Who does not fancy a walk on the Seine, a tasty croissant and just relaxing at any of the cosy restaurants in the French capital? It is a dream destination for many.
Paris is among the most visited European cities with millions of visitors every year. France broke tourism records in 2025 with more than 102 million international visitors, becoming one of the world’s most visited countries.
Many expats currently living in the Benelux region (like me) or other neighbouring countries choose Paris for long weekends — whether during bank holidays or simply for a short getaway from the routine — which is understandable. Flixbus and Eurostar often offer affordable travel options with reasonable travel times.
For example, the Eurostar train from Brussels takes one hour and 40 minutes to Paris. From Amsterdam and Cologne, it is 3.5 hours. By Flixbus its a different story. While it is relatively less expensive, the travel times can be twice or three times longer. From Brussels to Paris by bus is about 4 hours, while from Amsterdam and Cologne it is approximately 6-6.5 hours. Depending on your budget and available time, everyone can choose the option that best suits their wallet and agenda.
Once in Paris, you often have to pick and choose what to do. The city is full of amazing landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Palace of Versailles, Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre and the Panthéon, among others.
However, if you are there for just a few days, this is my advice:
Mix your landmarks
If you want to experience as much from the city as possible, opt to visit one big museum such as the Louvre or Versailles. Each takes a full day and if you are keen on visiting both, then there is a high chance you might miss out on other, more relaxed activities such as relaxing in a park or just strolling around the Seine.
Obviously, both museums are remarkably beautiful with an incredible range of paintings, sculptures and artifacts, and rushing is just not worth it. You will not only get super tired from hurrying from one location to the other but will also likely not see the whole exhibition.
If you are visiting for a long weekend of four days, I would suggest picking one big museum. This allows you to leave time for visiting other locations such as the Luxembourg Gardens and the Panthéon, local cafes, spend time just relaxing in the Champ de Mars and going to other notable sites such as the Arc de Triomphe.
Why mix and match
One of the reasons why I think it is good to combine the different activities is the size of Paris. For instance, reaching Versailles takes between 30 minutes and one hour, depending on where your hotel or Airbnb is located. It makes sense to visit nearby attractions to avoid wasting time on public transport. Take the Louvre, the Pantheon and Notre Dame as an example. It’s convenient to stay in those area of central Paris if you plan to visit them. On the other hand, if you are keen on seeing the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and strolling along Avenue des Champs-Élysées, then, as mentioned above, it is especially useful to stay in the 7th arrondissement. (If you can afford it.)
Travel cost in Paris
I would suggest deciding on landmarks before you book accommodation. It would play a key role not only with regard to travel times but also in choosing restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Of course, you don’t want to travel 40 minutes just to grab dinner in a nice place, so finding a hotel or an Airbnb that is close to both the top landmarks and too-good-to-miss cafés and restaurants is also important.
If you end up staying in an area that is not very close to the sites you’re interested visiting, you have to take into account travel costs in the city. While walking is nice, healthy and free, reaching certain places can take a while.
On the other hand, a one-way public transport ticket costs 2.55 euros. If you intend to use the metro or another means of transportation more than once, maybe it would be wise to calculate whether a day pass, which only costs 12.30 euros.
Below you’ll find three example itineraries similar to what I did during the times I have visited Paris:
Example itineraries
Version No. 1
Day 1 – Versailles
Day 2 – Visit of Arc de Triomphe + stroll along Champs-Élysées + 1 hour cruise on the Seine
Day 3 – Visit the Eiffel Tower + visit Champ de Mars Park + Trocadero + Moulin Rouge show
Day 4 – See the Eiffel Tower at night + walk around the Seine
Version No. 2
Day 1 – Louvre
Day 2 – Notre Dame + Shakespeare and Company (if you like books) + Kozy for brunch + walk on the Seine
Day 3 – Pantheon + Luxembourg gardens
Day 4 (Visit the Eiffel Tower + cruise on the Seine)
Version No. 3
Day 1 (Montmartre + visit of Sacré-Cœur)
ii. Day 2 (Versailles, Louvre, Musee d’Orsay)
iii. Day 3 (Walk along the Seine + Petit Palais)
Practical tips
• Book tickets in advance to avoid queues.
• Notre Dame is free to visit. Make sure you go early in the morning to avoid long, long entry lines.
• April and May are good times to visit, especially because Paris is extremely beautiful during spring.
• If you want to book Eurostar tickets, make sure to book several months in advance to land a good price.
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Read more about Paris here in Dispatches’ archives.
Polya Pencheva
Polya Plamenova Pencheva is a young Bulgarian journalist based in Brussels, Belgium. Polya holds a Master's degree in journalism from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and loves writing and telling the untold stories of interesting people. You can find her dining at cute café, shopping at markets, scouting second-hand shops or just chillin' at home with something great to read.
