Mistakes everyone makes in Paris

Taste has little to do with the costly mistakes in Paris. The day, the hour and the date decide them, and each one below comes with its price and a way out. Nine of them are worth knowing before the first ticket is bought.

The Louvre on Tuesday, the Orsay on Monday

The cheapest mistake to make is also the most common, and it costs a whole day. The Louvre is closed on Tuesday, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December, and the Orangerie shuts on Tuesdays as well. The Orsay is closed on Monday, 1 May, 25 December, and Rodin, Picasso and the Carnavalet also lock their doors on Mondays. Turn the calendar to your advantage instead. Take the Louvre on a Monday, the Orsay on a Tuesday, and use Wednesday or Friday for a late Louvre visit, since it stays open until nine in the evening on both.

The Eiffel Tower without a ticket booked ahead

Walking up to the Eiffel Tower and hoping for a slot is the mistake that costs you the summit. Sales open sixty days ahead and the summit goes first, so the later you decide, the fewer hours there are to choose from. Turning up on the day usually ends with the tower seen from the Trocadéro, which is free and a fine view. Buy the day the window opens. If you can climb, take the stairs to the second floor, which cost less than the lift, from €14.80 against €23.50. At the summit the stairs variant is €28 against €36.70 by lift.

The Orsay without a time slot

The Orsay rewards those who book. Online the ticket is €16 with a slot, while the desk sells at €14 only if some are left, and in summer there is almost none. A slot is recommended, so book one and treat the desk as a gamble you will probably lose. The Paris Museum Pass does not skip the step either, because a slot is needed with it as well.

The Arc de Triomphe in summer, and not on a Wednesday

From 1 April to 30 September the Arc de Triomphe costs €22. On Wednesdays in the same season the price falls to €16, with no other condition attached. From October to March the lower price applies every day. Plan the climb for a Wednesday in summer, and the 284 steps will at least come cheaper.

The Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie bought apart

Outside the EEA the chapel at €22 and the Conciergerie at €13 cost more when bought separately than the joint ticket at €30. EEA visitors also pay more apart than the €23 together. The combination saves a few euros, but only if you actually walk through the Conciergerie, because the time slot is valid for the chapel alone.

An ordinary ticket to the airport

A single metro ticket at €2.55 does not take you to the airport. The airport fare is €14, and it covers RER B and line 14, one way. The Navigo Jour day pass does not stand in for it. The Roissybus no longer runs, so there is nothing to wait for at the bus stop. Buy the right ticket at the machine before the platform.

The Paris Museum Pass without doing the sums

The Paris Museum Pass at €85 for 48 hours looks like a bargain until you add up what you will visit. Outside the EEA the Louvre, the Orsay, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Arc de Triomphe come to €92 bought one by one, so the pass pays off from the fourth big house on. Three of them cost €70, which is less than the pass.

A ticket for Notre-Dame

The cathedral has no ticket to buy, because entry is free. A reseller who sells you a skip-the-line pass for Notre-Dame is charging for something that does not exist. Only the towers cost money, €16, and they are booked on their own site. For the cathedral itself, take a free slot online.

The petition at the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur

Near the Eiffel Tower, at Sacré-Cœur and at big stations such as Gare du Nord, a friendly request to sign a petition is a diversion that comes before pickpocketing. Keep walking, do not stop and do not meet the eye, because the pause itself is what the pitch is after. The fix costs nothing, and it is to treat any approach in a crowd as noise and to keep your bag zipped and in front of you.

3 daysThe itinerary page builds three days that avoid the Tuesday and Monday traps above.Paris in 3 days →

Where to stayWhere to stay covers the neighbourhoods to base yourself in, so that the sights are a short walk from the door.Where to stay in Paris →

BudgetThe budget page adds up the big tickets, including the pass sums, for a day in Paris.What Paris costs →

Day tripsThe day-trips page leads out of the city by train, away from the crowds at the tower.Day trips from Paris →

Hidden gemsThe page of tips collects the entrances and the booking habits that save a morning.Paris past the postcards: the Arc on Wednesdays, free views →

Getting aroundGetting around explains the Navigo Easy pass and the metro that the airport fare sits beside.Getting around Paris →

FoodThe food page lays out where to eat once the tickets are sorted.What to eat in Paris →

When to goWhen to visit shows which months cost less and which dates change the plan.The best time to visit Paris →

AirportThe airport page chooses between Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvais.From the airport to Paris →

MuseumsThe museums page lines up prices, hours and closed days for six of them.Museums in Paris →