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Major city · France

Metz

Give Metz one full day and one night: cathedral, Centre Pompidou-Metz and the covered market on foot, then move on by train.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (heat, fewer locals), mid-Dec weekends (Christmas market crowds)
Airports
ETZ · LUX · CDG
Nights
1
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 · 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.

Metz is a compact Lorraine city on the Moselle, 1 h 25 min from Paris by TGV and 40 min from Nancy. The centre is walkable and the headline sights — the cathedral with its Chagall windows, the Centre Pompidou-Metz and the Marché Couvert — sit within 15 minutes of each other. Most travellers use it as a one-night stop between Paris, Luxembourg and Strasbourg rather than a base.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Metz, 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.

  • CoffeeCoffee at a café€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Street or quick mealKebab or pizza in the centre€6–10 (≈ US$7–12)
  • BeerBeer: happy-hour pint / normal pintHappy hour is common until about 20:00.€2–3 (≈ US$3–4) / €5–7 (≈ US$6–9)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Musée de la Cour d'Or)€4.60 (≈ US$6)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person€28 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per room€120 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per room€220 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €120 (≈ US$140) · High €220 (≈ US$300)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. 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.

St-Étienne Cathedral and its stained glassCentre Pompidou-MetzMarché Couvert in the old bishop's palacePlace d'Armes and the yellow Jaumont limestone
Airports
ETZ Metz–Nancy–Lorraine (Small regional field southeast of the city; few routes, mostly domestic. Check current destinations before booking.) · LUX Luxembourg Findel (About 1 h by road; by rail, train to Luxembourg City then bus to the terminal, roughly 1.5 h door to door.) · CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle (TGV from the airport to Metz takes about 1 h 30 min; check direct departures, some routes require a change in Paris.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Metz: 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

5°C

0°C

11 rd

Feb

7°C

0°C

10 rd

Mar

11°C

2°C

10 rd

Apr

15°C

5°C

9 rd

May

19°C

9°C

10 rd

Jun

23°C

12°C

9 rd

Jul

25°C

14°C

9 rd

Aug

25°C

14°C

9 rd

Sep

20°C

11°C

9 rd

Oct

15°C

7°C

10 rd

Nov

9°C

3°C

11 rd

Dec

6°C

1°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

Walk. The centre is compact and largely pedestrian, and walking beats hunting for parking. Le Met' buses cover the wider city if you stay outside the ring; buy tickets at the Espace Mobilité on Place de la République. Bikes rent near the station and opposite the cathedral, about €10 per day, with a deposit of about €100 per bike. Driving into the centre is not recommended — park on the edge and walk in.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Nancy

go

Door to door: About 1 h

TER or TGV from Gare de Metz-Ville, about 40 min

Place Stanislas and the old town; easy half day or full day.

Verdun

go

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

TER from Gare de Metz-Ville, about 1 h 15 min, then walk or bus to the battlefield sites

A full day if you want the memorial and fort sites; the town alone is half a day.

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges

overnight

Door to door: About 2.5 h

TER via Nancy or direct regional trains, roughly 2 h

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep in the Vosges.

Épinal

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

TER via Nancy, about 1 h 45 min

Doable as a long day; better with a night in the Vosges.

Vittel

overnight

Door to door: 2.5 h

TER via Nancy, about 2 h

Spa town; pair with Épinal rather than rushing back.

Liverdun

go

Door to door: About 45 min

TER from Gare de Metz-Ville, about 20 min

Small riverside town with a medieval upper village; a half day.

Forbach

skip

Door to door: About 1.25 h

TER toward Saarbrücken, about 1 h

Little for a visitor; only useful as a stop toward Germany.

Luxembourg City

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Train from Gare de Metz-Ville, about 1 h; one-way fare around €16.50 (≈ US$20)

Easy cross-border day; bring your passport.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Old town / Place d'Armes

Walk to the cathedral, market and museums in under 10 minutes; quietest option for one night.

Around the station (Gare de Metz-Ville)

Best if you arrive late or leave early; the imperial 1908 station building is at the south edge of the centre, 10–15 min walk to Place d'Armes.

Centre / Rue Serpenoise axis

Main shopping street between the station and the old town; hotels, bars and restaurants on the doorstep.

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
€55–85 (≈ US$65–100) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€180 (≈ US$250)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid-range hotel1 × 1 night × €120€120
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €120€240
Le Met' single bus ticket2 × €2€4
Bike rental, one day2 × €10 · Deposit of about €100 per bike required€20
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€41
Trip total≈ €228 per person per day, bed included€455≈ US$550

2026 estimate in euro; long-distance trains and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee at a café€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
Kebab or pizza in the centre€6–10 (≈ US$7–12)
Crêpe and cider at a crêperie€12–20 (≈ US$14–25)
Beer: happy-hour pint / normal pintHappy hour is common until about 20:00.€2–3 (≈ US$3–4) / €5–7 (≈ US$6–9)
Museum entry (Musée de la Cour d'Or)€4.60 (≈ US$6)
Centre Pompidou-Metz entryTemporary exhibitions priced separately€7 (≈ US$9)
Train Metz → Luxembourg, one wayabout €16.50 (≈ US$20)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Metz is a safe city by day and in the centre at night. The real risks are petty: avoid Borny and St-Éloi after dark, skip the old town's narrow alleys late, and keep your wallet out of sight at car parks.
  • Avoid the Borny and St-Éloi suburbs, and the old town's narrow alleys late at night.
  • Expect requests for money or cigarettes in the centre; a plain no is enough.
  • Don't walk from Lafayette to the Résidence Arts & Métiers (Resam) area late at night.
  • Some parking areas attract people offering to watch your car or approaching you at ticket machines — keep your wallet out of sight.
  • Metz has 5G on all French carriers; coverage is not an issue.

Emergency numbers

European emergency number
112
Ambulance (SAMU)
15
Police
17
Fire
18
Emergency by text (deaf callers)
114

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.

MetzMetz

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • European emergency number112
  • Ambulance (SAMU)15
  • Police17
  • Fire18

Embassy

No embassies in Metz; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Paris. Consulates-general are in Strasbourg and Lyon.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Train Metz → Luxembourg: about €16.50 (≈ US$20) one way, about 1 h
  • Train Metz → Nancy: about 40 min by TER or TGV
  • Bike rental, per day: about €10 (≈ US$12), plus a deposit of about €100 (≈ US$120) per bike

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • C'est combien ? — How much is it? (say kom-BYEN)
  • Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-YAY par kart)
  • L'addition, s'il vous plaît — The bill, please (la-dee-SYON seel voo pleh)
  • Où est la gare ? — Where is the station? (oo ay la gar)

Service is included by law in French restaurants; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.

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 Metz. 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: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (heat, fewer locals), mid-Dec weekends (Christmas market crowds) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 8 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for ETZ, LUX and CDG: last train times, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Place d'Armes and the cathedral, the station and Pompidou-Metz, the Marché Couvert and Rue Serpenoise, the Moselle riverfront.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (cathedral, Centre Pompidou-Metz, Musée de la Cour d'Or, Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Cross-border fixtures for Luxembourg and Saarbrücken so gate C can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to France

Sources