Paris is the most visited city in the world, the luminous capital of France whose legendary monuments (the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Louvre), incomparable art collections, world-dominating gastronomy, and ineffable romantic atmosphere draw more than 40 million visitors annually to the banks of the Seine. The City of Light has been the global standard for beauty, culture, and sophistication for centuries. No city on Earth has been more painted, photographed, written about, or dreamed of, and yet, despite (or perhaps because of) the weight of myth, Paris remains capable of taking your breath away when you turn a corner and suddenly find yourself face to face with the illuminated façade of Notre-Dame or the Eiffel Tower sparking on the hour at midnight.
Quick Facts: Paris Travel Guide
- Best time to visit Paris: April–June and September–October for the most beautiful light and manageable crowds; spring (especially May) is glorious, the chestnut trees are in bloom, the café terraces are full, and the city is at its most romantic; July–August is peak tourist season and many Parisians leave the city (some restaurants and shops close); December for the magical Christmas lights and the window displays at Galeries Lafayette; avoid August if you can, it’s hot, crowded, and the city feels half-closed
- Top attractions: The Eiffel Tower (book online weeks ahead, tickets sell out), the Louvre (the world’s largest art museum, book ahead and target specific wings, the whole museum is impossible in a day), Notre-Dame Cathedral (reopened December 2024 after the 2019 fire, entry remains free but timed reservations are now required), the Musée d’Orsay (the best collection of Impressionist art in the world, housed in a glorious former railway station), Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur, and the Sainte-Chapelle (the most beautiful stained glass in Paris, visit on a sunny afternoon)
- How to get to Paris: Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY) airports; Eurostar from London St. Pancras to Gare du Nord (~2h15); TGV high-speed trains connect Paris to Brussels (1h30), Amsterdam (3h20), Frankfurt (3h50), and Lyon (2h)
- Currency: Euro (€)
- Language: French, making an effort with bonjour, s’il vous plaît, and merci is essential; English is widely spoken in tourist areas but a little French goes a very long way in the famously proud capital
- Best for: Everyone, Paris is the ultimate all-purpose destination: romance, art, food, fashion, history, shopping, and simple urban wandering
Paris Beyond the Postcards
- The Marais: The most atmospheric district for wandering, a warren of medieval and 17th-century streets filled with boutiques, falafel shops, the beautiful Place des Vosges (Paris’s oldest square), and the Musée Carnavalet (the free museum of Paris history).
- Canal Saint-Martin: Where young Parisians actually hang out, tree-lined canal banks, independent shops, and a relaxed, bobo (bourgeois-bohemian) atmosphere that feels miles from the tourist crowds.
- The Latin Quarter and the Panthéon: The historic student district, the Sorbonne, the Panthéon (France’s secular mausoleum of national heroes), and the winding streets around the Rue Mouffetard market.
- The Passages Couverts: Paris’s 19th-century covered shopping arcades, glass-roofed, gaslit corridors of antique shops, bookstores, and cafés that are perfect for a rainy day and transport you to the Paris of Balzac. The Galerie Vivienne is the most beautiful.
Paris Practicalities
The Museum Pass: If you plan to visit 3+ museums, the Paris Museum Pass (€58/2 days, €78/4 days, €92/6 days) provides skip-the-line access to over 50 museums and monuments, well worth it, and the time saved in queues is significant. Book time slots for the Louvre and Versailles even with the pass.
Eating well without breaking the bank: Avoid restaurants with “menu touristique” signs and food photos, these are tourist traps. Eat at the boulangerie for lunch (the humble baguette sandwich from a good bakery is one of the great food bargains of Paris), have dinner at a neighbourhood bistro (look for places filled with French speakers), and buy cheese, bread, and wine at a market or épicerie for an impromptu picnic by the Seine, still the most romantic meal in Paris for under €10.
Paris is the capital and largest city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Région parisienne). Paris has an estimated population of 2,193,031 (Jan 2007), but the Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11,836,970 (Jan 2007), and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.
Paris one of the first cities that come to mind of every traveler when talking about visiting Europe. Consider the most “chick” city in the world, Paris is full of stunning architecture, old churches, romantic cafes, spectacular monuments, art galleries and much, much more. Famous sites such as the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame are a must visit for every traveler.
What to visit?
Three of the most famous Parisian landmarks are the twelfth-century cathedral Notre Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité, the Napoleonic Arc de Triomphe and the nineteenth-century Eiffel Tower.
| Top 10 most visited cities by estimated number of international visitors by selected year | |||||||||||
| City | Country | International
visitors (millions) |
Year/Notes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | France | 14.8 | 2009 | ||||||||
| London | United Kingdom | 14.1 | 2009 | ||||||||
| Bangkok | Thailand | 10.21 | 2008 | ||||||||
| Singapore | Singapore | 9.7 | 2009 | ||||||||
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 8.94 | 2008 | ||||||||
| Hong Kong | China | 8.9 | 2009 | ||||||||
| New York City | United States | 8.7 | 2009 | ||||||||
| Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 7.58 | 2008 | ||||||||
| Istanbul | Turkey | 7.51 | 2009 | ||||||||
| Shanghai | China | 6.7 | 2007 | ||||||||
View Paris – the most visited city in the world is located in France in a larger map
What’s your Paris, the museums, the food, the Seine-side strolls, or the quiet corners of the Marais? Share your Paris moments, hidden gems, and the things that still take your breath away in the comments! 🗼
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