6 things to check before your Paris trip
Everything worth booking in advance for Paris.
6 apps to download before you go to Paris
Real-time Paris transit directions for Metro, RER, bus, tram, and Vélib' bike share.
Official RATP app for Metro and RER schedules, disruption alerts, and reloading your Navigo Easy card.
Available across Paris; Bolt is a cheaper alternative worth installing before you arrive.
Restaurant reservations across Paris — essential for popular bistros that fill weeks in advance.
Camera mode reads French menus instantly; offline French pack is worth downloading before departure.
The most reliable French weather app; Paris weather can shift sharply between arrondissements.
Paris travel — quick answers
When is the best time to visit Paris?
Late April through June and September through October are the best months. Temperatures are mild, gardens are in bloom or autumn color, and you avoid the August heat when many Parisians leave town and small shops close. Expect crowds at major sights year-round, but mornings are quieter.
How many days do you need in Paris?
Three full days is the practical minimum to see the major sights without rushing: one for the Louvre and the Île de la Cité, one for the Eiffel Tower and Musée d'Orsay, and one for Montmartre or a Versailles day trip. Five days gives you time for neighborhoods and a slower pace.
Is Paris safe for tourists?
Paris is generally safe, but pickpocketing is the main risk, especially on Métro line 1, around the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, and the Louvre. Keep your phone and wallet in front pockets or a zipped bag. Violent crime against tourists is rare. Avoid empty Métro cars late at night.
How much does a trip to Paris cost?
Budget travelers spend around €80 to €120 per day on hostels, bakery meals, and Métro tickets. Mid-range trips run €150 to €250 per day for a small hotel, casual restaurants, and a museum or two. Luxury easily exceeds €400 per day. Flights and tours are extra.
Do you need to speak French in Paris?
No, but a few basic phrases go a long way. Most people in central Paris working in tourism speak English. Always start interactions with bonjour and merci — skipping the greeting is considered rude. Service in restaurants tends to warm up considerably once you make the effort.
Top 20 Paris attractions you can't miss
The sights worth booking in advance, with insider tips on timing.
Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel's 1889 iron lattice tower is 330 meters tall and remains the defining symbol of Paris. Take the lift to the summit or climb 674 stairs for half the price — the tower sparkles for five minutes every hour after dark.
Marché des Enfants Rouges
Paris's oldest covered market, dating to 1615 — a tight grid of stalls selling Moroccan couscous, fresh oysters, crêpes, and produce. Come hungry on a Saturday morning.
Montmartre
The hilltop village neighborhood was once home to Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh. Cobbled lanes wind past the last working windmill, the pink La Maison Rose, and the artist-packed Place du Tertre square below Sacré-Cœur. Touristy at the top, authentically local two streets down.
Centre Pompidou
The inside-out building houses Europe's largest modern art collection. The rooftop terrace offers one of the best free views of Paris — you can see from Sacré-Cœur to the Eiffel Tower.
Louvre Museum
The world's largest art museum holds 380,000 objects including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Venus de Milo. Three days minimum to see the highlights — most visitors spend 3–4 hours.
Luxembourg Gardens
The 25-hectare formal garden of the French Senate is the city's living room. Parisians come to read, play chess, sail toy boats on the central pond, and watch their kids at the marionette stage. The Medici Fountain is hidden in the eastern grove.
See the other 14 ↓
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Paris's most famous cathedral reopened in December 2024 after five years of restoration following the 2019 fire. The rebuilt spire and cleaned interior are more stunning than ever.
Arc de Triomphe
Napoleon's triumphal arch stands at the center of 12 radiating avenues. Climb 284 steps to the rooftop for the best panoramic view of Paris — the Champs-Élysées stretches in both directions.
Sacré-Cœur Basilica
The white-domed basilica crowns Montmartre hill with sweeping views across all of Paris. The Romano-Byzantine interior features one of the world's largest mosaics.
Musée d'Orsay
A former railway station turned art museum, housing the world's finest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Degas are all here.
Sainte-Chapelle
A Gothic chapel with 1,113 stained glass panels depicting 1,130 biblical scenes — all original 13th century glass. On sunny days, the interior glows in kaleidoscopic color.
Musée du Louvre Pyramid
I.M. Pei's 1989 glass and metal pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre. At night it glows from within and reflects in the courtyard fountains. The inverted pyramid in the underground Carrousel mall is the quieter, faster way into the museum.
Seine River Cruise
An hour on a glass-roofed bateau-mouche is the easiest way to see the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre-Dame, and Île Saint-Louis from the water. Evening cruises catch the Eiffel Tower's hourly sparkle. Skip the dinner cruises — the food is forgettable.
Musée de l'Armée
France's military history museum inside Les Invalides, capped by the golden dome housing Napoleon's tomb. The World War collections are genuinely excellent, and the courtyard alone — ringed with cannons — is worth the stop even without going inside.
Petit Palais
A Beaux-Arts gem across from the Grand Palais, housing the city's fine arts collection from antiquity to 1900. The permanent collection is free, the inner garden courtyard has a café, and the building's mosaic floors and painted ceilings rival anything on the walls.
Musée du quai Branly
Jean Nouvel's striking building near the Eiffel Tower houses indigenous arts from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. The vertical garden facade is a landmark in itself. The rooftop restaurant, Les Ombres, has one of the best Eiffel Tower views in the city.
Palace of Versailles
The ultimate expression of French royal excess — a 2,300-room palace with the Hall of Mirrors, 800 hectares of gardens, and the Petit Trianon where Marie Antoinette played at country life.
Palais Royal Gardens
The serene arcaded gardens behind the Palais Royal — surrounded by 17th-century colonnaded walkways, independent boutiques, and galleries. Free to enter. The controversial black-and-white striped columns by Buren in the courtyard have become iconic. Ten minutes from the Louvre; almost no tourists.
Canal Saint-Martin
The 4.5km iron-footbridge canal running through the 10th arrondissement. Lined with independent cafes, vintage clothing shops, and bookshops. Sunday mornings the canal banks close to cars and fill with picnickers. Walk north from République metro for the best stretch.
Rue Crémieux
The most photographed residential street in Paris — a 100-metre pedestrian lane of pastel-painted houses in the 12th arrondissement. Arrive before 09:00 for empty frames. Residents have fought to limit tourist hours; respect the signs and keep noise down.
Best views in Paris
The only free spot in Paris where the full city sprawl fans out from north to south with no barriers or entry fee.
Best at evening56 floors up — the only Paris viewpoint that includes the Eiffel Tower in the frame without the tower blocking anything.
Best at sunsetFree, no booking required: direct sightlines to the Opéra Garnier and the Eiffel Tower from the business district.
The rooftop opens a 360° view down all 12 Haussmann boulevards, with the Eiffel Tower to the south-west.
The glazed escalator ends at a terrace overlooking Marais rooftops and Sacré-Cœur on the horizon — included with museum entry.
Paris rewards the traveler who slows down. Three days is enough to see the icons — five days is when the real city reveals itself.
Finder Trip research team, April 2026
Paris weather month by month
12 months of temperature, crowd level, and honest verdicts on when to go.
Getting from the airport to central Paris
Your fastest, cheapest, and most reliable options from each airport.
Train (RER B)
Budget + fast
Bus (Roissybus)
Direct to Opéra
Uber / Bolt
Late nights, groups
Train (RER B + Orlyval)
Fast + affordable
Bus (Orlybus)
Direct to Denfert
Uber / Bolt
Late nights, groups
Beauvais Navette shuttle
Official shuttle to Porte Maillot
Flixbus
Budget option, books up fast
Taxi/Uber
Groups or late arrivals
Getting around Paris
How to move around efficiently — from the Tube to taxis to walking.
Métro + Bus
€2.15 single · €8.65 day cap
Buy a Navigo Easy card (€2 once) and reload trips; tap contactless cards work on buses.
Vélib'
€5/day
3,000+ stations. V-Pass ticket covers 24h unlimited 30-min rides.
Rideshare & taxis
~€18 cross-town · Uber, Bolt, FreeNow
All three apps compete; Bolt usually cheapest. Surge common after concerts.
Walking
Walkability 9/10
Most central sights within 20–30 min walk of each other. Paris is made for walking.
| Pass | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Navigo Easy carnet (10 rides) | €17.35 | Short visits, light use |
| Navigo Weekly | €30 | 5+ days, heavy use |
| Paris Visite 3-day | €31 | Tourists who want airport transfer included |
Is Paris safe?
Paris is a safe destination for the vast majority of visitors. Violent crime against tourists is rare. The main risk is opportunistic theft — wallet snatches, phone grabs, and the scam artists who operate near major monuments. Stay aware in crowded tourist areas and you'll have no trouble.
- Keep wallets in front pockets on the Metro. Lines 1, 4, and the RER B are the highest-risk routes.
- The Eiffel Tower attracts the highest concentration of pickpockets in Europe — leave unnecessary cards at the hotel.
- The area around Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est can feel rough at night. Use established routes and taxis if arriving late.
- Emergency: 15 (SAMU), 17 (Police), 18 (Fire). Tourist police at Beaubourg-Les Halles metro.
3 days in Paris — don't waste your first trip
A proven sequence: start with the landmarks that anchor your mental map, then go deeper.
Right Bank — Icons
Eiffel Tower at opening, Louvre by afternoon, Seine cruise at dusk
Eiffel Tower (stairs)
Book the 9AM slot on toureiffel.paris — stairs skip the lift queue by 45 min
Café du Marché (rue Cler)
Classic formule lunch — €14 for starter + main in the 7th arrondissement market street
Louvre — enter via Passage Richelieu
Head straight to Winged Victory, then Mona Lisa (room 711). Budget 2.5 hrs
Seine river cruise
Bateaux Parisiens departs Pont d'Iéna — evening cruise catches the 10PM sparkle
Left Bank + Marais
Musée d'Orsay, Saint-Germain bistro, Marais afternoon
Musée d'Orsay
Top floor Impressionists first — it gets crowded by 11AM. Spend 2 hrs
Bistrot du Boucher, Saint-Germain
Order the formule: entrée + steak frites. Sit at the zinc bar if the terrace is full
Sainte-Chapelle
Buy combined Sainte-Chapelle + Conciergerie ticket — saves €4. Visit on a sunny afternoon
Le Marais wander
Walk rue des Archives north to Place des Vosges. Falafel at L'As du Fallafel on rue des Rosiers (arrive before 6PM queue)
Montmartre + Day trip
Sacré-Cœur at sunrise, then Versailles or a lazy Montmartre morning
Sacré-Cœur Basilica
Arrive before 9AM — empty, quiet, best light for photos. Funicular up, walk down through cobbled streets
Place du Tertre → rue des Abbesses
Skip the caricature artists. Walk two minutes north for a real café and a good croissant
RER C to Versailles (option A) OR lunch in Montmartre (option B)
Versailles: 40 min on RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche. Book palace ticket online to skip the entrance queue
Dinner in Canal Saint-Martin
Hôtel du Nord (the terrace) or Café de l'Industrie for a quintessential Paris evening without tourist prices
Best Paris tours
Ranked by value, not commission. Every tour here has 4.5+ stars and 500+ reviews.
Paris Highlights Walking Tour
See the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Louvre with a local guide who skips the queues and knows all the stories.
Paris Food & Wine Tasting Tour
Taste your way through the Marais — fromage, charcuterie, wine, and pastries at six stops with a French food expert.
Paris Neighbourhood Walking Tour — Marais to Saint-Germain
Walk from the medieval Marais quarter through the Jewish quarter and Île de la Cité into Saint-Germain-des-Prés with a guide who knows every hidden courtyard, bookshop, and café.
Paris at a glance
Key attractions, neighborhoods, and restaurant clusters — all in one view.
What to do in Paris in any weather
Paris gets 12–15 rainy days most months. Here's where to duck in when it opens up.
🌧 Rainy day ideas
🥵 Too-hot day ideas
Paris day trips
Find a tour Versailles
20 km · 0.7h by Train
Find a tour Giverny (Monet's Gardens)
75 km · 1.3h by Train
Find a tour Champagne Region (Reims)
145 km · 0.8h by Train
Paris is the entry point — France has more to offer beyond the capital.
Best hotels in Paris
Four picks across budget, romance, character, and location. All rated 8.5+ on Booking.com.
Mid-range hotels in Paris average €165/night for a double room. Budget options from €80/night.
Cosmos Hôtel Paris Opéra
9th arrondissement · Classic 3-star
- Budget travelers who want a central Parisian base Best for
- Walking distance from Opéra Garnier · clean, simple rooms · great transport links
Hôtel des Marronniers
Saint-Germain-des-Prés · Classic
- Classic Paris experience on the Left Bank Best for
- Garden courtyard · Left Bank location · quiet street off Saint-Germain
Hôtel Particulier Montmartre
Montmartre · Boutique
- Couples who want the most unique hotel in Paris — a mansion with a secret garden Best for
- Secret garden · only 5 suites · artist-designed interiors · steps from Sacré-Coeur
Hôtel Brighton
Tuileries, Rue de Rivoli · Classic Parisian
- Sightseers who want to be steps from the Louvre and the Tuileries Best for
- Louvre views from upper floors · Tuileries garden on your doorstep · walking distance to Musée d'Orsay
10 free things to do in Paris
Entry to the basilica is free; climb the steps from Abbesses for the best free panorama of Paris at sunset.
All 14 city-owned museums — including Musée Carnavalet, Petit Palais, and Maison de Balzac — have free permanent collections year-round.
The cathedral reopened in December 2024; the exterior and the surrounding Île de la Cité are free to explore.
The world's most-visited cemetery is free to enter and holds the graves of Chopin, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison.
The park below the Eiffel Tower is free to enter; the classic move is a baguette and wine on the grass with the tower lit at night.
Free 7th-floor rooftop terrace with direct views to the Opéra Garnier and the Eiffel Tower — no purchase required.
The 4.5km tree-lined canal in the 10th has iron footbridges, lock gates, and the café-bar scene that defines east Paris.
23 hectares of formal French gardens in the 6th, with beehives, an orchard, and the Médicis fountain — free to enter.
The world's first elevated park (inspiration for New York's High Line) runs 4.7km above the 12th arrondissement — free and open daily.
The pedestrianised bridge and the Seine riverside promenades are free to walk — the banks are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Trip budget calculator
Estimate your total cost. Adjust travelers, style, and nights.
✈️ Airline tickets not included in this estimate.
Where to stay in Paris: neighborhood guide
Each neighborhood has a different vibe, price point, and distance from the center.
Le Marais
Trendy, central, medieval lanes with boutiques & Jewish bakeries
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Classic Left Bank cafés, galleries, and polished bistros
Montmartre
Bohemian hilltop village with the Sacré-Cœur and winding stairs
Latin Quarter
Lively student streets, bookshops, and affordable eats
7th arrondissement
Refined embassies and boulevards within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower
Canal Saint-Martin
Hip, local, canal-side bars and indie shops favored by repeat visitors
Where to eat in Paris (and what to skip)
Ranked by quality and value. Michelin stars noted where relevant.
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte
One dish, no menu, no reservations: steak frites with a secret walnut sauce that's been unchanged since 1959. Queue outside or arrive at opening.
Septime ★
The city's most sought-after table — natural wine, market-driven tasting menus, and an open kitchen. Book 3–4 weeks ahead online.
Huîtrerie Régis
12 bar stools, 12 oysters, a glass of Muscadet. Paris's best standalone oyster bar in Saint-Germain. Cash only.
Café de Flore
Historic Left Bank café where Sartre and de Beauvoir wrote. Overpriced for coffee — come at 8AM for the ritual, not the value.
Du Pain et des Idées
Paris's best bakery by most accounts — the escargot pastry and pain des amis are non-negotiable. Closed weekends.
Le Grand Véfour ★
1784 restaurant under the Palais Royal arcades — painted ceiling, red velvet, and a two-star Michelin kitchen. The most beautiful dining room in Paris.
What food and drink costs in Paris
Real prices from local spots — not tourist traps.
Paris money mistakes — and how to avoid them
The situations where visitors consistently overpay, and what to do instead.
1. Tip
Avoid Euronet ATMs — use BNP Paribas or Société Générale machines to avoid 5–7% fees.
2. Tip
Lunch formule (starter + main) at bistros runs €18–24; the same meal at dinner is €35–50.
3. Tip
Tap-to-pay works everywhere including the Métro — leave cash for open-air markets only.
4. Tip
Museum pass (€62 / 2 days) only pays off if you visit 4+ major museums without queuing.
5. Tip
Coffee at the counter (au comptoir) costs €1.80–2.50; same coffee at a terrace table is €4–5.
Language in Paris
French is the only official language. Parisians in tourist areas speak English well, but opening with bonjour changes the entire interaction.
The rule: always say bonjour first. Even stumbling through two words of French earns more goodwill than perfect English delivered without a greeting.
Paris events calendar
The festivals, markets, and sporting events that are worth timing your trip around.
Winter sales (Les Soldes)
Heavily discounted fashion at all major stores citywide. · First 4 weeks
Paris Fashion Week Men + Couture
International menswear and haute couture shows across the city. · Late Jan / late Feb
Salon de l'Agriculture
France's biggest farm fair at Porte de Versailles — food tastings. · Late Feb / early Mar
Marathon de Paris
40,000 runners start at Champs-Élysées; great spectator atmosphere. · Early April
French Open (Roland-Garros)
Clay-court Grand Slam — day tickets can be reasonable. · Last week of May
Fête de la Musique
Free live music at every bar, square, and street corner for one night. · June 21
Bastille Day
Military parade on Champs-Élysées + Eiffel Tower fireworks at night. · July 14
Paris Plages
Artificial beaches and deckchairs along the Seine and Bassin de la Villette. · Mid-July to Aug
Paris Fashion Week Women
Designer shows take over the city; spot celebrities around Place Vendôme. · Last week
Nuit Blanche
All-night free contemporary art installations across the city. · First Saturday
Salon du Chocolat + Beaujolais
Europe's biggest chocolate fair; Beaujolais Nouveau releases same month. · Late Oct / 3rd Thu
Christmas markets + lights
Champs-Élysées illuminations and markets at Tuileries and Place Vendôme. · All month
Common Paris scams to avoid
Tourist-targeted scams that concentrate near the main sights. Each one takes 30 seconds to learn.
💍 Gold ring scam
Where: Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower area
A stranger 'finds' a gold ring near you and offers to sell it cheap. The ring is worthless brass.
📋 Petition scam
Where: Louvre, Sacré-Cœur, tourist areas
Clipboard-carriers ask you to 'sign for a deaf charity', then aggressively demand a cash donation.
🧵 String bracelet scam
Where: Steps of Sacré-Cœur
Men approach and tie a string bracelet on your wrist, then demand €10–20 for it.
🍽️ Tourist menu trap
Where: Near the Louvre, Montmartre, Champs-Élysées
Hand-written 'tourist menus' in English with inflated prices replace the legit prix-fixe.
🚖 Unofficial airport taxi
Where: CDG arrivals hall
Drivers approach you in the terminal offering flat-rate rides at double the official fare.