France's Best Attractions
The essentials: the Eiffel Tower (€14.80–36.70 depending on level and access), the Louvre (€22 EEA residents / €32 non-EEA, free under 18), the Palace of Versailles (€22–35 depending on season and residency, a half-day trip from Paris), the Arc de Triomphe (climbable, one of the best and most overlooked skyline views in the city), and Mont Saint-Michel (abbey entry €13–16, best visited as part of a Normandy or Brittany trip rather than a single day from Paris). Book the Louvre and Eiffel Tower online in advance — walk-up lines regularly run over an hour.
France doesn't lack world-famous sights — it lacks straightforward advice on which ones earn a place in a short trip and which are better admired from a café table across the street. Here's the honest version, with 2026 prices and the timing details that actually save you a wasted afternoon.
The Eiffel Tower
Still exactly as iconic as advertised, and worth the trip up at least once. Official prices for 2026 run €14.80 for stairs to the second floor up to €36.70 for elevator access to the summit; children and young visitors pay a reduced rate. Book a timed online slot — walk-up ticket lines can run well over an hour in peak season. Go around sunset for the best light, and stay after dark for the hourly light show (every hour, on the hour, for 5 minutes, until 1am).
The Louvre
The world's largest and most-visited art museum — home to the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and roughly 35,000 other works across a former royal palace. A standard ticket runs €22 for EEA residents and €32 for non-EEA visitors (children under 18 and EU/EEA residents under 26 enter free with ID). Pre-book a timed entry slot; don't try to see the whole museum in one visit — pick 2–3 wings and accept you'll come back.
The Palace of Versailles
A roughly 45-minute train ride from central Paris (RER C to Versailles Château–Rive Gauche), and worth the full half-day it takes. The Passport ticket covering the full estate (Palace, Trianon, and gardens) runs €22–32 for EEA residents/nationals and €25–35 for non-EEA visitors, depending on season; the palace is closed on Mondays, so plan around that. The gardens alone are free to walk most of the year (a fee applies during the Musical Fountains Shows on select spring/summer weekends).
The Arc de Triomphe
The most underrated view in Paris. Climbing the 284 steps to the rooftop terrace puts the Eiffel Tower directly in your sightline down the Champs-Élysées — a better composition, in a lot of travelers' opinion, than the view from the tower itself, and with noticeably shorter lines.
Mont Saint-Michel
A genuinely surreal tidal island abbey off the Normandy/Brittany border, best appreciated as part of a broader trip through that region rather than a rushed single day from Paris (it's roughly 3.5–4 hours each way by train plus a shuttle bus). 2026 abbey entry runs €16 (April–September) or €13 (October–March); walking into the village itself is free. Check tide times before you go — the causeway and surrounding bay flood at high tide, and the island looks completely different (and arguably more dramatic) when the water's in.
What it costs, at a glance
| Attraction | 2026 entry price |
|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower | €14.80–36.70 ($16–39) depending on floor and access |
| The Louvre | €22 EEA / €32 non-EEA ($24 / $35); free under 18 |
| Palace of Versailles (Passport ticket) | €22–35 ($24–38) depending on season and residency |
| Arc de Triomphe | €16 ($17), free under 18 |
| Mont Saint-Michel Abbey | €16 Apr–Sep / €13 Oct–Mar ($17 / $14) |
Visiting four or more of these in one trip? The Paris Museum Pass (2, 4, or 6 consecutive days) covers most of them plus dozens of smaller sights and lets you skip most ticket lines — it pays for itself fast once you're past three or four paid sights.
What to skip or plan around
- Walk-up tickets for the Louvre or Eiffel Tower in peak season (April–September) — book online instead, it's the same price and saves real time.
- 'Skip-the-line' tours sold by touts on the street outside major monuments — buy directly from the official site or a reputable platform instead.
- Trying to fit Versailles into a half-day squeezed between two other Paris activities — give it a genuine half-day on its own.