Versailles Palace to Charge Non-European Visitors More Starting January 2026

In tourism as elsewhere, keeping up with important news isn’t always easy—you might miss something that could actually matter to you. That’s why we regularly revisit recent developments to bring them back into focus.

Higher Prices Coming in January 2026 for Non-European Visitors

While differentiated pricing based on nationality isn’t exactly groundbreaking in the tourism world, it’s actually fairly uncommon in France. Usually, when nationality-based pricing exists, it works the opposite way—offering free or reduced admission to young people and students from the European Union.

But starting next January, access to one of France’s most visited sites—drawing 8 to 9 million visitors annually—will cost more for non-European nationals. The Palace of Versailles will become the first major French monument to implement price differentiation based on visitor nationality.

After all, why not? Many countries around the world already operate this way. Consider what Versailles represents: a staff of a thousand employees, continuous innovation including the regular opening of new rooms, the digitization of tens of thousands of artworks now viewable on their website, and AI-powered guided tours. Not to mention an annual budget approaching $210 million (€200 million).

While the Palace can rely on solid revenue that covers two-thirds of its operations through its own funds, nothing is ever guaranteed—even when you’re Versailles. Hence this idea to generate additional revenue through non-European visitors, which could well be adopted by other major French sites down the road…