Things to do in Paris – The Ultimate Paris City guide
Are you planning your next trip to France and want to know all the best things to do in Paris?
When you think of dream travel destinations, Paris is the one that seems to divide opinion most. For some, the city of love is the ultimate bucket list destination for a romantic getaway. While for others, it is the most overrated place they have ever visited. On our trips to Paris, we have been in both camps.
When we first visited, we didn’t understand the hype and left feeling a bit underwhelmed. But by the time we were leaving on our second visit, we were already making plans to go back to Paris again and we have discovered something new to enjoy in the city every time.
The difference for us, came down to planning. Knowing the best things to do in Paris and best areas to visit, as well as the best options for restaurants and hotels in Paris will completely shape your stay.
This Travel Guide contains everything you need to help you plan for your next trip to Paris. This includes the best things to do in Paris, when to visit, hotels in Paris, how to get around the city, as well as food and drink recommendations for Paris restaurants around the city.
Things to do in paris – Summary
Where to Stay
When to Visit
The best time to visit Paris is shoulder season – April, May, September and October
Must do Activities
Best Eiffel Tower Photo Spots
- Port Debilly
- L’Howea
- Avenue Camoens
- Rue L’Universite
How to get from the Airports in Paris
Orly Airport
Orly Airport is the closest to the city, around 14km South of the city centre and the one we often choose to fly into when we visit Paris.
Metro
Work has recently been completed on modernising the line 14 metro route, meaning you can get to Gare de Lyon in around 20 minutes using this method.
Cost: €10.30
Bus
Orly has a shuttle bus that runs to the City Centre throughout the day, last departure goes at 00:30.
Cost: €11.20
Frequency: Every 10-15 minutes
Journey Time: 30 minutes
Uber/Bolt
Uber is quite a common way to get into the city from Orly and the method we used last time we visited. One thing to note is that it can be quite difficult to find the pick up point (at least in our experience) so it is worth getting there first before ordering the Uber.
Cost: €30-35
Orly to Disneyland
If you’re going to Disneyland, there is a shuttle bus that goes directly to the resort.
Pick Up Points:
• Paris-Orly 1-2 : Level 0 – Stop 15 – Exit 15a
• Paris-Orly 4 : Bus station – Stop 3 – Exit 47d
Frequency:
• Every 30 minutes
Cost (Single Ticket):
• Adults (Includes children over 12) – €24
• Children (Age 3-11) – €11
• Children under 3 travel for free
Beauvais Airport
The best ways to reach the city centre from Beauvais are to either take the bus or train. The journey into the city takes at least 1 hour so we would not recommend using taxi services where it can be avoided.
Bus
There are 4 main shuttle bus routes you can take from Beauvais to the city centre:
A01 Paris-Beauvais Airport ↔ Paris Porte Maillot
A02 Paris-Beauvais Airport ↔ Saint-Denis Université
A03 Paris-Beauvais Airport ↔ Paris La Défense
A05 Paris-Beauvais Airport ↔ Disneyland® Paris (Gare routière Chessy/Marne-La-Vallée)
Train
The Beauvais SNCF station is accessible by regional express train (“TER”) from the Gare du Nord station in Paris.
Note: plan your trip well and remember that the travel time and fare between the Beauvais SNCF train station and the airport (bus or taxi) must be added to the train ride time (about 1 hr 15 min from Paris) and fare.
Charles Du Gaules Airport
CDG airport offers numerous options for getting into the city with a variety of public transport options available:
Bus
The best way to get a transfer from Charles de Gaulle to Paris is by bus. The RoissyBus shuttle provides a direct link between Paris (Paris-Opéra in 60 minutes) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
Journey time: approx. 60 minutes.
Cost: €16.60 (Navigo, zones 1-5 accepted)
Collection Points at Paris-CDG airport:
Terminal 1 – Terminal 3 – Terminal 2AC – Terminal 2D – Terminal 2EF.
Collection Points in Paris:
Paris-Opéra (Corner of “rue Scribe” and “rue Auber”).
Frequency:
From Paris (Opéra) >> Charles de Gaulle:
• 5:15 am to 8:00 pm, every 15 minutes
• 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, every 20 minutes
• 10:00 pm to 00:30 am, every 30 minutes
From Charles de Gaulle >> Paris (Opéra):
• 6:00 am to 8:45 pm, every 15 minutes
• 8:45 pm to 00:30 am, every 20 minutes
Train
The RER B is the main method that tends to be used for getting to the city.
Journey time:
• Approx. 25 minutes from Gare du Nord
• Approx. 28 minutes from Châtelet-Les-Halles
• Approx. 35 minutes form Denfert-Rochereau.
Frequency:
Every 10-15 minutes on weekdays
Cost:
- €11,80 (forfait Navigo, zones 1-5 accepted)
How to get around Paris
Public Transport
If you are planning to spend at least one week in the city the Paris City Pass – “Navigo Decouverte” allows you to travel throughout zones 1-5 using public transport for around €30 per week. This can be purchased at the majority of metro or train stations.
You can also get a Navigo day pass covering zones 1-3 for €11.60 per day.
Alternatively, the Paris Visite package allows access to all transport networks: metro, tram, bus, RER and train (SNCF Transilien). This package, valid for 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days, allows unlimited travel in Paris (zones 1 to 3) or Paris and the Île-de-France region (all zones, with access to airports including Orlyval, Disneyland Paris and Château de Versailles). The visite pass also provides discounted prices for numerous attractions around the city.
| Duration | Adult | Child (4-11) |
| 1 Day | €13.95 (Zone 1-3) €29.25 (1-5) | €6.95 (Zone 1-3) €14.60 (1-5) |
| 2 Days | €22.65 (Zone 1-3) €44.45 (1-5) | €11.30 (Zone 1-3) €22.20 (1-5) |
| 3 Days | €30.90 (Zone 1-3) €62.30 (1-5) | €15.45 (Zone 1-3) €31.15 (1-5) |
| 5 Days | €44.45 (Zone 1-3) €76.25 (1-5) | €22.20 (Zone 1-3) €38 (1-5) |
Where to Buy
This can be purchased in any station or else online at https://parisjetaime.com/eng/tickets
Taxi
The main apps used for taxi services around the city are Bolt or FreeNow – it is beneficial to download each of these apps if you need to grab a taxi but we would suggest using public transport wherever possible.
Hop On/Hop Off Tour
If it is your first time visiting the city, one of the best ways to get a feel for the city and to see all of the major sites is to take the hop/hop off bus tours. This allows you the flexibility to pick and choose where and when you want to go somewhere, without having to worry about how to get there.
When to visit Paris
Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world every year, with around 16 million visitors annually (based on 2024 stats) so it is important to take this into consideration when deciding when to visit. With that in mind, we would recommend avoiding July & August as much as possible to avoid peak crowds, peak heat and ultimately, peak costs.
Outside of that, there are advantages to most of the other periods throughout the year, but we would recommend shoulder season (April/May or September/October) where the temperatures are great (17 to 22 Celsius average highs and 7-8 days rainfall), the crowds are smaller and you can enjoy the colours of Spring, with views of the Eiffel Tower lined with Cherry Blossoms and similarly, the colours of Autumn are the perfect backdrop to an already romantic location.
One other time we would recommend is Christmas time. While the weather in Paris is quite cold at Christmas, with temperatures regularly below 10 degrees Celsius, the city is decorated beautifully and there is a nice atmosphere. It is also well worth visiting Galeries Lafeyette Hausmann, where you will get to see their incredible Christmas display inside the building. You can also get amazing 360 views of the city from the rooftop of this centre so it is a great place to get a sense of your surroundings within the city.
If you visit in the summer, it might also be worth doing a multi stop trip with the French Riviera to get the best of city and coastal life. Or guide to the French Riviera includes everything you need to explore the iconic South of France coastline.
Book Flights to Paris
Where to Stay in Paris
Choosing the best hotels in Paris for your stay will all depend on your budget but we tend to suggest the 5th, 8th or 12th Arrondissements. If you are flying in to Orly the 15th Arrondissement is also a good option and you can get to the city centre from there in less than 20 minutes.
Below we have provided some suggestions from our research on hotels in Paris, including hotels in the city centre, luxury hotels in Paris and some ideas for affordable hotels city centre to help you decide where to stay for every budget.
Affordable Hotels in Paris City Centre
| Hotel | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Hotel Des Batignolles | From €69 per night (Double Room) |
| The People | From €79 per night (Double Room) |
| Hotel Splendor Elysses | From €79 per night (Double Room) |
| Ibis Styles Paris Batignolles | From €89 per night (Double Room) |
| Residence Le Belleville | From €99 per night (Double Room) |
4 Star Hotels in Paris City Centre
| Hotel | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Hotel Des Artes Montmartre | From €150 per night (Double Room) |
| Les Rives Oceanik | From €150 per night (Double Room) |
| Hotel Grand Coeur Latin | From €150 per night (Double Room) |
| Miss Fuller | From €150 per night (Double Room) |
| Hotel Fabric | From €150 per night (Double Room) |
Luxury Hotels in Paris City Centre
| Hotel | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel | €200+ per night (Double Room) |
| Hotel Astra Opera | €200+ per night (Double Room) |
| Hotel Gabbie | €200+ per night (Double Room) |
| Hotel La Villa Saint Germain Des Pres | €300+ per night (Double Room) |
| Hotel D’Aubusson | €300+ per night (Double Room) |
| Maison Souquet | €300+ per night (Double Room) |
Note: Please note that for any bookings made via the affiliate links included within this post, we will receive a small commission from the supplier but this will not affect the price you pay.
How long should you stay in Paris
Paris has a huge variety of options to cater for any length of stay – if you really want to get to know the city you could easily spend weeks there but equally if you just want to see the main highlights that is possible in 1-2 days. Ideally, with any major city, you should stay for 3-4 days to allow yourself enough time to explore each area, without feeling the need to rush to the next location.
When you visit Paris, we would suggest choosing one area of the city for each day and only visiting the attractions there for the day before choosing another area of Paris for the next day. That approach means you will avoid spending too much time hopping on and off trains and buses to get from one location to the next within the day.
Best places to visit in Paris
Naturally, when you are visiting Paris for the first time, it is easy to be drawn directly to the Eiffel Tower and the many great places around the city to get the perfect photo with the iconic landmark. For us, though, there is one area that should be top of your list when you visit the city and one you could easily spend the whole day in – Montmartre.
Filled with street art, cobbled streets, great areas to sit with a drink and watch the world go by, Montmartre is the perfect place to relax and soak up the atmosphere in the city. In this area, you can visit the beautiful Sacre-Coeur; grab a drink at Place du Tertre, see the Wall of Love and admire the work of the street artists, as well as the incredible views of the city.
Where to get the best photos in Paris
Any trip to Paris wouldn’t be complete without having some incredible photos to capture your memories. Below are just some of our favourite places to get photos around the city:
- Maison Rose
- The Sinking House of Montmartre
- Place du Tertre
- Sacre-Coeur
- Place du Trocadero
- Pont Alexandre III
- Arc de Triomphe
- Port Debilly
- L’Howea
- Galeries Lafayette
- Palais Garnier
- Avenue Camoens
- Rue L’Universite
- Moulin Rouge
Best Places to see the Eiffel Tower
- Rue l’Universite
- Pont d’Lena
- Pont d’Alma
- Avenue de Camoens
- Galeries Lafayette Rooftop
- Arc de Triomphe Rooftop
- Number 6 Metro
- Port Debilly
- Place du Trocadero
- l’Howea
Best things to do in Paris
- Louvre Museum
- Musee d’Orsay
- Arc de Triomphe
- Paris Catacombes
- Moulin Rouge
- Palais Garnier
- River Seine Cruise
- Disneyland
Entry Fee Costs to main attractions
- Eiffel Tower €28+
- Louvre €24.99+
- Arc de Triomphe €15.50+
- Opera Garnier €15+
- Disneyland €72+
- River Seine river cruise
One thing to note is that a number of the attractions in Europe are free to enter if you are under 26/Students and Teachers who are EU Citizens.
Best Cafes in Paris
- Cafe Creme
- Immersion
- Cafe Kitsune
- Cafe Loulou
- Candle Kids Coffee
- Kozy
- 5 Pailles
- Angelina
- Season
- Marcelle
- Maison Fleuret
- Dreamin Man
- Cuppa Cafe
- Boot Cafe
- Pinky Bloom
Best Restaurants in Paris
- Pink Mamma (€20-40pp)
- Le Petit Bouillon (€10-20pp)
- Brasserie Rosie (€20-30pp)
- Daroco (€20-50pp)
- Maslow (€20-30pp)
- Brasserie Rosie (€20-30pp)
- Joya (€20-30pp)
- Alcazar (€50+pp)
- Le Choupinet (€20-30pp)
- Daroco (€50+pp)
- Perruche (€50+pp)
- Gigi (€100+pp)
Best Bars in Paris
- Little Red Door
- Bisou
- Tiger Paris
- Moonshiner
- Danico
- Lavomatic
- Maison Reva
Best Croissant in Paris
- Petite Ile Boulangerie
- La Maison d’Isabelle
- Boulangerie Utopie
- Ble Sucre
