I've been to Montmartre a few times over the years and can't quite say whether I've been inside the…read moreSacré-Coeur. If I have, it was well over a decade ago, and I have seen many churches in the intervening years. What I do know is that I've stood outside it several times, to admire the church as well as the iconic view of Paris from its front steps. We had intended to go inside the basilica on our recent family visit, but we had a sick child and the line was long and exposed to the sun. There were a ton of people up there, as dense a crowd as we saw all trip, everyone trying to enjoy the same viewpoint. Luckily, there was plenty of that to go around. We spent some time admiring the city and taking pictures (my father-in-law's one souvenir was that we send him a family photo from Sacré-Coeur), then wound our way downhill through charming Montmartre. Maybe next time I'll venture into the church, but it's worth going just to walk around outside.

Sacre Couer on the hill of Monmartre provides the best 360 degree views of the city of Paris,…read moreparticularly if you venture to climb the 300 steps to the top dome (for 7 euros). Entrance to the basilica is free, and it's opened from 6am until 10:30pm. It was built with the "self cleaning" Chateau-Lando stone from France, and the rain and weathering keeps it white. Crowds linger on the steps and around the overlook areas. Vendors try to sell you cheap locks to put on the surrounding fencing (the locks covering the fences-even with signs saying "no locks permitted" are an eyesore and should be removed). Security line checks are long and in February 2026 we waited about 30 or 40 mins to enter. I can only imagine what chaos it is in the high season. The basicalla is beautful inside and well worth checking out, although quiet and repect are required as there are masses going on. For this visit the crypt was not available to enter, which was highly disappointing There is also a small train trolly like vehicle right outside that will take you on a 30 minute ride around Monmartre for 12 euros. We thought it was a bit cheesey and touristy at first, but it really was worth it! Sacre couer is majestically beautiful!

I went up the Eiffel Tower a few weeks ago for the first time in years. I was with my husband and…read moreour two kids, plus my brothers, my sisters-in-law, and my niece, just for good measure. Getting the tickets was a genuine headache, but the on-the-ground experience was not just magical but surprisingly easy. The online ticketing system leaves much to be desired. I wanted to buy eleven elevator tickets, for eight adults and three children, but was only able to check out with nine. I tried to get the last two in a second transaction but got locked out. Apparently, you can't book that many tickets under a single account, something I wish I'd known before I spent all that money on the nine. I emailed the customer service address and while they responded, they were spectacularly unhelpful. I then tasked my husband, my mother, and my brother with buying the last two tickets from different devices, and I don't understand why, but none of them were able to get through. The site was also annoying in that we had to make all of our selections and input credit card information before getting frozen out without explanation. My parents decided they didn't need to go up the tower anyway, as they'd been pretty recently, and that's how the issue resolved. I guess we could've gotten them tickets day of, but no one had the will for it, so the rest of us just went up while they hung out in the park at the base of the tower. My branch of the family was running late for our 4:00 entry and had a fairly stressful time making that long jaunt from the Trocadero to the tower. There was some security to get into the park, but it went quickly, and once we were in, we found the entrance for ticket holders right away. To my amazement, there was no line, and we were riding a diagonal elevator up the tower about as soon as we arrived. I love the Eiffel Tower and loved visiting with my children, who were awed by both the iconic structure and the marvelous views. It's great to admire from afar, but well worth a dedicated excursion. I look forward to going back whenever I'm back in Paris.

Overview: a classic, must-see landmark in Paris…read more ---- Very beautiful landmark and prettier if you see it light up at night. The tower only sparkles when it's dark enough outside to see it. When it's the spring/summer the sun sets very late at night so when I was there, the Eiffel Tower first sparkled at 10pm! We didn't know that, so we arrived around 8pm and waited 2 hours. It then started to rain and we shared one umbrella between 4 people. There are lots of people walking around trying to sell you stuff can be very annoying especially if you came there early and they keep asking you. They walk around with small trinkets, some with drinks like wine, blankets, and even umbrellas when it started to rain. There are lots of people on the grassy field in front of the tower having picnics and waiting for the tower to light up as well. The walk from the metro wasn't too long, but also wasn't that short, but it's Paris so be prepared to walk for everything! It beautiful and was worth the walking, waiting, and being rained on. ---- Overall: beautifully lit up at the beginning of the hour after the sun goes down, for us it was at 10pm! Be prepared to walk and wait, enjoy the views and atmosphere with others waiting to see the pretty lights