90 Paris Quotes to Inspire a Trip to France

This collection of Paris quotes will make you fall head over heels in love with the city.

Paris, France, is one of the most well-known and famous cities on planet Earth.

The city has produced some of the world’s most successful artists, athletes, philosophers, and styles.

It’s no surprise that Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

The Eiffel Tower and the artwork at the Louvre blow visitors away.

If you’re planning a trip to France, read these inspiring Paris quotes to get yourself in the right mindset.

Whether you’re interested in food, architecture, or nightlife, there’s something for everyone here.

These famous quotes will encourage you to pack your bags and take a romantic trip to Paris.

Paris quotes that will motivate you to explore the city

Paris is a gorgeous place filled with thrilling landmarks, historic museums, and romantic restaurants.

1. “Paris is always a good idea.” — Audrey Hepburn

2. “A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.” — Thomas Jefferson

3. “When good Americans die, they go to Paris.” — Oscar Wilde

4. “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” — Ernest Hemingway 

5. “To know Paris is to know a great deal.” — Henry Miller

6. “America is my country and Paris is my hometown.” — Gertrude Stein

7. “The last time I saw Paris, her heart was warm and gay, I heard the laughter of her heart in every street café.” — Oscar Hammerstein II

8. “Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant.” — Honoré de Balzac

9. “To study in Paris is to be born in Paris!” — Victor Hugo

10. “People wonder why so many writers come to live in Paris. I’ve been living ten years in Paris and the answer seems simple to me: because it’s the best place to pick ideas.” — Roman Payne

Paris quotes about the magical city in France

Paris is known as the city of lights and the city of love.

11. “London is a riddle. Paris is an explanation.” — G. K. Chesterson

12. “You know, I sometimes think, how is anyone ever gonna come up with a book, or a painting, or a symphony, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city. You can’t. Because you look around and every street, every boulevard, is its own special art form and when you think that in the cold, violent, meaningless universe that Paris exists, these lights.” — Owen Wilson 

13. “In Paris, everybody wants to be an actor; nobody is content to be a spectator.” — Jean Cocteau

14. “Paris was a universe whole and entire unto herself, hollowed and fashioned by history; so she seemed in this age of Napoleon III with her towering buildings, her massive cathedrals, her grand boulevards and ancient winding medieval streets – as vast and indestructible as nature itself.” — Anne Rice

15. “There is but one Paris and however hard living may be here, and if it became worse and harder even – the French air clears up the brain and does good—a world of good.” — Vincent van Gogh

16. “Whenever you are in Paris at twilight in the early summer, return to the Seine and watch the evening sky close slowly on a last strand of daylight fading quietly, like a sigh.” — Kate Simon

17. “An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

18. “The best of America drifts to Paris. The American in Paris is the best American. It is more fun for an intelligent person to live in an intelligent country.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

19. “The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant.” — T.S. Eliot

20. “Paris is the city in which one loves to live. Sometimes I think this is because it is the only city in the world where you can step out of a railway station – the Gare D’Orsay – and see, simultaneously, the chief enchantments: the Seine with its bridges and bookstalls, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Tuileries Gardens, the Place de la Concorde, the beginning of the Champs Elysees – nearly everything except the Luxembourg Gardens and the Palais Royal.” — Margaret Anderson

Paris quotes that will inspire you to begin the journey of a lifetime

Paris is considered one of the most lovely and influential places to visit.

21. “Paris is paramount for fashion, always was – always will be.” — Manolo Blahnik

22. “To err is human. To loaf is Parisian.” — Victor Hugo

23. “She wanted to die, but she also wanted to live in Paris.” — Gustave Flaubert

24. “Oh, London is a man’s town, there’s power in the air; And Paris is a woman’s town, with flowers in her hair; And it’s sweet to dream in Venice, and it’s great to study Rome; But when it comes to living, there is no place like home.” — Henry Van Dyke

25. “I like The Eiffel Tower because it looks like steel and lace.” — Natalie Lloyd

26. “Just add three letters to Paris, and you have paradise.” — Jules Renard

27. “I had forgotten how gently time passes in Paris. As lively as the city is, there’s a stillness to it, a peace that lures you in. In Paris, with a glass of wine in your hand, you can just be.” — Kristin Hannah

28. “Though I often looked for one, I finally had to admit that there could be no cure for Paris.” — Paula McLain

29. “The shopping, the food, the views! Paris is a city that entrances us all – and I’m no exception.” — Michael Kors

30. “That Paris exists and anyone could choose to live anywhere else in the world will always be a mystery to me.” — Marion Cotillard

Paris quotes that will inspire you to take a romantic trip to the city

Despite its history of revolution and political dissent, many consider Paris a romantic place where love naturally manifests.

31. “Paris is not a city; it’s a world.” — King Francis I

32. “You stumble, and you soar. And, if you’re lucky, you make it to Paris for a while.” — Amy Thomas

33. “Paris is a place in which we can forget ourselves, reinvent, expunge the dead weight of our past.” — Michael Simkins

34. “Unknown in Paris, I was lost in the great city, but the feeling of living there alone, taking care of myself without any aid, did not at all depress me. If sometimes I felt lonesome, my usual state of mind was one of calm and great moral satisfaction.” — Marie Curie

35. “My roots are in Paris, and I will not pull them up.” — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

36. “Paris is a hard place to leave, even when it rains incessantly and one coughs continually from the dampness.” — Willa Cather

37. “I thought of Paris as a beauty spot on the face of the earth, and of London as a big freckle.” — James Weldon Johnson

38. “In Paris, I really do like to try and do nothing… but that’s impossible.” — Christian Louboutin

39. “Everyone dreams of living in Paris.” — Natalie Portman

40. “Paris is a place where, for me, just walking down a street that I’ve never been down before is like going to a movie or something. Just wandering the city is entertainment.” — Wes Anderson

Beautiful Paris quotes that will make your day

Many say Paris would be the love story if the world were a movie.

41. “I stayed three weeks in Paris, fell in love with the city, and decided that I was born to live in Paris.” — Ed Bradley

42. “I love Paris in the summer, when it sizzles.” — Cole Porter

43. “Paris is the only city in the world that starving to death still considered art.” — Carlos Ruiz Zafon

44. “Secrets travel fast in Paris.” — Napoleon Bonaparte

45. “I only came to Paris with the intention of showing what I thought was strong and beautiful. It just so happened that my notion was different from everybody else’s.” — Rei Kawakubo

46. “He who contemplates the depths of Paris is seized with vertigo. Nothing is more fantastic; nothing is more tragic; nothing is more sublime.” — Victor Hugo

47. “Even the majestic trees that graced and sheltered her streets were attuned to her – and the waters of the Seine, contained and beautiful as they wound through her heart; so that the earth on that spot, so shaped by blood and consciousness, had ceased to be the earth and had become Paris.” — Anne Rice

48. “We’ll always have Paris.” — Howard Koch

49. “It is perfectly possible to be enamoured of Paris while remaining totally indifferent or even hostile to the French.” — James Baldwin

50. “When spring comes to Paris the humblest mortal alive must feel that he dwells in paradise.” — Henry Miller

More Paris quotes and sayings

A city with a deep and rich history of transformation, creativity, and pride, Paris is the home of many cultures, ethnicities, and spiritual practices.

51. “You come to Paris, you get true originality, and it’s wonderful.” — Andre Leon Talley

52. “I love Paris for the million reasons that everybody loves the city. It’s an incredibly romantic and beautiful place.” — Alan Furst

53. “It’s true, you never forget your first love, and, for me, that will always be Paris.” — Caitriona Balfe

54. “There’s something about Paris, people just don’t have anything else do there but love each other.” — Louis Garrel

55. “There was something about Paris that made you feel you could forget who you were.” — Sonali Dev

56. “Paris is a city where time is best to spend by doing nothing.” — Erich Maria Remarqu

57. “Paris was a museum displaying exactly itself.” — Jeffrey Eugenides

58. “Why Paris? Paris needs no reason. Paris is its own reason.” — Maureen Johnson

59. “I was happy when I walked the streets of Paris by myself.” -— Patrick Modiano

60. “Paris at night is a street show of a hundred moments you might have lived.” — Courtney Maum

Paris quotes to inspire you to explore this romantic city

Walking in the streets of Paris is like taking a tour of planet Earth’s cultures.

61. “Cities have sexes: London is a man, Paris a woman, and New York a well-adjusted transsexual.” ― Angela Carter

62. “I’ve seen you, beauty, and you belong to me now, whoever you are waiting for and if I never see you again, I thought. You belong to me and all Paris belongs to me and I belong to this notebook and this pencil.” ― Ernest Hemingway

63. “That Paris exists and anyone could choose to live anywhere else in the world will always be a mystery to me.” ― Woody Allen

64. “It almost felt as if Istanbul had become a blissful metropolis, romantically picturesque, just like Paris, thought Zeliha; not that she had ever been to Paris.” ― Elif Shafak

65. “This is Paris. I am here. What if I never go back?” ― Brian Moore

66. “After living in Paris, does not the rest of the world seem but a hovel?” ― Pietros Maneos

67. “Ah! I am told that New York is very beautiful. Is it more beautiful than Paris?’ ‘Oh, no,’ I said, ‘no city is more beautiful than Paris’.” ― James Baldwin

68. “My black literary hero’s and I had these two places in common. Harlem NYC, and Paris France.” ― Tim Storrs

69. “For a painter, the Mecca of the world, for study, for inspiration and for living is here on this star called Paris. Just look at it, no wonder so many artists have come here and called it home” ― Alan Jay Lerner

70. “And trade is art, and art’s philosophy, In Paris.” ― Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Paris quotes about this cosmopolitan city in Europe

In Paris, you find a wide variety of influences represented in the food, music, and art.

71. “Breathe Paris in. It nourishes the soul.” — Victor Hugo

72. “I ought to be jealous of the tower. She is more famous than I am.” — Gustave Eiffel

73. “To err is human. To loaf is Parisian.” — Victor Hugo

74. “There are only two places in the world where we can live happy—at home and in Paris.” — Ernest Hemingway

75. “Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. It brings tears to your eyes.” — Lee Radziwill

76. “…the whole of Paris is a vast university of Art, Literature and Music…it is worth anyone’s while to dally here for years. Paris is a seminar, a post-graduate course in Everything.” — James Thurber

77. “Paris, I believe, is a man in his twenties in love with an older woman.” — John Berger

78. “Paris holds the key to your heart.” — Anastasia

79. “Paris is a heaven for all woman’s obssesions: hot men, great chocolates, scrumptious pastries, sexy lingerie, cool clothes but, as any shoe-o-phile knows, this city is a hotbed of fabulous shoes.” ― Kirsten Lobe

80. “Paris was all so… Parisian. I was captivated by the wonderful wrongness of it all – the unfamiliar fonts, the brand names in the supermarket, the dimensions of the bricks and paving stones. Children, really quite small children, speaking fluent French!” ― David Nicholls

Paris Quotes To Give You A Classy and Expensive Feel

The Eiffel Tower is even grander in person, and a visit to a world-class museum like the Louvre allows patrons to see art collections from all over the world.

81. “Paris at dawn is one of those rare cities where you get the impression that something worthwhile could actually happen to you.” ― Pierre Assouline

82. “Paris may be expensive, but I love it. It’s the one place to spend money and enjoy.” ― Lester Persky

83. “I certainly think I have aspects of Paris in me.” ― Liza Weil

84. “I cannot tell you what an immense impression Paris made upon me. It is the most extraordinary place in the world.” – Charles Dickens

85. “Paris is a city for adults and women who really enjoy fashion.” ― Sarah Lafleur

86. “I love Paris. I’ve been there a number of times.” ― Julie Halston

87. “True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee. But why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whiskey, I don’t know.” — P.J. O’Rourke

88. “I would love to go to Paris. I have to go to Paris.” ― Elle Fanning

89. “I love Paris for its wide boulevards and cafes, and Rome for the ancient history, as seen at the Forum.” ― Alan Titchmarsh

90. “In Los Angeles, you feel like everything revolves around the movies. In Paris, you still have other things to do.” ― Clemence Poesy

Which of these memorable Paris quotes most inspires you to visit the city of lights?

If you love traveling to beautiful destinations, start planning your trip to Paris, France.

These famous quotes about the city will have you dying to visit.

You won’t be disappointed by the abundance of delicious foods and awe-inspiring attractions.

Pack your bags now and get ready to explore an exquisite city.

These Paris quotes will inspire you to begin the journey of a lifetime.

Paris is a spectacular place unlike anywhere else in the world.

Whether you’re a native Parisian or a tourist visiting for the first time, you’ll love these incredible sayings and phrases.

There’s simply something magic about Paris that uplifts the spirit.

Share these Paris quotes with anyone you know who loves travel and exploration. 

What are your favorite Paris quotes and sayings about the magical city in France?

Let us know in the comment section below.