# Paris

Museums booked by time slot, neighbourhoods explored on foot and a metro that reaches everything. Three nights for the essentials, five to live it.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/ile-de-france/paris · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How many days do you need?

Three nights for the essentials: one day for the Louvre and the Île de la Cité, another for the Eiffel Tower, Orsay and the boat, and another for Montmartre and the Marais. With five nights you slow the pace, revisit a neighbourhood without hurrying and have a morning left for Versailles. Paris is understood on foot: from the Louvre to Notre-Dame it is twenty minutes' walk and from the Marais to place de la Bastille, ten. The metro does the rest.

For sleeping, the Marais lets you walk to almost everything and has nightlife; Saint-Germain is quieter and more elegant; the Canal Saint-Martin is cheaper and close to the Gare du Nord. Avoid staying far from a metro station: it is the difference between going back to the hotel at midday or not.

## What to see if it's your first time?

Start with the historic centre: the Île de la Cité, with Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle, and the Louvre across the bridge. On the left bank you have Orsay and the Luxembourg Gardens; to the west, the Eiffel Tower and the terrace of the Arc de Triomphe, which is open late. For a quiet hour between big museums, Monet's Water Lilies at the Orangerie, in the Tuileries.

If you have one more day, take the train to Versailles: the palace and Trianon close on Mondays, and the time slot is booked online even for those who enter free.

## Do you need to book tickets?

Yes, almost everything. The Louvre recommends booking a time slot even for those who enter free, and at the ticket office it only sells if there is room. The Eiffel Tower sells by date and time, and the Sainte-Chapelle only has timed tickets. Notre-Dame is free, but with a free booking you save yourself the long queue in spring and summer.

Check the closing days before organising yourself: the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays and Orsay on Mondays. Under-18s don't pay at the big national museums and EU residents aged 18 to 25 don't either at the Louvre and Orsay, with ID.

## How do you get there from Spain?

By plane there are direct flights from the main Spanish cities to Orly and Charles de Gaulle. To reach the centre, the RER B from Charles de Gaulle and metro line 14 from Orly, with a special airport ticket of €14. By train, the direct TGV inOui links Barcelona Sants with the Gare de Lyon in about six and three-quarter hours, centre to centre.

By car it is about 800 km from Irún and about 870 from La Jonquera, almost all on toll motorway, and parking in Paris is expensive and slow. If you come by car as part of a longer trip, leave it in a hotel car park or on the outskirts and get around by metro.

## How do you get around?

On foot and by metro. A Métro-Train-RER ticket costs €2.55 in 2026 and is valid for one journey with changes, regardless of distance; you load it on the Navigo Easy card or on your phone. Lines 1 and 14 cross the centre and are automatic and frequent. The boat on the Seine doesn't replace the metro, but on the first day it shows you the whole city in an hour.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Historic bookshops and libraries of Europe
- Cerca: Versailles (a 17.5 km), Auvers-sur-Oise (a 27.2 km), Disneyland Paris (a 31.0 km), Chantilly (a 38.3 km)

## Qué hacer
- **The Louvre Museum with a Booked Time** (3 h 30 · From age 10, in doses · Desde 22 € per EU-resident adult): What it is
The Louvre was the palace of the kings of France before it was a museum. It holds the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, but also entire galleries of Egyptian, Greek and Near Eastern antiquities, six centuries of European painting and the medieval Louvre, with the foundations of the original fortress. You can't see it in a day and don't need to: pick two or three parts and leave before you reach saturation.
How to organise the visit
The museum has three wings, joined under the Pyramid:

Denon: Italian painting, with the Mona Lisa, the great French canvases (Liberty Leading the People, The Raft of the Medusa), Spanish painting and, on the Daru staircase, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Also the Galerie d'Apollon.
Sully: Egyptian antiquities, the Greek section with the Venus de Milo and the medieval Louvre in the basement, beside the moats of Philippe Auguste's fortress.
Richelieu: Mesopotamia, French sculpture in the covered courtyards and northern European painting.

A good first visit of three to four hours: medieval Louvre, Egyptian antiquities, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Galerie d'Apollon and the Denon painting with the Mona Lisa, which is always crowded. Before going, check the room-opening plan on the museum's website: several rooms are closed for works. In November 2026, among others, the Islamic art rooms, the Roman antiquities, the Napoleon III apartments and the Médicis gallery.
Hours

Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 to 18:00.
Wednesday and Friday: 9:00 to 21:00.
Tuesday: closed.

Last entry is one hour before closing and the rooms begin to be cleared half an hour before. It also closes on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Tickets and prices

Residents or citizens of the European Economic Area (Spain included): €22.
Visitors from outside the EEA: €32.
Free: under-18s of any nationality, young people aged 18 to 25 who are residents or citizens of the EEA (with ID card or passport), people with disabilities and one companion, and unemployed people from the EEA with proof.

The ticket includes the permanent collections, the temporary exhibitions and the Musée Eugène-Delacroix on the same day or the next. The museum recommends booking a time slot on its website even if you enter free; ticket-office sales exist only if there are few visitors. The Louvre warns about fraud: do not buy from street sellers or from websites that imitate its own.
Where to enter

Pyramid: the main entrance, with separate queues for those with a ticket and those without. The Pyramid lift is for people with reduced mobility and pushchairs.
Carrousel (99 rue de Rivoli): open to those who already have a ticket, groups and members.
Porte des Lions (quai François-Mitterrand): ticket holders only, closes at 18:00 and on Tuesdays.

Getting there
By metro, lines 1 and 7 to Palais-Royal – Musée du Louvre, or line 14 to Pyramides. By car, the Carrousel car park has its entrance at 1 avenue du Général-Lemonnier, although in Paris the practical option is the metro ticket. There are security checks at the entrance.
With children
They enter free. The museum has a section for families on its website, and the Pyramid lift is reserved, among others, for pushchairs. With children, shorter visits are better: Egyptian mummies and sarcophagi, the moats of the medieval Louvre and the Winged Victory of Samothrace work better than the painting galleries. On leaving, the Tuileries garden, free, opens from 7:00 to 19:30 in winter and until 23:00 in summer.
- **The Eiffel Tower, All the Way to the Top by Lift** (2 h 30 · All ages · Stairs to 2nd floor €14.80 · lift to 2nd floor €23.50 · summit €36.70): What it is
The Eiffel Tower has three levels open to the public: the first floor at 57 metres, the second at 116 and the summit at 276. You reach the second by lift or by the stairs; the summit only by lift, from the second. Allow between two and three hours with the climb, the wait and time at the top, and a bit more in high season.
What you see on each level

First floor (57 m): the widest, with its own exhibition; in November 2026, Lady Liberty, on the history of the Statue of Liberty. The Madame Brasserie restaurant is here.
Second floor (116 m): the clearest view of Paris, with the monuments still recognisable: the Seine, Les Invalides, the Sacré-Cœur on top of Montmartre.
Summit (276 m): the view from highest up, with a champagne bar. It is always windy: bring a coat even if it is fine below. Access may be cut off in bad weather or because of overcrowding.

Prices
Official rates valid until 10 January 2027:

Lift to the second floor: €23.50 adults; €11.80 young people aged 12 to 24; €6 children aged 4 to 11.
Lift to the summit: €36.70 adults; €18.40 young people; €9.20 children.
Stairs to the second floor: €14.80 adults; €7.40 young people; €3.80 children.
Stairs to the second floor and lift to the summit: €28 adults; €14 young people; €7 children.
Under-4s: free, but they need their own ticket.

From 11 January 2027 new, slightly higher rates apply: the lift to the second floor goes up to €24.10. Check the official website before buying. There are also official guided tours and tickets with a glass of champagne or brunch, sold only online.
Hours
In November 2026 it is open every day from 9:30 to 23:00, and the last ascents are at 22:45. The hours change with the season and the website publishes each day's in its calendar. There may be exceptional closures.
How to buy
Climb tickets are sold on the official website and at the ticket office at the same price, but online you choose the date and time and avoid the queue at the ticket windows, which is long in summer. Buy only on the tower's official website: it has the lowest rates.
Getting there
By metro, line 6 to Bir-Hakeim or line 9 to Trocadéro, and by RER C to Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel. Have your metro ticket loaded on your phone or on the Navigo Easy card. For the photo of the whole tower, cross the Pont d'Iéna to the Trocadéro gardens.
Security, accessibility and children
There is a security check at the entrance and bags are inspected. Suitcases and large items are not admitted, and there is no left-luggage: if you arrive with luggage, leave it at the hotel or the station. Animals are not admitted either, except guide dogs.
The summit and the stairs are not accessible to people with reduced mobility; the second floor is, by lift, with a reduced rate for the person with a disability and one companion.
With children, the stairs to the second floor are an adventure many enjoy, and the cheapest option, but there are many steps: consider whether they can manage the climb and the descent. With small children, the lift to the second floor is enough: the view is better than from the summit for recognising monuments.
When to go
First thing or at night there are fewer people. At dusk you see the city in daylight and then lit up, and every hour on the hour the tower sparkles for a few minutes. In winter, the summit is cold and windy; in summer, book days ahead.
If you want to see the tower from the water, the Seine cruise turns right in front of it.
- **Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité** (2 h 30 · All ages · Notre-Dame free · towers €16 · Sainte-Chapelle €16 (EEA)): What it is
The Île de la Cité is the island in the Seine where Paris was born. In a few hundred metres it brings together three visits: Notre-Dame cathedral, reopened after the 2019 fire; its towers, which you climb on foot; and the Sainte-Chapelle, Louis IX's chapel with 1,113 stained-glass panels. It can be done in a long morning, two to three hours, and it is best to have all three time slots booked.
Notre-Dame
The cathedral can be visited for free, as a place of worship open to all. It opens Monday to Friday from 7:50 to 19:00, on Thursdays until 22:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:15 to 19:30. Last entry is half an hour before closing.
To avoid the long queue, book a free priority access slot on the cathedral's official website. The cathedral insists: free entry is booked only on its website, and no guide or agency can sell or hand out tickets. There is an official app for the visit.
The towers of Notre-Dame
They are run by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, separately from the cathedral. The circuit climbs 424 steps to 69 metres, with narrow 45 cm passages and low ceilings, among gargoyles, chimeras and bells. At the top of the south tower you can only stay five minutes.

Hours: 9:00 to 23:00 from 1 April to 30 September, and 9:00 to 17:30 from 1 October to 31 March. Last entry one hour before closing.
Price: €16. Free for under-18s and for young people aged 18 to 25 from the European Union, and for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.
Booking compulsory: tickets are not sold at the ticket office; you must book a time slot online even if you enter free. You enter on the right of the facade.

There is no lift, water or toilets on the circuit, and no left-luggage. Pushchairs are not admitted (front baby carriers are) and it is not recommended for small children, pregnant women or anyone with vertigo. Under-18s must be with an adult.
The Sainte-Chapelle
Five minutes away, within the grounds of the Palais de Justice, is the chapel that Louis IX had built to house the relics of the Passion. The lower chapel is dark and gilded; above, the upper chapel is almost entirely stained glass, with the Apocalypse rose window to the west.

Hours: 9:00 to 19:00 from 1 April to 30 September, and 9:00 to 17:00 from 1 October to 31 March. Last entry 30 minutes earlier. Closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Price: €16 for citizens and residents of the European Economic Area; €22 for everyone else. Joint ticket with the Conciergerie: €23 (EEA) or €30. Free for under-18s, young people aged 18 to 25 from the EU and on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.
Booking: choose a slot at the ticket office and arrive at your time, neither earlier nor later. Audio guide in Spanish, €4.

Because it is inside the Palais de Justice, there is a police and security check: do not bring suitcases, glass bottles, penknives or scooters. Pushchairs must be small and foldable, and are not allowed in the upper chapel. The circuit is accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Getting there
By metro, line 4 to Cité, or lines 1, 7, 11 and 14 to Châtelet; by RER, lines B and C to Saint-Michel. The metro ticket works for everything. From the western tip of the island leaves the Seine cruise, and the Louvre is a stroll across the Pont Neuf.
Recommended order
Start with the Sainte-Chapelle first thing, continue to the cathedral and leave the towers for the last slot you can find. If you have energy left, the Marais is on the other side of the Pont d'Arcole.
- **Musée d'Orsay and the Impressionists** (2 h 30 · Teenagers and adults · €16 online · €14 at the ticket office · free for under-26s from the EEA): What it is
The Musée d'Orsay occupies the former Orsay railway station, on the banks of the Seine opposite the Tuileries. It brings together French art from the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th: painting, sculpture, photography and decorative arts. It is the museum of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Allow between two and three hours.
What to see

The nave: the great hall of the old station, with 19th-century sculpture at floor level and the monumental clock at the far end.
The Impressionist gallery, on the fifth floor: the heart of the museum. On the way out is the Café Campana and, in summer, a terrace with a view over the city.
The clock from inside: behind the giant dial on the fifth floor, the view over the Seine and the Louvre is one of the museum's photos.

Until 24 January 2027 there is a route devoted to Claude Monet, "Je passe ma vie à peindre", and several temporary exhibitions, such as the ones on Mary Cassatt and Gustave Le Gray. The museum is undergoing major renovation works: check its website for the day's access conditions.
Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 to 18:00.
Thursday: 9:30 to 21:45.
Monday: closed, and also on 1 May and 25 December.

Last entry is at 17:00 (21:00 on Thursdays) and the rooms begin to close at 17:30 (21:15 on Thursdays).
Tickets and prices

General rate: €16 online, €14 at the ticket office.
Thursday evening, from 18:00: €12 online, €10 at the ticket office.
Reduced rate: €11, at the ticket office only.
Free: under-18s and under-26s resident in the European Economic Area, with ID.

The online ticket is dearer than at the museum, but it gives you an entry time and the queue at entrance 1, the one on the quay, for timed tickets. At the ticket office you enter through entrance 2, on the esplanade, with those who have no ticket. In high season, booking is worth the two euros.
Getting there
The museum is at esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, in the 7th arrondissement. By RER C, Musée d'Orsay station; by metro, line 12 to Solférino; by bus, lines 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 87 and 94. From the Louvre you can walk across the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge over the Seine.
Facilities and accessibility
There is a cloakroom, equipment loans, lifts, toilets, a baby area, water fountains and free wifi. The museum plan is available in Spanish. The audio guides have about 300 commentaries on works. For eating there is the museum's restaurant, the Café Campana on the fifth floor and the Café de la Gare under the nave.
The museum offers adapted access and tours for people with reduced mobility, who are deaf or who have a visual impairment; details are on its website.
With teenagers
Orsay goes down better than the Louvre with teenagers: it is smaller, can be seen in two hours and has the works from textbooks on a single floor. Under-26s with a Spanish ID card enter free. The museum also organises evenings with activities for young people aged 18 to 25 on some Thursdays.
Combine it
Before or after, cross to the Tuileries garden or continue along the bank of the Seine to the quay of the Seine cruise, at the Pont Neuf.
- **Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica** (2 h 30 · All ages, with slopes and steps · Basilica free · dome €8 adults, €5 children): What it is
Montmartre is the hill in the north of Paris, the former village of windmills and artists crowned by the white basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. It can be visited in a walk of two to three hours: you climb to the basilica, enter for free, climb the dome if you wish and then go down by the streets behind, quieter than the painters' square. There are slopes and steps along almost the whole route.
The climb
Most people arrive from below, on the south side:

Metro: line 2 to Anvers, about 200 metres from the funicular's lower station; or line 12 to Abbesses, about 350 metres, if you want to enter through the district.
Montmartre funicular: run by the RATP, it operates daily from 6:00 to 0:45. It covers a 36-metre rise over 108 metres of track, in less than a minute and a half. A metro ticket or Navigo pass is valid, but it counts as a separate journey: you cannot reuse on the metro a ticket validated on the funicular, or vice versa. With a loaded Navigo Easy card you avoid any fuss.
On foot: the staircase of rue Foyatier, beside the funicular, has about 220 steps. You can also climb through the gardens of the steps, in front of the basilica.

The Sacré-Cœur basilica
It is open every day of the year from 6:30 to 22:30, and entry is free. On the first Thursday of each month it closes later, at midnight, for the Holy Hour prayer. Between 10:30 and 17:00 there is usually a wait of 10 to 15 minutes to get in.
Inside, the great apse mosaic shows Christ with open arms. It has been a sanctuary of perpetual adoration since 1885, so suitable clothing and silence are requested. Photos are not allowed in the nave, but are in the side aisles and the ambulatory. There is a free audio visit on your phone, in several languages, with a QR code at the entrance. Until the end of May 2027 the great organ is being restored.
For people with reduced mobility there is lift access at 35 rue du Chevalier de la Barre, behind the basilica, from 8:30 to 19:00.
The dome
You climb on foot by a single route: about 280 steps up a narrow staircase, with no lift. At the top you have a 360° view over Paris. It is not recommended for people with mobility problems, pregnant women, very small children and anyone who doesn't cope well with narrow spaces.

Hours: 10:15 to 17:30, last entry at 17:00. It changes with the season and closes for a while at midday and in bad weather: check the website the day before.
Price: €8 adults from age 16; €5 children up to 15.
Entrance: outside, after the security check. Go down into the moat on the left: the ticket office is 20 metres to the right. You cannot book; you pay there. There are no toilets.

The district
After the basilica, lose yourself in the streets behind. Place du Tertre, with the painters, gets crowded; the streets to the west and north of the hill are quieter and keep the village feel. Then go down towards Abbesses and, if it gets late, towards Pigalle: the Bouillon Pigalle, on boulevard de Clichy, is open every day.
When to go
First thing in the morning the steps are almost empty. At sunset, the view over the rooftops of Paris from the steps is the most sought-after; go early, because it fills up. In winter it gets dark before 17:30 and the dome closes early.
With children
The funicular is a small event for them. The dome, with 280 narrow steps, is not for small children or pushchairs; for older children in good shape it is a good climb.
- **Le Marais and Place des Vosges on Foot** (2 h · All ages · On your own · free): What it is
The Marais is the Right Bank district, between the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, which preserves the Paris from before the great avenues. It was a marshy area, drained from the 12th century, and in the 17th it filled with aristocratic mansions: the hôtels particuliers, with a courtyard in front and a garden behind. Haussmann's works barely touched it, and in 1964 it became the first protected sector in France, under the Malraux law. The walk, of about two hours, is self-guided and free.
Place des Vosges
It is the centre of the walk. It was built between 1605 and 1612 on the orders of Henri IV, who did not live to see it finished, and was inaugurated with a tournament for the betrothal of Louis XIII to Anne of Austria. It was called place Royale until 1800, when it took the name of the Vosges department, the first to pay its taxes during the Revolution.
It measures about 140 metres a side and is enclosed by 36 brick-and-stone pavilions over arcades. The two tallest face each other: the King's pavilion, in the middle of the south side, and the Queen's, in the north. In the middle, the square Louis-XIII, with four fountains and an equestrian statue of the king from 1825, is the garden where locals sit in the shade of the trees.
Victor Hugo lived at number 6 from 1832 to 1848. His flat is now the Maison de Victor Hugo, a museum of the city of Paris.
The route, step by step

Saint-Paul. Start on rue Saint-Antoine, at the level of the church of Saint-Paul.
Hôtel de Sully. A 17th-century mansion with two courtyards. From the rear garden, a passage takes you directly to place des Vosges.
Place des Vosges. Walk round under the arcades and rest in the garden.
Rue des Francs-Bourgeois and Carnavalet. To the west, rue des Francs-Bourgeois is the district's shopping street. On rue de Sévigné is the Carnavalet museum, devoted to the history of Paris, in two mansions of the 16th and 17th centuries; it reopened in 2021 after five years of works.
Musée Picasso. A little to the north, the hôtel Salé houses the Picasso museum.
Rue des Rosiers. Head back south through the Pletzl, the Jewish quarter that grew here from the late 19th century. It is the street for something to eat on the go. Nearby, on rue du Temple, is the museum of Jewish art and history.
Hôtel de Soubise. If you have energy left, continue to the mansion that now houses part of the National Archives.

Museums
Carnavalet and the Maison de Victor Hugo are municipal museums run by Paris Musées; the Picasso museum is national. Hours, closing days and prices vary by museum and exhibition: check their websites before going. On 12 November 2026 the Paris Musées websites were under maintenance; ticket sales continued on their online ticket office.
When to go
On weekday mornings the district is quiet. On weekend afternoons, rue des Francs-Bourgeois and rue des Rosiers fill up. In spring and summer, the garden at place des Vosges is the place to eat outdoors.
Getting there
By metro, line 1 to Saint-Paul, or to Bastille, a few minutes from place des Vosges. From the Île de la Cité you can walk, crossing the Seine by the Pont d'Arcole or the Pont Louis-Philippe.
Where to eat and sleep
For a galette, Breizh Café Le Marais is right in the district. If you want to sleep here, there is everything from the MIJE Marais hostel and the Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc Le Marais to Le Pavillon de la Reine, on place des Vosges itself.
With children
The walk is flat and can be done with a pushchair. The arcades and the garden at place des Vosges, with its fountains, let you stop halfway. In the narrow streets of rue des Rosiers, with lots of people, it is better to hold hands.
- **Luxembourg Garden and Saint-Germain** (1 h 30 · Families with children · On your own · free): What it is
The Luxembourg Garden is the garden of the palace where the French Senate sits, which is also the body that manages it. It covers almost 26 hectares, of which about 22 are open to the public, with French-style flower beds, symmetrical and geometric, and English-style corners, wilder. It is where Parisians sit and read, children push toy boats on the large pond and tourists rest between museums. Entry is free.
Allow an hour or an hour and a half to walk it at leisure, plus as long as you want to sit.
What to see

The palace and the large pond: in front of the Luxembourg Palace facade, the large pond is the centre of the garden. Around it are green iron chairs, the famous "Sénat" and "Luxembourg" chairs: there are 4,517 and they have been free since 1974. Take them and put them wherever you like.
The Médicis fountain: commissioned by Marie de' Medici, widow of Henri IV, who had the palace built. It is in shade, beside a long pond, on the east side.
The Queens of France: a series of statues of queens and illustrious women surrounds the terrace: Anne of Brittany, Queen Margot, Saint Geneviève, Mary Stuart.
The Orangerie, the Davioud pavilion, the bandstand and the teaching apiary, scattered around the garden.
The railings: they host open-air photography exhibitions. Until 17 January 2027, Terrains hostiles, by National Geographic.

The Musée du Luxembourg, beside the garden, has paid exhibitions; until 10 January 2027, Andy Warhol: la ligne et l'image.
Hours
Open every day, in daylight. The hours change with the light and the Senate adjusts them on the 1st and 16th of each month: in November 2026, from 8:00 to 17:00. Check the timetable on its website before going in the afternoon.
With children
With children it is a very rewarding stop, with free and paid activities:

Free: sandpits, ping-pong tables, chess, basketball, pétanque and skittles, and themed trails.
Paid: the children's play area, the swings, toy sailing boat hire for the large pond, the carousel, ponies, the puppet theatre, tennis and a nursery.

Prices and times for each activity depend on who operates it; you will find them at each stand.
Rules
You may not walk on the lawn, ride a bike or scooter, or pick plants. Dogs are only allowed on a lead in the south-east area, between the Gay-Lussac and Observatoire gates; in the rest of the garden they are prohibited. There are free public toilets in several chalets.
Getting there
The garden has ten gates, all with free entry; there are entrances on place Edmond-Rostand, place André-Honnorat, rue Guynemer and rue de Vaugirard. By RER B, Luxembourg-Sénat station; by metro, Odéon (lines 4 and 10), Mabillon (10) and Saint-Germain-des-Prés (4). Buses 21, 27, 38, 58, 82, 83, 84, 85 and 89.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is to the north, a short walk, and from there you continue to the Île de la Cité, with Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle.
Guided tours and activities
The garden organises guided tours, free horticulture courses, concerts at the bandstand and longue paume matches, a very old ball game: the society that plays it holds matches on Sundays at 10:30. Programme on the garden's website.
- **One-Hour Seine Cruise from the Pont Neuf** (1 h · All ages · Desde 15 € per adult, online): The Seine is the main street of Paris and its banks, between the Pont de Sully and the Pont d'Iéna, are a World Heritage Site. From the boat you see in one hour the Louvre, Orsay, the National Assembly, the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower, and you understand where everything is before exploring it on foot.
Who runs it
It is run by Vedettes du Pont Neuf, the boat company that has sailed from the square du Vert-Galant, at the tip of the Île de la Cité, since 1959. Its boats are small, with an open-air deck on top and a heated indoor saloon, so they sail all year, by day and by night. The guide gives a live commentary in French and English; in Spanish you have the company's free app, with commentary in six languages.
Since May 2026, the artist JR has covered the arches of the Pont Neuf with an installation 120 metres long and 18 high. From the boat you see all of it.
Times and prices
There are several departures a day, including at night. In November 2026, for example, at 10:45, 12:00, 14:00, 15:15, 16:00, 18:15, 20:15 and 20:45; each day's timetable is on the website.

Adults: €15 online, €17 at the quay.
Children: €7 online, €9 at the quay.

Buying online gives a €2 discount and guarantees you a place on the departure you choose. The same company offers a one-hour version with a snack designed for children (€20 adults and €15 children online), another with a glass of champagne at sunset (from €29) and cruises with lunch or dinner, longer and more expensive.
Getting there
The landing stage is at 1 square du Vert-Galant, in the 1st arrondissement. By metro, Pont Neuf (line 7) or Cité (line 4). From Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle you walk across the island, and from the Louvre, across the Pont Neuf. Have your metro ticket loaded.
With children and in the rain
It works with children of any age: an hour is what they can manage, and the heated covered saloon saves you on rainy or cold days. If you go with small children, the departure with a snack is designed for them. With a pushchair, bear in mind the steps from the Pont Neuf down to the quay.
- **Palace of Versailles and its gardens, by train from Paris** (6 h · All ages · Passeport (palace, Trianon and gardens) from €25 · Trianon €15): Louis XIV's palace, with the Hall of Mirrors, the royal apartments, the Trianon estate and gardens that deserve half a day. It lies on the outskirts of Paris and makes an easy day trip.
Which ticket to buy
The Passeport, from €25 in low season, is the only ticket that guarantees entry to the palace, and it also gives access to the Trianon estate (Grand and Petit Trianon, and the Queen's Hamlet from 12:00), the exhibitions and the gardens, including on Grandes Eaux and Musical Gardens days. The Trianon ticket alone costs €15 and does not include the palace. Under-18s and EU residents under 26 get in free, but they must also book their time slot online: it is compulsory for everyone. Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged.
Opening hours
The palace opens from 9:00 to 17:30 in low season and Trianon from 12:00 to 17:30. Both are closed on Mondays, 25 December, 1 January and 1 May. The gardens and park are open every day from 8:00 to 18:00. In high season the hours are longer: check the website before you go.
Getting there
By train from central Paris: the RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, ten minutes' walk from the Place d'Armes. With a full day you have time for the palace in the morning, lunch in the gardens and Trianon in the afternoon.
- **Arc de Triomphe Terrace, 284 Steps above the Champs-Élysées** (1 h · From age 8, good legs · €16 from October to March and on Wednesdays · €22 from April to September): From the terrace, at 50 m, you see the twelve avenues leaving the Étoile, the Champs-Élysées as far as the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower straight ahead. It opens late, so it is a good plan for after dinner.
Hours and price
From 1 April to 30 September it is open from 10:00 to 23:00 (Tuesdays from 11:00); from October to March, until 22:30. The last access is 45 minutes before closing. Entry costs €16 from October to March and €22 from April to September, except on Wednesdays, when it stays at €16. Under-18s and EU citizens aged 18 to 25 do not pay. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, under the arch, is free to enter.
The climb
The lift is undergoing modernisation works, so you climb on foot: 284 steps, with a first flight of 180 and landings with seats. It is not for pushchairs or for anyone with mobility problems while the works last. You don't cross the roundabout to the arch: you enter through the underpass from the Champs-Élysées.
Getting there
Metro lines 1, 2 and 6 and RER A, Charles-de-Gaulle–Étoile station. Buses 22, 30, 31, 52, 73 and 92 also stop here.
- **Monet's Water Lilies at the Musée de l'Orangerie** (1 h 30 · All ages · €12.50 online, €11 at the ticket desk · joint ticket with Orsay €20): Two oval rooms with the great Water Lilies panels that Claude Monet painted for this very place, lit by natural light from the ceiling. It is a small museum: you can see it in an hour, and it fits neatly between the Louvre and Orsay.
Opening hours and price
Open 9:00 to 18:00 every day except Tuesdays, with late opening on Fridays until 21:00 at certain times of year. Last entry is at 17:15. It also closes on 1 May, the morning of 14 July and 25 December. A ticket costs €12.50 online and €11 at the ticket desk; the Friday late opening is €10. The joint ticket with Orsay is €20. Book online: without a ticket you can be left outside on busy days.
Getting there
It is in the Tuileries Garden, on the side of Place de la Concorde that faces the Seine. Metro lines 1, 8 and 12, Concorde station; buses 42, 45, 72, 73, 84 and 94. From the Louvre it is a quarter of an hour's stroll through the Tuileries, and Orsay is on the other side of the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor.
- **Shakespeare and Company, the English-Language Bookshop in the Latin Quarter** (45 min · Readers and the curious · Free entry): What it is
Shakespeare and Company is an independent bookshop dating from 1951, at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, in the Latin Quarter, near Saint-Michel. It sells English-language books, new and second-hand, and also has an antiquarian bookshop and a café. There may be a queue at peak times.
Opening hours
According to the "Prepare your visit" page, the bookshop is open Monday to Wednesday 10:00 to 20:00, Thursday to Saturday 10:00 to 21:00 and Sundays 12:00 to 19:00. The footer of the same page says Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 20:00, so confirm the time if you are going late. The antiquarian bookshop is open Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 19:00 and Sundays 12:00 to 19:00, and closes for an hour at midday. The café is open every day 9:00 to 19:00. The 2026 closures they announce are 1, 14 and 25 May. Sometimes they close earlier for an author event.
Rules

No photos or video inside the bookshop.
No large items: suitcases and objects over 40 cm are not allowed; handbags and small backpacks are carried with you. There is no left-luggage.
Limited capacity: there may be a queue, which according to the bookshop usually moves quickly.
No large groups: neither organised tours nor classes; small groups of students ask permission through a form on the website.

Events and accessibility
Author events are free and open, with limited places: arrive early. Most of the ground floor is wheelchair accessible, as are the antiquarian bookshop and the café.
Getting there
You get there by metro on line 4 (Saint-Michel or Cité) or on line 10 (Cluny-La Sorbonne), or by RER B or C to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame. Combine it with the Île de la Cité, which is next door.

## Dónde comer
- **Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards** (Restaurant, Grands Boulevards (9th), €). Qué pedir: eggs with mayonnaise, leeks vinaigrette and the dish of the day.
- **Bouillon Pigalle** (Restaurant, Pigalle (18th), €). Qué pedir: classic French bistro cooking at bouillon prices.
- **Breizh Café Le Marais** (Restaurant, Le Marais (3rd), €€). Qué pedir: a savoury buckwheat galette and a salted-butter crêpe for dessert.
- **Le Train Bleu** (Restaurant, Gare de Lyon (12th), €€€€). Qué pedir: a dish with sauce or carved at the table, or just a coffee at the bar if you are short of time.
- **Du Pain et des Idées** (Bakery, Canal Saint-Martin (10th), €). Qué pedir: the pain des amis, a thick-crusted loaf, and pastries for breakfast.

## By plane: Fly to Orly or Charles de Gaulle and take the metro into the centre
Paris is the easiest destination in France to reach by plane from Spain: there are direct flights from the main cities to Orly and Charles de Gaulle, and from both you reach the centre by public transport in under an hour. Don't hire a car: it is no use in the city, and if you want to go out to Versailles or Giverny there is a train.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Generator Paris** (Hostel, desde 24 € / bed): A big hostel next to Colonel Fabien metro (line 2), a 15–20 minute walk from the Gare du Nord. It has dormitories of 4 to 10 beds, some women-only, private rooms and family rooms for four, and a rooftop bar open from April to September.
The rooms
The shared dormitories have 4, 6, 8 and 10 beds, with prices that on its website start at about €24 a bed; there are women-only dormitories. The private rooms range from the deluxe double, from about €107, to the family room for four, from about €160, and some have views over Paris or their own terrace. Towels are an extra in some dormitories: check when booking. Prices change with the date.
Eating and hanging out
On the ground floor is the Café Fabien, with a dining room and a glazed gallery, open Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 2:00 and at weekends from 8:00. Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and from 8:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. On the ninth floor is the Khayma Rooftop, open from 18:00 to 22:00 from April to September. There is a 24-hour reception, free wifi, left-luggage, lockers, a laundry, lifts and bike hire.
Getting there
From Charles de Gaulle, the RER B to Gare du Nord takes about 30 minutes; from there it is a 15–20 minute walk, or line 2 from La Chapelle to Colonel Fabien. From Orly, line 14 and a change. The Canal Saint-Martin is a ten-minute walk and the Buttes-Chaumont park a little further.
- **MIJE Marais** (Hostel): The hostels of an association founded in 1958 by teachers, in three old houses in the Marais, between the Seine and place des Vosges. It is the best-located cheap bed in the centre for getting round everything on foot.
The three houses
Fourcy, at 6 rue de Fourcy, is the biggest: 204 beds in 59 rooms, ten of them adapted for reduced mobility, and a lift. Fauconnier, at 11 rue du Fauconnier, has 131 beds in 39 rooms. Maubuisson, at 12 rue des Barres, next to the church of Saint-Gervais, has 99 beds in 29 rooms and a lift. All three are five minutes' walk from one another.
Rooms and services
There are private single, double, triple and quad rooms, and shared rooms of up to ten beds, all with a bathroom. Continental breakfast is included and there is a self-service restaurant. Reception is open 24 hours, left-luggage is free and wifi is unlimited. Beds are handed over made up and towels are optional. They organise screenings, board games and concerts. Animals are not admitted, except guide dogs.
Getting there
Fourcy and Fauconnier are next to Saint-Paul (line 1) and Pont Marie (line 7) metro; Maubuisson, between Pont Marie and Hôtel de Ville. With line 1 you go direct to the Louvre or the Gare de Lyon. On foot you have the Île Saint-Louis, Notre-Dame and place des Vosges in under fifteen minutes.
- **Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc Le Marais** (Small hotel): A three-star hotel on rue de Jarente, a short, quiet street in the Marais, a few steps from place des Vosges. From here you can walk to Notre-Dame, the Hôtel de Ville and the Bastille.
The hotel and the rooms
It is next to place du Marché-Sainte-Catherine, a pedestrian square with terraces, in the south of the Marais. It has single, classic, standard, superior, comfort and family rooms, all with a kettle. There is one wheelchair-adapted room, on request and subject to availability. Reception is open 24 hours, wifi is free and you can leave your bags in left-luggage before check-in or after check-out. Staff speak Spanish, as well as French, English, German and Italian.
Breakfast and services
Continental breakfast is served in the hotel room from 7:15 to 10:45: croissants, bread, butter, jam, orange juice and hot drinks. In the afternoon the same room has hot drinks and there is an honesty bar open at any hour. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 11:30. Booking on its website gives rates with breakfast included.
Getting there and what's nearby
Saint-Paul metro (line 1) is two minutes away: the same line goes direct to the Louvre, Concorde and the Champs-Élysées. On foot you have place des Vosges, the church of Saint-Paul, rue des Rosiers, the Carnavalet Museum and the Picasso Museum. Notre-Dame and the Hôtel de Ville are about fifteen minutes' walk away.
- **Le Pavillon de la Reine** (Spa hotel): A luxury hotel inside place des Vosges, at number 28, with its own garden of fountains and trees, a spa and family suites. It is the place to sleep in silence in the heart of the Marais.
The house and the square
The hotel takes its name from Anne of Austria, who lived in the 17th century in the wing that separated the mansion from the square. Place des Vosges was inaugurated in 1612, on the occasion of her betrothal to Louis XIII, under the name place Royale; it is the oldest square in Paris and Victor Hugo and Colette lived on it. You enter from the square itself, under the arcades, and the building sits back in a garden, away from the street noise.
Rooms, spa and table
There are 56 rooms and suites decorated by Didier Benderli: classic, superior and deluxe for two people, junior suites for three, suites for four and family rooms for up to five, plus a separate cottage, Le Petit Pavillon, for four. There is one adapted room, on request. The spa has a hammam, jacuzzi, fitness room and treatments from the Codage brand. The restaurant is called Anne and there is a bar and brunch.
Getting there and parking
The metro is a step away: Saint-Paul (line 1), Chemin Vert (line 8) or Bastille (lines 1, 5 and 8), 400 m away. According to the hotel, by official taxi it is about 35 minutes from Orly, at a fixed fare of €45, and an hour from Charles de Gaulle, at €56. If you arrive by car, it has free private parking with valet service and electric chargers, with a maximum height of 1.80 m: book the space with the concierge.
- **Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris** (Spa hotel): The grand hotel of the Left Bank, now under the Mandarin Oriental name, on boulevard Raspail. For anyone who wants Saint-Germain, its cafés and the Luxembourg Garden ten minutes' walk away.
A 1910 hotel
It was founded in 1910 by the Boucicaut family, owners of Le Bon Marché, for the customers and suppliers of their department store, which is right opposite. It was designed by Léon Binet and Paul Belmondo, between Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Picasso, Matisse, Saint-Exupéry and Josephine Baker passed through, and James Joyce finished Ulysses here. The architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte restored it completely and it reopened in May 2018: he recovered the stained-glass of the central salon and the frescoes in the bar named after Josephine Baker.
Sleeping, eating and the spa
It has rooms, suites, connecting rooms for families and adapted rooms. For eating there is the Brasserie Lutetia, with classic French cooking, and Le Saint-Germain, open all day; for a drink, the Bar Josephine and the Bar Aristide, with music. The spa, created in the restoration, has treatments, a hairdresser and a fitness room.
Getting there
It is at 45 boulevard Raspail, 6th arrondissement, opposite Le Bon Marché. Sèvres-Babylone metro (lines 10 and 12) comes out in front of the door. According to the hotel, by taxi it takes about half an hour from Orly and an hour from Charles de Gaulle, and the concierge arranges transfers if you let them know. On foot you have the Luxembourg Garden, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Musée d'Orsay.
### Servicios
- **From Orly and Charles de Gaulle to the Centre**: Paris Région–Aéroports ticket · €14 · RER B to CDG, metro line 14 to Orly

## Car-free: Paris Is Done Without a Car
Don't bring a car: parking is expensive and the metro goes everywhere. You arrive by plane or TGV, stay near a direct line and walk between districts.
Presupuesto orientativo: 110–180 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Generator Paris** (Hostel, desde 24 € / bed): A big hostel next to Colonel Fabien metro (line 2), a 15–20 minute walk from the Gare du Nord. It has dormitories of 4 to 10 beds, some women-only, private rooms and family rooms for four, and a rooftop bar open from April to September.
The rooms
The shared dormitories have 4, 6, 8 and 10 beds, with prices that on its website start at about €24 a bed; there are women-only dormitories. The private rooms range from the deluxe double, from about €107, to the family room for four, from about €160, and some have views over Paris or their own terrace. Towels are an extra in some dormitories: check when booking. Prices change with the date.
Eating and hanging out
On the ground floor is the Café Fabien, with a dining room and a glazed gallery, open Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 2:00 and at weekends from 8:00. Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and from 8:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. On the ninth floor is the Khayma Rooftop, open from 18:00 to 22:00 from April to September. There is a 24-hour reception, free wifi, left-luggage, lockers, a laundry, lifts and bike hire.
Getting there
From Charles de Gaulle, the RER B to Gare du Nord takes about 30 minutes; from there it is a 15–20 minute walk, or line 2 from La Chapelle to Colonel Fabien. From Orly, line 14 and a change. The Canal Saint-Martin is a ten-minute walk and the Buttes-Chaumont park a little further.
- **MIJE Marais** (Hostel): The hostels of an association founded in 1958 by teachers, in three old houses in the Marais, between the Seine and place des Vosges. It is the best-located cheap bed in the centre for getting round everything on foot.
The three houses
Fourcy, at 6 rue de Fourcy, is the biggest: 204 beds in 59 rooms, ten of them adapted for reduced mobility, and a lift. Fauconnier, at 11 rue du Fauconnier, has 131 beds in 39 rooms. Maubuisson, at 12 rue des Barres, next to the church of Saint-Gervais, has 99 beds in 29 rooms and a lift. All three are five minutes' walk from one another.
Rooms and services
There are private single, double, triple and quad rooms, and shared rooms of up to ten beds, all with a bathroom. Continental breakfast is included and there is a self-service restaurant. Reception is open 24 hours, left-luggage is free and wifi is unlimited. Beds are handed over made up and towels are optional. They organise screenings, board games and concerts. Animals are not admitted, except guide dogs.
Getting there
Fourcy and Fauconnier are next to Saint-Paul (line 1) and Pont Marie (line 7) metro; Maubuisson, between Pont Marie and Hôtel de Ville. With line 1 you go direct to the Louvre or the Gare de Lyon. On foot you have the Île Saint-Louis, Notre-Dame and place des Vosges in under fifteen minutes.
- **Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc Le Marais** (Small hotel): A three-star hotel on rue de Jarente, a short, quiet street in the Marais, a few steps from place des Vosges. From here you can walk to Notre-Dame, the Hôtel de Ville and the Bastille.
The hotel and the rooms
It is next to place du Marché-Sainte-Catherine, a pedestrian square with terraces, in the south of the Marais. It has single, classic, standard, superior, comfort and family rooms, all with a kettle. There is one wheelchair-adapted room, on request and subject to availability. Reception is open 24 hours, wifi is free and you can leave your bags in left-luggage before check-in or after check-out. Staff speak Spanish, as well as French, English, German and Italian.
Breakfast and services
Continental breakfast is served in the hotel room from 7:15 to 10:45: croissants, bread, butter, jam, orange juice and hot drinks. In the afternoon the same room has hot drinks and there is an honesty bar open at any hour. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 11:30. Booking on its website gives rates with breakfast included.
Getting there and what's nearby
Saint-Paul metro (line 1) is two minutes away: the same line goes direct to the Louvre, Concorde and the Champs-Élysées. On foot you have place des Vosges, the church of Saint-Paul, rue des Rosiers, the Carnavalet Museum and the Picasso Museum. Notre-Dame and the Hôtel de Ville are about fifteen minutes' walk away.
- **Le Pavillon de la Reine** (Spa hotel): A luxury hotel inside place des Vosges, at number 28, with its own garden of fountains and trees, a spa and family suites. It is the place to sleep in silence in the heart of the Marais.
The house and the square
The hotel takes its name from Anne of Austria, who lived in the 17th century in the wing that separated the mansion from the square. Place des Vosges was inaugurated in 1612, on the occasion of her betrothal to Louis XIII, under the name place Royale; it is the oldest square in Paris and Victor Hugo and Colette lived on it. You enter from the square itself, under the arcades, and the building sits back in a garden, away from the street noise.
Rooms, spa and table
There are 56 rooms and suites decorated by Didier Benderli: classic, superior and deluxe for two people, junior suites for three, suites for four and family rooms for up to five, plus a separate cottage, Le Petit Pavillon, for four. There is one adapted room, on request. The spa has a hammam, jacuzzi, fitness room and treatments from the Codage brand. The restaurant is called Anne and there is a bar and brunch.
Getting there and parking
The metro is a step away: Saint-Paul (line 1), Chemin Vert (line 8) or Bastille (lines 1, 5 and 8), 400 m away. According to the hotel, by official taxi it is about 35 minutes from Orly, at a fixed fare of €45, and an hour from Charles de Gaulle, at €56. If you arrive by car, it has free private parking with valet service and electric chargers, with a maximum height of 1.80 m: book the space with the concierge.
### Servicios
- **Metro, Train and RER Ticket**: €2.55 a journey in 2026 · on your phone or on the Navigo Easy card
- **From Orly and Charles de Gaulle to the Centre**: Paris Région–Aéroports ticket · €14 · RER B to CDG, metro line 14 to Orly
- **Gare de Lyon**: Direct TGV inOui from Barcelona Sants · about 6 h 45 min · metro lines 1 and 14, RER A and D

## Luxury: Palaces, Gardens and Dinners by Reservation
Choose the district before the hotel: the Marais for strolling at night through quiet squares, Saint-Germain for cafés and bookshops.
Presupuesto orientativo: From €450 por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Le Pavillon de la Reine** (Spa hotel): A luxury hotel inside place des Vosges, at number 28, with its own garden of fountains and trees, a spa and family suites. It is the place to sleep in silence in the heart of the Marais.
The house and the square
The hotel takes its name from Anne of Austria, who lived in the 17th century in the wing that separated the mansion from the square. Place des Vosges was inaugurated in 1612, on the occasion of her betrothal to Louis XIII, under the name place Royale; it is the oldest square in Paris and Victor Hugo and Colette lived on it. You enter from the square itself, under the arcades, and the building sits back in a garden, away from the street noise.
Rooms, spa and table
There are 56 rooms and suites decorated by Didier Benderli: classic, superior and deluxe for two people, junior suites for three, suites for four and family rooms for up to five, plus a separate cottage, Le Petit Pavillon, for four. There is one adapted room, on request. The spa has a hammam, jacuzzi, fitness room and treatments from the Codage brand. The restaurant is called Anne and there is a bar and brunch.
Getting there and parking
The metro is a step away: Saint-Paul (line 1), Chemin Vert (line 8) or Bastille (lines 1, 5 and 8), 400 m away. According to the hotel, by official taxi it is about 35 minutes from Orly, at a fixed fare of €45, and an hour from Charles de Gaulle, at €56. If you arrive by car, it has free private parking with valet service and electric chargers, with a maximum height of 1.80 m: book the space with the concierge.
- **Mandarin Oriental Lutetia, Paris** (Spa hotel): The grand hotel of the Left Bank, now under the Mandarin Oriental name, on boulevard Raspail. For anyone who wants Saint-Germain, its cafés and the Luxembourg Garden ten minutes' walk away.
A 1910 hotel
It was founded in 1910 by the Boucicaut family, owners of Le Bon Marché, for the customers and suppliers of their department store, which is right opposite. It was designed by Léon Binet and Paul Belmondo, between Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Picasso, Matisse, Saint-Exupéry and Josephine Baker passed through, and James Joyce finished Ulysses here. The architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte restored it completely and it reopened in May 2018: he recovered the stained-glass of the central salon and the frescoes in the bar named after Josephine Baker.
Sleeping, eating and the spa
It has rooms, suites, connecting rooms for families and adapted rooms. For eating there is the Brasserie Lutetia, with classic French cooking, and Le Saint-Germain, open all day; for a drink, the Bar Josephine and the Bar Aristide, with music. The spa, created in the restoration, has treatments, a hairdresser and a fitness room.
Getting there
It is at 45 boulevard Raspail, 6th arrondissement, opposite Le Bon Marché. Sèvres-Babylone metro (lines 10 and 12) comes out in front of the door. According to the hotel, by taxi it takes about half an hour from Orly and an hour from Charles de Gaulle, and the concierge arranges transfers if you let them know. On foot you have the Luxembourg Garden, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Musée d'Orsay.
### Servicios
- **Metro, Train and RER Ticket**: €2.55 a journey in 2026 · on your phone or on the Navigo Easy card
- **From Orly and Charles de Gaulle to the Centre**: Paris Région–Aéroports ticket · €14 · RER B to CDG, metro line 14 to Orly
- **Gare de Lyon**: Direct TGV inOui from Barcelona Sants · about 6 h 45 min · metro lines 1 and 14, RER A and D

## Backpacking: Paris with a Backpack and Little Money
Accommodation is the expensive part; the rest can be cheap. Many museums are free for under-26s resident in the EU, the views from Montmartre cost nothing and the bouillons feed you for under €20.
Presupuesto orientativo: 30–60 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're backpacking
- **Generator Paris** (Hostel, desde 24 € / bed): A big hostel next to Colonel Fabien metro (line 2), a 15–20 minute walk from the Gare du Nord. It has dormitories of 4 to 10 beds, some women-only, private rooms and family rooms for four, and a rooftop bar open from April to September.
The rooms
The shared dormitories have 4, 6, 8 and 10 beds, with prices that on its website start at about €24 a bed; there are women-only dormitories. The private rooms range from the deluxe double, from about €107, to the family room for four, from about €160, and some have views over Paris or their own terrace. Towels are an extra in some dormitories: check when booking. Prices change with the date.
Eating and hanging out
On the ground floor is the Café Fabien, with a dining room and a glazed gallery, open Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 2:00 and at weekends from 8:00. Breakfast is served from 7:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and from 8:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. On the ninth floor is the Khayma Rooftop, open from 18:00 to 22:00 from April to September. There is a 24-hour reception, free wifi, left-luggage, lockers, a laundry, lifts and bike hire.
Getting there
From Charles de Gaulle, the RER B to Gare du Nord takes about 30 minutes; from there it is a 15–20 minute walk, or line 2 from La Chapelle to Colonel Fabien. From Orly, line 14 and a change. The Canal Saint-Martin is a ten-minute walk and the Buttes-Chaumont park a little further.
- **MIJE Marais** (Hostel): The hostels of an association founded in 1958 by teachers, in three old houses in the Marais, between the Seine and place des Vosges. It is the best-located cheap bed in the centre for getting round everything on foot.
The three houses
Fourcy, at 6 rue de Fourcy, is the biggest: 204 beds in 59 rooms, ten of them adapted for reduced mobility, and a lift. Fauconnier, at 11 rue du Fauconnier, has 131 beds in 39 rooms. Maubuisson, at 12 rue des Barres, next to the church of Saint-Gervais, has 99 beds in 29 rooms and a lift. All three are five minutes' walk from one another.
Rooms and services
There are private single, double, triple and quad rooms, and shared rooms of up to ten beds, all with a bathroom. Continental breakfast is included and there is a self-service restaurant. Reception is open 24 hours, left-luggage is free and wifi is unlimited. Beds are handed over made up and towels are optional. They organise screenings, board games and concerts. Animals are not admitted, except guide dogs.
Getting there
Fourcy and Fauconnier are next to Saint-Paul (line 1) and Pont Marie (line 7) metro; Maubuisson, between Pont Marie and Hôtel de Ville. With line 1 you go direct to the Louvre or the Gare de Lyon. On foot you have the Île Saint-Louis, Notre-Dame and place des Vosges in under fifteen minutes.
### Servicios
- **Metro, Train and RER Ticket**: €2.55 a journey in 2026 · on your phone or on the Navigo Easy card
- **From Orly and Charles de Gaulle to the Centre**: Paris Région–Aéroports ticket · €14 · RER B to CDG, metro line 14 to Orly
- **Gare de Lyon**: Direct TGV inOui from Barcelona Sants · about 6 h 45 min · metro lines 1 and 14, RER A and D

## As a family: Paris at a Child's Pace

With children, Paris works if you alternate: a museum in the morning, a park or the boat in the afternoon. Under-18s enter the Louvre and Orsay free, but none can last more than two hours inside.

### What works best
The Seine cruise: an hour sitting down watching the city

The Eiffel Tower by lift, with a timed ticket bought in advance

The Luxembourg Garden, with the pond and the play area

Montmartre by funicular, and walking down

### Where to sleep
Hôtel Jeanne d'Arc, on a quiet street in the Marais

Family rooms for four at Generator

### Eating
Bouillon Chartier and Bouillon Pigalle, fast and cheap

A picnic in place des Vosges

### Keep in mind
The metro has lots of stairs: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair

Book a time slot for everything that has one

Orsay is closed on Mondays and the Louvre on Tuesdays

### Qué hacer as a family
- The Eiffel Tower, All the Way to the Top by Lift
- Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica
- Le Marais and Place des Vosges on Foot
- Luxembourg Garden and Saint-Germain
- One-Hour Seine Cruise from the Pont Neuf
- Palace of Versailles and its gardens, by train from Paris
- Monet's Water Lilies at the Musée de l'Orangerie

## With teenagers: What Wins Over a Teenager

From 12 or 13 years old Paris hooks them if you give them something to choose: a specific painting to find in the Louvre, the top of the Eiffel Tower, some time on their own in Montmartre. Under-18s don't pay at the big national museums.

### What works best
The summit of the Eiffel Tower, at 276 m

The Louvre with a short list: the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Egyptian antiquities

Orsay and the Van Goghs on the top floor

Montmartre at sunset, from the steps

### Where to sleep
Generator Paris, with a rooftop terrace

### Eating
Galettes at Breizh Café

Bouillons, with €7 dishes

### Keep in mind
Let them plan a day: the metro is easy to understand

They like the night cruise more than the day one

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- The Louvre Museum with a Booked Time
- The Eiffel Tower, All the Way to the Top by Lift
- Musée d'Orsay and the Impressionists
- Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica
- One-Hour Seine Cruise from the Pont Neuf
- Palace of Versailles and its gardens, by train from Paris
- Arc de Triomphe Terrace, 284 Steps above the Champs-Élysées

## With friends: Paris with Friends: the Seine, Bouillons and Montmartre at Dusk

Paris with friends works out well if you fix a time to sleep and a time to eat. Places to sit as a group and spend little do exist: the bouillons, the Breton galettes, the Seine cruise. What is expensive is going up the towers, which are better spread over one afternoon than over the whole trip.

### What works best
Seine River Cruise: one hour from the Pont Neuf to the Eiffel Tower and back past Notre-Dame, €15 per adult online, by day and by night.

Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur: free basilica from 6:30 to 22:30, dome at €8 and a funicular with a metro ticket.

Eiffel Tower: stairs to the second floor for €14.80, lift for €23.50 and the summit for €36.70; open until 23:00.

Arc de Triomphe: viewing platform at 50 m for €16 from October to March, open until 22:30 or 23:00; no lift because of works.

Le Marais and Place des Vosges: two free, unstructured hours through 17th-century mansions and rue des Rosiers.

### Where to sleep
Generator Paris: big hostel in Colonel Fabien, near the Canal Saint-Martin, with beds from €24 and a rooftop in summer.

MIJE Marais: three non-profit hostels in old Marais houses, with breakfast included and beds in rooms of 2 to 10.

### Where to eat
Bouillon Chartier: dining hall from 1896 with dishes at €7, from 11:30 to midnight and no reservations.

Bouillon Pigalle: cheap bistro at the foot of Montmartre, with booking on the website.

Breizh Café Le Marais: galettes and cider from 9:00 to 23:00.

Du Pain et des Idées: bakery by the Canal Saint-Martin, closed at weekends.

### Keep in mind
Bouillon Chartier does not take reservations: as a group, arrive early or accept the wait. Pigalle does take bookings on its website.

The Arc de Triomphe has no lift because of works: it is 284 steps.

On Wednesdays the Arc costs €16 in summer too: it is worth checking the day.

### Qué hacer with friends
- The Eiffel Tower, All the Way to the Top by Lift
- Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica
- Le Marais and Place des Vosges on Foot
- One-Hour Seine Cruise from the Pont Neuf
- Arc de Triomphe Terrace, 284 Steps above the Champs-Élysées

## Consejos

### Book the Louvre for first thing
At 9:00 the big rooms can still be seen. On Wednesdays and Fridays it is open until 21:00 and in the evening there are fewer people.

### Group museums by neighbourhood
The Louvre and the Sainte-Chapelle are a stroll apart; Orsay and the Eiffel Tower are on the same bank.

### Eat at French hours
Restaurants serve from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 19:00. The bouillons have continuous service.

### Climb Montmartre at sunset
The steps of the Sacré-Cœur are the prettiest free viewpoint in the city.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Is Versailles worth it?
Yes, if you have four nights or more. You go in a day on the RER C; the palace is closed on Mondays and the Passeport costs from €25.

### How many days do I need in Paris?
Three nights for the essentials and five to see it without rushing and add Versailles.

### How much does it cost to enter the Louvre?
€22 for residents and citizens of the European Economic Area. Free for under-18s and for EEA residents aged 18 to 25.

### How do I get from the airport to the centre?
From Charles de Gaulle, on the RER B; from Orly, on metro line 14. In both cases, with the €14 airport ticket.

### Can I go by train from Spain?
Yes. There is a direct TGV from Barcelona Sants to the Gare de Lyon, about seven hours.

### What days are the museums closed?
The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays and Orsay on Mondays. The Sacré-Cœur is open every day from 6:30 to 22:30.

### Is it a good idea to go with children?
Yes, alternating museums and open air: the boat, the Eiffel Tower, the Luxembourg Gardens and Montmartre work at any age. The metro has lots of stairs, so a rucksack carrier is better than a pushchair.

### Is there anything free?
Notre-Dame, the Sacré-Cœur, the parks and the banks of the Seine. Orsay is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month and the Louvre on the first Friday from 18:00, except in July and August.