Ile-de-France
Paris
Take the Eurostar over a flight for a weekend, pick your arrondissement deliberately, and do the maths on the Museum Pass before you queue.
Best length
3-4 nights (a 2-night Eurostar weekend works too)
From London
Eurostar St Pancras to Gare du Nord, ~2h16
Main airport
Charles de Gaulle (CDG), ~25km northeast
Airport to centre
RER B from CDG ~30-35 min, €14; Metro 14 from Orly
Best base
Marais or Saint-Germain for first-timers
In short
Paris at a glance
Paris is the easiest big European city break to reach from the UK without flying: Eurostar drops you in the centre in around two and a quarter hours. Book a central arrondissement (the Marais, Saint-Germain or the 1st), reserve timed slots for the Louvre and Eiffel Tower before you go, and do the maths on the Museum Pass rather than buying it on reflex.
The short version
- Take Eurostar over flying for a weekend: St Pancras to Gare du Nord is roughly 2h16 city-centre to city-centre, with no airport transfer at either end.
- Stay in the Marais (3rd/4th) or Saint-Germain (6th) for a walkable first trip; the 7th is for Eiffel Tower views, the 1st for the Louvre and central sights.
- Book the Louvre and Eiffel Tower timed slots ahead: both sell out, and the Eiffel Tower is not on any Museum Pass.
- Arriving by air, take the RER B from CDG (about 30-35 min, €14) or Metro Line 14 from Orly; avoid Beauvais unless the fare saving is huge, as it is 85km out.
- The Paris Museum Pass only pays off if you hit three or more big monuments in two days; for a slow, photo-led trip, buy individual timed tickets instead.
Paris is the rare big-hitter that you can do as a no-fly weekend: board Eurostar at St Pancras and you are stepping off at Gare du Nord, in the centre, about two and a quarter hours later, with no transfer to bolt on at either end. That changes the whole shape of the trip — a Friday-night arrival and Sunday-evening return is genuinely realistic, and it is why Paris works as both a long weekend and a slower four-night stay. The flip side is that the city is huge and the famous sights are spread across both banks of the Seine, so the planning that actually matters is where you sleep and what you book before you go.
Base yourself somewhere central and walkable — the Marais or Saint-Germain for most people, the 7th if you want the Eiffel Tower out of your window — and you will halve your time on the metro. Book the Louvre and Eiffel Tower timed slots in advance; both sell out, and the Eiffel Tower sits on no pass, so it always needs its own ticket. The other big call is the Paris Museum Pass, which only pays off if you are charging through three or more monuments in two days; since January 2026, non-EEA visitors pay higher gate prices at the national museums, which quietly tips the maths further in the pass’s favour.
Three full days covers the headline Paris comfortably: one for the Louvre and Tuileries, one for the Eiffel Tower, Orsay and a river walk, and one for Montmartre or a long lunch in the Marais. The structured planning below — exact transfer costs from CDG and Orly, the arrondissement breakdown, and a realistic budget in pounds — picks up from here.
Plan your Paris trip
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Paris
Disneyland Paris
Buy dated Disneyland Paris tickets online before you travel rather than at the gate — same-day prices are higher and peak dates can hit a sold-out cap. Decide first whether you need a 1-park or 2-park ticket: the second park, Walt Disney Studios, is mid-rebuild but holds the Avengers Campus and Ratatouille rides. For a real visit budget two days, not one, and pre-book a Premier Access or Premier Access Ultimate pass for the headline rides if you go in a school holiday.
Louvre Museum
Book a timed Louvre ticket online before you fly — at roughly 8.7 million visitors a year it is the busiest museum on earth, and entry without a slot is no longer reliable, even with a Paris Museum Pass. Since 14 January 2026 the ticket has two prices: €32 standard admission and €22 for EEA residents who can prove residency, which changes the Museum Pass maths for most UK visitors. Skip the Pyramid queue by entering through the Carrousel du Louvre underground entrance, pick a Wednesday or Friday late slot to dodge the worst crowds, and accept you cannot see it all — go straight for the two or three wings you actually came for.
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is free to see from the pavement, but the ticket buys the rooftop terrace — and that view straight down the Champs-Élysées and out to twelve radiating avenues is the best reason to pay. Reach the base only via the underground Passage du Souvenir at the top of the Champs-Élysées; never try to cross the twelve-lane roundabout on foot. It is 284 steps up a spiral staircase (a lift exists but is reserved for those who genuinely need it), so factor in the climb before you buy.
Eiffel Tower
Book a timed lift ticket online before you fly — summit slots routinely sell out a week or more ahead and there is no reliable on-the-day queue for them. Decide first whether you actually need the summit: the 2nd floor at 115m has the views people remember, while the 276m summit adds a 360-degree panorama and a champagne bar but a longer wait. Allow 2-3 hours with the lift, and remember the free Trocadero view across the river is arguably the better photo.
Musée d'Orsay
The Orsay is the easier Paris museum than the Louvre for a first trip: the world's best Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection, in a converted railway station, done properly in two hours. Book a timed online ticket before you go (it's about €16 versus €14 on the door, but the queue saving is the point), head straight up to the top floor for the Monet–Renoir–Van Gogh rooms while you're fresh, and pick a Thursday evening if you can — late opening to 21:45 means thinner crowds and a €12 fare.
Palace of Versailles
Versailles is a half- to full-day trip from central Paris, not a quick stop. Book a timed Palace ticket online before you go, take the RER C to Versailles Chateau Rive Gauche, and aim for the 9:00 opening or a slot after 16:00 so you are not shuffling through the State Apartments in a scrum. The palace is closed every Monday. The free gardens are the part most people underrate.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Le Marais (3rd & 4th)
££ mid-rangeThe best first-timer base: central, walkable to Notre-Dame and the Pompidou, and full of independent food and late-opening shops. It is not cheap, but you save a metro ride on almost everything you want to see.
Best for: First-timers, couples, food and walking
Saint-Germain-des-Pres (6th)
££ mid-rangeLeft-bank cafe-and-bookshop Paris, next to the Jardin du Luxembourg and walkable to Orsay and the Latin Quarter. Slightly more sedate than the Marais and good value drops fast, but it is genuinely lovely.
Best for: Couples, repeat visitors, quieter evenings
7th arrondissement
£££ premiumChoose it only if Eiffel Tower views are the trip's whole point. It is grand, quiet and a little dull after dark, with fewer casual dinner options than the Marais; you will use the metro more.
Best for: Eiffel Tower views, families wanting space
Canal Saint-Martin / 10th-11th
£ valueThe better-value, more local pick: bistros, bars and a younger crowd a short metro hop from the centre. Pick streets near a metro line rather than backing onto Gare du Nord, which is grittier at night.
Best for: Value, food-led trips, longer stays
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| RER B from CDG to Gare du Nord / Chatelet | ~30-35 min | €14 (Paris Region <> Airports ticket) | Fastest into the centre; trains every 10-15 min |
| Roissybus from CDG to Opera | ~60-75 min | €16.60 | One bus, no changes; good with luggage |
| Metro Line 14 / OrlyVal from Orly | ~25-35 min | €14 (Line 14) / OrlyVal+RER ~€13 | Line 14 is the simplest from Orly |
| Coach from Beauvais (BVA) | ~75-90 min + 85km | coach about €17 | Budget airlines only; factor the long transfer in |
| Taxi from CDG (flat fare) | ~45-60 min in traffic | fixed €56 (right bank) / €65 (left bank) | Worth it late at night or with a family |
When to go
Sweet spot: April to mid-June and September to mid-October are the sweet spot: mild walking weather, gardens at their best, and lighter crowds than high summer. Late spring weekends book up early with UK demand, so lock in Eurostar and hotels ahead.
July is hot and busy; August empties of locals (many small bistros and shops shut for the holidays) but stays warm and tourist-heavy at the big sights. Winter is quiet and good value for museums and Christmas markets, just cold and grey for terrace life.
What it costs
UK return flights to Paris are often £40-£110 outside school holidays when booked ahead, but for a weekend the Eurostar is usually the better call: advance returns from around £78, dropping you in the centre with no airport transfer to add at either end.
Daily budget per person
Paris gets expensive fastest at the cafe tables right under the Eiffel Tower and along the Champs-Elysees. A coffee standing at the bar costs a fraction of the same coffee seated on a terrace, and dinner two streets back from any monument is both cheaper and better.
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