Our main focus in Versailles was, of course the palace, it's grounds and supplemental buildings. We arrived around ten and meandered our way down the broad, tree-lined Avenue de Sceaux towards the front of the building.
When you depart the train there will be vendors telling you to buy palace tour tickets at their shops in town - this may be an ok thing to do - I just don't know because Jane & I waited to purchase ours at the official ticket counters. We bought the 'Passport' which granted entry to The Palace, Marie Antoinette's, Grand Trianon & Temporary Exhibits for 18 Euro. This was all glorious and enjoyable - but if you're strapped for time & cash I don't feel you're missing much by buying the 15 Euro Palace Tour (exhibits included) - Grounds are freely accessible so you can visit them no matter.
With tickets you are free to roam around the extravagant estate indoors at out at your own free will (although there's an enforced sequence in the Palace). Audioguides are available if you're feeling info-hungry. Jane and I started far (at the Trianon & Antoinette estates), wandered back through the gardens, stopped at the tea house for pizza and wine (surprisingly delicious) and then finished with the grand home tour.
I was extremely excited to see the gardens, the tiny boxwood parterres, enticing hedge-hallways and grand fountain rooms. However, since we traveled during the slow-season a large portion of the gardens were closed for renovations - an interesting process to view, but a bit disappointing. The interior was open for the most part - but some renovations of paintings were underway. Fortunately the Palace and grounds of Versailles are so immense and detailed that you will find sights to delight regardless of the season. In fact, while I was wandering room after room of gold coated, hand carved, plume topped opulence, I started to feel myself getting numb to the overwhelming beauty. It's so bizarre, but I found the palace to be too much! Fantastic + worth the visit, but so intense. I wonder if that was Louis' intention - to bombard his visitors with glory until they can no longer speak!?
Regardless of the previous owner's intent, check it out for yourself at: en.chateauversailles.fr