French museums plan to raise admission fees for non-European visitors
It was to be expected. The announcement that the Louvre would introduce a special €30 admission price for non-European visitors as of January 1, 2026, has had a domino effect. According to Le Monde 's sources, this distinction between Europeans and non-Europeans will also be tested at the Château de Versailles (Paris region), at a monument managed by the National Monuments Center (CMN) – either the Arc de Triomphe or the Conciergerie, both in Paris – at the Château de Chambord, a castle in the Loire Valley (central France), as well as at Paris' Opéra Garnier.
A source at the Culture Ministry said they were convinced that tourists who have come from afar would not hesitate to pay any price to step back in time with Marie-Antoinette, take a selfie with the Mona Lisa, or enjoy panoramic views of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe.
This measure is expected to be extended to other sites in 2027. The goal is clear: to raise money, at a time when budget cuts threaten public subsidies, sponsorship has been drying up, and construction costs are soaring. At the Château de Versailles, which is always seeking funds to repair a cracked pool, restore a neglected grove, or fix a leaking roof, non-European visitors represent 42% of the monument's 8 million annual visitors.
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LeMonde
5 hours ago
- LeMonde
French museums plan to raise admission fees for non-European visitors
It was to be expected. The announcement that the Louvre would introduce a special €30 admission price for non-European visitors as of January 1, 2026, has had a domino effect. According to Le Monde 's sources, this distinction between Europeans and non-Europeans will also be tested at the Château de Versailles (Paris region), at a monument managed by the National Monuments Center (CMN) – either the Arc de Triomphe or the Conciergerie, both in Paris – at the Château de Chambord, a castle in the Loire Valley (central France), as well as at Paris' Opéra Garnier. A source at the Culture Ministry said they were convinced that tourists who have come from afar would not hesitate to pay any price to step back in time with Marie-Antoinette, take a selfie with the Mona Lisa, or enjoy panoramic views of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe. This measure is expected to be extended to other sites in 2027. The goal is clear: to raise money, at a time when budget cuts threaten public subsidies, sponsorship has been drying up, and construction costs are soaring. At the Château de Versailles, which is always seeking funds to repair a cracked pool, restore a neglected grove, or fix a leaking roof, non-European visitors represent 42% of the monument's 8 million annual visitors.
Euronews
18 hours ago
- Euronews
Fancy a multi-stop train trip but no time to plan? Try a guided tour
I smile as Silvia – our tour leader on Intrepid's eight-day Best of Switzerland rail trip – guides us confidently through Zurich's main station, tickets to Lucerne in hand. Though Italian, Silvia now spends much of her time in Germany and Switzerland, and she navigates the local railway systems with ease. Trains are arguably the best way to explore Switzerland, renowned for its punctual transport and panoramic vistas. But there's more to train travel than hopping on and enjoying the view: timetables, routes and accommodation along the way. All of these factors require know-how and planning, which can prove challenging for time-strapped travellers. Consequently, companies such as Byway, which help customers book self-guided train itineraries, are proving very successful. Yet there's an even easier way to get onboard, thanks to a rise in small-group rail trips like Intrepid's. Here, a knowledgeable guide and the chance to meet like-minded travel companions are added bonuses. Such benefits inspired me to try my first European Intrepid trip. Driven by a soaring demand for train travel, the small-group adventure company recently launched a rail-based collection spanning old favourites to new itineraries, and it was here that I spotted the Best of Switzerland. Cheese, chocolate and superlative scenery? Swiss bliss indeed. Switzerland is expensive, and this tour reflects that, with prices starting from €3050. Perhaps due to this, my group was on the older side of Intrepid's demographic: ranging from 60-something Americans to an Aussie in her forties. I am 33 and there was just one person younger than me. Yet, as I often find on these trips, we bonded well despite our various ages and all relished the ride. We begin with an evening welcome meeting and walk in Zurich, before leaving the next morning. With little time spent in Zurich on the trip, I agree with Intrepid's advice to arrive early and explore. From fondue spiked with cherry liquor in the old town, to myriad museums and Bahnhofstrasse's dazzling jewellery, you'll find plenty here besides watches and banks. I recommend staying three or four days and buying a Zurich Card, which covers public transport, plus discounted entry to multiple attractions. Up next was Lucerne, about an hour from Zurich by train. Cue a typically scenic journey, where jagged snowy Alps glint in the distance and buzzards soar overhead, followed by a small city with big charm. An azure lake spanned by wooden bridges, frescoed buildings depicting craftsmen and jesters, medieval cobbled streets and city walls – Lucerne is a true supermodel, right down to its mountain backdrop. Our two days here also include a 'golden round-trip' Mount Pilatus tour: covering a steamboat cruise across Lake Lucerne, the world's steepest cogwheel railway up to the summit, and finally a gondola back. This is slightly ruined by foggy conditions on Pilatus, but as our next stop, two and a half hours by train from Lucerne would show me, fickle mountain weather is hard to avoid. Hills dotted with gingerbread chalets, tinkling cowbells, streams rushing through conifer forests; then suddenly fog, mist, a brutal world of rock and snow. Such was my disorientating experience of ascending towards Jungfraujoch, 3454 metres above sea level, in the Eiger Express gondola. I then catch the Jungfrau Railway – an awesome feat of engineering that saw a tunnel blasted through mountains far above the perennial snow line – and emerge onto the so-called 'Top of Europe', where clear conditions promise a stellar Alpine view. My view? Snowy blizzards. It's lucky Jungfraujoch has indoor entertainment, including a karst cave and an ice palace, too. Mountain weather is indeed fickle, but I enjoy our two days of free time in the Jungfrau Region nonetheless. My favourite excursion is Trümmelbach Falls, where subterranean waterfalls plummet through rock ravines in a milky-blue roar. Enhanced by adjacent wildflower meadows, impressionist canvases of purple and yellow, it feels like the setting of a fantasy movie. The Grindelwald Hotel is also a highlight, with its abundant wood and mellow lighting, as is my cheesy Alpine macaroni in the restaurant. Talking of which, our next stop is cheesy indeed. After around three hours and two train changes from Grindelwald, we arrive in Bulle: a pretty pastel town in French-speaking Switzerland. Our final destination is nearby Gruyères, where we visit a small factory to learn more about its renowned hard nutty cheese. This is often used in fondue, and so beloved that it's inspired a tradition of intricately carved wooden Gruyère spoons. My unsurprising highlight is the tasting, as with the chocolatier we visited afterwards. Chocolate is another product that Switzerland famously makes well, particularly via artisanal makers like Richard Uldry, who sources quality cocoa from places like Peru and São Tomé. After explaining his bean-to-bar process, Richard offers us samples of products like his Gruyère double-cream truffles. Yum Backed by a massive fang-like mountain that recalls the Matterhorn of old Toblerone packets, Gruyères is as delectable as its food. The red-roofed hilltop town is complete with a medieval château. It's also home to a bar and museum celebrating sci-fi artist H.R. Giger (best known for his work on the 1979 film Alien) – visiting this during our free time, I enjoy it almost as much as the cheese. Almost. Alas, all good things come to an end. Our last stop, around a one-hour train ride from Bulle and back into German-speaking Switzerland, is Bern. Home to a UNESCO-listed old town, complete with unusual underground shops, the Swiss capital is also celebrated for its 13th-century clock tower: a landmark whose secrets we learn on an included behind-the-scenes tour. Saying goodbye to the group over a rösti dinner, I reflect on my first-ever guided rail journey. Granted, it had been 'lazier' than my usual Europe trips, which I navigate with friends or family, but I'd saved several days of planning and met some lovely companions from across the world. Getting from A to B without worry, thanks to guide Silvia, was also a novelty; after all, mistakes are possible even in Switzerland, especially during tight train changes. I appreciated the mix of included activities and free time too. Want a multi-stop rail tour without hassle? I believe tours like Intrepid's are just the ticket. The writer was a guest of Intrepid. Norway is set to become the latest European destination to introduce a tourist tax to combat concerns about rising visitor numbers. Lawmakers approved the new levy on Thursday, which allows municipalities to introduce a 3 per cent tax on overnight stays in 'areas particularly affected by tourism'. The law allows local authorities to apply the tax at their own discretion, and it will be added to accommodation charges. Authorities will also be allowed to adjust the percentage based on the season. The funds raised by the tax will be used exclusively to improve tourism infrastructure projects that benefit both visitors and local people. Municipalities will have to demonstrate that their facilities are inadequate and have their plans approved by the government to spend the funds. Cecilie Myrseth, Norway's minister of trade and industry, said on social media that her government had reached a 'historic agreement' to introduce a tourism tax that was 'in line with what they have in the rest of Europe'. The country is the latest in a string of European nations introducing or increasing visitor levies to tackle the growing problem of overtourism. A tax may also be applied to cruise ships that make stops in the country, particularly in areas that are most affected by overtourism. As tourists increasingly choose cooler, northern European destinations to get away from the heat, Norway has experienced a boom in visitor numbers. Last year, a record-breaking 38.6 million people booked accommodation in the country. That includes more than 12 million overnight stays by foreign tourists - a 4.2 per cent increase from 2023. Some previously quiet destinations have been overwhelmed, like the Lofoten islands, where eye-catching images of hiking trails posted on social media have led to an influx of visitors. With a population of 24,500 people distributed across several small towns and villages, keeping up with the cost of all these new visitors has been hard. A recent survey by industry organisation Norwegian Tourism Partners found that 77 per cent of people in Tromsø, in northern Norway above the Arctic Circle, thought there were too many tourists there. Visitors have been drawn by the Northern Lights, wildlife excursions, Sami cultural experiences and what the city itself has to offer. The increase in tourism has caused tension with local residents across Norway as infrastructure has struggled to keep up with the boom. Facilities like public toilets and car parks have been overwhelmed in popular destinations. Some residents have even reported cases of people using their back gardens as toilets, and bemoaned the increased traffic clogging up Norway's roads.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
EU states look to trim compensation for flight delays
At present, passengers in Europe have a right to between 250 and 600 euros ($285-685) in compensation, depending on flight distance, for delays of three hours or more. But airlines complain that leaves them a hefty bill, and often leads them to cancel flights rather than run them with a long delay, due to knock-on effects on flight schedules. A majority of EU states agreed late Thursday to change the rules, overcoming opposition from Germany in particular, following hours of painstaking negotiations in Luxembourg. Under the new system, the compensation threshold would increase to four hours for flights of up to 3,500 kilometres (2,175 miles), or connecting cities inside the European Union, with its amount set at 300 euros. For longer flights, the right to compensation of 500 euros would kick in after a six-hour delay. The European Consumer Organisation BEUC slammed the plan, saying the "new eligibility thresholds will deprive the majority of passengers from their compensation rights", as most delays are between two and four hours. It urged European lawmakers -- who have yet to approve the text -- to uphold passengers' rights. The compromise did not satisfy airlines either, with the umbrella group Airlines for Europe (A4E) -- which includes Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair and easyJet -- complaining that it "introduced even more complexity" than the initial European Commission plan. But a spokesperson for the French aviation industry federation called it a "step forward" for consumers. The rules changes "clarify the law and will avoid many recurrent court disputes," said the spokesperson, Laurent Timset. Poland's infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, meanwhile cheered the creation of "over 30 new rights" for passengers, in a statement announcing the deal. Those include a "right to be rerouted" at the earliest opportunity, including through flights operated by other carriers or alternative transport modes. The plan also creates a system for passengers to be automatically compensated for flights cancelled within 14 days of departure. And it spells out the right to assistance -- refreshments, food, accommodation -- when travel is disrupted. France's transport minister Philippe Tabarot declared himself satisfied with the compromise.
