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Major city · United States

Paris, MaineParis

Give Paris one night as a Saco River valley stop between Portland and the White Mountains — two nights only if you want the Oxford Hills at walking pace.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Jun–Oct
avoid Nov–Mar (ice, snow, many seasonal closures), mud season in April
Airports
PWM · BOS
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Paris is a small Oxford County town on the Saco River, usually called South Paris, about an hour northwest of Portland. It is a base, not a sight list: a village green on Paris Hill, a nine-hole course, a 1911 church, and quick access to Norway, Bethel and the western Maine lakes. Most travellers pass through on Route 26 or stop one night on the way to the mountains.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Paris, Maine, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$2–4
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner main$16–30
  • Street or quick mealDiner breakfast$10–16
  • BeerDraught beer$6–9
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25
  • Budget bedWhole-house rental (up to 6), a night, per roomUS$180
  • Mid-range bedCountry inn double room, a night, per roomUS$140
  • High-end bedCountry inn double room, a night, per roomUS$220

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$120 · High US$200

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Paris Hill village and its greenSaco River valley sceneryRoute 26 gateway to the White MountainsOxford Hills lakes and ponds
Airports
PWM Portland International Jetport (About 1 h 15 min by car via I-95 and Route 26; no direct bus to Paris.) · BOS Boston Logan International (About 2 h 45 min by car; the longer but often cheaper option.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Paris, Maine: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−2°C

−13°C

10 rd

Feb

0°C

−12°C

9 rd

Mar

5°C

−7°C

10 rd

Apr

12°C

0°C

11 rd

May

19°C

6°C

12 rd

Jun

24°C

11°C

12 rd

Jul

27°C

14°C

11 rd

Aug

26°C

13°C

10 rd

Sep

21°C

8°C

9 rd

Oct

14°C

2°C

10 rd

Nov

7°C

−3°C

11 rd

Dec

0°C

−10°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. There is no useful local bus; Route 26 runs north–south through South Paris and Route 117 links to Norway. Distances are short but unwalkable outside the villages, and winter driving needs snow tyres or all-wheel drive.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Norway

go

Door to door: About 10 min

Route 117 east by car

Village shops, lake access and more food than Paris itself.

Bethel and Grafton Notch

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Route 26 north by car

Mountain village, Sunday River skiing and trailheads.

Portland

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Route 26 south to I-95, then I-95 east

Old Port, waterfront and the best food in the state.

White Mountain National Forest

overnight

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Route 26 north into New Hampshire

Too far for a relaxed return day; sleep in Bethel or Gorham.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

South Paris village

Market Square and Main Street; walkable to shops and food, closest to Route 26.

Paris Hill

Quiet hilltop village with the green and historic houses; 10 min drive up from South Paris.

Norway and the lakes

5–10 min east; more lodging and lake access, useful for a longer stay.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$110–180 excl. bed
High
$180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Country inn double room1 × 1 night × US$140US$140
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$120US$240
Rental car, one day1 × US$60US$60
Fuel, about 150 km1 × US$18US$18
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$49
Trip total≈ US$269 per person per day, bed includedUS$537

2026 estimate in US dollars; prices shown before Maine's 5.5% sales tax. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$2–4
Diner breakfast$10–16
Lunch sandwich or soup$9–15
Sit-down dinner main$16–30
Draught beer$6–9
Gallon of petrol$3.20–3.80
Nine holes at Paris Hill Golf Course$20–35
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A low-crime small town; the real risks are rural driving — ice, moose at dawn and dusk, and no phone signal on back roads. Lock the car and keep valuables out of sight in trailhead lots.
  • Cell coverage is patchy on the back roads toward the lakes and Paris Hill.
  • Moose and deer on Route 26 at dawn and dusk, especially Sep–Nov.
  • Many restaurants and small museums close early or seasonally; check hours the same day.
  • Winter storms can close roads; carry a scraper, blanket and water.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Paris, MaineParis

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Maine; consulates-general are in Boston. US visitors: your own embassy is in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi or rideshare, South Paris → Norway: $12–20, about 10 min
  • Rental car, one day: $50–90 plus fuel
  • Drive Paris → Portland: about 1 h 15 min, 65 km

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the toilet?
  • Do you take cards? — Can I pay by card?
  • How much is that? — How much is it?

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Paris, Maine. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Oct · avoid Nov–Mar (ice, snow, many seasonal closures), mud season in April · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for PWM: drive times field-checked, rental-car fallback, late-arrival rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: South Paris Market Square, Paris Hill green, Norway village.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Hamlin Memorial Library, Paris Cape Historical Society, Celebration Barn) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and hostile-weather fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources