Paris is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. There’s a reason why Paris is such a popular city: who wouldn’t be impressed by a walk along the Seine near the Eiffel Tower or a trip to Disneyland?
When to visit Paris?
Due to the weather, it is recommended to book your trip to Paris for spring or autumn. The best months are April, May, September and October. In this case, it doesn’t get dark too early and the outside temperature is also pleasant.
How much time is needed to visit Paris?
The attractions we have listed need about 2–3 days to be visited, so are perfect for a weekend or long weekend trip to Paris.
But if you really want to get around the whole city, you will need about 4–5 days to see all the main sights.
So if you have at least 4 days in Paris, read this 4-day Paris itinerary as well.
However, if you only have time for a shorter, one day visit to Paris, we can also suggest an itinerary.
What to expect in Paris?
Paris is not one of the most expensive places, you should expect approximately normal Western European prices.
The infrastructure of Paris is very good. There are plenty of dining options and hotels. It has an extensive and very high-quality road network (as in the whole of France), so it is easily accessible by car and parking is relatively easy, unlike other major European cities. There are plenty of well-maintained cycle paths, where you can easily get around the city by bike or electric scooter.
The only thing to be very careful of is the crowd. A trip to Paris should be organized very well, and it is almost mandatory to book tickets online in advance for all the places.
If you don’t have to, don’t travel during school holidays and public holidays. Tickets for attractions sell out weeks in advance and there are huge queues everywhere, and the prices are much higher.
Pro tip: if you travel to Paris with your own car, be aware that the city has a low emission zone, where only certain cars can enter, and you must apply for a sticker for your car. However, you do not have to wait for the sticker to arrive, you will receive an online certificate. You can use it in several French cities where there is a low emission zone.
The best places to visit in Paris in a weekend
Here are the top things to see in Paris in a weekend.
Eiffel Tower
Tickets can be purchased for the second floor or the top floor of the Eiffel Tower. You can either take the stairs (only to the second floor, the top floor is accessed by lift), which is very long and tiring, or the lift, which is much quicker but often crowded.
We recommend that you buy tickets or even Skip The Line Tickets for the Eiffel Tower online in advance to avoid long queues. It is worth buying several weeks in advance, as it is the most famous sight in Paris.
Be prepared for double security checks, once at the entrance to the Eiffel Tower and once at the lift.
Pro tip: book in advance for sunset, so you can see the city from the top of the Eiffel Tower in both daylight and dark.
Arc de Triomphe
On your way around the city, you should also visit the Arc de Triomphe. This is a triumphal arch that proclaims the glory of Emperor Napoleon I and the French army at the end of the Champs-Élysées, in Place Charles de Gaulle.
Palace of Versailles
The Palace de Versailles was the residence of French kings from 1682 until the Revolution in 1789, and was the pinnacle of European palace architecture. The most famous part is the Hall of Mirrors, of which there are many photographs.
You can buy a ticket that allows you to enter everywhere, or you can buy a ticket on the spot just for the huge castle park, where the view is fantastic, and you can take great walks, or you can also rent a boat on the huge lake in the park.
Perhaps the most difficult to buy tickets for is the Palace of Versailles, so buy online well in advance.
Parking is well organized around the castle, making it easily accessible by car.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre is the world’s most-visited museum, and a historic landmark in Paris. It is the home of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. It contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments with more than 60,600 square meters.
For the Louvre Museum, it is sufficient to book a ticket a little in advance, but there are a lot of people allowed in at any one time, and it is perhaps the most crowded of all Paris attractions. It can be a good program on rainy days, as it is indoors.
If you want to see the whole museum in detail, you will need at least a full day. However, most visitors only spend 2–3 hours here to see the most important artifacts.
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is a popular theme park in France, located not far east of Paris. Opened in 1992, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Europe.
Disneyland Paris consists of two main parts: the Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios Park. Disneyland Park is home to famous Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, as well as exciting attractions such as Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. The park offers several themed areas such as Fantasyland, Adventureland, Discoveryland and Frontierland.
The Walt Disney Studios Park focuses on the world of film and cinema, where you can discover behind-the-scenes of filmmaking, take part in exciting attractions and shows. The park features themes from famous Disney and Pixar films and a host of exciting attractions.
Disneyland Paris is also a great place for character meet-and-greets, where you can meet your favorite Disney characters and take photos with them. The park also offers a wide range of restaurants, shops and entertainment.
Tickets to Disneyland can be booked in advance, which is worth buying because the park is extremely popular.
Overall, visiting Disneyland Paris is a fun and memorable experience for families and Disney fans alike.
How much time to plan to visit Disneyland Paris?
If you want to try everything at Disneyland Paris, you’ll need at least a full day. But if you can’t spend a whole day at Disneyland, we recommend the evening, when you can see the Disney Illuminations Fireworks at closing time. It’s an amazing spectacle, lasts about half an hour and is worth every minute. This show at Disneyland will make sure you can be a kid again and meet your childhood favorites.
How to get to Disneyland Paris?
Since it is only 32 km away from Paris, it’s worth organizing a day trip to Disneyland Paris.
There are many ways to get there, we recommend the car or the shuttle bus. Since plenty of parking is available outside the entrance, so car access is not a problem.
If you choose public transport, the official Disneyland website lists all the options, such as shuttle bus service, train…etc.
Notre-Dame de Paris
It was damaged in a fire in 2019 and has since been under renovation, which means there are cordons, cranes and containers around it. We hope to admire its original beauty as soon as possible.
Until then, we can only see it from the outside, so you won’t have to plan much time to spend here.
Panthéon
The Panthéon is a grand neoclassical building in the Quartier Latin in Paris, built in the second half of the 18th century.
The easiest way to reach it is a 1 km walk from Notre-Dame. If you still have time in Paris, it’s worth a quick visit.
Parc de Princes
The stadium, with a seating capacity of 47.929 spectators, has been the home of Paris Saint-Germain since 1974.
The tour is not very long, but it shows you everything a football fan wants to see.
Make sure you book in advance on weekends, and the shop is hard to get into because of the crowds. It is worth booking a ticket for the morning. It can also be a good program on rainy days, as it is mostly indoors.
Day trips from Paris
Whether you’re looking for day trip destinations from Paris by train or by car, there are numerous great places to visit within a few hours of the city.
So if you have more time in and around Paris and want to see the French countryside, we recommend some other destinations in France.
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is a popular day trip destination from Paris and one of France’s most unique sights. This fabulous island and town is located on the coast of Normandy, about 4 hours from Paris.
Mont Saint-Michel rises atop a high, rocky hill that juts out from the coast. The town has been gradually built up over the centuries on the hilltop, and in the Middle Ages it was home to an abbey. The buildings are in medieval style, and you can explore the town through narrow streets. The views of the sea and the surrounding countryside are stunning.
Mont Saint-Michel is about 1 km off the coast and becomes visible as an island at high tide. The coastline is dotted with sandy areas and marshes, home to a rich variety of wildlife.
The only access by car is to the nearest village, from where the island can be reached by bus or on foot.
In Mont Saint-Michel, visitors can enjoy walking trails through the town, explore the shops and restaurants and admire the fabulous views.
Mont Saint-Michel can be reached by car, bus or train, and many tour operators offer group tours from Paris.
Dordogne
Dordogne is a beautiful region in the southwest of France. The center of the region is Périgueux, a charming little town with a rich history.
Among the region’s most famous attractions is the Lascaux Cave, home to ancient cave paintings dating back thousands of years.
Dordogne is a place that combines natural beauty, a wealth of historical attractions and culinary delights.
If you want to know more about Dordogne, you can find plenty of new information by clicking on the link.
This is all that can fit into a weekend in and around Paris. I hope you managed to organize your trip as well as possible and that we helped you in this.
