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.
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.
With the Olympics happening in France this year, the cheapest time to go to Paris in 2024 is after the summer, specifically October and November, according to Laura Lindsay, the global travel trends expert at Skyscanner, the search aggregator and travel agency. As for 2025, the beginning of the calendar is looking like a good time to book your flights, she says. January, February, and March have flights starting at $330 roundtrip from the United States to Paris.
For cheaper plane tickets to Paris, Lindsay recommends playing with your itinerary. 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.
