Les Catacombes de Paris Tickets

One of the world's largest and most authoritative museums, the Louvre's magnificent classical silhouette (and funky glass pyramid) are well-known attractions in the center of Paris. But as nice as the Louvre is from the outside, its real magic is in the inside. The Louvre's collection ranges from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek antiquities, with masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt. With 35,000 works of art (all created before 1848), it's a big, and worthwhile, commitment. The Louvre is one of Paris's Big Three museums; the other two are the Museé d'Orsay (with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art from the years 1848-1914) and the Centre Pompidou (with 20th-century works created after 1914).

This luxurious 17th-century French palace is a masterclass in excess. It has hundreds of acres of magnificently landscaped gardens, more than 700 rooms, a large collection of French Renaissance art, an opera house, and a 75-meter long hall of mirrors lined with priceless statues and busts. There are no half-measures in its conception or execution – it has more than 1,200 fireplaces! It's one of the most visited attractions in France, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Arc de Triomphe is Napoleon's Neoclassical take on the ancient Roman triumphal arch. It's at the center of a square, with a dozen Parisian avenues radiating out from it into the rest of the City of Light. At the base of the arch the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is rekindled at 6:30 each evening.