Montmartre Funicular
The Montmartre funicular is a type of automatic railway that connects the foot with the summit of the Butte Montmartre, where the Basilique du Sacré Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) and the Place du Tertre are situated.
History
The Montmartre funicular was opened during the summer of 1990. Since it was inaugurated it has been rebuilt and renovated in several occasions, the last time on 1 June, 1991.
Currently, the funicular is electric and it transports over 2 million passengers a year. The journey lasts 90 seconds and is completely automatic.
The original funicular was water-powered and used a system of cisterns that would be filled or emptied depending on the passenger load.
Schedule & timetable
The Montmartre funicular is open from 6 am until 12:45 am. The ticket office closes before midnight, so we suggest getting the ticket before heading to Montmartre if you’re planning on visiting this neighborhood at night.
Fares
There are different types of transport tickets that can be used on the funicular: the single-journey ticket called T+Ticket, or the daily or weekly travel cards: Paris Visite and Passe Navigo.
Is it worthwhile?
If you have the Passe Navigo or the Paris Visite then this ride is definitely worthwhile, since the funicular is included in these travel cards. If you have to pay for it, the decision depends on the weather and how willing you are to climb the exhausting 197 steps. On the way down, the steps are not so tiring, thus you might want to purchase just a single-journey ticket for the way up.
