Sights in France

France's great sights are mostly run by the state or city bodies, so the rules are similar from the Louvre to Versailles: timed slots, security checks, strict bag limits and generous free entry for young Europeans. The one rule that matters most is to book a time slot before you travel, even if you get in free or hold the Paris Museum Pass.

Checked 6 October 2026

Our sight guides for France

Visiting sights in France

Passes and combined tickets

The Paris Museum Pass costs €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4 and €125 for 6 (October 2026), and covers more than 50 museums and monuments, including the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre-Dame towers. It runs in hours from the first scan, so a 2-day pass started on Wednesday at 15:00 ends on Friday at 15:00. The pass site says you save from the 4th visit on the 2-day pass. The trap: the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles palace, Conciergerie, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame towers, Orangerie and Hôtel de la Marine still need a free time slot, booked on each site, and slots can run out. The Eiffel Tower is not included.

Free days and discounts

National museums and monuments are free for under 18s of any nationality and for 18–25-year-olds who are EU or EEA citizens or live there; the Louvre asks residents for a permit of more than 90 days. UK, US and Swiss under-26s pay unless they live in the EU. First Sundays survive in part (October 2026): Orsay is free every first Sunday, Versailles from December to March, and Centre des monuments nationaux sites such as the Arc de Triomphe from November to March. The Louvre swapped its first Sunday for the first Friday evening after 18:00 (not July or August). Free visitors still need a booked slot. The Eiffel Tower has no free days.

Getting between the sights

Paris sights are best reached by metro and RER. Since 2025 there is a single Metro-Train-RER ticket (€2.55 in 2026, valid two hours) and a Bus-Tram ticket (€2.05); the old carnet of ten is gone. Buy on your phone or load a Navigo Easy card (€2). The day pass costs €12.30 but does not cover the airports, which have their own €14 ticket. Paris Visite (€30.60 for one day to €78 for five) only pays off if it includes two airport trips. Versailles is on RER C, and since the 2025 fare reform the same €2.55 ticket covers it, as zones no longer apply to single tickets. Mainline stations have their own pickpocket problem, so keep bags closed there.

Security, bags and rules

Expect a bag search at every major site: France applies government security measures to museums, and nobody skips that line, whatever the ticket says. Bags over 55 x 35 x 20 cm and suitcases are refused at the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower has no left-luggage office, so leave luggage at the hotel or a station locker. Tickets are usually personal, non-refundable and valid for one entry: leaving the Louvre or Orsay ends your visit. Some prices now depend on where you live: the Louvre charges €22 for EEA citizens and residents and €32 for everyone else, with a €15 fee for buying the wrong one. Bring ID for any free or reduced ticket.

Seasons, holidays and crowds

Crowds peak from June to September and in French school holidays, and the pass operator itself warns that the Louvre and Versailles are in high demand at certain times, so book slots as soon as your dates are fixed. Free first Sundays and the Louvre's free first Fridays are busy, so a paid weekday slot is often the better visit. Learn the closing days: the Louvre shuts on Tuesdays, Versailles on Mondays, and many sites close on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. The Arc de Triomphe also closes for ceremonies on 8 May, 14 July and the morning of 11 November. Winter brings shorter hours and cheaper or free entry at some monuments.

Scams and problems to know about

Strikes (grèves) are the problem you cannot plan around. The Louvre was closed by staff walkouts in December 2025 and three times in January 2026; it refunded online tickets automatically, but reseller tours and non-refundable add-ons may not be. Transport strikes also hit the metro and trains, so check the news the evening before. Pickpockets work in teams on the metro, especially line 1, which links the Louvre, Concorde and the Champs-Élysées, and on RER B to Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Gare du Nord. They often strike as the doors close. Several museums warn of fake booking sites: buy only on the sight's own domain, and never from street sellers offering skip-the-line tickets.

Questions people ask about visiting France

Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it?

Only if you will see four or more paid sights in two days. The pass costs €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4 and €125 for 6 (October 2026), and the operator says it pays off from the 4th visit on the 2-day pass. Under-18s and young EU residents get into national museums free anyway, so the pass is useless for them. You still have to book free time slots at the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles and other busy sites.

Do I need to book Paris museums in advance?

Yes, for the big ones. The Louvre, Orsay, Versailles palace, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Notre-Dame towers all work with time slots, and the rule applies to paying visitors, free visitors and pass holders alike. On busy days walk-up entry at the Louvre can take hours or be impossible.

Are French museums free for under 26s?

For EU and EEA citizens and residents aged 18–25, yes: national museums and monuments such as the Louvre, Orsay, Versailles and the Arc de Triomphe are free. Everyone under 18 gets in free, whatever their nationality. UK, US and other non-EU under-26s pay unless they live in the EU, and you need ID (and a residence permit if you are not a citizen).

Which Paris museums are free on the first Sunday of the month?

In October 2026: the Musée d'Orsay every first Sunday, Versailles from December to March, and Centre des monuments nationaux sites such as the Arc de Triomphe in January, February, March, November and December. The Louvre is no longer free on first Sundays but is free after 18:00 on the first Friday of the month (not July and August). You must still book a free slot.

What happens to my ticket if there is a strike in Paris?

When the Louvre closed for strikes in January 2026, it refunded online tickets automatically. If you bought through a reseller or a tour company, the refund depends on their terms, so check them before you book. Transport strikes can also stop metro lines and trains, so leave slack in your plans.

Sources for this page (14)
  1. Paris Museum Pass – official site (prices, validity, age guidance) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  2. Paris Museum Pass – how to reserve your slots (accessed 6 October 2026)
  3. Musée d'Orsay – rates and free admission (accessed 6 October 2026)
  4. Château de Versailles – free admissions and reduced rates (accessed 6 October 2026)
  5. Château de Versailles – tickets and prices, opening days (accessed 6 October 2026)
  6. Arc de Triomphe (Centre des monuments nationaux) – practical information (accessed 6 October 2026)
  7. Musée du Louvre – hours and admission (accessed 6 October 2026)
  8. Musée du Louvre – museum rules (accessed 6 October 2026)
  9. Ministère de la Culture – free permanent collections for 18–25-year-olds resident in the EU/EEA (accessed 6 October 2026)
  10. ArtDependence – Louvre closes for the third time due to strike (26 January 2026) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  11. Bermuda Broadcasting (Reuters) – Staff calls off strike at Paris Louvre museum for now (19 December 2025) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  12. GOV.UK – France travel advice: safety and security (accessed 6 October 2026)
  13. OSAC – France Crime and Safety Report (metro line 1 and RER B pickpockets) (accessed 6 October 2026)
  14. European Traveler – Paris public transport tickets and prices 2026 (accessed 6 October 2026)