Why go
No city has more to see in so small a space. The Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and the Seine are all within a long walk of one another, and Notre-Dame has been open again since December 2024 after five years of restoration.
The food is the other reason. Paris has everything from three-star dining rooms to corner bistros and market stalls, and the grand palace hotels here are an attraction in their own right.
When to go
April to June and September to October are the best months, with mild days and long evenings. July is warm and busy. In August many Parisians leave and a good number of the best small restaurants close for two or three weeks.
Winter is grey, quieter and the best value, with the Christmas lights as compensation. Hotel rates jump during the fashion weeks.
Where to base yourself
The 8th arrondissement, around the Champs-Elysees and Avenue Montaigne, has the largest share of the grand hotels and the designer shopping. The 1st, around Place Vendome and the Tuileries, is the most central for the Louvre and for walking everywhere.
Saint-Germain on the Left Bank is the choice for cafes, galleries and bookshops, with smaller hotels. The Marais is livelier and younger, with the best browsing and plenty of good casual food.
What we would build into your trip
A private guide for the Louvre with timed tickets, so you see the best of it in two or three hours. An early visit to the Musee d'Orsay, a morning at a food market with a cook, and a day at Versailles with a driver and an entry time that avoids the worst of the crowds.
With an extra day we add Champagne, which is under an hour by fast train to Reims, or Monet's garden at Giverny from spring to autumn. We also book one serious dinner and leave the other evenings loose.
Good to know
Museums have closing days: the Louvre on Tuesdays, the Musee d'Orsay and Versailles on Mondays. The Centre Pompidou is closed for renovation until 2030. The Louvre is starting a long renovation of its own, so we check what is open before you go.
Many good restaurants close on Sundays and Mondays, and the sought-after tables need booking weeks ahead. Watch your pockets on the Metro and around the big sights.