Paris
The river, the boulevards, the museums, and the pleasure of a long lunch.
Paris is arranged around its river. The Louvre, the Tuileries and the Champs-Élysées run along the right bank; the Latin Quarter, Saint-Germain and the Eiffel Tower stand on the left; and the islands in between hold Notre-Dame and the earliest streets. The arrondissements spiral out from there, each with its own market, café and character.
Why go
For the art and the architecture: the Louvre, the Orsay, the Orangerie, the Rodin garden and the Picasso Museum. But also for the streets between them, where a morning can pass in a bakery, a bookshop and a bench by the water.
It is a city for walking and for lingering. Meals matter, neighbourhoods matter, and the Métro puts every quarter within a few minutes of the next. Versailles, Giverny and the champagne country are all within reach for a day.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The Louvre and the Tuileries
The palace-museum behind the glass pyramid, with the Tuileries gardens running from it to the Place de la Concorde. The collection is vast; pick a wing rather than attempt the lot.
02The Eiffel Tower and the Seine
The tower from the Trocadéro at dusk, then the river: the bridges, the bouquinistes, and a boat from the Pont Neuf as the lights come on.
03Montmartre
The hill village with the Sacré-Cœur on top, the painters' square behind it and steep stairways down through streets that still feel apart from the city.
04The islands and Notre-Dame
The Île de la Cité with the cathedral, the Sainte-Chapelle's walls of glass and the flower market, and the quiet Île Saint-Louis next door with its ice-cream queue.
05The Marais and Saint-Germain
The Marais for mansions, galleries and the Place des Vosges; Saint-Germain across the river for cafés, bookshops and the Luxembourg gardens.
06The Orsay and the smaller museums
The Impressionists in the old railway station, the water lilies at the Orangerie, the Rodin sculpture garden and the Picasso Museum in the Marais.
07Versailles
The palace, the hall of mirrors and the gardens are a suburban train ride away. Go early, and give the grounds as much time as the house.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
The Marais
Historic, fashionable and walkable, with the Seine and the Louvre close by. Busy at weekends.
Saint-Germain and the Latin Quarter
The classic left bank: cafés, bookshops, the Luxembourg gardens and the river. Central and civilised.
Montmartre and Pigalle
Village streets on the hill and a livelier scene below. Views, stairs and a little distance from the centre.
The Opéra and the grands boulevards
Department stores, theatres and grand hotels. Well connected, with the Louvre a walk away.
Canal Saint-Martin and the 11th
Younger, with the city's newer restaurants and bars along the canal and around Oberkampf.
When to go: Paris
- SpringApril and May
- Chestnut blossom, café terraces and long light evenings. The classic season, with the crowds to match.
- SummerJune – August
- Warm and sometimes hot, with the river banks turned into beaches. August empties many local restaurants as Parisians leave.
- AutumnSeptember – November
- Golden light, the return of the city's own life and a full cultural calendar. Often the pleasantest weeks of the year.
- WinterDecember – March
- Cold, grey and beautiful, with lit shop windows and empty museums. A coat and a café are all it takes.
Getting there
Airports
Two airports in our search serve Paris. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- CDGCharles de Gaulle
- ORYOrly
Distance from
- LHRLondon350 km
- DXBDubai5,250 km
- JFKNew York5,830 km
- BOMMumbai7,010 km
- JNBJohannesburg8,730 km
- SINSingapore10,740 km
- SYDSydney16,960 km
Getting around: Paris
The Métro reaches every quarter and runs late; the RER trains connect the airports, Versailles and the suburbs. A contactless card or a loaded pass covers both.
The centre is for walking, and the river makes a good spine to walk along. Bikes are everywhere on the city's hire scheme; taxis wait at ranks and can be ordered by app.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- France
- Currency
- EUR · Euro
- Languages
- French
- Time zone
- Central European Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +33
The atlas
Paris in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Paris, month by month
- Jan6°
- Feb7°
- Mar12°
- Apr16°
- May19°
- Jun23°
- Jul25°
- Aug25°
- Sept21°
- Oct16°
- Nov10°
- Dec6°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: May to September.
Mean highs run from 6°C in January to 25°C in July, with about 662 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for ParisModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBParis
5,250 km
6 hrs 55 mins · Estimate
From AUHParis
5,260 km
6 hrs 55 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Paris
From the journal
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In pictures: Paris
Plan this trip: Paris
Open the trip builder with Paris already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
