Is Paris worth a day trip?

Yes: 7.3 hours in Paris, £167 for the whole day, 35 min into town each way. Enough for the main sights and a proper lunch without rushing.

How long do you actually get in Paris?

About 7.3 hours in Paris. Landing to take-off is 11 hours; the trip into town and back, passport checks and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Paris airport into town?

RER B 35 min, €14. A day ticket on local transport is Navigo day pass €12.30 (does not cover the airport). Cheaper option: RATP bus 350 (to Porte de la Chapelle, 60-80 min) or bus 351 (to Nation, 70-90 min) with a €2.05 bus-tram ticket, versus RER B at €14 (25-30 min). Last 351 to the airport 20:20, last 350 about 21:30.

What does a day in Paris cost, not counting the flight?

About £56 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown is the cheapest recently seen on this route, not a live quote for these exact flights. Check the airline or the booking link for the price you will actually pay.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 18:20. That allows 35 min to get back to the airport and 120 min there, including 30 min for passport checks on the way out, before the 20:55 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

We allow 30 min on landing for the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo on your first trip) and 30 min extra on the way out. That is already taken off the 7.3 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Paris.
From Edinburgh, back by 21:45.

France·Sat 28 Nov · 7.3 hours in the city

£167

the whole day

7.3 hours

in the city

21:45

back in Edinburgh

Day Trip Flight Details

Time in the city

7.3 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

25km

to the centreFrom Paris centre (CDG)

Daylight

8.7 hours

08:17 to 16:58Sunrise 08:17, sunset 16:58

First EU trip since 2025? Allow 30 min more.

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

07:00
Leave Edinburgh
1h 55min
11:00
In the city
Lands 09:55, 30min immigration, 35min from the airport
18:20
Leave the city
35min back, 120min at the airport incl. immigration
21:45
Back in Edinburgh
Flies 20:55

Leave Edinburgh07:00
Land in Paris1h 55min09:55
In the city30min immigration, 35min from the airport11:00
Leave the city35min back, 120min at the airport incl. immigration18:20
Fly home1h 55min20:55
Back in Edinburgh21:45

Typical weather for this date

9°C

average high

4°C

average low

5 in 10

years it rained

This date is too far out to forecast. These are Paris's actual figures for the same date across the last 10 years.

Also on in Paris

Coming up in Paris: Le Grand Palais de Glace (ice rink at the Grand Palais), 13 Dec to 6 Jan

With kids in ParisShow

What a day in Paris costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£167/ all in, per person

RATP bus 350 to the city, there and back£4

Local transport£10

Lunch£15

Dinner£27

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Eiffel Tower£20 (€23.50)

Louvre Museum£27 (€32)

Musée d'Orsay£14 (€16)

Sainte-Chapelle£19 (€22)

Arc de Triomphe£19 (€22)

Louvre Museum free for everyone on the first Friday, Musée d'Orsay free for all on the first Sunday of the month, Arc de Triomphe rooftop and Sainte-Chapelle free (first Sunday of Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov and Dec only), Notre-Dame Cathedral interior, Sacré-Cœur basilica and the Montmartre viewpoint over ParisFree

On the ground£56

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Return flight from£111

Google Flights price. Checked 32 hours ago.

Getting to Edinburghfrom free

All in, per person£167

Book on Google Flights

Compare fares on Aviasales · Affiliate link

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 8 Oct, 08:50. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

The main button opens the airline or Google Flights; Compare fares goes to Aviasales, who pay us a small commission.

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Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Edinburgh

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-offFree
Long Stay car park: free for 0-30 minutes, then £14 (30min-1hr), but no shuttle bus, 10-min walk to terminal Source

Train

From Edinburgh city centre (via Edinburgh Trams, no direct rail link)£7.50 each way30 min
Advance single; On the day £7.50. First train 06:30, last train 22:52 Source
First train too late for this flight: it gets you to Edinburgh less than 90 min before take-off.

Coach

Lothian Buses Airlink 100 from Edinburgh£6 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Source
Lothian Buses Service 17 from Ocean TerminalPrice not published
Source

Taxi

From Edinburgh city centre£24-£29 one way~8 miles
Estimate, not a quote.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-offfrom £8.50
Multi-storey ground floor quick-stop: up to 10 min £8.50, then £1/min; local EH-postcode residents get 50% off the first 10 min Source
Terminal Parking£90
Same-day rate. Source
Long Stay Parking£60
Same-day rate. Source
Plane Parking£45
Same-day rate. Source

More parking

FastParkNo same-day price
Source
Mid Stay ParkingNo same-day price
Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Secure Airparks Park & Ride£37.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 2 min. Source
Flying Scot Park & Ride£38.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 3 min. Source
Low Cost Park and Ride£38.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 5 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.

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Day trip to Paris.From Edinburgh, back by 21:45.

Day Trip Flight Details

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Day trip to Paris.
From Edinburgh, back by 21:45.