Empty cobblestone streets with golden morning light bouncing off the buildings. Croissants so good they make you question every bakery you’ve ever been to. The Eiffel Tower sparkling at midnight while the whole city holds its breath. A Paris weekend trip from London is 2.5 hours by Eurostar and it is one of the best things we have done since moving to the UK.
We went in August 2026 expecting the worst. Every review we’d read said dirty, crowded and overrated. None of that was our experience. It was one of the most beautiful places either of us has ever been and we understood pretty quickly why people keep going back.
Here’s the full trip, exactly how it went.
Getting There: Eurostar from London to Paris
The Eurostar leaves from London St Pancras International and arrives at Paris Gare du Nord. The journey takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
At St Pancras there’s a security and customs process before you board, similar to an airport but noticeably quicker and less stressful. Passport control, bag screening, the whole thing. It moved fast when we went through (even though it was a Friday afternoon in summer). Give yourself at least 60 minutes before departure to be comfortable.
Upgrade to Eurostar Plus. Seriously.
We paid around £350 return for two in Eurostar Plus, the middle tier between Standard and Business Premier. When we booked there was only about £20 per person difference from Standard. That’s £40 for a couple. We spent more than that on one round of drinks in Paris.
Eurostar Plus gives you wider seats, a meal and drinks served at your seat and power points throughout the carriage. It felt like flying premium economy on a long haul flight except the journey is under three hours and you step off in the middle of Paris. No airport. No baggage carousel. No taxi from the outskirts of the city.
There’s a tier above called Business Premier with lounge access and a full restaurant meal. Too expensive for what it adds. Plus was the sweet spot for us and I wouldn’t go back to Standard now.
Book at eurostar.com and book early. The cheap seats disappear fast.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at Hotel de Seine in Saint-Germain-des-Prés on the Left Bank.
The room was so small that we laughed when we first walked in. But we figured out later that this is just Paris. The hotels are in old converted buildings and the rooms are what they are. Ours was beautifully done, comfortable and had everything we needed. Just don’t overpack.
What Saint-Germain gave us was an incredible location. The Louvre was a 20 minute walk. Notre-Dame was 15 minutes. Café de Flore was around the corner. And the neighbourhood itself was something we weren’t prepared for. Bookshops, galleries, little streets that look exactly like you imagine Paris looking. Restaurants open until midnight. It felt like the most Parisian part of Paris.
Friday Night: Arrival
We got to Gare du Nord around 9:20pm and jumped on the train to the hotel.
After dropping our bags we went straight back out looking for food. It was getting late and we just found whatever was open nearby. That’s the thing about Paris that surprised us. We stumbled into a random restaurant at nearly midnight with no plan and the food was genuinely good. You don’t get that everywhere.
Saturday: Empty Streets, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Midnight Sparkle
We woke up early on Saturday, which turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. We wandered the streets of Saint-Germain before the tourists arrived and it was something else entirely. Empty cobblestone streets, just the sound of the city waking up, golden morning light on the buildings. We got some of our best photos of the whole trip on Pont des Arts with nobody else around. If you’re in Paris, set your alarm and get out early. It’s a completely different city.
Croissants on Rue de Buci
At 7:30am we picked up croissants and coffee to go from a bakery on Rue de Buci, a market street in Saint-Germain that comes alive early with bread, cheese and pastries.
The croissant was so good it was almost offensive. Buttery, flaky, perfectly done. We pay triple the price in London for something that doesn’t come close to this. French bakeries are on a different level and the price is shockingly reasonable. This is not an exaggeration.
The Louvre
We walked to the Louvre via Pont des Arts and arrived just after 9am.
The Louvre is the world’s largest art museum, with over 380,000 objects. You can’t see all of it and you shouldn’t try. Pick two or three things that matter to you and give them proper time. We went for the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo and then just wandered. Everywhere we looked it was beautiful. One thing nobody warned us about — the ceilings. Room after room of incredible painted and gilded ceilings. We spent as much time looking up as we did looking at the art.
The Mona Lisa is smaller than you expect but being in the same room as it is its own experience. The building itself, the glass pyramid, the sheer scale of the palace — that’s what you’ll keep thinking about afterwards.
Book tickets in advance at louvre.fr so you aren’t waiting in line for long.
Notre-Dame
We walked from the Louvre to Île de la Cité via Pont Neuf and went to see Notre-Dame.
Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 after five years of restoration following the 2019 fire. The queue to get inside in summer is very, very long. Even with a timed entry ticket you still have to go through security screening on arrival, so there’s always some wait involved. Walk-in queues in peak season can stretch to 60 minutes or more with no guaranteed entry.
We decided not to go inside. It was 30 degrees and we had a big afternoon ahead. We stood across from it, admired it from outside and moved on. The exterior alone is magnificent. Go inside if you can but book a timed entry ticket at notredamedeparis.fr before you arrive. Note that the reservation window only opens 2 to 3 days before your visit so you can’t book weeks ahead.
Lunch at Le Caveau du Palais
We had lunch at Le Caveau du Palais on Place Dauphine, a quiet shaded square on the western tip of Île de la Cité that most tourists walk straight past. Classic French food, good wine, tables in the shade. One of the nicest lunches of the trip.
The Eiffel Tower
We Ubered to the Eiffel Tower after lunch.
We saw it from the taxi window as we got close, just for a second through the gap between two buildings, and we genuinely felt like our dream was coming true. Nothing prepares you for actually seeing it. We’ve looked at photos of the Eiffel Tower we whole life and we still weren’t ready for what it felt like in person.
We had booked Level 2 lift tickets in advance at the Eiffel Tower’s official website. One tip: arrive at your ticket time, not before. We got there early thinking it would help. It didn’t. We just stood in the heat waiting. Your ticket time is your ticket time.
We took the lift to Level 2, had a look at Paris from up there, then came back down to Level 1 and exited at ground level.
Here’s the honest thing: the Eiffel Tower is better seen from the outside than from inside it. Being on it removes the thing that makes it extraordinary, which is being able to see the whole structure. From Champ de Mars you see everything. From inside you see the city, which is great, but it’s not the same. Do both. Don’t skip going up but also don’t skip just standing below it and looking.
After coming down we sat on Champ de Mars, the big park below the tower, and just lay on the grass for a while. It was a lovely moment.
Café de Flore
We Ubered to Café de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain for the iconic hot chocolate.
Café de Flore has been open since 1887. Hemingway drank here. Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir basically lived here. The hot chocolate is thick and rich and not cheap. Sit on the terrace, take your time and enjoy it. It’s one of those places where just being there is the point.
We walked back to the hotel from there to freshen up before dinner.
Dinner at Brasserie des Prés
Dinner at Brasserie des Prés in Saint-Germain, a classic brasserie with a covered veranda. Good food, good wine, no rush. Exactly right for a Saturday evening in Paris.
The Midnight Eiffel Tower Sparkle
Every hour on the hour from nightfall, the Eiffel Tower does a light show. 20,000 gold bulbs flash and sparkle across the entire structure for five minutes. In summer the last show runs at 1am. We took an Uber to Trocadéro just before midnight, found a spot in the crowd and waited.
When it started everything around me went silent. Not the crowd. Just everything else. For the first minute my wife and I just stood there and watched without saying anything. Then we got our phones out and tried to capture it.
I had seen this in films my whole life. Standing there watching it in person felt like something from a dream. I still can’t get the image out of my head and I’m not sure I ever will.
It’s free. It lasts five minutes. Nothing in Paris is more worth doing.
Sunday: Montmartre, Le Marais and Shakespeare & Company
Montmartre
We Ubered to Montmartre at 9:30am.
First stop was Fotoautomat at 53 Rue des Trois Frères, a vintage analog photo booth that’s one of the last of its kind in the world. It takes black and white photo strips using traditional film chemistry and costs €6. It sits right next to the fruit and vegetable shop from the film Amélie. The whole experience takes a few minutes and you walk away with a little strip of photos that feel genuinely special. Go early. The queue builds fast.
Then we went to Boris – Café Pâtisserie for a pain au chocolat and a coffee. The coffee was average. The pain au chocolat was not. It was some of the best pastry we had in Paris and the bar was already very high by this point.
Portraits at Place du Tertre
Place du Tertre is one of the most famous squares in the world for live portrait artists. Around 140 licensed artists work here and getting a spot involves a years-long waiting process. These artists are serious and it shows.
We spent 30 minutes just choosing who to work with. Then an hour getting our portrait done, both of us together on the same sketch. It cost €140 total. We knew before we sat down that it wasn’t cheap. We’d do it again immediately. That portrait is framed on our wall now.
After the portrait we wandered the market stalls, picked up some souvenirs and took photos outside Sacré-Cœur Basilica at the top of the hill. The view of Paris from the steps of Sacré-Cœur is free and one of the best views in the city.
Shakespeare & Company
At 3pm we went to Shakespeare & Company, the legendary English-language bookshop on the Left Bank that’s been open since 1951.
My wife went inside to get a book stamped. Shakespeare & Company stamps books with their iconic mark, a tradition they’ve kept for decades. I waited outside at the cafe next door with a ginger lemon drink, sitting in the open air with a direct view of Notre-Dame across the water.
It was one of those moments that doesn’t sound like much when you describe it. Sitting outside a cafe with a cold drink, looking at Notre-Dame in the afternoon light, watching Paris go by. It was quietly one of the best moments of the whole trip.
We left for Gare du Nord at 4:45pm and were back in London by 8:02pm.
What It Cost
| Eurostar Plus return for two | ~£350 |
| Hotel de Seine (2 nights) | ~£400 |
| Louvre entry for two | ~£40 |
| Eiffel Tower Level 2 lift for two | ~£60 |
| Meals across the trip | ~£300 |
| Café de Flore hot chocolate | ~£25 |
| Ubering around Paris | ~£60 |
| Portrait at Place du Tertre | €140 (~£120) |
| Fotoautomat | €6 (~£5) |
| Miscellaneous pastries, drinks, souvenirs | ~£80 |
| Total for two | ~£1,500 |
Paris isn’t cheap. It’s worth every bit of it.
What We’d Do Differently
Go inside Notre-Dame. Book timed entry tickets before you leave home, even though the window only opens 2 to 3 days before your visit. Set a reminder and grab them as soon as they open.
Spend more time in Saint-Germain itself. We used it as a base and rushed past the neighbourhood. It deserves at least a proper half day of wandering.
Come back to Montmartre at night. Locals told us it’s a completely different experience after dark. Next trip.
Is Paris Worth a Weekend from London?
You leave Friday evening and you’re having dinner in Saint-Germain before midnight. You’re home Sunday evening. In between you’ve seen the Louvre, stood in front of Notre-Dame, gone up the Eiffel Tower, watched the midnight sparkle, wandered Montmartre and eaten some of the best pastry of your life.
We went with low expectations and came home talking about when we can go back. That says everything.
Take the Eurostar Plus. Stay in Saint-Germain. Wake up early and walk the empty streets. Watch the midnight sparkle. Go.
For more weekends and day trips from London read our Brighton day trip guide. And if you’re still getting set up in the UK our banking guide covers everything you need for the financial side of the move.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get from London to Paris for a weekend?
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord. The journey takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Up to 18 trains run daily. Book at eurostar.com and book early for the best price.
Is Eurostar Plus worth upgrading to?
Yes. You get wider seats, a complimentary meal and drinks served at your seat and power sockets. For around £20 more per person than Standard it’s the best value upgrade on the route.
Where should you stay in Paris for a weekend from London?
Saint-Germain-des-Prés on the Left Bank is the best base for a first trip. It’s central, beautiful and walkable to most of what you want to see.
What is the Eiffel Tower sparkle show?
Every hour on the hour from nightfall, 20,000 gold bulbs flash and sparkle across the Eiffel Tower for five minutes. In summer the last show runs at 1am. The best spot to watch from is Trocadéro. It’s free.
Do you need to book the Eiffel Tower in advance?
Yes. Book at the official Eiffel Tower website before you go. Arrive at your ticket time, not early. Getting there ahead of your booking doesn’t help.
What is Fotoautomat in Montmartre?
Fotoautomat is a vintage analog photo booth at 53 Rue des Trois Frères in Montmartre, one of the last original analog booths in the world. It takes black and white photo strips using traditional film and costs €6. It sits near the shop from the film Amélie. Go early to beat the queue.
Do you need a ticket for Notre-Dame?
Entry is free but timed entry tickets are recommended, especially in summer. Even with a ticket you’ll go through a security check on arrival. Without a ticket in peak season the wait can be over an hour with no guaranteed entry. Book at notredamedeparis.fr, noting that tickets only open 2 to 3 days before your visit date.
Is Paris safe for tourists?
Saint-Germain, Montmartre and Le Marais are comfortable and safe. Be aware of pickpockets around Gare du Nord. Standard common sense and you’ll be fine.
This article reflects our personal experience visiting Paris in August 2026. Prices are approximate and will vary depending on when you book. Always check current Eurostar fares at eurostar.com and attraction entry prices directly before visiting. Eiffel Tower tickets should be booked at the official website. This article is for general informational purposes only.