FR
Paris
The French capital of grand boulevards, world-class museums, café terraces and riverside views
The French capital of grand boulevards, world-class museums, café terraces and riverside views
Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, the tower has viewing levels reached by lift or stairs. The Trocadéro across the river is the classic viewpoint.
Book timed tickets online in advance, especially for the summit.
Photo: NonOmnisMoriar, CC BY-SA 3.0
The world’s most visited museum, home to the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. Since January 2026, visitors from outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway pay a higher ticket price of €32.
Book a timed slot online and focus on a few wings rather than trying to see everything.
Photo: Ank kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité reopened in December 2024 after its restoration following the 2019 fire. Entry to the cathedral is free.
Photo: Wyslijp16, CC BY 4.0
The hilltop village of artists’ studios and steep lanes, crowned by the white Sacré-Cœur basilica with sweeping views over the city.
Photo: Fernando Losada Rodríguez, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try croissants and baguettes from a good bakery, steak-frites, onion soup, crêpes, cheese and macarons.
Look for neighbourhood bistros away from the main sights, and covered markets such as the Marché des Enfants Rouges.
Charles de Gaulle Airport is linked to the centre by RER B trains (about 35 minutes); Orly is now on Metro line 14. The Metro covers the city, with single tickets at €2.50 since 2025 and a separate airport fare.
France is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Paris is expensive, especially for accommodation; many churches, parks and some museums are free.
The classics and the neighbourhoods.
Visit Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, walk the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain, and see the Musée d’Orsay.
See the Louvre, walk through the Tuileries to Place de la Concorde and up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.
Go up the Eiffel Tower, take a Seine cruise and explore the Marais in the evening.
Explore Montmartre, or take the RER to the Palace of Versailles.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
France is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Watch your belongings on public transport and at busy sights.
Book timed tickets for the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle and Versailles.
A rechargeable Navigo Easy card or the phone app saves queuing for paper tickets.
Set lunch menus (formules) are usually much cheaper than dinner.
Quick answers for planning time in Paris.
Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, with registration under the EU Entry/Exit System.
Since January 2026, €32 for visitors from outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; under-18s enter free.
Yes, it reopened in December 2024 and entry is free.
By RER B train in about 35 minutes, or by bus or taxi.
Four days covers the main sights at a comfortable pace.
French is the language; a few words of French and a polite “bonjour” go a long way.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our France travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.