Saint-Denis travel guide
Royal tombs, the first Gothic choir and the Stade de France
A large suburb just north of Paris with the basilica where French kings are buried and the national stadium. Visit any time, ideally April to June or September and October. Half a day from Paris for the basilica, longer on a match or concert night. Prices are high, and many passports get 90 days without a visa.
Saint-Denis lies just north of Paris, across the city limit from Porte de la Chapelle, and is the capital's most populous suburb. Visitors come for two very different things: the Basilica of Saint-Denis, burial place of the kings of France, and the Stade de France, the national stadium. It was built for the 1998 World Cup and staged the athletics at the 2024 Olympics.
Inside the basilica, Gothic architecture took its first steps under Abbot Suger in the 12th century. The crypt and nave hold royal tombs and carved effigies, including those of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. A short walk away, the Musée d'art et d'histoire Paul Éluard occupies a former Carmelite convent.
Metro line 13 runs to Basilique de Saint-Denis, while RER B and D serve the stadium area. The streets around the basilica are busy and working-class, with a big market by the covered hall. Keep an eye on phones and bags in the crowds, as you would in central Paris.
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A royal basilica, a national stadium, a convent museum and a lively market.
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Best time to visit Saint-Denis
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Mild days for the canal towpath, and the basilica is calm on weekday mornings.
Warm, with the big stadium concerts and crowded RER trains on event nights.
On match and concert nights the RER stations by the Stade de France are packed; leave early or wait for the crowd to thin.
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Getting there
Line 13, the RER and metro 14 to Pleyel
Saint-Denis sits on the Paris network, so arriving means choosing a line. Metro 13 runs from central Paris to Basilique de Saint-Denis, right by the church, in roughly 25 minutes from Saint-Lazare. RER D reaches the Gare de Saint-Denis in a few minutes from Gare du Nord, with a stop at Stade de France-Saint-Denis on the way. RER B serves La Plaine-Stade de France and continues to Charles de Gaulle airport, about half an hour away. Since 2024 metro line 14 has run from Orly airport through central Paris to Saint-Denis Pleyel, the new hub on the west side of town, making Orly a single ride. The A1 motorway passes the stadium, but parking near it on event days is hard.
- Metro 13
- Central Paris to Basilique de Saint-Denis, about 25 minutes
- RER D
- Gare du Nord to Gare de Saint-Denis in a few minutes
- RER B
- Charles de Gaulle airport to La Plaine-Stade de France, about 30 minutes
- Metro 14
- Orly airport to Saint-Denis Pleyel without a change
- Paris tickets and passes cover Saint-Denis; the airport legs need an airport fare.
Where to stay
Pleyel, La Plaine or back in the 10th
Most visitors stay in Paris and come out for half a day, and that remains the easiest plan. If you have a concert or match, the chain hotels at La Plaine Saint-Denis put you a walk from the Stade de France, though the area is office blocks and empty after the crowds go. Saint-Denis Pleyel, with metro 14 and new hotels around the former athletes' village, is the most connected base, a quick ride to Châtelet and Orly. The old centre by the basilica has few hotels and gets quiet and rough at night.
- Central Paris, 10th arrondissement
- One RER stop away, widest choice
- La Plaine Saint-Denis
- Walk to the stadium; dull on non-event nights
- Saint-Denis Pleyel
- Metro 14 to Châtelet and Orly; still being built up
- Basilica centre
- Few hotels; not pleasant late at night
Getting around
Trams T1, T5 and T8, and the canal towpath
The old centre is small: the basilica, the Halle du Marché and the Paul Éluard museum are a few minutes apart on foot. To reach the stadium, walk about half an hour south along the Canal Saint-Denis, or take RER D one stop. Trams T1, T5 and T8 meet here and fan out across the northern suburbs. Buy tickets in the Île-de-France Mobilités app or at station machines, and validate on every tram and bus. The canal towpath is a flat, traffic-free ride back to La Villette in Paris.
- Tram T1
- Past the basilica and the Gare de Saint-Denis
- Trams T5 and T8
- North to Sarcelles, Épinay and Villetaneuse
- Canal Saint-Denis
- Towpath to the stadium and on to La Villette by bike or on foot
- Vélib'
- Paris bike share, docks across Saint-Denis
Know before you go
What makes Saint-Denis worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The royal effigies in the basilica, centuries of French monarchs carved in stone.
- The choir of Saint-Denis, where Gothic architecture began.
- A match or concert at the Stade de France, with 80,000 people on the same note.
Good to know
- Watch your bags at the stations and in the market crowds.
- Event nights clog the RER; plan your return before you go to the stadium.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Saint-Denis, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Saint-Denis are being researched.
The royal basilica, the market and the Stade de France in Saint-Denis
A day trip from Paris is enough for Saint-Denis. Arrive at the basilica on metro 13 when it opens, see the royal tombs and Abbot Suger's Gothic ambulatory, then visit the Musée d'art et d'histoire Paul Éluard. Eat at the Halle du Marché on Tuesday, Friday or Sunday, and walk the Canal Saint-Denis towpath to the Stade de France.
Morning. Ride metro 13 to Basilique de Saint-Denis and go straight in at opening, when the nave is near empty. Scaffolding wraps the north tower while its spire is rebuilt, a project due to run to about 2029, but the church stays open. The nave is free; the choir and crypt, where the royal tombs are gathered, need a ticket. Stand in Suger's ambulatory first: the ring of chapels with their tall windows is where Gothic building began in the 1140s. Then work through the effigies and down into the crypt.
Late morning. Walk a few minutes to the Musée d'art et d'histoire Paul Éluard, in a former Carmelite convent where Louis XV's daughter Louise took the veil. The collections cover the history of the town, the Paris Commune and the poet Éluard, who was born here.
Lunch. On a market day (Tuesday, Friday or Sunday), wander through the Halle du Marché and the stalls around it, then eat nearby.
Afternoon. Walk south along the Canal Saint-Denis towpath to the Stade de France; the Olympic aquatics centre stands opposite. Take the RER back to Gare du Nord.
African, Turkish and Caribbean flavours at the Halle du Marché
Saint-Denis's kitchens reflect where its residents come from: from North and West Africa, Turkey, South Asia and the Caribbean. The place to taste it is the market around the 19th-century Halle du Marché, one of the largest in the Paris region, with msemen, brik, plantain and Turkish breads. Small canteens nearby serve couscous and mint tea.
The Halle du Marché is an iron hall a few streets from the basilica. Inside are butchers, fishmongers and cheese counters; outside, the stalls spread across the square with spices, fruit, cloth and household goods.
Look for msemen and other North African flatbreads cooked on griddles, brik pastries, piles of dates and olives, West African stalls with plantain and cassava, and Turkish bakers selling flatbread and pastries. Prices are far below those in Paris.
For a sit-down French meal, the brasseries near the basilica and around Pleyel are fine for lunch. Go to the market in the morning, when the stalls are full, and keep your phone in a front pocket, as the crowds are dense.
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How we research our Saint-Denis travel guide
Metro, RER and tram details are compared with Île-de-France Mobilités, including the line 14 extension that opened in 2024. Town facts follow saintdenis.fr and France.fr, entry rules the EU's Entry/Exit and ETIAS portal.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of Saint-DenisFrance.frEU Entry/Exit System and ETIAS
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Saint-Denis.
General
Basilique de Saint-Denis on metro line 13; the station is right by the church, about 25 minutes from central Paris.
Most of the kings and queens of France, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, in the royal necropolis of the basilica.
Either works: RER B stops at La Plaine-Stade de France and RER D at Stade de France-Saint-Denis, both direct from central Paris. On event nights, check which station your entrance gate is nearer.
No, it is a separate commune bordering the 18th arrondissement, about 9.4 km from the centre of Paris, but it is on the Paris metro and RER.
Daytime visits to the basilica and market are routine. Watch for pickpockets in the market crowds, at the stations and on event nights.
It is where Gothic architecture began in the 12th century, with pointed arches and large windows letting light into the ambulatory.
Yes. Half a day covers the basilica, the crypt and the museum; add the evening if you have stadium tickets.
Yes, from the basilica it is about half an hour on foot to the Stade de France via the towpath, and continues all the way to La Villette in Paris.
The old centre is small: the basilica, the Halle du Marché and the Paul Éluard museum are a few minutes apart on foot. To reach the stadium, walk about half an hour south along the Canal Saint-Denis, or take RER D one stop. Trams T1, T5 and T8 meet here and fan out across the northern suburbs.
Getting there
Yes. Since 2024, metro line 14 runs from Orly airport through central Paris to Saint-Denis Pleyel.
Saint-Denis sits on the Paris network, so arriving means choosing a line. Metro 13 runs from central Paris to Basilique de Saint-Denis, right by the church, in roughly 25 minutes from Saint-Lazare. RER D reaches the Gare de Saint-Denis in a few minutes from Gare du Nord, with a stop at Stade de France-Saint-Denis on the way.
Prices & payment
The nave is free to enter. The choir and the crypt with the royal tombs are ticketed.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Saint-Denis is Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct. Mild weather for pairing the basilica with a walk along the Canal Saint-Denis back towards Paris.
- Best overall: April - June, September - October (Mild days for the canal towpath, and the basilica is calm on weekday mornings)
- Summer: July - August (Warm, with the big stadium concerts and crowded RER trains on event nights)
Visa & documents
France belongs to the Schengen area. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime against visitors to France is mostly petty. Pickpocketing is common in Paris on the Metro, especially line 1, and around the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and Gare du Nord. Rail and air strikes and street demonstrations can disrupt transport, so check before travel days and keep away from protests.
