It’s the city of lights, the city of love, and was recently named the world’s best city destination of 2023. But a trip to the Paris is by no means cheap, and while the French capital will always be well worth a visit, it’s about to become even more expensive to do so.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the city would increase its tourist tax, meaning the fee whacked on top of a nightly stay could rise by up to 200 percent. And it’s not just going to cost more to stay overnight – getting around and seeing the city’s top attractions will set you back too.
Firstly, the Louvre – widely considered the world’s best art gallery – is hiking up its entry fee from January. In the first increase of its kind since 2017, admission is going to jump from €17 to €22, a hefty rise of 29 percent.
A statement from some reps for the museum said the increase will help control visitor numbers and offset rising running costs, and enable them to continue offering free entry to visitors under 18, students, and journalists – good for us, at least.
But it’s not just the Louvre that’s getting spennier. The price of a metro ticket is set to almost double for the duration of the Olympics (July 26 to August 11) and Paralympics (August 28 to September 8).
As it stands, a single journey costs €2.10, but it’ll increase to €4 during the games. The mayor of Paris said the increase will help cover the cost of rolling out extra services across the city to meet the increased demand.
A ‘Paris 2024 pass’ is set to be launched during the games, which will enable passengers to travel throughout the Île-de-France region and will cost €16 a day, or €70 per week. Pretty pricey when compared to the regular cost of a monthly metro pass, which is currently €84.10.
Sure, these hikes are a bit frustrating – but if they mean that the cost of running the city efficiently enough for visitors isn’t plonked on the residents, it does make sense.
Here’s our list of recommendations for the best free things to do in Paris.
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