Plan a group trip to Paris
Everything below is the planning detail rather than the sightseeing. Currency, climate, what to pack for it, and a day structure that works, so you can put your dates in and fill the days.
Weather and what it means for planning
Mild and changeable. Summers are warm at around 25°C, winters are cold and damp rather than freezing. Rain is possible in any month.
On your Holiday Board, each day shows a forecast once a reliable one exists, which is roughly two weeks ahead. Further out than that we show nothing rather than guessing, because a made-up forecast is worse than none when you are deciding what to pack.
What to pack for Paris
- Genuinely comfortable walking shoes. A normal Paris day is well over 15,000 steps
- A compact umbrella or light waterproof, in every season
- Something smarter for one evening, because some restaurants expect it
- Layers rather than one heavy coat, since indoor and outdoor temperatures differ sharply
- A day bag that closes properly, for busy metro carriages
Add these to your plans as bring items while you are setting up the trip and they turn up on everyone’s packing list automatically, with duplicates merged.
An example Paris day structure
A workable shape for a 3 to 5 days trip. Copy whichever of these fit onto your own days and ignore the rest.
Day 1Arrival day
Drop bags, walk the neighbourhood, eat locally. Do not book a museum for the day you travel.
Day 2Museum day
One large museum is a whole morning. Book a timed entry and set the leave time from your accommodation.
Day 3Neighbourhood day
Pick one area and stay in it. Le Marais, Montmartre or Saint-Germain each fill a day.
Day 4Landmark day
Tower, river, gardens. Timed tickets, so the leave time is the thing that matters.
Day 5Day trip
Versailles or Giverny takes a full day including travel. Give it its own day.
Practical things worth knowing
- Euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including for very small amounts
- Buy a carnet or use contactless on the metro. It is faster than any taxi at peak times
- Most museums close one day a week and it is not the same day for each, so check before planning
- Restaurants serve dinner later than in the UK. An 8pm booking is normal
Getting around
The metro is dense and quick, and most journeys are under 30 minutes door to door. Walking between neighbouring districts is often pleasanter than changing lines twice.
This is the reason leave time exists as its own field on every plan. The start time is when the thing happens. The leave time is when you actually need to be out of the door, and in Paris the gap between those two is bigger than people expect.
Money on a Paris trip
Paris uses the Euro. If your group counts in pounds, set EUR as the local currency and GBP as the home currency when you create the holiday. Every expense then shows both, and the rate is saved with the expense so past spending never shifts when rates move.
At the end, the expense splitter nets everything off into the fewest possible payments.
Paris planning questions
- What currency is used in Paris?
- The Euro (EUR). Euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including for very small amounts
- How long should I go to Paris for?
- 3 to 5 days suits most groups. That gives you enough days to include a full day trip without every day being booked.
- When is the best time to visit Paris?
- April to June and September to October. Mild and changeable. Summers are warm at around 25°C, winters are cold and damp rather than freezing. Rain is possible in any month.
- How do I get around in Paris?
- The metro is dense and quick, and most journeys are under 30 minutes door to door. Walking between neighbouring districts is often pleasanter than changing lines twice.
Next
Start your Paris board
Put your dates in and every day of the trip appears, ready for the structure above.
Create your Holiday BoardFree to start. No card needed. £6.99 per holiday if you want the lot.