Paris travel guide

Plan your trip, step by step

• Where to stay
  Pick the right neighborhood and choose between a hotel and a rental.
• Things to do
  Decide which museums, cruises and day trips are worth pre-booking.
• Estimate your trip cost
  See what your Paris trip will cost — set nights, travelers and style for a live estimate.
• Paris in 3 days
  Follow a walkable, neighborhood-by-neighborhood plan.
• First-timer mistakes to avoid
  Sidestep the errors that waste a first trip’s time and money.
• Paris on a budget
  See what €75, €150 and €300 a day actually buy.

The neighborhoods at a glance

Île de la Cité & the Latin Quarter (1st, 4th, 5th)

Known for the medieval core, student streets and the oldest sights.

Le Marais (3rd, 4th)

Known for medieval lanes, museums, independent shops and the liveliest evenings.

Saint-Germain & the 7th

Known for classic Left-Bank cafés, the Eiffel Tower and the Musée d’Orsay.

Louvre / Opéra (1st, 2nd, 9th)

Known for flagship museums, grands boulevards and department stores.

Montmartre (18th)

Known for the hilltop village, Sacré-Cœur and the best rooftop views.

Canal Saint-Martin & the east (10th, 11th)

Known for younger, cheaper, food-and-bar Paris away from the crowds.

Deciding where to base yourself? The where-to-stay guide turns these areas into a lodging decision.

When to go — month by month

Average daytime high (bars) and rainy days per month, from 5-year climate normals. Greener months are the most comfortable to visit.

Best months to visit: Apr–Sep

Destinations with a similar climate

Like Paris’s weather? These places have the closest year-round climate in our data — tap through for each one’s best time to visit.

• Strasbourg →
• Basel →
• Geneva →
• Cologne →
• London →
• Montreux →

Know before you go

Currency

Euro (€). Cards are accepted almost everywhere; carry a little cash for bakeries and markets.

Language

French. A greeting in French (“Bonjour”) before switching to English goes a long way.

From the airports

CDG: RER B train ~35 min to the centre. Orly: tram + Metro or the Orlyval. Fixed-price taxis to central Paris are set by zone.

Getting around

Metro + walking. A rechargeable Navigo Easy card or the day passes beat single paper tickets for most visitors.

Tipping

Service is included by law (“service compris”). Rounding up or leaving a euro or two for good service is normal, not expected.

Power

Type E, 230 V. Bring a European adapter.

For the best months to visit, timings and a day-by-day plan, see Paris in 3 days.