france

Paris doesn’t have to break the bank. Here’s how I spent about $570 during a three-day Paris trip as a college student, including flights, transportation, accommodation, food, sightseeing, and the splurges I decided were worth it.

We took a chance. We had a work trip in Florence, Italy, and were prepared to book flights back to JFK the day it was over—until something caught our eye: a flight with a 24-hour layover in Paris. We knew it would be rough. It would be a challenge, and we knew people would probably call us crazy. But before I could really think it through, that flight was booked. I had previously been to Paris, so I was feeling optimistic about what the itinerary could look like. My main goal was to see something new and experience a different side of the city. With only 24 hours in Paris, we had to be intentional about how we spent them. I wasn’t trying to squeeze every landmark into a single day or race across the city just to say we’d seen it all. Instead, I wanted to revisit a few places I’d missed on my previous trip, wander through neighborhoods that felt a little more local, and experience Paris without constantly checking the time. And somehow, one day felt like enough. Our Paris Itinerary at a Glance Our schedule shifted a little throughout the day, but this was roughly how we spent our 24-hour layover in Paris: 8:00 AM: Plane lands at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)10:00 AM: Drop off bags at the hotel. They stored our bags for us with no fee before we checked in!10:15 AM: Explore Luxembourg Gardens10:50 AM: Visit Notre-Dame12:00 PM: Sainte-ChapelleAfter Sainte-Chapelle: Crêpe breakEarly afternoon: Wander through the Latin Quarter3:00 PM: Make our way to Palais Garnier by Metro4:00 PM: Metro toward the Champs-Élysées5:00 PM: Eiffel Tower photo stops6:00 PM: Sunset cruise along the Seine7:00 PM: See the Eiffel Tower sparkle8:00 PM: Explore Montmartre’s streets8:30 PM: Dinner in Montmartre10:00 PM: Head back to the hotel before our 8:00 AM flight The next day… 5:00 AM: Grab a cab to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Can You Really See Paris in 24 Hours? Yes. To me, seeing a city isn’t about checking every landmark off a list. It’s about getting a feel for its rhythm, noticing the little moments, and leaving with a sense of what makes that place feel like itself. You certainly can’t see everything Paris has to offer in one day, but with a little planning, you can experience more than you might expect. Know Before Your Paris Layover Length of layover: 24 hoursAirport: CDGWhere we stayed: Welcome HotelGetting around: Walking, Metro, taxis, and UberBest advice: Book Sainte-Chapelle in advance, we lost about an hour waiting in lineOur travel style: Fast-paced, but with enough time to wander, eat, and actually enjoy Paris Is a 24-hour Paris layover worth it? For us, absolutely. You won’t see everything, but with a well-planned route, you can experience several of Paris’s most iconic sights, explore a few neighborhoods, eat very well, and still have time for some spontaneous wandering. Where We Stayed We stayed at the Welcome Hotel in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. We were walking distance to the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Latin Quarter, Sistine Chapel, and many picturesque shops. My friend and I split a room, which came out to around $130 each (around 115 euros). Paris is expensive, so we did the best we could. Visiting in February, away from Valentine’s Day, also helped with pricing. Could we have stayed somewhere cheaper? Absolutely. But with only 24 hours, location mattered. We didn’t want to save money on the hotel only to spend more time and money getting everywhere else. Learn More For Your Trip skip render: ucaddon_post_list Getting Around Paris  Our day got off to a less-than-perfect start when our checked bags didn’t appear after landing. We were coming from a work trip, so traveling with carry-ons only wasn’t really an option. After about 45 minutes of waiting, our luggage finally arrived. With time already ticking, we grabbed a cab to the hotel. It came out to roughly $35 each (around 31 euros), and we did the same for our early-morning return to the airport. It wasn’t cheap, but with such limited time in Paris, the time saved was worth it. We had planned to take public transportation (RER B suburban train) at least one way, but timing was not in our favor. The train runs every 10 minutes and takes about 40 minutes to get to the station by Notre-Dame. It’s around $16 USD (14 euros) one way. However, to avoid running across the airport and train delays, we opted for the cab. For the rest of the day, we relied mostly on our feet and the Metro. With only two rides planned for the Metro (to Palais Garnier from the Latin Quarter and then to the Champs-Élysées), buying individual tickets made more sense for us than investing in a day pass. To understand the math, the individual ticket is $2.86 (2.55 euros). The Metro pass ranges from $13.80 (12.30 euros) to $36.35 (32.40 euros) depending on if you get the day pass or the week pass. Therefore, we choose the most budget-friendly option. A Quiet Start in Luxembourg Gardens After grabbing pastries and hot chocolate at Café de Flore, we walked to Luxembourg Gardens, digging into croissants and strawberry tarts as we hustled. The pastries were flavorful, huge, and cured my sweet tooth. However, considering how much popularity this shop has picked up, I’m sure we could have found a cheaper option. We each paid $13 (about 11 euros). Even on an early February morning, the gardens were full of life: Parisian runners making their rounds, bundled-up locals reading on benches, and people simply enjoying the crisp morning air. Yet there was still a quietness to it all. Without the crowds we’d encounter elsewhere in Paris, we could slow down, wander the paths, and take in a more everyday side of the city. Revisiting the Paris I Missed Notre-Dame Cathedral We didn’t have time to spend hours inside museums, so we were strategic about our sightseeing. Notre-Dame had been closed during my previous trip