Monuments, how to get there
The big sights of Paris from the apartment, with the easiest metro route, the 2026 prices and my tips. Prices are for one adult, checked on the official websites in September 2026.
Tap a pin for details.
Getting around
- One ticket, €2.55. The Métro-Train-RER ticket covers the metro, the RER and the trains in the whole Paris region (airports excepted), with changes for 2 hours. Paper tickets are gone. Buy it on your phone with the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP app, or on a Navigo Easy card (€2 at the station counter).
- Bank cards. Contactless cards do not work at the metro gates yet. They work on buses and on the Montmartre funicular.
- Unlimited travel. Navigo Jour €12.30 for one day, airports excepted. Staying Monday to Sunday? Navigo Semaine €32.40 for the week, it cannot go on a Navigo Easy card.
- Line 8. Until April 2027 the trains do not stop at République. Filles du Calvaire and Oberkampf are both a few minutes from the apartment.
- Museum lovers. The Paris Museum Pass (2 days €85, 4 days €105, 6 days €125) only pays off if you visit many sites in a short time. Add up the prices below before buying.
The big sights
Eiffel Tower
8 about 37 minChamp de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France
Getting there. Line 8 from Filles du Calvaire, direction Balard, 10 stops to École Militaire, then 15 minutes on foot. For the famous view, take line 9 from Oberkampf, direction Pont de Sèvres, to Trocadéro.
Price. Summit by lift €36.70, 2nd floor by lift €23.50, 2nd floor by the stairs €14.80. Free under 4, children 4 to 11 €9.20 for the summit by lift, reduced price from 12 to 24.
- Buy on the official website only, tickets are named, bring an ID.
- Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the security check. The Trocadéro square, facing the tower, is free and has the best view.
- At night the tower sparkles for a few minutes every hour, and it stays open late in the evening.
Louvre Museum
51 about 26 minRue de Rivoli
Getting there. Line 5 from Oberkampf, direction Place d’Italie, 3 stops to Bastille. Then line 1, direction La Défense, 5 stops to Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre.
Price. €22 for EU and EEA citizens and residents, €32 for other visitors. Free under 18, under 26 for EU and EEA citizens and residents, and for everyone on the first Friday of the month after 6 pm (except July and August).
- Book a time slot on the official ticket office, fake resale sites exist.
- Late openings on Wednesday and Friday until 9 pm, often quieter. Closed on Tuesday.
- Pick three works, see them first, then wander.
Notre-Dame
84 about 24 min6 Parvis Notre-Dame, Place Jean-Paul II
Getting there. 26 minutes on foot through the Marais, as quick as the metro. Or line 8 from Filles du Calvaire, direction Balard, 1 stop to Strasbourg–Saint-Denis, then line 4, direction Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac, 5 stops to Cité.
Price. Free. The towers are €16, bookable online only.
- Booking a free time slot on the official website saves queueing. It opens the day before. Any paid ticket sold elsewhere is worthless.
- The towers are 424 steps, for a unique view over the rooftops.
Sainte-Chapelle
84 about 22 min10 Boulevard du Palais
Getting there. Same route as Notre-Dame, Cité station, then 2 minutes on foot. About 30 minutes if you walk.
Price. €16 for EU and EEA citizens and residents, €22 for other visitors. With the Conciergerie, €23 or €30. Free under 18.
- Booking is strongly recommended, arrive at the time on your ticket.
- It is inside the Palais de Justice. Expect a security check, large bags are not allowed and there is no cloakroom.
- Go on a sunny day, the stained glass is breathtaking.
Musée d’Orsay
812 about 32 minEsplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing
Getting there. Line 8 from Filles du Calvaire, direction Balard, 7 stops to Concorde. Then line 12, direction Mairie d’Issy, 2 stops to Solférino.
Price. Adult tickets on the official ticket office. Thursday evening from 6 pm, €12 for everyone. Free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month, booking required.
- Impressionist heaven (Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas), less crowded than the Louvre.
- Building works until summer 2028. With a timed ticket use entrance 1 on the river side, arrive 15 minutes early. Closed on Monday.
Arc de Triomphe
91 about 35 minPlace Charles de Gaulle
Getting there. Line 9 from Oberkampf, direction Pont de Sèvres, 11 stops to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Then line 1, direction La Défense, 2 stops to Charles de Gaulle–Étoile. Or get off at Franklin D. Roosevelt and walk up the Champs-Élysées, 17 minutes.
Price. Rooftop €22 from April to September (€16 on Wednesday), €16 from October to March. Free under 18.
- Always use the underground passage at the top of the Champs-Élysées, never cross the roundabout.
- The rooftop is open late, until 11 pm in summer and 10:30 pm in winter, lovely at dusk. 284 steps.
Sacré-Cœur & Montmartre
52 about 32 min35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre
Getting there. Line 5 from Oberkampf, direction Bobigny–Pablo Picasso, 5 stops to Stalingrad. Then line 2, direction Porte Dauphine, 3 stops to Anvers. Walk up the steps in 9 minutes or take the funicular.
Price. The basilica is free. The dome is €8.
- Come early in the morning or late in the day, between 10:30 am and 5 pm expect a short queue.
- The funicular takes a metro ticket or a contactless bank card, €2.55.
- Get lost in the winding streets and see the painters on the Place du Tertre.
Opéra Garnier
8 about 18 minPlace de l’Opéra
Getting there. Line 8 from Filles du Calvaire, direction Balard, 5 stops to Opéra, no change.
Price. €15 for EU and EEA citizens and residents, €25 for other visitors. Free up to 12.
- Booking online is required, there are no visit tickets on site. Sales open 60 days ahead.
- Visits from 10 am to 4 pm. The auditorium is often closed for rehearsals.
Palace of Versailles
8C about 70 minPlace d’Armes, Versailles
Getting there. Line 8 from Filles du Calvaire, direction Balard, 8 stops to Invalides. Then the RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche, and 10 minutes on foot. One €2.55 ticket each way.
Price. The Passport, the only ticket that includes the palace, is €35 from April to October and €25 from November to March (€32 and €22 for EU and EEA citizens and residents). Under 18s enter the Palace and Trianon free; Musical Gardens and Musical Fountains Shows are not automatically included. See the Passport conditions.
- A time slot is required for the palace. Arrive at the 9 am opening, Tuesday and weekends are the busiest days. Closed on Monday.
- Keep the afternoon for the Trianon and Marie-Antoinette’s estate, they are worth it.
- Check the RER C on the Transilien website before leaving, evening works happen.
Seine cruise
87 about 26 minSquare du Vert-Galant
Getting there. 35 minutes on foot. Or line 8 from Filles du Calvaire, direction Balard, 5 stops to Opéra, then line 7, direction Mairie d’Ivry or Villejuif, 3 stops to Pont Neuf. Boarding at the tip of the Île de la Cité.
Price. €15 online, €17 at the counter, children €7 online.
- A one-hour commented cruise, departures every day from 10:30 am until late evening.
- The evening cruise passes the Eiffel Tower lit up.
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Photo credits · Wikimedia Commons · Notre-Dame, Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sainte-Chapelle, Gerda Arendt, CC0 · Sacré-Cœur & Montmartre, Terragio67, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Palace of Versailles, Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga), CC BY-SA 4.0 · photos resized and cropped