Paris - A Lovely place with lovely moments

✈ FRANCE · A LONG WEEKEND
Paris

Three days from London, built around the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, and enough of the Eiffel Tower to get the photo without paying to go up it.

Cost
€494 for two, from London
Stay
Hotel Ibis Styles Paris Mairie de Montreuil — 2 nights, complimentary breakfast
Getting there
Eurostar — watch for deals before booking

Day 1

Walk the city with no fixed tour. If budget matters, skip the paid trip up the Eiffel Tower — there are cheaper viewpoints that still put the tower in frame. Gare du Nord station is worth a look in its own right. Spend the rest of the day at the Louvre for the Mona Lisa — it's the world's largest museum, so budget half a day, and book online to skip the queue.

Day 2

Sainte-Chapelle (there's an entry charge, worth it for the stained-glass upper floor), then Trocadéro for the classic Eiffel Tower photo. Also on the day: Musée d'Orsay, Conciergerie, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Arc de Triomphe rooftop view. Eat crêpes and baguettes; walk Champs-Élysées for a Ladurée macaron and the shops near the Arc.
Souvenirs worth grabbing: a magnet and a French cap.
Paris

Day 3

Metro to Lamarck, then walk to Sacré-Cœur basilica. With a spare day, add Château de Versailles — it's further out than everything else on this list.
Paris

Good to know

  • Museums close Mondays and Tuesdays
  • Buy a 10-ticket metro pack rather than singles
  • Learn a few French phrases before you go — starter line: "Profitez de votre voyage."