Paris adheres to Central European Time (CET), meaning it’s one hour ahead of GMT.

While it is a beautiful city to visit, there’s no getting around the fact that it’s expensive. The main costs to factor in are accommodation, entry fees to big attractions and dining out. That said, there’s plenty to do in the city if you’re on a budget – there are lots more street food vendors and pop-up exhibitions to take advantage of these days, and it’s the ideal place to get around on foot.

Some of the city’s major attractions include:

• Eiffel Tower
• Arc de Triomphe
• Notre-Dame cathedral
• Panthéon
• Sacré-Coeur
• River Seine
• Disneyland Paris

It also has some of the best museums and galleries in the world, including:

• Louvre Museum
• Musée d’Orsay
• Petit Palais
• Grand Palais
• Musée de l’Orangerie

If it’s your first time visiting Paris, we’d recommend a minimum of two nights to help you pack everything in. As the city is broken up into districts, it’s relatively easy to plan each day around the different landmarks and neighbourhoods.

While you can get tickets at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower on the day, there are usually big queues, so it makes sense to buy them in advance. Staff will direct you to the right queue on arrival. You can find opening hours and ticket prices here.

Arrondissements are the city’s administrative districts, of which there are 20. The clockwork spiral structure was first established in 1795.

Taxi

Visitors can easily hail a cab on the street, and there are taxi ranks outside major train stations and the airport. Apps such as Uber and Bolt both operate in the city as well.

Bike

There are a number of bike rental services within Paris, including Vélib’ Métropole and Véligo, which allow you to rent bicycles (including electric and cargo bikes) to get around on. Although there are dedicated bike lanes across the city, Paris be very trafficky so cyclists both inexperienced and seasoned should take care.

Metro & Trains

The network of underground trains in Paris may seem daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s just like any other metro. Most major stations have maps available for tourists. Adults can purchase one, two, three and five-day Visite travel passes for zones 1-3 from €13.95, with kids’ (aged 4-11) passes starting at €6.95. Or you can buy Metro tickets from machines or ticket counters as you go.

Places such as Versailles and some of the outermost neighbourhoods of Paris are reachable by train. It’s important to check if your Metro ticket is valid before you set off. You cannot use a standard Metro ticket to get to Versailles.

Foot

Arguably the best way to get around Paris is by foot. There are many pedestrian-only streets and alleyways to explore, and, no matter the weather, walking along the Seine is one of the best experiences in Paris.

Ferry

From landmark boat tours to romantic sunset river cruises, there are many options for those wanting to travel up the Seine and view the iconic banks from the water. It’s advisable to book in advance.