Paris gets around 40 million visitors a year and almost all of them make the same three mistakes: they show up without Eiffel Tower tickets and spend 2 hours in a queue, they eat near the major sights and pay three times the going rate, and they miss the neighborhoods that make the city worth the trip. This guide covers the things to do in Paris that actually land - with real prices (the summit ticket is €36.70, not the vague 'from €27' you see everywhere), a transport setup that saves you €30 over a week, and honest opinions on what is overhyped and what most first-timers walk straight past.
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Check availability before you read further. Compare Paris tours and attraction tickets now - the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Catacombs all require timed entry and sell out weeks ahead in spring and summer.
Getting to Paris and Getting Around Without Overpaying
Paris has two main airports: Charles de Gaulle (CDG), which handles most international flights, and Orly (ORY), used mainly by European budget carriers. CDG is 23 kilometers northeast of the city center.
| Transport Option | Cost | Journey Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RER B train | €11.80 | 35-45 minutes | Direct to Chatelet, Gare du Nord, Saint-Michel |
| Le Bus Direct (coach) | €17 one-way | 60-75 minutes | Traffic-dependent, drops near Opera and Eiffel Tower |
| Official taxi (flat rate) | €56 (Left Bank) / €65 (Right Bank) | 45-75 minutes | Flat rate inside Paris - metered outside |
| Uber / Bolt (VTC) | €45-€65 | 45-75 minutes | Pre-book in the app before you land |
| Private transfer | From €70 | 45-75 minutes | Best for groups, fixed price guaranteed |
The RER B is the obvious choice for most people. €11.80, 35-45 minutes, direct to multiple central stations. Buy the ticket at the airport machine before you go through the barrier - the inspectors on this line are active and a fine for not having a valid ticket is €50 minimum.
One thing to be aware of: unlicensed drivers approach arrivals at CDG before you reach the official taxi rank. Official Paris taxis have a white illuminated roof light. Only use the official rank (follow signs for 'Taxis') or a pre-booked app-based car. This scam is well-documented and consistent.
Inside Paris, the metro is fast, cheap, and covers everything relevant. A single ticket costs €2.55. The Navigo Semaine weekly pass costs €30.75 and covers all zones including Versailles and both airports - if you're arriving on a Monday and staying 5+ days it is an automatic buy. The pass pays for itself in 12 rides.
Vélib' bike sharing is worth using at least once. €5 per day, €15 per week, and the bike lanes in central Paris are good enough that cycling between the Marais, Notre-Dame, and the Left Bank takes less time than the metro with the walk included.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Paris?
April, May, and September are the best months to visit Paris. Temperatures sit at 15-22°C (59-72°F), the city is in full operation, hotel rates run 25-35% below July-August peak, and the queues at major attractions are manageable rather than brutal.
June through August is peak season. Temperatures can hit 30-35°C during heat waves, the Eiffel Tower line at noon in July is a 2-hour commitment without skip-the-line access, and a decent 4-star hotel in Le Marais regularly pushes past €350/night. The city is beautiful but it is also operating at maximum tourist density.
November through February is genuinely underrated. Museum lines are a fraction of summer length, the Christmas markets in December are legitimately good, and hotel rates drop 30-50%. The weather is cold and occasionally grey, which is the entire downside. Paris in the rain still looks like Paris.
One specific note: the first Sunday of each month, many national museums including the Louvre offer free entry. The Louvre in particular on a free Sunday in February has fewer people than a paid Thursday in July. Worth planning around if your dates are flexible.
Top Things to Do in Paris: What Is Worth Your Time
Paris has enough to fill a month. Here is what to prioritize for a first visit and a few things that get more hype than they deserve.
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is worth it. Go to the summit. The ticket prices break down clearly: stairs to the 2nd floor €14.80, elevator to the 2nd floor €23.50, and the full summit ticket €36.70. The summit is genuinely different - the views extend 70 kilometers on a clear day and the sense of scale from the top is not replicable from the 2nd floor.
Book your Eiffel Tower skip-the-line tickets before you arrive. Same-day availability is rare from April through September. The 9am slot on a weekday is significantly less crowded than noon. The ticket is the same price regardless of when you book online - there is no savings from waiting.
The mirror ticketing sites are a specific Paris scam worth knowing about. Sites that look official but charge €60-€80 for a €36.70 ticket are common in search results. Book only through the official site toureiffel.paris or a legitimate reseller. The price difference is not a 'service upgrade' - it is a markup with no additional benefit.
The Louvre
The Louvre is the largest art museum in the world and it requires a strategy to visit properly. Entry costs €22 for EEA residents and €32 for non-EEA visitors. Timed entry is required - walk-up queue without a ticket can exceed 90 minutes in summer.
Budget a minimum of 3 hours. The Mona Lisa is smaller than most people expect and surrounded by a crowd 8 people deep at peak hours. Go on a Wednesday or Friday evening when the museum stays open until 9:45pm - the evening crowd is a fraction of the daytime one. The Louvre has 35,000 works across 8 curatorial departments. No one sees everything. Pick 2-3 wings and do those properly.
Palace of Versailles
Versailles is a full-day trip, not a half-day. The Passeport ticket covering the palace and gardens costs €22 for EU/EEA visitors and €25 for everyone else. The gardens alone on a summer day when the fountains run (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays in summer, €10 extra) are worth the trip independently.
Take the RER C to Versailles-Chantiers. 35-40 minutes from central Paris, covered by the Navigo Semaine pass. The first train of the day arrives before the main crowd - leave Paris by 8:30am and you have an hour in the palace before the tour groups arrive.
Musee d'Orsay
The Musee d'Orsay holds the world's largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings: Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas. Entry is €16. It is housed in a converted 1900 railway station and the building itself is worth the visit on top of the art.
Most people do the Louvre and skip the Orsay. That is a mistake. The Orsay is better organized, less overwhelming, and the Impressionist collection specifically is more cohesive than anything the Louvre offers in that category.
The Catacombs
The Paris Catacombs hold the remains of around 6 million people in 2 kilometers of tunnels beneath the city. Entry is €29. This one is worth booking in advance - same-day tickets are usually sold out by 10am.
It is cold underground (14°C / 57°F year-round) regardless of the outside temperature. The visit takes 45-90 minutes. If you are claustrophobic, the narrow passages are genuinely narrow.
Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur
Sacre-Coeur itself is free to enter. The hill walk from Abbesses metro takes about 15 minutes. The view over Paris from the steps is one of the better free views in the city. Go on a weekday morning before 9am - the artist's square Place du Tertre is genuinely atmospheric when it's quiet and a tourist production when it's busy.
The friendship bracelet scam runs on the steps of Sacre-Coeur specifically. Men approach you, tie a string bracelet on your wrist without asking, then demand €10-€20 for it. The prevention is simple: hands in pockets on the steps, 'non' said immediately if approached, keep walking.
Where to Stay in Paris: Best Neighborhoods by Budget
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements. Neighborhood choice determines how much of your trip is commuting versus exploring. Here is an honest breakdown of the options most visitors should consider.
- Le Marais (3rd and 4th): The best all-around base for first-time visitors. Central, walkable to Notre-Dame and the Louvre, excellent restaurant and cafe scene, genuinely interesting streets. Mid-range hotels run €150-€300/night. It is popular and priced accordingly - book 2-3 months ahead for spring.
- Saint-Germain-des-Pres (6th): The most elegant option. Literary cafes, art galleries, close to the Musee d'Orsay and Luxembourg Gardens. Expensive and quieter than the Marais. Hotels run €200-€450/night. Better for repeat visitors or those who want a calmer base.
- Montmartre (18th): The most affordable option among the central neighborhoods. Hotel rates run €150-€300/night, hostels from €35-€55/night. The hill location adds walking time but the neighborhood has a distinct atmosphere. Good choice if budget is a priority.
- Latin Quarter (5th): Student area, budget-friendly, lively street scene around Rue Mouffetard. Hotels from €90-€180/night. Close to the Cluny Museum and a short walk to Notre-Dame.
For April through June and September, book as early as possible. Paris hotel availability tightens significantly 8-10 weeks before peak season and prices jump 40-60% in the final weeks.
How Much Does Paris Cost? A Real Daily Budget Breakdown
| Category | Budget Traveler | Mid-Range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | €35-€90/night | €150-€300/night | €350-€700+/night |
| Food | €25-€40/day | €60-€100/day | €150+/day |
| Transport | €8-€15/day | €10-€20/day | €30-€80/day |
| Attractions | €15-€30/day | €40-€80/day | €80-€150/day |
| Daily Total | ~€95-€150 | ~€200-€350 | €500-€900+ |
The Paris Museum Pass costs €55 for 2 days, €70 for 4 days, and €85 for 6 days. It covers free entry to 50+ museums and monuments including the Louvre (€32), Versailles (€25), Musee d'Orsay (€16), Arc de Triomphe (€13), and Sainte-Chapelle (€15). If you're doing 3 or more of those in a 2-day window, it pays for itself. Run the numbers for your specific itinerary before buying.
The lunch prix-fixe menu is how locals eat. Most restaurants outside tourist corridors serve a 2 or 3-course lunch with wine for €15-€22. The same meal at dinner costs €35-€50. Eat your main meal at lunch. This one habit cuts your daily food budget by 30-40%.
Practical Tips Before You Visit Paris
Pickpocketing: The RER B from CDG, the Eiffel Tower base, Chatelet metro station, and Montmartre steps are the main problem areas. Keep bags in front, phones in front pockets, and hold your bag strap when in crowded metro carriages. This is not paranoia - these are documented hotspots in every pickpocket incident report.
Restaurant scams: Restaurants with menus displayed in 6 languages, with a host actively pulling you in from the street, and located within 100 meters of the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, or Notre-Dame are almost universally overpriced and underwhelming. Walk one block off the tourist circuit and prices drop immediately.
Language: Attempting French, even badly, is received far better than most visitors expect. Bonjour at the start of any interaction and merci at the end will improve your experience in shops, cafes, and restaurants measurably. The 'rude Parisian' reputation is largely a product of tourists who skip both.
Visa and ETIAS: EU citizens need no visa. US and most non-EU visitors need ETIAS authorization from 2025 onwards - €7, apply online before travel. France uses euros. Tap-to-pay is accepted almost everywhere in Paris.
My Honest Take on Paris
Paris is one of the few cities that actually lives up to what people imagine before they go - but it requires some preparation to access. The Louvre without a timed ticket is 90 minutes of queuing. The Eiffel Tower without pre-booked access is a different experience from one with it. Versailles without an early start is a crowd experience rather than a historical one.
The honest downside: Paris is expensive and the gap between tourist-priced and local-priced experiences is wider here than in most European cities. A coffee at a pavement cafe on a major boulevard is €5-€7. The same coffee two streets away is €2. The city rewards people who explore slightly off the main circuits.
Go in April, May, or September. Book the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Catacombs before you fly. Get the Navigo Semaine pass on arrival. Eat lunch as your main meal. Learn bonjour and merci. Those five decisions make Paris a very different trip from the one most first-timers describe.
