Compare Paris flights

Paris is one of the world's great city breaks, and there are near-constant flights to it from the UK every day. With an all-star cast of both low-cost and full-service airlines in the market, there's loads of scope to shop around and find a cheap Paris flight.

This culture-packed capital city would take years to explore in full – but you don’t need to see everything to enjoy it – the famous attractions live up to the hype, and just wandering the streets is a pleasure.

Use every money-saving trick at your disposal to get to Paris. That means considering early or late flights to grab cheaper deals, or flying midweek. If you’re going for a short city break, it’s worth packing only hand luggage to duck any baggage fees your airline might charge. The cheapest months for flying are January and February, while the most expensive times tend to be around British school holidays.

Generally, although there’s some variation in the rule, it’s cheaper to fly from the UK to Paris’ main airport, Charles de Gaulle, than to its smaller southern counterpart, Orly. Fly with budget airlines such as easyJet or Vueling for cheaper trips, although full-service carriers (British Airways, Air France etc) often have deals on too.

Most airports in the UK offer one or more direct flights to Paris, so flight times will generally be short. There is also little difference between flight times to Charles de Gaulle and Orly. From runway to runway, the journey will take between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 50 minutes. If you want to get to Paris Beauvais, which is over an hour north of the city, you’ll have to connect in Europe.

The Paris airport with the most routes is its biggest and busiest, Charles de Gaulle. RER Trains are the quickest route to Paris from here, but car hire is also available. Smaller but closer is Paris Orly, in the south of the city. Paris Beauvais airport is somewhat misleadingly named – it’s actually outside the city and doesn’t have direct flights from the UK.

It’s hard to know where to start in Paris – the trick is to pick the right arrondissement (borough) to stay in. The 1st arrondissement is one of the most popular (and pricey), as it features glorious Parisian architecture and the world-famous Louvre art gallery. That said, most districts have their attractions: find Notre Dame and the Pompidou Centre in the 4th arrondissement, the Eiffel Tower in the 7th, and the major train stations in the 10th. It’s tempting to move breathlessly between the famous landmarks, but make sure you slow down for a leisurely coffee now and again. After all, that's what Parisians do.

If you’re planning to explore outside of the city centre, it's worth considering a hire car. Attractions close to Paris include the palace and gardens of Versailles, and a longer drive west will bring you to the beautiful rural coasts of Normandy.