Budget travellers and rushed travellers, take note: the city of Paris and Disney World have something in common. They are both- it pains me to say it- tourist traps. The French will happily charge you a steep entry fee to see the ill-lit innards of their national treasures, all the while scoffing about les maudit touristes. Do not be taken in. For those who don't have time or money to waste, the following is a list of monuments that are best seen from the outside.
Remember, the main attraction at a monument is the monument. Not the little museum about how it was built.
When in Paris, observe these marvelous monuments from outside...
l'Arc de Triomphe
Entry fee: 7€
What it gets you: The right to climb a narrow staircase up to a dank museum. There is a view, but Basilique Sacré-Coeur offers a better one. And it's free.
How to get there: (M) Charles-de-Gaulle Étoile
Palais Garnier (Opéra)
Entry fee: 9€; 5€ if you're under 25
What it gets you: The chance to walk around inside the opera house, rather than just outside.
How to get there: (M) Opéra
Centre Pompidou
Entry fee: 3-12€
What it gets you: The 3€ will allow you access to the sixth floor for yet another panoramic view of Paris. If modern art interests you, by all means visit the museum. But the most interesting thing, really, is the building.
How to get there: (M) Rambuteau
Panthéon
Entry fee: 8€
What it gets you: Access to the crypt and dome. Again, there is a view. There are some famous French people buried in the crypt, most notably Victor Hugo and Marie Curie.
How to get there: (M) Maubert-Mutualité
Sainte-Chapelle
Entry fee: 8€
What it gets you: Sainte-Chapelle has some lovely stained glass. But since it's a church, no pictures are allowed. And, after a cursory tour around the perimeter, you've pretty much seen it all.
How to get there: (M) Cité
La Conciergerie
Entry fee: 7€
What it gets you: The architecture is relatively impressive, but similar to the architecture in many other monuments around Paris. The site was used as a prison, and held Marie-Antoinette during the revolution. Unfortunately, the architecture is about all that is currently on display. Remember, the outer architecture can be examined for free.
How to get there: (M) Cité
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