Paris
When someone asks us what to do in Paris, this page is the answer we send: getting in from the airport, when to go, the big sights without the lines, and the places we like. No ads, updated as things change.
Getting into the city from CDG
When you land at Charles de Gaulle, you have three ways into the city: a taxi, an Uber, or the train.
Taxi
The easiest option. Walk out and find the official taxi stand. Never take a taxi or a car from anyone who approaches you inside the airport. Rides to the city are a flat rate; you can check the official rates before you land.
You do not need cash. Drivers are required to have a working card machine, so tell them up front you are paying by card and you will avoid any issues at the end.
One more taxi note, for later in your trip: the first car at a hotel taxi line will sometimes add a booking fee, so I just walk down the line and ask each driver the price instead of paying extra.
Uber
Uber works from the airport too, but check the price against the taxi's flat rate before you book, because the taxi is sometimes cheaper.
The train
The train is 14 euro per person as of August 2026. Once you are three or four people, a taxi or Uber costs about the same and takes you door to door. With the train, expect stairs with your luggage.
One tip makes the ride much better: take the train whose destination reads Massy-Palaiseau. From the airport, that is the express. It makes 3 stops instead of 11, and the people on it are mostly coming from the airport. The regular train can be packed with commuters headed into the city for work. I will always wait an extra 10 minutes for the express.
Pickpockets
Yes, they are here. I was once on a crowded train to the airport when a lady with a stroller pushed on just before the doors closed, packing everyone tight. I could feel hands trying to reach the wallet and phone in my front pockets. I got off at the next stop. Do not expect train staff to deal with it. I was told I should just be more careful, as if it were my fault.
That was one time, but it reminded me to stay aware. Keep your things zipped away and lock your bags. I travel with a simple TSA lock on a standard code and run it through the two zippers of my backpack. And if you would rather skip crowded trains entirely, a taxi or an Uber is the way to go.
When to visit
Avoid Paris in the summer, June through August. It will be the most crowded and the hottest. Spring and fall are the best times to visit.
If summer is your only option, go in the first two weeks of June or the last two weeks of August, when the weather is cooler. Late August is also pretty quiet: the French take their vacations in August, and most Americans have already finished theirs because school is starting for their kids.
The big sights
Three things before the details: download the Rick Steves Audio Europe app, book every big sight ahead (the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe all sell timed tickets), and know that certain places have better times of day to go.
Louvre: see the Mona Lisa without the line
My goal at the Louvre is to be one of the first, if not the first, to see the Mona Lisa, because it is the most popular attraction in the museum. If you go too late, you could wait up to an hour to get to the front, if you get there at all.
Buy your tickets online at louvre.fr. Entry is timed, so take the first slot, which is 9am. Last time we had 9:30 tickets, showed up at 9, and they let us in, but it is better to just get the 9am.
The other way to avoid most of the crowds: check which days the Louvre has late openings. In the summer, some nights it closes at 9pm. Arrive around 6pm and you still have three hours to see most of the highlights, with fewer people.
Once inside, start the Rick Steves audio tour of the Louvre and bring headphones. It runs about an hour and hits the highlights of the museum.
Eiffel Tower: sunrise photos and tickets to the top
If you want pictures of the Eiffel Tower with no one in them, go at sunrise to Trocadero Square; otherwise, expect lots of people around. The square is big enough that if you stand at the wall, you will not have anyone behind you; sunrise is for people who want the whole square to themselves.
On your right-hand side, inside the Musée de l'Homme, there is a cafe, Cafe Lucy x Mozza & Co. It has good views of the Eiffel Tower, and if it is rainy or cold it is a nice place to hang out. Go to the museum's front entrance and say you want the cafe. They will give you a free pass in; otherwise you would pay to enter the museum. Of course, once you are in, you can look around.
Get tickets to the top of the tower, which has the best views. To enter, I go in on the left-hand side coming from Trocadero Square.
Arc de Triomphe: skip the standby line
When you arrive you will see a long queue, but that is the standby line. With a timed ticket, ask for the timed entrance queue. When we were there, standby was about 30 minutes for security and the timed queue had three people in front of us.
A free view of Paris
For a view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower at zero cost, go to Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and head up to the roof of the mall.
Free walking tours
I am a fan of the Rick Steves walking tours, which are in the same app. Do them.
Eat and drink
Le Petit Vendôme
Our favorite sandwich shop in Paris, a small deli near Place Vendôme where the lunch line moves fast. Get the jambon-beurre, which is ham and butter on a crisp baguette. It is at 8 Rue des Capucines in the 2nd; open it in Google Maps or Apple Maps.
Le Relais de Venise - L'Entrecôte
A popular spot for steak and fries, walking distance from our two regular hotels. There is no menu to study: a green salad with walnuts to start, then steak-frites in their green sauce. The dates on our photos give us away; we keep coming back. It is at 271 Boulevard Pereire in the 17th; open it in Google Maps or Apple Maps.
Where to stay
Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile
The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile is a high-rise, so the upper rooms look out over the whole city. The photo is the view from our room, and on a clear day you can pick out Sacré-Cœur on its hill. One of our two regulars; more in where we stay in Paris. It is at 3 Place du Général Kœnig in the 17th; open it in Google Maps or Apple Maps.
Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe
The other of our two regulars, part of the Marriott family and in the same area, right on line 1 of the Metro. Titanium status gets free breakfast for two. More in where we stay in Paris, or open it in Google Maps or Apple Maps.
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme
We stayed here on points for four nights in January 2026, with a Suite Night Upgrade, and the hotel bumped us up again on arrival. It is on Rue de la Paix, a short walk from Place Vendôme and around the corner from Le Petit Vendôme. Read the full Park Hyatt review with more photos. It is at 5 Rue de la Paix in the 2nd; open it in Google Maps or Apple Maps.