Paris in 3 days:Louvre, Versailles, Eiffel Tower and more

The closest stop is Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre on Métro Line 1 (also served by Line 7), which drops you almost directly into the underground entrance. This is the move seasoned visitors make instead of queuing outside the Pyramid. Line 1 also connects easily from the Champs-Élysées or Bastille if you're staying nearby. If you'd rather walk up through daylight, the Palais-Royal gardens just north of the museum make a nice approach, and the Tuileries Garden borders the Louvre's western edge, so pairing the two makes sense if you're spending the day in the neighborhood.

- Nearest stop: Cité (Line 4), a two-minute walk

The cathedral sits at 6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Place Jean-Paul II, on the eastern tip of Île de la Cité, in the 4th arrondissement. The easiest approach is Métro Line 4 to Cité station, which drops you a short walk away across the Pont au Double. Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame (Lines 4 and RER B/C) works just as well and lands you on the Left Bank side, an easy stroll over the bridge.

The nearest station is Luxembourg (RER B), about a five-minute uphill walk along rue Soufflot. Metro Line 10 stops at Cardinal Lemoine and Maubert–Mutualité, and both leave you a steeper walk up through the Latin Quarter. Book a timed ticket online to skip the ticket desk, though you'll still go through the bag check. The Paris Museum Pass is also accepted.

The closest Métro station is Anvers on Line 2; from the exit, walk up Rue de Steinkerque past the fabric shops and souvenir stalls, and the basilica appears framed at the top of the street. If you'd rather not tackle the stairs of Rue Foyatier, the funicular from Place Saint-Pierre runs on the same ticket as the Métro and takes under two minutes to reach the top.

The tower sits at Av. Gustave Eiffel, 75007 Paris, on the Left Bank between the Champ de Mars and the Seine. The two main metro approaches are Bir-Hakeim (Line 6), which puts you right at the base after crossing the Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge, and Trocadéro (Line 9), which delivers arguably the best classic postcard view from the Esplanade du Trocadéro on the opposite bank.

The café sits directly on Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés at 6 Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the 6th arrondissement. The closest metro stop is Saint-Germain-des-Prés on Line 4, about a two-minute walk. You'll see the church spire of the Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest in Paris, right across the square. It's also an easy 10–15 minute walk along the Seine from Notre-Dame or through the Latin Quarter, making it a natural stop if you're already wandering toward the Musée d'Orsay or the Luxembourg Gardens, both under 15 minutes on foot.