Getting to Les Invalides and choosing your entrance
The metro, station by station
La Tour-Maubourg, on line 8, is the handiest station if you are heading for the great courtyard and the museum: five minutes on foot, almost in a straight line. It is also the meeting point of several guided tours, including the skip-the-line tour.
Varenne, on line 13, drops you on the south-east side, halfway between Les Invalides and the Rodin Museum: it is the right station if you plan to do both in one day, as I recommend on the Rodin page.
Invalides, served by lines 8 and 13 and by RER C, comes out on the esplanade to the north. It is the most useful station if you are arriving from the main-line stations or from Versailles on the RER, and it gives the finest arrival: the Dôme at the far end of the esplanade, straight down the axis.
Saint-François-Xavier, line 13, is the closest station to the Place Vauban and so to the Dôme. Hardly anyone gets off there; it is the one I use.
On foot from the main landmarks
From the Eiffel Tower, allow about twenty minutes along the Champ-de-Mars and then the avenue de La Motte-Picquet. From the Musée d'Orsay, about fifteen minutes along the Seine then by the rue de l'Université. From the Champs-Élysées, cross the Pont Alexandre-III: the esplanade opens in front of you and it is the finest approach in Paris. The walk is described on the esplanade page.
By car, bike or bus
Parking in the 7th is difficult and expensive; I would not recommend it to anyone. Bike-share stations line the esplanade and the Place Vauban. Several bus routes run along the avenue de Tourville and the rue de Grenelle. Taxis drop off without difficulty on the Place Vauban, which remains the best option if you are with someone who walks with difficulty: see the accessibility page.
If it is your first time, arrive by the Pont Alexandre-III and leave by the Place Vauban. You will have seen the monument down its own axis of composition, which half of all visitors miss by coming out of the wrong metro exit.
Book before you come
The ticket below imposes no time slot: it is valid all day, whichever entrance you choose.
A reminder: what you book above is the ticket that opens the Army Museum, the Dôme and the tomb. The great courtyard and the Saint-Louis cathedral stay free to enter, with no ticket at all.
Frequently asked questions
Which metro station is closest?
La Tour-Maubourg (line 8) for the courtyard and museum, Saint-François-Xavier (line 13) for the Dôme, Varenne (line 13) if you are combining with the Rodin Museum.
Can you come by RER?
Yes, Invalides station is on RER C, handy from Versailles and the main-line stations.
Which entrance should you use?
Place Vauban if the tomb is your priority, the esplanade if you want to cross the great courtyard first.