Photo: Getfunky Paris · CC BY 2.04 Days in Paris: A Romantic Itinerary
Four romantic days in Paris at a relaxed pace: a golden-hour Seine cruise, champagne views of the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre evenings of painters and chanson, intimate bistros in the Marais and Left Bank, and chocolat chaud at Belle Epoque tea rooms. Answer a few questions and the plan re-plans itself around how you travel: your pace, your budget, your style.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
8 stops · 8 meals · 1 hotelThis is the editor’s pick.
4 days
Each day takes one part of Paris, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
Elevated brasserie under the Louvre's arcades, with a terrace facing the glass pyramid.
- Reserve ahead, especially in warmer months.
The open park stretching from the Eiffel Tower to the Ecole Militaire. Paris's classic picnic lawn.
- Picnics are welcome and the tower view turns magical in the evening when it lights up.
The 330-metre iron icon. Go up for the view, or watch it sparkle from the Champ de Mars at night.
- Buy tickets in advance from the official online office; queues are shortest in the morning and evening.
Paris's grandest old-school dining room (1784) off Palais-Royal; Guy Martin's French haute cuisine.
- Opened in 1784 as Cafe de Chartres; the signature foie gras ravioli.
17th-century townhouse hotel between Louvre and Opera; soundproofed rooms.
- 5-minute walk from the Louvre and Opera Garnier; request a garden-facing room for quiet.
Convivial wine bar near Palais Royal serving French bistro dishes.
- Lunch deal: dish of the day with a glass of wine and coffee for 21 euros, Tuesday to Saturday.
The world's most famous cabaret: can-can, feathers and sequins since 1889.
- Book weeks or months ahead, especially for weekends; smart dress code, no sneakers or sportswear.
Legendary 1927 Parisian tea room at Place du Tertre; iconic thick hot chocolate and macarons.
- Famed for thick hot chocolate; this Montmartre boutique at 7 Place du Tertre is pastry and macarons to go.
The white-domed basilica crowning Montmartre, with sweeping views over all of Paris. Entry is free.
- The 300-step dome climb costs about 7 euros and gives a 360-degree view.
- Climb down from Sacre-Coeur to Carette on Place du Tertre for thick hot chocolate.
Big Mamma's plant-filled Italian trattoria; truffle pasta, Florentine T-bone, glass-roof terrace.
- Reserve about two weeks ahead; the glass-roof rooftop terrace has the iconic spiral staircase.
Stay put: ~15 min by taxi back from Sacre-Coeur Basilica tonight, ~13 min by taxi to Notre-Dame de Paris in the morning.
The Gothic cathedral on the Ile de la Cite, reopened December 2024 after the fire. Entry is free.
- Reserve a free time slot online to cut the queue.
Modern creperie near Place des Vosges serving organic buckwheat galettes and sweet crepes.
- An upscale creperie; organic buckwheat galettes are the draw.
Closer: L'As du Fallafel, right on your way
Paris's oldest planned square. Walk the arcades, sit in the central garden, watch the chess games. The arcades are made for slow strolling.
- Do not skip this on a first Marais visit; the arcades reward a slow loop.
Bocuse's palace brasserie opposite the Louvre; Lyonnaise classics, terrace under the arcades.
- Open daily 12:00 to 22:30 inside the Hotel du Louvre, facing the Comedie-Francaise.
Stay put: ~16 min by taxi back from Place des Vosges tonight, 3 min walk to the Palais-Royal gardens in the morning.
Historic palace with a quiet garden and Buren's striped columns, minutes from the Louvre.
- Entry to the gardens and courtyard is free; a calm pocket in central Paris.
Legendary Saint-Germain cafe: Sartre and de Beauvoir's haunt, Art Deco room, famous chocolat chaud.
- Opened in the 1880s; Sartre is said to have written Les Chemins de la Liberte here.
Closer: Ferdi, 10 min out of your way
The world's most visited museum: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, 35,000 works in a former palace.
- Book online and enter via the Carrousel du Louvre or Porte des Lions; late openings run Wednesday and Friday until 9:45pm.
Tiny 10-table gourmet bar near Place Vendome; famous Ferdi cheeseburger, cocktails, fashion crowd.
- Reservations only by text message; 10 tables, so book well ahead.
1903 Belle Epoque salon de the on Rue de Rivoli; pudding-thick hot chocolate L'Africain and Mont-Blanc.
- Order the hot chocolate L'Africain and the Mont-Blanc chestnut-cream pastry; Proust and Coco Chanel were regulars.
Stay put: 7 min walk back from the Louvre tonight, 3 min walk to the Palais-Royal gardens in the morning.
Where to stay in Paris
Ranked for romantic travelers on a splurge budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Hôtel Paris Louvre Opéra
17th-century townhouse hotel between Louvre and Opera; soundproofed rooms.
Hôtel La Comtesse
Boutique hotel in a V-shaped Haussmann building; every room faces the Eiffel Tower.
Pavillon de la Reine
Discreetly luxurious 56-room hotel and spa right on Place des Vosges; a Marais icon.
Flights to Paris
Fly into CDG (CDG)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Getting around Paris
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
The métro is the fastest way across central Paris: 16 lines, trains every 2-4 minutes most of the day, and single tickets at €2.55 (2026). RER trains extend the network to the suburbs and both airports. Buy tickets on your phone via the Bonjour RATP or Île-de-France Mobilités apps, or get a €2 Navigo Easy card and load it at any station.
- Métro
16 lines cover central Paris densely; a €2.55 Métro-Train-RER ticket (2026) gives 120 minutes with transfers between métro and RER inside Paris. Runs roughly 5:30am-1:15am (2:15am Fri-Sat).
- RER & suburban trains
RER B links Gare du Nord to CDG airport in 25-40 minutes; a dedicated €14 Airports ticket covers the ride (2026). RER C serves the Eiffel Tower area; Transilien trains reach Versailles and beyond.
- Bus & tram
Buses fill the gaps between métro lines and show you the city above ground; trams ring the outer arrondissements. A €2.05 Bus-Tram ticket (2026) is valid 90 minutes with transfers.
- Navigo Easy & phone tickets
The €2 Navigo Easy card holds up to 30 tickets and never expires; the Bonjour RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités apps sell the same tickets to NFC phones, so many visitors skip the card entirely. Day (€12.30) and week (€32.40) passes pay off from about 5 rides a day.
Rideshare
Uber, Bolt, and the French app Heetch all operate in Paris and are handy late at night or for the airport with luggage. Expect surge pricing on Uber during rush hour and rainy evenings; Bolt is often a little cheaper.
- Uber
The most widely used rideshare in Paris; works with your existing account. Surge pricing is common at peak times — compare with Bolt before confirming.
- Bolt
European rival to Uber, usually slightly cheaper in Paris and allows advance booking. Same pickup points as Uber around stations and airports.
- Heetch
French rideshare app popular with locals; accepts cash as well as cards. Coverage is best in central Paris and the inner suburbs.
Bikes
Paris is increasingly bike-friendly, with protected lanes on most major boulevards. Vélib', the city bike-share, has over 1,400 docking stations — the cheapest way to grab a bike for a quick ride along the Seine or through the Marais.
- Vélib' bike share
1,400+ stations across Paris and the inner suburbs, with e-bikes mixed in. Single rides start around €3; a day pass is about €5 (2026). The app shows real-time bike availability.
Taxis
Official Paris taxis are cream-colored with a lit TAXI sign; regulated fares make them predictable for airport runs. G7 is the city's largest taxi company and its app is the easiest way to book one.
- G7 taxis
Paris's biggest taxi network (9,000+ drivers) with app booking, upfront fare estimates, and English support. The official taxi app of Paris.
- Official taxi stands & flat airport fares
Take taxis only from official stands or a booked app car — ignore drivers soliciting inside stations and terminals. Regulated 2026 flat fares: CDG €56 to the Right Bank / €65 to the Left Bank; Orly roughly €37 Left Bank / €44 Right Bank.