Visas & entry
France is in the Schengen Area. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a tourist visa; U.S. passport holders can generally visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day Schengen period, while many other nationalities need a short-stay Schengen visa—check France-Visas for your passport. ETIAS was not yet accepting applications in the dossier’s latest update; verify the current position before travel, and expect biometric Entry/Exit System processing for eligible non-EU arrivals.
Getting in
- Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport: The main intercontinental gateway. RER B links it with central Paris, but arrivals are often crowded and disruptions happen, so do not schedule tight onward connections after landing.
- Paris–Orly Airport: A strong choice for European and domestic flights. Métro Line 14 gives a direct central-Paris connection; Châtelet is about 25 minutes away in normal conditions.
- Paris Beauvais Airport: A low-cost airport marketed as Paris but located much farther out. Use it only when the fare saving clearly outweighs the airport-bus time and cost.
Getting around
Within Paris, walk, use the Métro and take buses when they save a long cross-city walk; chaining multiple underground connections is often slower and more tiring than it looks. RER and regional trains beat a car for Versailles, Disney, Saint-Germain, Vincennes, Saint-Denis, Provins and Fontainebleau, though Fontainebleau requires a local transfer from Fontainebleau–Avon. Rent a car only for rural combinations such as Vaux-le-Vicomte, Chevreuse or Rambouillet; in central Paris it is mostly traffic, parking fees and stress. Domestic flights are irrelevant.
Money
France uses the euro. Cards are widely accepted in Paris and at major sites, but carry a little cash or a backup card for small purchases and market stalls; tipping is not compulsory, though rounding up or leaving a small amount for notably good table service is normal.
Book before you land
Château de Versailles timed palace entry, especially in peak season; book the appropriate gardens/fountain ticket on Musical Gardens or Musical Fountains dates. · Disneyland Paris dated admission or required date registration for undated tickets, particularly weekends, school holidays and Christmas.
- Do not treat Beauvais as a convenient Paris airport; the transfer can erase a cheap-flight saving.
- Use a Paris base for most first trips. Hotel moves for nearby towns usually create more hassle than value.
- A car is a liability in central Paris; use rail for the headline day trips and save car rental for countryside-focused days.
- Versailles garden access is not constant: fountain and music days can require a different ticket and affect opening arrangements.
- If using Navigo Easy or a phone/watch for transit, check ticket compatibility before loading: some fare products cannot coexist on the same support.
- Build slack into airport arrivals and rail connections, especially from CDG.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.