Paris in three hours from Moscow
Direct flights to Paris CDG. Air France, Aeroflot, Turkish via IST. Air France offers the best comfort and CDG connections without terminal changes.
Not a tourist postcard. A way of life.
Best fares
Hotels France, from Paris to the French Riviera
Boutique hotels in the Marais, palaces on Place Vendôme and sea-view villas in Nice.
Regions, for different journeys
When to go to France
Best time — May–June and September. July–August — peak crowds and heat. December — Christmas markets.
Curated tours to France
What you need to know before you go
Schengen visa
France is in the Schengen zone. Visa processed through VFS Global in 5–10 working days. Sales.Travel handles the process — you only provide documents.
Money
Russian bank cards do not work — UnionPay only or cash euros. Withdraw from BNP Paribas or Société Générale ATMs. Bring 200–400 EUR in cash.
Transport
Paris metro — 14 lines, 10 EUR/day (Navigo). TGV to Lyon — 2 h, Marseille — 3 h, Bordeaux — 2 h. French Riviera — easier to rent a car in Nice.
Connectivity
France — EU, standard roaming. Sales.Travel eSIM — 5 GB for 790 ₽, runs on Orange and SFR. 4G coverage nationwide including mountains.
Must-try experiences
Every hour after sunset (9 pm to 1 am depending on season) the tower sparkles for 5 minutes — 20,000 LEDs shimmer like champagne. Walk to 2nd floor (674 steps) — 11.30 EUR, elevator to summit 276 m — 28.30 EUR. Best panoramic shot — from Trocadéro terrace (Trocadéro metro). Book tickets online mandatory — on-site queue 1.5–2 hours.
A café corner table on the pavement — not a tourist myth but a real Parisian habit. Angelina at 226 Rue de Rivoli — famous for hot chocolate 'L'Africain' (8 EUR) and Mont-Blanc (9 EUR). Café de Flore on Saint-Germain — literary heritage of Sartre and de Beauvoir, coffee 5.50 EUR. Ideal — weekday 9:30–10:30, Le Monde tucked under your arm.
The Louvre opens at 9 am, closes at 6 pm (Mon–Thu, Sun) and 9:45 pm (Fri). Quietest hours — 9–10 am and late Friday evening. Mona Lisa in Salle des États — go straight from main entrance through I.M. Pei's pyramid to Denon stairs, head for rooms 700–711. Ticket 22 EUR online via ticketlouvre.fr, on-site — 1.5 h queue even with reservation.
Cancale in Brittany — oyster capital of France. 3.5 hours TGV from Paris to Saint-Malo, 30 minutes by bus. Dozen oysters right at Pointe du Hoc pier — 8–12 EUR (no service). Best — Marché aux Huîtres (open daily, choose variety, eat right on stone quay with view of Mont-Saint-Michel in the distance). Peak oyster season — October–April.
Versailles (opened 1682) 21 km from Paris: Louis XIV palace, Hall of Mirrors, Petit and Grand Trianon. Ticket 21 EUR (passport — with Trianon and Marie Antoinette estate 28.50 EUR). RER C from Paris — 35 min (3.60 EUR). Gardens free (except fountain days). April–October weekends — Grandes Eaux Musicales: 17 fountains perform to baroque music.
Beaune cellars dug beneath Hôtel-Dieu in the 15th century. Marché aux Vins tasting — 50+ Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from top Côte d'Or appellations for 24 EUR (1 hour), 60+ for 35 EUR. Sommelier explains each wine. Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils — premium winery since 1731, private tastings from 60 EUR. TGV from Paris via Dijon — 2 h 20 min.
12–15 m sailboat with captain from Antibes marina — 1,200–2,000 EUR/day for boat up to 8 people. Standard route: Antibes → Cannes (1 h), anchor at Île Sainte-Marguerite (swimming in crystal coves) → Juan-les-Pins → return at sunset. Onboard lunch from chef provider — another 80–150 EUR per person. Season May–September. Book via Click&Boat or Sailogy 2–4 weeks ahead.
Granite island-rock in Saint-Malo bay, abbey (from 708) rises 80 m. UNESCO. Tide raises water 14 m — highest in Europe — and in 6 hours surrounds the mount. TGV Paris → Rennes (2 h), then bus 1 h 15 min. Abbey ticket 13 EUR. Stay overnight in one of 7 hotels on the mount — after 6 pm no tourists, moonlight on medieval streets — magic.
Place Richelme market in Aix-en-Provence — every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 8 am–1 pm. Lavender (fresh bouquets, essential oil, soap), banon goat cheese in chestnut leaves, black truffles from Vaucluse (December–March), tapenade olives, lavender honey. Best souvenir — truffle oil (huile de truffe, 8–25 EUR per 100 ml) from Plantin or Maison Bremond.