Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Free (or Almost Free) Museums:
Many of Paris' most famous museums offer
free entry on the first Sunday of the month, including the Louvre, Orsay, Rodin,
Cluny, Pompidou Center, Quai Branly, and Delacroix museums, and likely the re-
opened Picasso Museum. These sights are free on the first Sunday of off-season
months: the Arc de Triomphe (Oct-March) and Versailles (Nov-March). Expect big
crowdsonfreedays.Somemuseumsarealwaysfree(withthepossibleexceptionof
special exhibits), including the Carnavalet, Petit Palais, Victor Hugo's House, and
Fragonard Perfume Museum. You can also visit the Orsay Museum for free right
when the ticket booth stops selling tickets (Tue-Wed and Fri-Sun at 17:00, Thu at
21:00;theywon'tletyouinmuchafterthat).Forjust€1,theRodinMuseumgarden
lets you enjoy many of Rodin's finest works in a lovely outdoor setting.
Other Freebies:
Many worthwhile sights don't charge entry, including the
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Père Lachaise Cemetery, Deportation Memorial, Holocaust
Memorial, Paris
Plages
(summers only), Sacré-Cœur Basilica, St. Sulpice Church,
and La Défense mall.
Paris' glorious, entertaining parks are free, of course. These include Luxem-
bourg Garden, Champ de Mars (under the Eiffel Tower), Tuileries Garden (between
the Louvre and Place de la Concorde), Palais Royal Courtyards, Jardin des Plantes,
Parc Monceau, the Promenade Plantée walk, and Versailles' gardens (except when
the fountains perform on weekends April-Oct and many Tuesdays).
Reduced Prices:
Several sights offeradiscount ifyouenter later inthe day,in-
cludingtheOrsay(Tue-WedandFri-Sunafter16:15andThuafter18:00),theOran-
gerie (after 17:00), and the Army Museum and Napoleon's Tomb (after 16:00). The
Eiffel Tower costs less if you restrict your visit to the two lower levels—and even
less if you're willing to use the stairs.
Free Concerts:
Venues offering free or cheap (€6-8) concerts include the
American Church, Hôtel des Invalides, St. Sulpice Church, La Madeleine Church,
andNotre-DameCathedral.Foralistingoffreeconcerts,check
Pariscope
magazine
(under the “Musique” section) and look for events marked
entrée libre.
Good-Value Tours:
At €16, Paris Walks' tours are a good value. The €12-15
Seine River cruises, best after dark, are also worthwhile. The scenic bus route #69,
which costs only the price of a transit ticket, could be the best deal of all.
Pricey...but worth it?
Certain big-ticket items—primarily the top of the Eiffel
Tower, the Louvre, and Versailles—are expensive and crowded, but offer once-in-
a-lifetime experiences. All together they amount to less than a ticket to Disney-
land—only these are real.
