Travel Planning Tips: How Many Days Do You Need in Paris?

“Romantic, sophisticated and home to some of the world’s most iconic monuments, Paris is a city everyone should experience at least once. A global hub for art, fashion and food, the French capital has plenty to explore – but how many days do you need in Paris? Whether you’re coming for a quick city break or a week, here’s our guide to getting the most from your visit.

Paris In Two Days
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### Day One

Kick off your break with a visit to the city’s signature landmark, the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1889, as a key feature of the Exposition Universelle, the 1,063-foot wrought-iron structure offers sweeping views across the city from its summit. The wait for elevators can be up to two hours, so arrive early – it opens at 9am – or buy your ticket in advance online.

Cross the Champs de Mars gardens, then turn left along elegant Rue de Grenelle for a taste of bourgeoise Paris. Continue walking to the Luxembourg Gardens, 25 hectares of French and English gardens between Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter. When you’ve worked up an appetite, this neighbourhood has renowned eateries including Le Procope, the oldest café in Paris.

Head towards the Seine until you reach the island of Île de la Cité. One of the oldest and prettiest neighbourhoods in Paris, it’s home to the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Spend your evening in Montmartre. The highest point in Paris, it’s a great spot to watch the sunset and the Eiffel Tower light show. The Sacré Coeur Basilica is open daily until 10.30pm, while you can climb the 300 steps to the top of the Dome until 5pm – or 8pm from May to September.

Nearby, the always-buzzing Moulin Rouge is the place to catch a spectacular late-night cabaret.

### Day Two

Spend your morning exploring 35,000 works of art and 380,000 museum pieces at the Musée du Louvre. If you’re there to see the museum’s most famous pieces, the Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo, check their location online and prepare for crowds.

Outside the Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries park leads to the grand Place de la Concorde square. This is the start of the Champs-Elysées, a mile-long shopping avenue lined with luxury flagship boutiques protected by security guards and velvet ropes.

The Arc de Triomphe is at the far western end of the Champs-Elysées. Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, it is the biggest arch in the world. Climb to the top for panoramic views of the city.

In the evening, walk along the river bank, crisscrossing bridges including Pont Neuf, Paris’s oldest. If your feet need a break, you’ll do well with a river cruise..

Paris In Three Days
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Remarkably small, but pleasantly so, Paris is a very walkable city. In fact, one of the best ways of experiencing it is by foot – and an extra day in in the French capital lets you do just (and in an unhurried way).

Take your time strolling its many streets and immerse yourself in its culture, which so charms travellers from all over the world.

Alternatively, why not choose another of the city’s 130 museums and art galleries to potter about in? Fans of early modern and impressionist art should visit the Musée d’Orsay, which displays works depicting Paris from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The museum’s prize pieces include Manet’s Olympia and a haunting self-portrait of Van Gogh. For a change of pace – and taste – head to the Centre Pompidou. Inside you’ll find modern art by Kandinsky, Rothko, Pollock and Dalí.

Paris In A Week
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With a week in Paris, day trips are a must. So visit surrounding attractions and discover the French countryside.

About 45 minutes from Paris by train, Château de Versailles is a lavish display of wealth and power with rooms decorated with gold leaf, chandeliers and marble. Visit the palace’s 700 rooms, including the popular Hall of Mirrors, then walk through the extensive manicured gardens, with fountains, sculptures and a Grand Canal.

Giverny, a village 45 miles north-west of Paris, is where you’ll find Monet’s gardens. Trickier to reach than Versailles, you need to catch a train then a bus, or join an organised tour. See the house where the celebrated painter lived until his death in 1926, and the water lily pond and Japanese bridge which inspired around 250 oil paintings.

If travelling with children, Mickey Mouse may be more inspiring than Monet. Just 25 miles east of Paris, Disneyland Paris is a resort for the young and young at heart. Direct trains from Paris Gare de Lyon take about 45 minutes.

There are two separate parks. Disneyland Park has five fantasy ‘lands’ built around Sleeping Beauty’s castle, while Walt Disney Studios Park is based on iconic Disney films and television scenes. Depending how much Disney you can handle, you can buy a single or multi-day pass for one or both parks.

However long your visit, find somewhere to stay by checking out our hotels in Paris.”