Paris tourist information

A few facts settled before arrival make the first days in Paris run more smoothly.

• Best time to visit: April to June and September to October combine mild weather with manageable queues at the big sights, while July and August bring the hottest days and the longest lines. Winter stays quiet outside the holidays: Météo-France's 1991 to 2020 normals put the average December high at 8°C, with rain on about 11 days of the month.
• Days needed: Three full days cover the main sights at a steady pace, and a fourth makes room for Versailles. The Paris Museum Pass covers more than 50 museums and monuments for 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days, counted by the hour from the first visit. Top tourist attractions in Paris
• Money and tipping: France uses the euro, and Paris taxis must take a bank card whatever the fare. Restaurant and café prices must include service, shown on the menu as service compris, so a tip is the diner's choice rather than an obligation.
• Tourist tax: Hotels and rentals add the taxe de séjour per adult per night during the stay. The rate depends on the type of accommodation and includes a regional surcharge that funds public transport; guests under 18 pay nothing, and the city has kept the same rates for 2027. How the Paris tourist tax works
• Getting around: Since 1 January 2025 one Metro-Train-RER ticket covers a trip on any metro, RER or train line in the region, whatever the distance, except to the airports, and a separate Bus-Tram ticket covers buses and trams. Paper tickets are no longer sold, so tickets go on a Navigo Easy card or a phone.
• Sundays and public holidays: Museums, monuments, cafés and the shops in tourist zones such as the Marais and the Champs-Élysées open on Sundays, while many neighbourhood shops close in the afternoon. There is no single closing day for museums: the Louvre shuts on Tuesdays, the Musée d'Orsay and Versailles on Mondays. France has 11 public holidays, and the Paris tourist office guide lists them with the closures they bring.
• Car-free Sundays: Under Paris Respire, the Champs-Élysées closes to motor traffic on the first Sunday of the month, with occasional exceptions, and streets in Montmartre, the Marais and along Canal Saint-Martin go car-free every Sunday, which moves taxi drop-offs away from some sights. Car-free zones and times in Paris
• Safety: Thieves and pickpockets work on the metro, the RER and at the main railway stations, sometimes in pairs where one distracts and the other opens the bag, so valuables are best split up and bags worn across the body. Strikes and demonstrations can start at short notice, and the police can ask visitors to prove their identity, so a passport should be at hand.
• Language: French is the language of the Republic under the Constitution and the everyday language of Paris. A few words such as "bonjour" (hello), "merci" (thank you) and "s'il vous plaît" (please) cover most first exchanges.
• Entry rules: France is in the Schengen area, so visitors from countries such as the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia can stay without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The EU Entry/Exit System is being rolled out at Schengen borders and can register fingerprints and a photo, which adds time at passport control.
• Emergency numbers: 112 works free from any phone. In France, 15 calls the medical emergency service (SAMU), 17 the police and 18 the fire brigade, and 114 takes emergency calls by SMS or app from people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Plugs and voltage: France uses type E sockets, with a round earth pin, on a 50 Hz supply, so devices from outside continental Europe need a plug adapter, and a transformer if they are not dual-voltage.
• Tap water: Paris tap water is safe to drink: Eau de Paris analyses more than 300,000 parameters a year from source to tap and supplies more than 1,200 public fountains and drinking-water points for refilling a bottle. Where to find drinking water in Paris
• Free map: The free Paris tourist map numbers the 12 top sights, marks 36 hidden gems and draws a 7.2 km walking route from the Louvre to Canal Saint-Martin, and it prints as a PDF.