The Funiculaire du Montmartre (map) will take you from near the bottom of the Montmartre hill to near the top. A short climb up steps from the upper funicular station brings you to the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Église de Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, Place de Mont Cenis and Place du Tertre, not to mention to various spectacular panoramic views of Paris.

The funicular, operated by Paris's RATP transit system, runs every few minutes during the day and until midnight, charging one fare (same as city bus or Métro) for the trip.

The problem is the waiting lines: the funicular cars can hold only a few dozen passengers, and when the car is full, no more passengers are admitted. In warm weather, the lines to use the funicular are long, as is the wait. Many visitors give up and climb all those steps.

The alternative to the funiculaire is the Montmartrobus, a smaller version of the RATP city buses well suited for Montmartre's narrow, winding streets, that travels from Place Pigalle to the top of Montmartre, then down the opposite side of the hill to Place Jules Joffrin. More...