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Destination OS · Timed tickets, long walks, café stops

Paris

Paris rewards a slow rhythm: one big timed museum per morning, a long lunch, and the river or a park in the afternoon — book the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle and the Eiffel Tower slots before you leave.

Local time
--:--
Weather
forecast below
Currency
EUR
Best months
Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct
Airports
CDG · ORY
Not field-verifiedgates A✓ B✓ C✓ D✓what gates mean
Start trip First time here Arrive CDG Arrive ORYPrint / PDF guide
22 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days

Cash need

1/5

Heat risk

3/5

Stroller

2/5

Friction

50/100

Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
  • France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
  • France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
  • France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
  • France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.

Paris line · walking clusters

Île de la Cité & Latin Quarterbags painful · halfLe Maraisbags painful · halfLouvre, Tuileries & Musée d'Orsaybags forbidden · halfEiffel Tower & Trocadérobags forbidden · half

At a glance

Clusters
4
Places
6
Day plans
1
Places to eat
2
Sleep areas
2
Gateways
CDG · ORY

Right now

Checking the weather…

Working out what is open near you…

Full “Right now” view →

Decide

Who it suits, the trade-offs and when to go

Overview

The city in one paragraph, who it fits, and how many days it takes.

Paris is dense and walkable, but the trips that go wrong are the ones that fight the ticket system and the calendar: arriving at the Louvre without a timed slot on a Tuesday when it is closed, queueing two hours at the Eiffel Tower in July, or hauling suitcases up metro stairs. Four clusters cover a first visit; Versailles and Giverny are day trips from one kept bed, and the airport rides are the first decision of the trip.

Fits

  • First visits to Europe
  • Museum and architecture trips
  • Food trips (bakeries, bistros, markets)
  • Short city breaks with a day trip to Versailles

Does not fit

  • Strollers and wheelchairs on the metro (many stairs)
  • Travellers who hate queues and crowds in summer
  • Anyone who expects to walk between all four clusters in one day
2 days
Île de la Cité + Louvre, Marais evening
3 days
Four clusters, one big museum per morning
5 days
Four clusters + Versailles day trip + one slow day
Don't confuse
Paris (the city, twenty arrondissements) and the Île-de-France region are different: the airports and Versailles are in the region, not in the city.
Where’s whatTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Latin Quarter and Saint… · $$$Le Marais · $$$CDG · 23 km · 40–55 min

Hover, tap or tab to an area to see what it is like. Pins are sleep areas; arrows at the edge point to the airport.

Off the map: Paris Orly Airport (ORY) (30–40 min by the usual route).

Where’s what, as a list:

  • Île de la Cité & Latin Quarter: Morning cluster: Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle a few minutes apart on the island, then the Latin Quarter cafés; go at opening and book the timed slots.
  • Le Marais: Afternoon and evening cluster: Place des Vosges, Rue des Rosiers and small streets of shops and cafés; many shops open on Sundays when others close.
  • Louvre, Tuileries & Musée d'Orsay: Museum morning: book a timed slot, enter at opening, leave at lunch; the Tuileries garden is the rest stop between the Louvre and the Orsay.
  • Eiffel Tower & Trocadéro: Sunrise or evening cluster: the tower at opening or after 19:00, Trocadéro terrace for the view; midday queues and heat are the failure mode.
  • Sleep area Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain: suits Families, older travellers, price band $$$.
  • Sleep area Le Marais: suits Families, older travellers, price band $$$.
  • Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), about 23 km from the centre, 40–55 min by the usual route.
  • Paris Orly Airport (ORY), 30–40 min by the usual route.

Decide

The honest trade-off: what you will enjoy, what will wear you down.

You will like

  • Museums and monuments in one city
  • Long café lunches
  • Riverside walks
  • Bakeries and markets

You will hate

  • Queues at the Eiffel Tower and Louvre
  • Pickpockets on the metro
  • Closures on Sundays and Mondays

When

Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct. Month-by-month verdicts below, with the live forecast first. When to go, month by month →

Paris: 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.

Jancaution

Cold and grey; winter sales; short queues at museums.

Febcaution

Cold; fashion-week weeks raise hotel prices.

Margo

Cool, changeable; gardens waking up.

Aprgo

Mild; Easter weekend is busy; marathon closes streets.

Maygo

Pleasant; several bank holidays close shops and museums.

Jungo

Long evenings; Fête de la Musique on 21 June.

Julcaution

Hot and busy; Bastille Day closes roads.

Augcaution

Heat; many small shops and restaurants close for holidays.

Sepgo

Warm, fewer families; fashion week and heritage weekend crowds.

Octgo

Mild and colourful; the best month for walking.

Novcaution

Grey and wet; museums are quiet.

Deccaution

Christmas lights and markets; cold; closures on 25 December and 1 January.

Festivals and events that change the plan

WhenWhatEffect on your plan
May 1Labour DayNearly everything closes, including many museums and shops.
Jun 21Fête de la MusiqueFree concerts across the city; crowded and noisy in the evening.
Jul 14Bastille DayParade and fireworks; roads and some metro stations close.
Third weekend of SeptemberHeritage Days (Journées du patrimoine)Free entry to many monuments and ministries; long queues.
Late Dec–early JanChristmas and New YearLights and markets; closures on 25 December and 1 January.

Arrive & move

Getting in, getting around, and your bags

Arrive

Gateways

Each gateway has its own airport-to-bed page with timings and the last safe connection.

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)Launch profile 21:00 → Le Marais: feasibleCDG to the Marais or Latin Quarter: RER B every few minutes for about 40 minutes; the risk is not the ride but strikes and late-night gaps — keep the taxi flat fare as a fallback.Paris Orly Airport (ORY)ORY to the Marais or Latin Quarter: metro line 14 to Châtelet in about 30 minutes; the risk is a disruption or the last train, so keep the taxi flat fare in mind.

Move

The default way around, when a pass pays off, and when the last trains go.

Default
Walk inside a cluster; metro between clusters; RER for the airports and Versailles.
Passes
Single tickets or a Navigo Easy card are simplest for two or three days; a Navigo Découverte weekly pass (Monday to Sunday) only pays back if you arrive early in the week and ride a lot. Check current prices on the IDFM or RATP site.
Last trains
Metro and RER run until roughly 01:00–02:00 (later on some weekend nights); night buses (Noctilien) run after that. Check the last train on the app before you leave a late dinner.
Other modes
Other modes (Rome2Rio) ↗

Luggage

Where big bags are a problem, and how to get rid of them for the day.

Rule

The Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, the Eiffel Tower and most monuments refuse suitcases and large bags at security and have no reliable storage: leave big bags at the hotel and carry a day bag.
Lockers
Left-luggage is limited and staffed offices near major stations charge per bag; hotels hold bags after check-out.
Forwarding
No forwarding culture; keep the big bag at the Paris hotel and take a day pack to Versailles or Giverny.
Dead zone
Late-afternoon flights: ask the hotel to hold your bags, then take the RER B or the Roissybus from central Paris.

Shinkansen with large bags →

See & do

Walking clusters, day plans and the places worth the time

Clusters

Walking polygons, not wards

Plan by cluster: each is a walkable area with a rescue point and a bag rule.

Île de la Cité & Latin Quarterbags painful

Morning cluster: Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle a few minutes apart on the island, then the Latin Quarter cafés; go at opening and book the timed slots.

rescue 100% · max p90 4.2′ · half

Le Maraisbags painful

Afternoon and evening cluster: Place des Vosges, Rue des Rosiers and small streets of shops and cafés; many shops open on Sundays when others close.

rescue 100% · max p90 4.2′ · half

Louvre, Tuileries & Musée d'Orsaybags forbidden

Museum morning: book a timed slot, enter at opening, leave at lunch; the Tuileries garden is the rest stop between the Louvre and the Orsay.

rescue 100% · max p90 4.7′ · half

Eiffel Tower & Trocadérobags forbidden

Sunrise or evening cluster: the tower at opening or after 19:00, Trocadéro terrace for the view; midday queues and heat are the failure mode.

rescue 100% · max p90 4.7′ · half

Days

Rendered from the graph

Ready-made day plans, timed against opening hours and walking distances.

Paris in 3 days3 daysOne big timed sight per morning, a long lunch, the river in the afternoon; the last day ends with the bags already at the hotel and the RER B a known ride.

Places

Curated — verdicts, not rankings

Each place gets a verdict and the time to be there, not a star rating.

Eiffel Towergo at hour first slot or after 18:00admission: unknownBook a timed slot for the first morning or after 18:00, choose the stairs or the lift, and skip the summit unless the sky is clear; see it from Trocadéro either way.Louvre Museumgo at hour the first slotadmission: unknownBook a timed slot, go in at opening and choose two or three wings: the Mona Lisa room is a crush after 10:30; the museum is closed on Tuesdays.Musée d'Orsaygo admission: unknownImpressionists in a former railway station: plan 90–120 minutes with a timed ticket; closed on Mondays.Notre-Dame de Parisgo at hour at openingadmission: unknownGo at opening: the cathedral reopened after the 2019 fire, entry is free and you queue at the parvis; 30–45 minutes inside, then cross to Sainte-Chapelle.Place des Vosgesgo admission: unknownThe oldest planned square in Paris: a 15–30 minute stop for the brick arcades and a lunch or coffee under them; free and open all day.Sainte-Chapellego at hour a morning slotadmission: unknownGo on a bright morning for the upper chapel's stained glass; 30–45 minutes with a timed ticket. Bags are checked at security, which is slow.

Day-trips from here

Palace of Versailles

go

RER C to Versailles Château, about 45 min each way

Full day

Closed on Mondays; book a timed ticket; gardens and fountains have separate schedules.

Giverny (Monet's house and gardens)

go

Train to Vernon about 45 min, then shuttle or bike

Full day

Open roughly April to November; check the season before you plan.

Fontainebleau

go

Train from Gare de Lyon about 40 min, then bus

Full day

Palace and forest; quieter than Versailles.

Reims (champagne cellars)

go

TGV about 45 min from Gare de l'Est

Full day

Book cellar visits ahead; return trains are reservation-based.

Eat & sleep

Where to eat and which area to sleep in

Eat

A short list of places worth crossing the city for, each with how to get a seat.

L'As du FallafelFalafel sandwiches to take away on Rue des Rosiers; expect a queue at peak lunchtimes and eat on the pavement.Café MarlyA café under the Louvre arcades overlooking the pyramid: coffee or lunch after a morning inside the museum.

Vegetarian-friendly score

1.5 / 5 · Hard work

  • Country diet noteOur country guide rates vegetarian eating as workable.1 / 2
  • Places to eat in this guideToo few places with a known answer (0) to judge; 2 not yet checked.0 / 1.5
  • Budget eating lines0 vegetarian lines in "Eat by budget".0 / 0.6
  • Meat-free national dishes3 meat-free dishes in the country food list.0.3 / 0.4
  • Dedicated vegetarian kitchens0 mentions of vegetarian restaurants, Buddhist or fasting kitchens.0 / 0.5

Country note: Easier in cities than villages; traditional menus are meat-heavy and stocks and lardons hide in 'vegetable' dishes.

Vegetarian places near me →Make a diet card →

How we score
  • Country diet note (up to 2): easy 2, workable 1, mixed 0.75, hard 0; no note 0.5.
  • City places to eat (up to 1.5): 1.5 × (vegetarian-friendly + half of partly friendly) ÷ places with a known answer; needs 3 or more known places.
  • Budget eating lines marked vegetarian (up to 0.6): 0.2 each.
  • Meat-free national dishes (up to 0.4): 0.1 each.
  • Dedicated vegetarian kitchens mentioned — Buddhist chay, shōjin ryōri, Jain, fasting food, vegan cafés (up to 0.5): 0.1 each.
  • Total rounded to the nearest half point, 0 to 5. Built from our own pages only, not from reviews.

Sleep

Areas, not hotels

Pick the area first: it decides your walk home at night and your first morning.

Latin Quarter and Saint-GermainDesk: staffed 24hWalk to Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle and the Luxembourg Gardens; the RER B stops here, so the airport ride from CDG needs no change.Le MaraisDesk: staffed 24hFirst visit: walk to Place des Vosges and the Seine; choose a hotel with a lift and a desk staffed at night, as many are small buildings with steep stairs.

Practical

Money, essentials, safety and the pocket card

Money

What a day costs at three comfort levels, and how to pay.

Budget
€50–80 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed / day
Mid
€80–160 (≈ US$95–190) excl. bed / day
High
€160 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed / day
IC card
Metro tickets and the Navigo Easy card work on metro, RER, bus and tram; you can also tap some contactless cards and phones at gates. Buy tickets in the RATP or IDFM app or at machines.
Cash rule
Cards work almost everywhere; keep €20–40 (≈ US$25–50) in coins and small notes for bakeries with minimums, toilets and market stalls; use ATMs inside bank branches, not on the street.
More on moneyCosts

What things cost

Desk estimates (2026), euro; check locally
  • Croissant or pain au chocolat€1 (≈ US$2).30–2.50
  • Espresso at the bar, sit-down café, and terrace€2–3 (≈ US$3–4) bar, €4–7 (≈ US$5–9) terrace
  • Weekday lunch formule (starter + main or main + dessert)€16–28 (≈ US$19–35)
  • Dinner main course in a bistro€18–32 (≈ US$25–40)
  • Half-litre of beer on a terrace€6–9 (≈ US$7–11)
  • Bottle of water, shop€1–2 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Metro or bus single ticket€2–3 (≈ US$3–4)
  • RER B or metro from the airport to the centre€13–15 (≈ US$16–18)
  • Taxi from Charles de Gaulle to the centre (flat fare)€55–70 (≈ US$65–85)
  • Louvre or Musée d'Orsay ticket€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
  • Eiffel Tower ticket, depending on level€12–55 (≈ US$14–65)
  • Tourist eSIM, about a week of data€8–25 (≈ US$10–30)
  • Mid-range hotel room, per night€150–260 (≈ US$180–350)
Essentials and accessEssentials

Essentials

Paying
Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some ticket machines and small shops still need chip and PIN or have a minimum spend. Carry a few euros for public toilets and markets.
Tipping
Service is included in restaurant prices by law; leave a small extra (€1–5 (≈ US$2–6)) only for good service.
SIM & data
Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a prepaid SIM at a shop or the airport (passport may be needed). EU roaming applies to EU SIMs.
Plugs & power
230 V; two-pin sockets (types C and E). Bring an adapter if you use type A, B or G plugs.
Drinking water
Tap water is safe to drink; ask for a carafe d'eau in restaurants.
Toilets
Cafés (buy a drink first), department stores and museums; some street toilets are paid.
Opening hours
Many museums close one day a week (Monday or Tuesday); many small shops close on Sunday; restaurants stop lunch service around 14:30 and dinner starts around 19:00.
Health
Pharmacies (green cross) advise on minor ailments; pack for changeable weather and sore feet; travel insurance with medical cover.
Accessibility
Many metro stations have only stairs; buses and the newer tram lines are step-free; older museums have lifts but narrow queue lines.
Laundry
Self-service laundromats (laverie) and hotel laundry, priced by load or by weight.
Emergency numbers
112 works everywhere; 17 police, 15 ambulance, 18 fire.

Pack

  • Comfortable shoes for cobbles and stairs
  • A light rain jacket in every season
  • A day bag that zips, worn in front on the metro
  • A reusable water bottle

Survive

Safety basics, the lines not to cross, and practical habits that save the day.

Safety

  • Pickpockets work the metro, the Louvre area and the Eiffel Tower crowds: keep your bag zipped in front of you.
  • Cyclists and scooters share pavements and bus lanes: look before you step off the kerb.
  • Heat: on hot summer days, museum galleries and metro cars can be stuffy; carry water.
  • Emergency: 112 (EU number), 17 police, 15 ambulance, 18 fire.

Red lines

  • Notre-Dame and other churches are places of worship: cover shoulders, keep voices low and skip photos during services.
  • The Catacombs and some monuments require timed tickets and reject large bags.
  • Do not buy 'skip-the-line' tickets from people outside the queue; buy on the official site.

Practical

  • Toilets: cafés (buy a coffee first), department stores and museums; public paid toilets on main boulevards.
  • Tap water is safe; ask for a carafe d'eau (free jug) in restaurants.
  • Many restaurants close between about 14:30 and 19:00; bakeries and cafés stay open.
NearbyÎle-de-France trips

Scams and red flags

Walk away if you see these

  • Petition, 'found gold ring' and friendship-bracelet tricks near the Louvre, Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel Tower: keep walking and say non.
  • 'Skip-the-line' sellers outside the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower: buy the timed ticket on the official site.
  • Unmarked or unlicensed taxis at the airports: use the taxi rank, where the flat fare to central Paris is posted.
  • Restaurants near major sights that push fixed menus at inflated prices: check the menu board and prices before you sit.

Phrases that do the work

Show the screen if pronunciation fails

Greeting

Hello (say it when you enter a shop)

Bonjour

bohn-ZHOOR

Thanks

Thank you

Merci

mair-SEE

Polite

Please

S'il vous plaît

seel voo PLAY

Polite

Excuse me / sorry

Excusez-moi

ex-koo-zay MWAH

Help

Do you speak English?

Parlez-vous anglais ?

par-lay voo ahn-GLAY

Shop

How much is this?

Combien ça coûte ?

kohm-bee-EN sah KOOT

Café

The bill, please

L'addition, s'il vous plaît

lah-dee-see-ON seel voo PLAY

Metro

Where is the metro station?

Où est la station de métro ?

oo eh lah stah-see-ON duh may-TROH

Deep dive

History, reading, photos and every source

Sources