First time · Paris
First time in ParisParis
Paris rewards a slow rhythm: one big timed museum per morning, a long lunch, and the river or a park in the afternoon — book the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle and the Eiffel Tower slots before you leave.
The honest verdict
Paris is dense and walkable, but the trips that go wrong are the ones that fight the ticket system and the calendar: arriving at the Louvre without a timed slot on a Tuesday when it is closed, queueing two hours at the Eiffel Tower in July, or hauling suitcases up metro stairs. Four clusters cover a first visit; Versailles and Giverny are day trips from one kept bed, and the airport rides are the first decision of the trip.
You will like
- Museums and monuments in one city
- Long café lunches
- Riverside walks
- Bakeries and markets
What wears you down
- Queues at the Eiffel Tower and Louvre
- Pickpockets on the metro
- Closures on Sundays and Mondays
Five things not to miss
- 1Notre-Dame and the Île de la CitéThe cathedral reopened in December 2024; a walk around the island covers Sainte-Chapelle too.Best Morning · Free; towers ticketed (check)
- 2Sainte-ChapelleA wall of 13th-century stained glass, best on a sunny morning.Best First slot · About €13–16 (≈ US$16–19) (check)
- 3The Louvre, two or three wingsYou cannot see it all: pick a list and go at opening.Best First slot or after 15:00 · About €22 (≈ US$30) (check)
- 4Musée d'OrsayImpressionists in an old station; more manageable than the Louvre.Best Opening or Thursday evening · About €16–18 (≈ US$19–25) (check)
- 5Eiffel Tower at openingThe best view of the city; the queue is shortest first thing.Best First slot or after 19:00 · €12–55 (≈ US$14–65) (check)
Where to stay on a first visit
- Le Marais (3rd and 4th)For: First visit, food, shops, evening walksMedieval streets, courtyards, Place des Vosges and the Jewish quarter; busy on Sundays when shops open.
From the airport
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
- Fastest and cheapest
- RER B to Châtelet–Les Halles · about 40 min · about €13 (≈ US$16)
Typical ride times and fares, 2026 desk estimates (check). Last services and night options are on the gateway page.
How long to stay
- 1 day
- A stopover
- 2 days
- A short break
- 3 days
- A first visit
Show 5 more blocksHideThree mistakes to avoid, Money and SIM, Etiquette, The best time to go, A first day
Three mistakes to avoid
- Petition, 'found gold ring' and friendship-bracelet tricks near the Louvre, Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel Tower: keep walking and say non.(Scams)
- Notre-Dame and other churches are places of worship: cover shoulders, keep voices low and skip photos during services.(Survive · red lines)
- Pickpockets work the metro, the Louvre area and the Eiffel Tower crowds: keep your bag zipped in front of you.(Survive · safety)
Money and SIM
- Budget day
- €50–80 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
- Paying
- Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some ticket machines and small shops still need chip and PIN or have a minimum spend. Carry a few euros for public toilets and markets.
- Cash
- Cards work almost everywhere; keep €20–40 (≈ US$25–50) in coins and small notes for bakeries with minimums, toilets and market stalls; use ATMs inside bank branches, not on the street.
- SIM
- EU roaming or a home plan: Check your plan before you fly; EU SIMs roam at home rates.
Etiquette: the top three
- Greetings
- Say Bonjour when you enter a shop, café or lift, and Merci and Au revoir when you leave; it is not optional.
- Language
- Begin in French, even one phrase, then ask in English: Parlez-vous anglais ?
- Restaurant hours
- Lunch is 12:00–14:30 and dinner from 19:00; outside those hours only cafés and brasseries serve food.
The best time to go
Mar: Cool, changeable; gardens waking up.
Spring (Mar–May): Blossom, terraces and mild days; the best walking.
A first day
Day 1 — Île de la Cité, lunch in the Marais at 13:00
Start about 09:00
Fixed point: Lunch table 13:00 (Marais)
Afternoon in the Marais; dinner from about 19:30.Afternoon in the Marais; dinner from about 7:30 PM.
Timed version: Paris in 3 daysYour Paris checklist
The money points and the first-timer mistakes from this page in one list. Tick each one when you have handled it.
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