Château de Versailles Reviews 14

What an absolute nightmare.

Let’s start with the basics: even with a ticket bought in advance, you still get to enjoy a lovely queue just to enter. I had the passport ticket , château, gardens, Trianon ,except surprise! The gardens and Trianon were closed due to the weather. Totally fine, things happen… except there was zero information anywhere. No signs. No notices. No staff. Just very confused tourists and a massive line for the information desk. The only people who seemed to know what was going on were the security guards, which honestly says it all.

I didn’t even come mainly for the palace, I came for the gardens and the Trianon. And for 24 euros, what you actually get is a masterclass in how not to run a tourist site. Apparently sticking a piece of paper on a wall to inform people is too advanced.

Inside the palace? Even worse. The entire point of the architecture is perspective and space , neither of which you’ll experience, because you can’t see three meters in front of you. It’s so overcrowded it feels less like a palace and more like a badly managed subway station. I didn’t even finish the visit. I took the first exit I saw because I was physically starting to feel sick.

So here’s the advice: if you’re visiting Paris, skip this altogether or show up at dawn and hope for the best. There are countless places in the city that are just as beautiful, far less cheesy, and don’t make you feel like you’ve been scammed. This is nothing more than an overpriced tourist trap.

Where do I start?! Well, let me begin with your website.I am an autistic person and I found the website even when translated into English, very overwhelming and confusing. When booking my passport ticket, on the morning of my visit, the website gave me the impression that I must also book a separate ticket for the musical fountain show, for an extra 10 euros. So I was drawn into purchasing this, as well as my 32 euro passport. Firstly, the musical fountain ticket was never issued to me electronically. Secondly, when I first toured the garden before touring the palace at my reserved time, I noticed that the musical fountain shows happen ANYWAY, for everyone, and not requiring the purchase of the extra 10 euro ticket! I spoke to another British person later that day and he said that he also almost made this error too. Next, your staff clearly need extensive training in customer service, politeness and etiquette because, when I entered the palace to my reserved time of 1pm, I approached the information desk (desk A) about this ticket error, and told the very arrogant, nasty and rude attendant about the issue. I did not mention that I am an autistic person, this is not her business, as a representative of your organisation, for which people like me pay her salary, it should be second nature to be open to discussion around the error and to try and resolve it for the customers happiness and satisfaction.However, this woman was just so rude and said in a very nonchalant manner, 'well these things happen'. She continued to be incredibly rude and devious in order that I would not get a refund. She retrieved the tickets on the computer, they were 2 individual tickets, and she explained that I had purchased a child Gardens ticket as well as my passport ticket. But I don't have children and was travelling alone, so why on earth would I consciously buy this type of child's garden ticket if it were not a mistake? She took photos of the tickets on my phone which meant that they had now been issued, when actually I wanted to know how i could resolve the error I had made (due to the website not being clear and also being an autistic person) and get a refund! This woman, your employee and her female colleague, were just so unbelievably rude and tone deaf to the whole concept of customer service, she was adamant that I would not be getting a refund in any way shape or form, even though I was travelling alone and had made this error due to lack of clarity on website. She even criticised one of the newer, much younger members of staff who was scanning tickets and who was very kind about the situation to me before I encountered this awful, awful woman at the information desk, saying she knows nothing because she's only been in the job a few weeks! Nice, united spirit there, hey?
So anyway, she just wouldn't listen any further and I was conscious that my time was now reducing. Then, the young woman on the Palace audio guide desk was just so miserable that I wish I'd never spent more of my money on this additional item. I have to say that this was not a pleasant introduction to the palace tour and this initial 'welcome' to me, as a paying guest, caused so much overwhelm, upset and distress to me, that I could not enjoy the palace tour as much as anticipated.In fact I felt terribly anxious and stressed for the rest of the day following this incident. Then, Dauphines apartment was not open this day, but there was zero information given about that at the information desk and when 9 asked a security member, he said its not open today. Another 2 of his colleagues repeated this - without any further information! Next, a much more 'senior' member of your staff by the outside garden information point, didn't want to let me in the special access entrance so I could get the shuttle to Trianon, even though autism is a hidden disability! Sort your website and staff attitudes and listen to your customers, as you're there to serve US, not the other way around! Otherwise I suspect that the commoners will revolt!