Don’t forget to keep an eye on the fashion world’s calendar, Cunningham cautions: “Despite the fantastic opportunities for spotting A-list celebrities, be warned that if you visit during fashion weeks, especially womenswear, it’s possible you will see higher prices everywhere during seemingly surprising times of the year in the fall and spring.” For what it’s worth: the women’s ready-to-wear shows—what most people call “Paris Fashion Week”—occur in late February or early March and late September or early October. (And a smaller number of designers present their most artistic creations during the Haute Couture Weeks in late January and early July.)
What is the cheapest time to go to Paris?
Generally, the cheapest time to go to Paris is in the window from mid-November to mid-December, says Cunningham, “after the insanely busy summer tourist season, but before the holiday season, when prices leading just up to and after New Year’s skyrocket.” During this time, you avoid most of the major events on the annual calendar like Fashion Week, the French Open, and the like, giving you plenty of room at hotels and shorter lines at the main tourist attractions.
Similarly, Davidson says winter is a great time to visit Paris if you want some sense of quiet: “Though Parisian winters can be cold and wet, there is a certain romantic melancholy to walking along the Seine, with the city shrouded in fog and the monuments twinkling amidst from the gloom.” If that sounds appealing, you might try to maximize your vacation days and spend Thanksgiving in Paris, when the city is still relatively at peace before the Christmas rush.
For cheaper plane tickets to Paris, try playing around with your itinerary. This recommendation comes from Laura Lindsay, the global travel trends expert at Skyscanner: Roundtrip flights from and to the most convenient airports are most desirable and often priced accordingly by airlines. “Sometimes it’s cheaper to fly out with one airline and back with another,” she says. “You can also look at flying in or out of one airport and back to or from another. This is especially handy for cities with multiple airports like Paris, London, and New York. It can take a bit of playing with the flight search, but it can result in finding great flight deals.”
How many days in Paris do you need as a first timer?
Both Davidson and Cunningham suggest four to five days in Paris for the average first-time visit. Travelers can cover a handful of must-see sights in Paris, but an extra fifth day can offer some breathing room and time to enjoy the city at a more leisurely pace. This is Paris after all. Simply strolling through the streets for a bit of French flânerie will always yield some new-to-you discoveries, be it a café, a bakery, a boutique, or some small patch of green.
