How Much Does it Cost to Visit Paris?

I will break it down into different categories so that you have an idea of what to spend on each while in Paris.

Cost of Popular Attractions in Paris

You can enjoy Paris without paying to enter any single attraction. But if you choose to pay, they’re quite fairly priced.

For example, the Louvre Museum which is the largest and most visited art museum in the world costs just €22, and the Orsay Museum where you’ll see impressionist paintings by some of the most famous French artists is just €16.

Climbing the Arc de Triomphe costs just €16, and you can see the most famous Paris attraction, the Eiffel Tower for free if you choose not to climb it, although climbing it costs a bit of money.

It’s anywhere from €11 to €30 depending on whether you take the elevator or the steps or if you want to reach the top floor or stop at the second floor. But it’s still very affordable.

Visiting the most famous palace near Paris, the Palace of Versailles is just €21, and if you want to cruise the Seine, it costs less than €20 for this simple 1-hour cruise but it can go up to €120 if you opt for this dinner cruise.

Other places most tourists visit include the Paris Opera at €15, the Paris Pantheon for €13, and the Catacombs for €29.

Arc de Triomphe in Paris — *Arc de Triomphe*

Of course, this might increase slightly if you add an audio guide for some places but even with that, audio guides never go beyond €5.

So basically if you visit all these paid attractions, you can expect a total of approximately €150.

But if you’re an EU resident under 26 years, you can visit all these places for free.

Of course, if you go for guided tours and other cool experiences, that’s a different story! Most guided tours start anywhere from €60 to €120 for a group tour or up to €200 for a private tour.

If you plan to visit all these places, you can opt for a Paris museum pass. It covers most of the attractions I’ve talked about and more, and it costs € 79 for 2 days, € 94 for 4 days and €107 for 6 days.

I think it’s worth it but you’ll have to do the math for your specific itinerary and see if it is better to buy individual tickets or the pass.

Cost of Eating in Paris

Quiche Lorraine is one of the popular food in France.

The cost of dining in Paris varies widely, but one thing I love about this city is that you can still get good food for cheap, although prices will vary a lot depending on the location of the restaurant.

For example, if you eat at restaurants near popular landmarks, you’re likely to pay almost double the price you’d pay at a restaurant just 10 minutes away, yet the food quality may be the same or even better at the latter.

The same goes for social media famous restaurants! Some of them are just hyped for their aesthetics, but the food may be lacking.

Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

A typical French breakfast at a restaurant will be about €10, but you can even get it for cheaper if you just buy a Croissant, Pain au chocolate, or any other pastry in a bakery which is usually less than € 3, and a cup of coffee or tea for less than € 4.

Some places even have a breakfast formula for like € 8 which comes with a hot drink, a pastry, and a soft drink.

When it comes to lunch, you can plan to spend anywhere from €7 to € 60. If you want to eat for cheap, you can go to a Sandwicherie or Boulangerie and grab a Jambon-beurre or Croque-monsieur for about €6.

Several cafes and bistros also offer a lunch formula either with a starter and main meal or a main meal with dessert at €15. But for something a bit more upscale, you can plan for about €50.

Dinner is usually the most expensive in Paris with a meal at a nice restaurant starting at about €40 and can go up to €150 if you go to a fancier restaurant.

However, you can get dinner for like €20 in places like Chatelet or Bastille.

So I would say a full day of eating in Paris would cost you anywhere between €50 to € 150 depending on where and what you eat.

You should also remember that tipping is not obligatory in Paris! If you enjoyed your meal and the service was great, you can leave a tip and that should be any amount you want, not a percentage of your meal because, in France, service is already included in the overall price.

But if you don’t feel like tipping or if the service wasn’t good, it’s totally okay not to tip!

Cost of Transportation in Paris

Transportation in Paris is super cheap and well connected so you’ll not spend a lot of money on it.

A single journey ticket for the metro costs just €2.10 and it’s even cheaper when you buy a Navigo Easy Pass and load a carnet of 10 tickets.

A one-day pass starts from €8.65 and a weekly Pass costs €30.75 for all zones. I have an article on my blog explaining all the different transport zones in Paris so you can check it out afterward.

Actually, even getting from the airport to Paris is not that expensive. The train from CDG airport costs €11. 8 while the bus costs €16.60.

If you prefer a taxi, it costs 56€ to go to the right bank of the Seine (that is the north of Paris) and 65€ for the left bank (the south of Paris). These prices are prefixed so don’t let your driver try to tell you otherwise.

If you’re coming from Orly Airport, it’s also affordable. The train costs 14,50€ while the bus is just 11.20€.

Also, the taxi prices are pre-fixed at 44€ to go to the right bank of the Seine and 36€ for the left bank.

Alternatively, you can opt for this private airport pickup which usually costs up to 90€. You also have an option of calling an Uber or Bolt.

Cost of Accommodation in Paris

In my opinion, this is where you’ll probably spend most of your money! But like everything we’ve looked at, prices vary a lot depending on the neighborhood or type of accommodation you choose.

Hotels near the Eiffel Tower and those with a view of it are going to be much more expensive than those in say a small street in the Montmartre.

Similarly, you’re likely to pay more if you stay in the central arrondissements from the 1st- to the 9th — that includes areas around the Louvre, the Champs-Élysées, and the Eiffel Tower, compared to staying say in the 17th, 19th, or even 20th arrondissements.

As for the prices, budget hotels in Paris will be anywhere between 100 € – 150 €, though these are quite few so you’ll need to book way in advance if you want one.

Midrange go up to 350 €, and luxurious ones go as high as a thousand euros. Depending on the amenities you want to have in your room, you’ll have to pay a bit less or more.

Basically, you’ll have to decide on the best budget for you, but a nightly budget of 250€ will give you a number of good hotels to choose from.

And of course, if you book in advance, you’re likely to get a good rate than a last-minute booking, because then you’ll have just a handful of options.

I have lots of accommodation articles on my blog so if you need to decide on a particular hotel, you can check them out.

So How Much Should You Plan for In A Day

To summarize everything, if you’re on a budget, plan to spend anywhere between € 150 to € 200 a day, and € 200-400 for a mid-range traveler. And of course, a luxurious stay can be anywhere from €600.

Please remember, that these are just estimates and may vary from person to person depending on what you choose to spend money on, but this should give you a rough idea!

Final Thoughts on How Much It Costs to Visit Paris

And there you have it! I hope this article gave you an idea of how much Paris costs so now you can start planning your trip with confidence.

But of course, how much you’ll spend in reality will depend on a lot of factors like your travel style.

You could be on a budget but want to splurge on a cool experience here and there, but ultimately, this should give an idea of what to expect.

Let me know in the comments below if you thought Paris was more expensive or affordable than this.

Check out these posts to help you plan your trip to Paris

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