France

France Tour Packages from India

France packages with Bayard start at ₹85,000 per person, and getting there is easier from South India than most people realise: Air France and Air India both fly daily nonstop from Bengaluru to Paris, alongside Delhi and Mumbai. About nine hours and you are at Charles de Gaulle.

Two things to plan around. The Schengen visa costs €90 and takes fifteen to thirty days, so this is a trip you start arranging six weeks out. And the Eiffel Tower summit and the Louvre need tickets booked well in advance often two to three months in high season which is the single most common way a Paris itinerary gets compromised.

Below: what a France trip really costs, how many days Paris actually needs, when to go, and everything the visa involves.

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France trip at a glance

Schengen visa for France

Indian passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) to visit France. There is no visa-free route. The visa allows up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries.

The essentials

• Fee: €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6–12, free under 6, plus VFS service charges. This rose from €80 in June 2024, and a great deal of published guidance still quotes the old figure.

• Processing: typically 15 to 30 calendar days, counted from when the consulate receives your file rather than when VFS collects it. Apply four to six weeks ahead, and earlier for summer and December.

• Where to apply: at the consulate of your main destination where you will spend the most nights. On most trips through Paris, that is France. See the section below if you are visiting more than one country.

• Insurance: travel insurance with at least €30,000 of medical cover, valid across the Schengen area, is mandatory for the application.

• Documents: passport valid six months with two blank pages, application form, Schengen-specification photographs, confirmed return flights, hotel bookings, three to six months of bank statements, an employer or school NOC, and a cover letter with your itinerary. We prepare the itinerary and booking documentation as part of your package.

Visiting more than one country? Read this first.

You apply at the consulate of the country where you will spend the most nights. If the nights are equal, you apply at your first point of entry. On a Paris and Switzerland trip with four nights in Paris and three in Switzerland, that is France. On an Amsterdam–Brussels–Paris circuit it depends on the split, and it is worth working out rather than assuming.

Applying to the wrong consulate is one of the most common causes of Schengen refusal, and a refusal is recorded and affects future applications. We work this out before you apply, whichever of our European trips you are booking.

What changed at the border in 2026

The EU Entry/Exit System became fully operational across all 29 Schengen countries on 10 April 2026. Passports are no longer stamped on your first entry you are enrolled with a facial image and fingerprints, and entries and exits are recorded automatically. Allow extra time at your first crossing, particularly at Charles de Gaulle in peak season, and note that your 90-in-180 days are now calculated by the system rather than estimated from stamps.

One piece of good news

France removed the airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals transiting to non-EU destinations in 2026. If you are connecting through Paris to somewhere outside the EU, that is one fewer thing to arrange. Confirm it applies to your specific routing when you book.

And a word about ETIAS

ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationalities US, UK, Japanese and similar passports. Indian passport holders are visa-required and still need the full Schengen visa. Any site offering to sell you an ETIAS for an Indian passport is not helping you.

What a France trip costs from India

 Before publishing: two products are both 6D/5N and ₹10,000 apart with no visible difference, and one of them carries placeholder highlights. Each row needs a line saying what it includes that the cheaper one does not. The three Paris-and-Switzerland products priced within ₹5,001 of each other need the same treatment. See Defect 13 in Step 1.

What moves the price

• Hotel location above all. Central Paris the 1st to 8th arrondissements, near the Louvre or the Champs-Élysées carries a substantial premium over hotels further out. Sometimes it is worth it and sometimes a well-connected metro location twenty minutes away is the better trade. We will tell you which.

• Which tickets are included. Eiffel Tower summit access and skip-the-line Louvre entry cost meaningfully more than base tickets, and both are worth having.

• Season. April to June and September to October are peak for price as well as weather. Late autumn and January to March are noticeably cheaper.

• Whether you add Switzerland, or Amsterdam and Brussels. Those are different holidays at different budgets, not upgrades.

• Disneyland Paris, if you are travelling with children a genuine cost line rather than an add-on.

Beyond the package

Budget for the Schengen visa at €90 per adult plus VFS charges, travel insurance (compulsory for the visa anyway), the Paris tourist tax added to hotel bills, and meals outside your plan. Paris is expensive for food and drink a coffee sitting down on a terrace costs meaningfully more than one taken standing at the bar, which is a genuinely useful thing to know.

How many days does Paris need?

Four to six nights, and the honest answer depends on how much you want to see rather than how much there is.

• Three nights - the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, a Seine cruise and Montmartre. Tight but genuinely doable, and it is our ₹85,000 product. You will not see Versailles.

• Four nights - the above plus a full day at Versailles, which needs a day rather than a morning. This is the sweet spot for most first-time visitors.

• Five to six nights - adds Sainte-Chapelle, the Musée d’Orsay, the Latin Quarter, Le Marais, and time to sit in a café rather than march between monuments. Or a day at Disneyland if you have children.

• Beyond six nights in Paris, add a country rather than more days. Switzerland is four hours by train; Amsterdam and Brussels are on the same high-speed network. That is why our longer products are circuits.

The thing that actually ruins Paris itineraries

Not distance tickets. Eiffel Tower summit slots and Louvre entry sell out weeks ahead, and in July and August often two to three months ahead. Travellers who book flights and hotels first and tickets later routinely find the summit unavailable for their whole stay. We book these at the time you confirm your package, which is most of the value of booking a Paris trip through an operator at all.

Choose your itinerary

Magical Paris - 4 Days / 3 Nights

Best for a first European trip and a short break

• Day 1: Arrive Paris CDG, transfer, evening at Trocadéro for the Eiffel Tower on the hour when it sparkles.

• Day 2: Eiffel Tower summit, Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées, then the Louvre in the afternoon and a Seine cruise at dusk.

• Day 3: Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur in the morning, the Latin Quarter and Sainte-Chapelle in the afternoon.

• Day 4: Free morning for shopping or a last café, then the airport.

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Paris & Versailles - 5 Days / 4 Nights

Best for first-time visitors who want the full picture

The three-night itinerary with a full day at Versailles the Hall of Mirrors, the gardens, and Marie Antoinette’s estate, which most day-trippers miss and which is the best part. Versailles rewards a whole day and punishes a rushed morning.

Paris in Depth - 6 Days / 5 Nights

Best for repeat visitors, art lovers and families

Adds the Musée d’Orsay, Le Marais, a proper wander rather than a schedule, and the option of a day at Disneyland Paris for families. This is the version where Paris stops being a checklist.

Paris & Switzerland - 7 to 8 Days

Best for a first European trip that wants two countries

Paris for three or four nights, then the TGV or a short flight to Switzerland for Lucerne, Zurich or Interlaken and the Jungfrau. Note that on this itinerary you will usually apply for your Schengen visa through France, since Paris takes the most nights we confirm that before you apply.

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When to go

If your dates are flexible, late April to early June or the second half of September are the two windows we push hardest. If you are travelling in July or August with school holidays, plan indoor mornings and outdoor evenings rather than the reverse.

The Eiffel Tower

Summit access is worth the extra over the second floor, and both need booking well ahead. The best free view of the tower itself is from Trocadéro across the river, and it sparkles for five minutes on the hour after dark.

The Louvre

Vast enough that a plan matters more than time. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory in a focused two hours beats six hours of wandering. Skip-the-line entry is not a luxury here.

Versailles

Thirty-five minutes from central Paris by RER, and a full day rather than a morning. The Hall of Mirrors is the headline; the gardens and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet are where the day actually goes.

Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur

The highest point in Paris, the basilica, and the artists’ square at Place du Tertre. Go early it is a different place before the coaches arrive.

The Seine, Sainte-Chapelle and the Marais

An evening cruise is the easiest way to see how the city fits together. Sainte-Chapelle’s stained glass is the single most underrated sight in Paris. Le Marais is where to spend an unstructured afternoon.

Practical notes for Indian travellers

Getting in from the airport

Charles de Gaulle is about 45 minutes from central Paris on the RER B, or an hour by road in traffic. We include transfers, but it is worth knowing the train exists and is often faster.

Getting around

The metro is excellent and the fastest way across the city. A Navigo travel pass or carnet of tickets is far cheaper than singles. Paris is also a genuinely walkable city many of the distances that look long on a map are twenty minutes on foot along the river.

Watch your belongings

Worth saying plainly rather than leaving to be discovered: pickpocketing is common around the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Montmartre and on the metro, particularly Line 1 and the RER B from the airport. Nothing about this makes Paris unsafe, and it is entirely manageable bag zipped and in front of you, phone not in a back pocket, and be alert in crowds and on escalators. We brief you before you go.

Food

Better for vegetarians than its reputation suggests, particularly in Paris where there is a strong vegetarian scene and excellent Indian food in the 10th arrondissement around La Chapelle. Outside the city it thins out. Tell us about Jain or strict vegetarian requirements at booking so we can plan restaurants rather than improvise.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking flights and hotels first and Eiffel Tower or Louvre tickets later. In summer that means no summit slot for your whole stay.

• Budgeting €80 for the Schengen visa. It has been €90 since June 2024.

• Paying a third-party site for an ETIAS. It does not apply to Indian passports.

• Applying to the wrong consulate on a multi-country trip. It is the country with the most nights.

• Giving Versailles a morning. It needs a day.

• Leaving the visa to the last month. Fifteen to thirty calendar days, counted from when the consulate receives the file.

• Choosing a cheap hotel far out without checking the metro connection. In Paris, location is most of the experience.

What’s included in a Bayard France package

Why book France with Bayard Vacations

• We book Eiffel Tower summit and Louvre tickets when you confirm, not when you arrive. In peak season this is the difference between seeing them and not.

• Current Schengen guidance the right fee, the right consulate for your itinerary, and what the new biometric border process means at Charles de Gaulle.

• We prepare the itinerary, flight and hotel documentation your visa application needs.

• Direct-flight routings from Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, so you are not connecting through a European hub for a nine-hour journey.

• Honest advice on hotel location, which in Paris matters more than star rating.

• Pacing built for the people actually travelling, with Versailles given a day and time left to sit down.

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France package FAQs

Do Indians need a visa for France?

Yes. France is in the Schengen Area and Indian passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) arranged before travel. There is no visa-free route. It allows up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries.

How much does the Schengen visa cost?

€90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6–12, free for under-6s, plus VFS service charges. The fee rose from €80 in June 2024, so a lot of published guidance still quotes the old figure.

How long does the visa take?

Typically 15 to 30 calendar days, counted from when the consulate receives your file rather than when VFS collects it. Apply four to six weeks before travel, and earlier for summer or December departures when appointments get scarce.

Which country should I apply to if I am visiting more than one?

The country where you will spend the most nights. On most trips through Paris that is France for example a Paris-and-Switzerland trip with four Paris nights and three Swiss. If the nights are equal, apply at your first point of entry. Applying to the wrong consulate is a common cause of refusal, and refusals are recorded.

Do I need ETIAS?

No. ETIAS is for visa-exempt nationalities such as US, UK and Japanese passport holders. Indian passport holders are visa-required and still need the full Schengen visa. Anyone selling you an ETIAS for an Indian passport is not helping you.

What is the new biometric border system?

The EU Entry/Exit System replaced passport stamping across all 29 Schengen countries on 10 April 2026. On your first entry you are registered with a facial image and fingerprints, and entries and exits are recorded automatically. Allow extra time at Charles de Gaulle, particularly in peak season.

Are there direct flights from India to Paris?

Yes, and from more cities than most people realise. Air France and Air India both fly daily nonstop from Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai to Paris Charles de Gaulle, at around nine hours. From Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi the routing is one stop via a European or Gulf hub.

How much does a France trip cost from India?

Our Paris packages run from ₹85,000 per person for four days to ₹1,25,000 for six. Paris-and-Switzerland circuits start around ₹1,79,999. Hotel location, which tickets are included and season are what move the number.

How many days do I need in Paris?

Four to six nights. Three covers the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, a Seine cruise and Montmartre but not Versailles. Four adds Versailles properly. Five or six lets you slow down. Beyond that, add a country rather than more days.

When should I book Eiffel Tower and Louvre tickets?

As early as you can in peak season, two to three months ahead. Summit slots at the Eiffel Tower sell out first. This is the most common way a Paris itinerary gets compromised, and we book them when you confirm your package.

Is Versailles worth a full day?

Yes, and a morning is not enough. The Hall of Mirrors is the headline, but the gardens and Marie Antoinette’s estate are where the day actually goes, and most day-trippers never reach them. It is about thirty-five minutes from central Paris by RER.

What is the best time to visit France?

April to June and September to October are the most comfortable mild, long days, and fewer people than midsummer. July and August are hot and crowded in Paris but the right time for the Riviera and the lavender. November to March is cheap and quiet.

Is Paris safe?

Yes, with ordinary city sense. The one thing worth knowing is that pickpocketing is common around the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Montmartre and on the metro and the RER from the airport. Bag zipped and in front, phone out of back pockets, and be alert in crowds it is entirely manageable and we brief you before you travel.

Is France good for vegetarians?

Paris is better than its reputation a strong vegetarian scene and excellent Indian food around La Chapelle in the 10th. Outside the city options thin out. Tell us at booking, particularly for Jain requirements, and we will plan restaurants rather than leave it to chance.

What is included in a Bayard France package?

Hotels in central or well-connected locations, daily breakfast, airport transfers, sightseeing and entrance tickets as specified and booked in advance, rail tickets where your itinerary includes them, and on-trip support. International flights, the Schengen visa fee, insurance, Paris tourist tax and personal expenses are separate.

Planning a France trip? 
Tell us your city, your dates and who’s travelling. We’ll send back a costed itinerary, book your Eiffel Tower and Louvre tickets when you confirm, and prepare the documentation your Schengen application needs.

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