Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Paris
World-class art, grand boulevards and river walks, with much of it free.
Grand boulevards, a river lined with bookstalls and some of the world's great art. The big museums cost money, but much of Paris is free: the cathedrals, the parks, the riverbanks and Montmartre's lanes.
Places to see
- Eiffel TowerViewpoint · An iron lattice tower over 300 metres tall at the end of a long lawn.≈ A$26
The LouvreMuseum · A former royal palace around a courtyard with a glass pyramid, holding paintings,…≈ A$56
Musée d'OrsayMuseum · A grand old railway station with an arched glass roof, now filled with Impressionist…≈ A$28
Sainte-ChapelleChurch · A low, painted lower chapel, then a narrow stair up into a room that seems to be made…
When to go
- Jan8° / 3°Some rainQuiet
- Feb9° / 3°Some rainQuiet
- Mar13° / 5°Some rainBusy
- Apr16° / 7°Some rainBusy
- May20° / 11°Some rainBusy
- Jun23° / 14°Some rainVery busy
- Jul26° / 16°Some rainVery busy
- Aug25° / 16°Some rainVery busy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Le Marais and the east. Old lanes and squares in the Marais, then Bastille, the Canal Saint-Martin and Belleville, livelier and cheaper, with several big hostels.
Montmartre and the north. The hill and its basilica, with Pigalle below and the big stations nearby: one of the cheaper places to stay, with plenty of hostels.
Flying in
Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG): RER B train to Gare du Nord or Châtelet, about 50 min, ≈ A$23. The airport ticket is about €13; a Navigo week pass covers it (check).
Paris Orly (ORY): Metro line 14 to Châtelet, about 35 min, ≈ A$23. The airport ticket is about €13; a Navigo week pass covers it (check).
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Paris; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$4. The centre is walkable along the river, and the metro covers the rest. Buy tickets on your phone or a Navigo Easy card. Versailles is about 40 min out on the RER C (check).
Navigo Easy card with a Navigo week pass (≈ A$56, Monday to Sunday): Unlimited metro, RER, buses and the airport trains; worth it from about a dozen rides. Needs a passport photo (check).
