Best time
April - June, September - October
How long
3-5 days
Best for
Couples, culture, city breaks
Perfect for
Couples / Museums / City Break / Food
Why go to Paris
The mistake is trying to do Paris in a straight line: tower, museum, cathedral, repeat. The better version is to pick two neighbourhoods and stay in them. Canal Saint Martin and Belleville on one day, the Marais and Ile Saint Louis on another. The monuments will still be there, and you will actually enjoy the gaps.
It is expensive, but not uniformly. Bakeries, markets and lunch menus are excellent value; the same food at dinner near a landmark is not.
What to do
Pick one big museum, not three
The Louvre, the Orsay or the Pompidou. Two in a day is how people come to hate museums.
Walk the Marais
Narrow streets, good shops, falafel queues and small museums that are rarely busy.
Take a picnic to a park or the canal
Bakery, cheese shop, fruit stall. The cheapest good meal in the city.
Go up something other than the Eiffel Tower
Montparnasse tower or the Arc de Triomphe both include the Eiffel Tower in the view, which is the point.
Spend an evening in Belleville or the 11th
Where people actually go out, with far better value than the tourist centre.
Day trip to Versailles if you have four nights
Half an hour by train, and a full day once you are there. Book ahead.
Where to stay
Le Marais (3rd, 4th)
Central, walkable, full of life. Not cheap, but you save on transport and time.
Latin Quarter (5th)
Student energy, good budget options and close to the river and museums.
Canal Saint Martin (10th, 11th)
More local, better value, excellent food, and a 20 minute metro ride to everything.
Getting there and around
- Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) both connect to the centre by train and bus in 35 to 60 minutes. Beauvais is far out and used by some low cost airlines.
- Eurostar and TGV services connect London, Brussels and most of France directly to central stations.
- Allow extra time at CDG, which is large and slow at peak hours.
The metro is dense and fast. Buy a carnet or a day pass. Walking between adjacent neighbourhoods is often quicker than changing lines twice.
What it costs
Budget: Hostels and small hotels in the 10th or 11th, bakery breakfasts, picnic lunches, free parks and churches.
Mid range: Central three star hotel, one or two museums, bistro dinners and a day trip.
Higher end: Historic hotels, tasting menus and private guiding. The ceiling here is very high.
Read next
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