Paris

April–June and September–early October are ideal: mild weather (12–22°C), gardens in bloom, fewer crowds than July/August, longer daylight. May and September are the sweet spots. Avoid late July and August if possible — it's the hottest month, many local restaurants close for the owners' holiday, and tourist crowds peak. December is magical for Christmas markets and lights, but cold, grey, and hotel prices climb around Christmas week.

Four days is the first-timer minimum: one day for Louvre + Tuileries + Right Bank, one day for Eiffel + Orsay + Left Bank, one day for Notre-Dame + Sainte-Chapelle + Marais, one day for a Versailles trip. Six days lets you add Montmartre properly, Orangerie, Rodin, and Père-Lachaise without rushing. Seven-plus if you want Fontainebleau, Giverny, or Loire Valley day trips.

Violent crime against tourists is rare. The real risk is pickpocketing — active on Métro line 1, RER B to CDG airport, the Eiffel Tower ticket queues, the Louvre, and the Sacré-Cœur staircase. Keep phones in zipped front pockets, never in a back pocket. The "petition", "gold ring", and "friendship bracelet" scams cluster around Eiffel, Pont des Arts, and Montmartre — walk through without engaging. Central arrondissements (1st–8th) are safe at night; the 18th north of Barbès and parts of the 19th are best avoided after midnight.

For summit (top floor) tickets: yes, 60 days ahead at toureiffel.paris — sunset slots sell out within hours of release in peak season. For the 2nd floor, same-day slots are sometimes available, but expect a 1–2 hour queue. Never buy from third-party resellers at Trocadéro; they mark prices up 30–50%. The staircase tickets (2nd floor, 674 steps, €14.20) are usually walk-up and a good workaround if summit is sold out.

Yes, if you're visiting 4+ paid museums in 2–6 days. The 2-day pass is €70 (covers 50+ museums including Louvre €22, Orsay €16, Rodin €14, Arc de Triomphe €16, Sainte-Chapelle €13, Versailles Palace €21). Visit any three = break-even. The big advantage is skipping ticket queues, though you still need to book timed entry for the Louvre. Not worth it if you're museum-hopping less than that.

No — most restaurant, shop, hotel, and museum staff speak conversational English, especially in the central 1st–8th arrondissements. But ALWAYS open with "Bonjour" (or "Bonsoir" after 18:00) before switching to English. Skipping that greeting is the single biggest reason foreigners perceive Parisians as rude. A handful of phrases (bonjour, merci, s'il vous plaît, pardon, l'addition) go a very long way.

Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is the larger, farther (25 km NE), more international airport — hub for Air France, most long-haul, and Star Alliance. Reach central Paris via RER B €14 (35 min) or flat-rate taxi €56. Orly (ORY) is closer (14 km S), handles more domestic + European flights. Reach centre via Métro 14 + Orlyval €14 (35 min) or flat-rate taxi €44. If you can choose, Orly is faster to reach central Paris. Never use the old Beauvais airport if you can help it — it's 85 km out and takes 80 min on a coach.

Paris hotels are cheaper than London by ~15% and roughly on par with Rome and New York for mid-range. Food is substantially cheaper than London and New York (Parisian bistros serve 3-course lunches for €22; London mid-range lunch is £25+, NYC $30+) and competitive with Rome. Museums are more expensive than London (where most are free) but cheaper than NYC's MoMA ($30) or Met ($30). Overall: mid-range Paris costs €200–280/day; mid-range London £250–320; mid-range NYC $350–450.

Yes — Notre-Dame fully reopened to the public in December 2024 after the April 2019 fire. The restored nave, rose windows, and Cavaillé-Coll organ are back. Entry to the cathedral is free with timed booking (48 hours ahead at notredamedeparis.fr). The tower climb (387 steps, €16) is a separate ticket and books up weeks in advance. Expect some restoration work still visible on the spire exterior.

Absolutely — Paris is one of the world's great walking cities, and its museums, architecture, and neighbourhoods stand on their own. The food scene has expanded well beyond classic bistros: excellent Vietnamese in the 13th, Japanese in the 2nd, North African in the 10th, and a serious specialty-coffee wave across Marais and Canal Saint-Martin. That said — do try a neighbourhood boulangerie. Even people who "don't like bread" change their mind.

Le Marais (3rd/4th arrondissement) is the most-recommended first-timer base: central, walkable to Notre-Dame / Louvre / Pompidou, medieval character, excellent Sunday-open shopping and food. Budget: Latin Quarter (5th) is cheaper but close to everything. Romantic: Saint-Germain (6th) has café culture and literary history but is pricier. Avoid staying IN Montmartre (18th) — charming to visit, but far from everything and more pickpocket activity.

You cannot go up without a ticket, but the tower itself is free to stand under and photograph. Best free viewpoints: Trocadéro (across the Seine — classic framing, especially for the hourly 5-minute sparkle show after sunset), Champ de Mars (the lawn directly beneath), Pont de Bir-Hakeim (for cinematic side angle), Avenue de Camoëns (narrow street with Eiffel at the end — photographer favourite), and Rue de l'Université (the street view from up-close).

For Michelin-starred dinner (Arpège, Le Cinq, Guy Savoy): smart-casual minimum, blazers expected for men, dressy for women. Mid-range bistros: clean casual (no athleisure, no beach shorts). Cafés and brasseries: anything goes. For churches (Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur, Sainte-Chapelle): shoulders and knees covered is traditional but only loosely enforced for tourists — a lightweight scarf works. Summer: shorts are increasingly acceptable except at evening reservations.

Budget: €1,600–2,000 (hostel/budget hotel, mostly picnic + lunch formules, walking + métro, 4 paid museums). Mid-range: €3,500–4,500 (3-star hotel in Marais/Latin Quarter, two bistro meals a day, museum pass, one nice dinner, one day trip to Versailles). Luxury: €8,500–12,000+ (4-5 star hotel, fine dining, private tours). Flights extra — round-trip from US East Coast €500–900, from UK £60–200, from India INR 35,000–90,000.

Yes — Paris is surprisingly kid-friendly. Hits: Luxembourg Gardens (pond sailboats, puppet theatre, tennis, pony rides), the Natural History Museum in the Jardin des Plantes (Grande Galerie de l'Évolution is spectacular), Musée de la Magie (magic museum in the Marais), Disneyland Paris (RER A, 40 min), Cité des Enfants at La Villette (hands-on science for ages 2–12), boat rides on the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower climb. Most restaurants accept kids up to 20:00 but expect them to sit at the table.

Yes — Paris tap water is some of the safest in Europe, heavily filtered, and served free at any restaurant ("une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît"). The city also has 1,200+ free drinking fountains (the green Wallace Fountains are historic and Instagram-famous) and even sparkling-water public fountains in a few parks. Bottled water at restaurants is €4–6 a bottle for exactly the same thing.

Paris if you want world-class art (Louvre, Orsay, Rodin), classic European architecture, romance, and slow meals. London if you want free museums (British Museum, Tate, National Gallery all free), live theatre, English-language ease, and one of the world's best dining scenes. If you have a week, do both: Eurostar London-Paris takes 2h 15m, €80–200 one-way. 3 days in each is tight but doable.

Avoid: restaurants with laminated multi-language menus and touts outside (they're tourist traps, everywhere in 4-5€ "boîtes à touristes"); unofficial taxis inside the airport terminals; buying Eiffel Tower tickets from resellers at Trocadéro (30-50% markup); street "petition" signers and "found gold ring" performers; the RER B to CDG at rush hour with big luggage (hard to defend valuables); standing in the Louvre's Pyramid queue (use the Rivoli entrance instead); dinner cruises (overpriced and food is hotel-banquet quality).

No — service is included by law (service compris, 15%) and already built into the menu prices. Leaving nothing is completely normal. If you loved the meal, €1–2 at a café or 5% at a nice dinner is generous. Never tip at counter service (boulangeries, bouillons, takeaway). Taxi drivers: round up to the next euro. Hotel housekeeping: €1–2/day is appreciated but not expected.