca

Here is just one option for a European itinerary that can be varied by exchanging cities, or adding or removing some.

We hope that this has been helpful and that it is the starting point for all the searches you will do. I hope that I have awakened the desire to create your own itinerary.

Europe Itinerary Video

We usually rent a car to do the tours. As I always say, it is generally cheaper to pick up and return the car at the same place. In this case we did it with Discovercars, check the prices with your dates.

►Find the car for your tour on Discovercars

NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links

La entrada Classic Europe Itinerary se publicó primero en Europa acompañada.

The Palace of Versailles was the royal residence between 1682 and 1789. It is located in the municipality of Versailles, about 20 kilometers from Paris, and receives millions of visitors every year.

Versailles comprises three palaces: Versailles,  Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, as well as several buildings located in the town. Although Louis XIII had a hunting lodge  with a garden built there, Louis XIV is its true creator, since he gave it its spaciousness and determined its destiny.

The Versailles Palace and Park complex was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979

If you have decided to visit Versailles, organizing your visit will be very important to ensure that it is a success.

Shall we begin? Travel companions, welcome to Versailles!!

TICKETS TO VISIT VERSAILLES

The first thing we’re going to think about is getting our tickets.

The Palace of Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and receives more than 10 million visitors per year, so obtaining our tickets online in advance is very important to avoid queues and be able to enjoy our visit.

Tickets are available for purchase in advance on the official website of the Palace of Versailles. Try to do so this way and avoid at least the long queue at the ticket office that usually forms.

I often receive messages telling me that they have not been able to get tickets for the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, etc. The advice is not to delay in getting tickets for the high season in such touristy places as Paris. I know that the downside is often that we have gone through many changes and we are afraid of losing our tickets if we have to cancel the visit.

►Ticket for the Palace of Versailles

The option to do this (and what I do when I can) is to get tickets that offer free cancellation in case we have to do it, and thus be able to get the money back. Where can I get them? Generally not on official websites, but on ticket sales sites. I buy them from Civitatis or Get Your Guide, both of which have always responded very well to me when I have had to cancel. Make sure it says free cancellation (this is not always the case), always remember to look at the conditions of those tickets, many offer free cancellation but others do not.

So if the delay is due to that fear, check if you have that option and try to book as soon as you decide, you will always have time to change your mind.

►Versailles tickets

Ticket prices

The entrance fee in August 2022 is €21.5 for a passport that allows you to visit the palace and the entire domain including the Trianon, and €28.5 for the days of water shows and musical gardens.

The entrance fee for the palace and gardens only is €18 (without the Trianon)

Access to the gardens and park only is free except for the days of the fountain show and musical gardens.

Children under 26 years of age residing in the EU have free access, however they have to book access at a time slot. ►Website Palace of Versailles, as well as Paris Pass tourist pass holders. (If it is a water show day, both cases must pay the additional €9.50 online or 11 at the box office for the entrance to the gardens).

►Have you thought about getting a tourist pass and taking advantage of it to visit Versailles?, it can be a good idea if you are going to visit several paid sites. We have a post where we talk about whether it is worth getting a pass or not, and if so, a comparison between them ►Is it worth getting a tourist pass in Paris?

What visits to Versailles are included in the Paris Pass?

When are the big water shows? In season from May 22 to October 31 every Saturday and Sunday. Check all these details on the official Paris Pass website because they vary from year to year.

The musical gardens from April to October, varying the days according to the months, which can be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, detailed information is on the website of the Palace of Versailles.

In season they also have a night show every Saturday from June to September.

Guided tours

►The other option to visit Versailles is to do it on a guided tour in Spanish. There are several options, some from Paris and others when you arrive at the place. I think they are a good plan if you don’t want to complicate things with the organization. Besides, going with a guide who answers your questions is always a good idea, and the tickets always include an audio guide.

HOW TO GET THERE

As we said at the beginning, the Palace of Versailles is about 20 kilometers from Paris. The options we have to visit Versailles are to go by car, bus, or train.

By car

If you already have a car park, you can use it to get there. Keep in mind that this short journey can take you about 40 minutes, as there may be traffic jams at certain times. Versailles has a parking lot called Place de Armes, right in front of the entrance. The cost of parking is €4.80 per hour (the first four hours), then it goes down a bit. In summary, we paid around €20 total, but this will depend on the number of hours you spend on the visit.

You will find that even if you have a car, it is not a good idea to go to Versailles by car, and that using public transport is usually better. But it depends on your personal circumstances, such as being several people, going with children, etc.

By bus

You can get there by bus, line 171, from Pont de Sévres, although if you are not close to that area it may be inconvenient. The transfer will take you around 30 minutes and costs €4 (one way). It will also drop you off at the Place d’Armes, just a few steps from the entrance.

By train

This is surely the best option. The RER C line will drop you off a 5/10 minute walk from the palace. You can link it from your nearby metro station to the station from the RER C line towards Versailles Château – Rive Gauche (that’s the stop where you’ll get off). Be careful to look at the destination whenever you take RER lines as they have different ones. ►RER C map

The ticket you must get is for zone 4, the common metro ticket is not useful since they are for zone 1, the round trip cost is about €8.20. So in the vending machine you will place the option: Ticket Ile de France Region, and there you will choose the Versailles Rive Gauche (chateau) station. You can use your Navigo or Paris Visite pass if you have it and they include zone 4.

You also have the option of Transilien train. If you are staying in areas near the stations: Saint Lázare (L line), Montparnasse (N line), or Defense Grand Arch (U line). In these cases the arrival stations will be Versailles Rive Droite for the L and Versailles Chantiers for the other two, both stations are somewhat further from the palace than the RER C is.

THE VISIT TO VERSAILLES

Upon arrival, if you already have your ticket, you will go to entrance A located in the Dufour Pavilion, otherwise you will first go to the ticket office located to the left of the Patio de Honor.

What to visit: The Palace, the park and the gardens, the Trianon estate and the royal stables.

What are the schedules?

Each place has different hours: the palace from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. except Mondays

                                                        Los Jardines from 8 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.

                                                        The Park from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

                                                        Dominio de Trianón from 12.30 pm to 8.30 pm except Mondays

What time should we choose? First of all, keep in mind that the time we choose is for entering the palace (with a half-hour tolerance), so we can organize ourselves and, for example, think about visiting the gardens first, then the time set for the palace, and then go to the park and the Trianon.

In my case, I visited the palace first. I got the first available ticket at 9 am, the idea was to visit it with as few people as possible. The visit to the palace took us approximately an hour and a half.

Then we did the gardens and the park, which takes at least two hours. We have to take into account that the Trianon doesn’t open until 12:30 and is far from the palace area, so we will have to include it while visiting the park. (Thus those two hours will easily go into three).

►Do you already know where to stay in Paris?, we have a very complete post with each of the districts ►Where to stay in Paris and what to see in each district?

Transfers within the park

To get around the park, we can of course do so on foot, but due to the long distances we can also use a small train. The cost of a round trip ticket is €8.50.

In our case we chose an electric cart for four people, the cost of which is €40 per hour and you have freedom of movement along the previously established paths. As you can see, we had a day with unstable weather, so it was a good option.

You can also rent bikes at the Grand Canal, the Reja de la Reina or the Porta San Antonio, the cost per hour is €9.

We have mentioned gardens and parks here several times and we have made a difference. We are talking about a total of more than 800 hectares. The gardens are divided into two large areas, the fountain area, which is more than 50 hectares, and the French garden, leaving the entire park in the Grand Canal area.

In the park we will find the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon, smaller palaces that can also be visited in Versailles.

As you will see, it is practically impossible to go through everything, and think about spending several hours. In our case, the weather did not help and complicated the visit a bit.

Download the app to be able to explore it calmly.

Did we tell you that we use Holafly’s unlimited data eSeem? The eSeem is very easy to use, after the purchase you receive a QR code that activates them on your mobile following the instructions sent to you, and thus you have unlimited mobile data for the number of days you have purchased. The downside, which does not work for all cell phone models, check here if yours is included► HOLAFLY

We leave you a discount code for fans in Europe accompanied EUROPAACOMPANADA5

Travel companions, I hope it has become clearer to you how to visit Versailles. The one that the organization is important because as you will have seen there is a lot to see.

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NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links

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La entrada How to visit the Palace of Versailles se publicó primero en Europa acompañada.

I often receive messages asking me to recommend a hotel or area to stay in. Prices vary so much that it is impossible to recommend a hotel with the certainty that it is a good value for money option, and as for the areas, I may have my favorite, but it may not be the right one or the one to your liking.

In truth, each of you is the one who can choose based on your tastes, budget, and what you expect from the stay.

For that we are going to make a quick guide to search and make a hotel reservation effectively in any city.

We don’t delay any longer, let’s get to work.

Step 1: Tip to make a good hotel reservation

Step one is more of a piece of advice. Focus on the cities of your future trip one by one. It is common for us to get anxious and want to book everything on the same day. This is a mistake, give yourself time.

Step 2: The Zones

Choose the area. I’ll tell you my preference, but it doesn’t have to be yours, centrally located, close to tourist attractions, close to the metro in case I have to make several transfers, and that there are plenty of places to have dinner late at night.

Take into account at least two or three different areas depending on how big the city is, don’t stay with just one, because then we will check prices.

Also keep in mind that they are safe areas to be calmer during your stay.

We have posts about areas to stay in cities, that helps to get information about each area. Areas to stay in Paris. Best areas to stay in London. What to see and where to stay in New York

Step 3 Hotel Finders

►Open one of the accommodation search engines you use, there are several known ones but we always use Booking.com

►I enter city, dates and now I go to the filters.

►Filters: Free cancellation is the first one I place. The importance of this we all learned from 2020 and everything we had to cancel.

Then areas that I have previously chosen. Price range between which I think or want to spend per night. Ratings can also be taken into account in the filters.

In my case breakfast included I am not interested, if it is great, but breakfast anywhere near the hotel. Parking the same.

Type of accommodation I leave it without a ticket but if you are looking only for apartments for example, mark it.

►I already have the selection, there I go into the ones that seem good to me, and I read comments carefully.

I look at the square meters of the room to see if it is not too small, if it has a safe, a minibar, accessibility, in short, whatever is important to you. It is very important that it includes Wi-Fi, unless you are already using mobile data and do not need it.

To travel with mobile data and not worry about everything, we use the Holafly eSIM, we leave you a link with a discount for followers: EUROPAACOMPAÑADA5

Step 4: Compare with real photos

I open Tripadvisor and search for the 3 or 4 hotels I am about to decide between. And inside I look for the real  photos uploaded by the guests, not the ones offered by the accommodation. Oops!, sometimes they don’t look so alike, or sometimes they do.

Step 5: Check taxes and how to pay

Now I have made up my mind, the last step is to set a cancellation deadline for any eventuality. Sometimes it happens with apartments that the date is quite a bit earlier than the one I am going to stay in and that is no good for me. Generally, cancellations are made up to 24 or 48 hours before.

I also look at the taxes, because they are usually listed separately. And the payment method. In many cases, you will book by simply placing your credit card as a guarantee for the reservation, but you will pay when you arrive at the accommodation. In other cases, the amount will be debited from your card. Check carefully which method is used and consider whether it is the one you want.

As I was saying, there are cases where I have to pay at the time and if I cancel the amount will be refunded, and in other cases it will be paid at the accommodation.

Ready, I confirm the reservation, a confirmation email will arrive in my mailbox.

Is it work?, yes, that’s why I told them calmly and one by one. But they have probably found a good quality/price option.

VIDEO

NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links

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