01

Getting there from KL: one nonstop, many one-stops

Only Malaysia Airlines flies nonstop between Kuala Lumpur and Paris right now. MH20 leaves KLIA Terminal 1 nightly at 11.30 pm on an Airbus A350-900 and lands at Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2A around 6.55 am, roughly 13.5 hours later. The return, MH21, departs Paris about 11.20 am. Paris is six hours behind Malaysia until Europe's clocks go back on 25 October 2026, then seven hours behind, so recheck times after that.

Connecting once is usually cheaper. Our KL fare scan, run on 20 September 2026, showed one-way tickets from roughly RM 1,140 on Oman Air through Muscat (for 10 October travel) and from around RM 1,207 on Etihad through Abu Dhabi on many dates into 2027, with a median near RM 1,253. Routings through Chongqing started near RM 1,316, Doha RM 1,374, Istanbul RM 1,394 and Dubai RM 1,435. The MH nonstop did not appear among those cheapest fares, so expect to pay extra to skip the stopover.

MH, Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines all depart from the main KLIA terminal (Terminal 1), not klia2.

02

Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city

CDG lies about 23 km north-east of the centre. Prices are indicative, at roughly RM 4.65 per euro.

• RER B train: the standard route. The €14 Airports ticket (about RM 65) includes Métro and RER transfers for 120 minutes. From the Terminal 2 station, a walk from 2A, trains reach Gare du Nord in about 35 minutes, then Châtelet-Les Halles and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame.
• Bus 9517: the express coach that replaced the Roissybus, which shut on 1 March 2026 (slower local buses 350 and 351 also run). It links Roissypôle with Saint-Denis Pleyel (Métro 14) in about 45 minutes on a €2.05 Bus-Tram ticket (RM 9.50); from Terminal 2, ride the free CDGVAL shuttle to Roissypôle first.
• Taxi: flat fares of €56 (RM 260) to the Right Bank or €65 (RM 302) to the Left Bank, luggage included, from the official rank.
• Uber or Bolt: fares vary with demand and surge at busy times.
• Night: Noctilien buses N140 and N143 run roughly every half hour after midnight to Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord.

Flying home late? Engineering works during 2026 have stopped RER B trains reaching the airport after about 10.45 pm on weekdays, so check before you rely on a late train. The 20-minute CDG Express to Gare de l'Est is due on 28 March 2027.

03

Where to stay in Paris

Rooms are compact by Malaysian standards, so check the size in square metres and whether there is a lift before you book.

• Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain (5th and 6th): bookshops, cafés and the Luxembourg Gardens, within walking distance of Notre-Dame and the Grand Mosque, and on the direct RER B line from CDG. Best for first-timers and couples.
• Le Marais (3rd and 4th): old mansions, galleries and indie boutiques, many of which open on Sundays, when much of the city closes. Central and lively, and pricier.
• Opéra and the Grands Boulevards (9th): Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and the Palais Garnier, with many Métro lines close by. Handy for shoppers and families.
• Gare du Nord and Gare de l'Est (10th): cheaper rooms, one train from the airport, Eurostar to London and the South Asian food of Passage Brady. The station streets feel rough at night, so pick a well-reviewed hotel.

Rates peak from late spring through summer and around Christmas. Families of four or more may prefer an apartment.

04

Things to do in Paris

• Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro: reserve summit tickets on the official site early, then cross to Trocadéro for the postcard photo, and return after dark to see it lit.
• The Louvre: €32 (about RM 149) for visitors from outside the European Economic Area. Book a time slot; it is closed on Tuesdays and stays open until 9 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Notre-Dame and Île de la Cité: the cathedral reopened in December 2024 after its post-fire restoration.
• Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur: cobbled lanes and rooftop views. Take the funicular to avoid the bracelet sellers on the steps.
• Musée d'Orsay: Impressionist masterpieces inside a former railway station.
• A Seine cruise: day passes for hop-on boats make a restful link between sights.
• Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe: flagship stores by day, lights at night.
• Versailles: RER C gets you there. Closed on Mondays; the Passport ticket for the whole estate costs €35 (about RM 163) and the palace needs a timed booking.
• Disneyland Paris: RER A to Marne-la-Vallée Chessy, or the Magical Shuttle direct from CDG.

05

What to eat in Paris

French cooking relies on butter, cream, wine and pork, so if you eat halal, see the next section first.

• Croissants, pain au chocolat and baguette: from any boulangerie, and many also sell good-value lunch sets of sandwich, drink and pastry.
• Crêpes: sweet versions from street stands. Savoury buckwheat galettes often come with ham, so order egg and cheese.
• Macarons and patisserie: buy them on your last day to carry home.
• Bistro classics: steak frites, boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin, the last two slow-cooked in wine.
• Markets: Rue Mouffetard in the 5th and Boulevard Richard-Lenoir near Bastille for fruit, bread and picnic supplies.
• Falafel in the Marais: a cheap, filling pitta lunch.

Eating out is expensive by Malaysian standards. Numbeo's crowd-sourced prices (updated August 2026) put a cheap restaurant meal at about €16 (RM 74), dinner for two with three courses near €70 (RM 325), a fast-food combo at €12 (RM 56) and a cappuccino around €4.40 (RM 20). Lunch menus undercut dinner prices, and a baguette-and-cheese picnic by the river costs very little. For edible gifts, try the food halls at Lafayette Gourmet or La Grande Épicerie.

06

Halal food and prayer spaces in Paris

Halal food is easy to find in Paris, though mostly North African, Turkish, Middle Eastern or South Asian rather than French. Traditional bistros are rarely halal, and many sauces use wine.

France has no single state halal authority. Private bodies certify meat, among them the SFCVH, which works with the Grand Mosque of Paris, and standards vary. A "halal" sign may be self-declared, so ask for the certificate; "no pork" is not halal.

• Passage Brady and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis (10th): Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants south of Gare du Nord, many of them Pakistani-owned. Halal status varies from one shop to the next, so ask. Further north towards La Chapelle, many Tamil and South Indian places are vegetarian.
• Belleville and Barbès: areas with long-established North African communities and plenty of casual eateries.
• The Grand Mosque of Paris: the mosque, which marked its centenary in July 2026, stands on Place du Puits-de-l'Ermite in the 5th, beside the Jardin des Plantes. Its restaurant serves tagine and couscous, the tea room pours mint tea, and visitors are admitted 9 am to 6 pm for €5 (about RM 23), except Fridays and Muslim festivals.

CDG has prayer rooms in its terminals, and the Paris Aéroport website lists where each one is, so check the one nearest your gate before you fly. June sunsets near 10 pm stretch prayer and fasting times, so use an app such as Muslim Pro.

07

Getting around Paris

Métro and RER trains reach nearly everything. Fares below took effect on 1 January 2026.

• Tickets: a Métro-Train-RER ticket is €2.55 (about RM 12), good for 120 minutes including transfers but not for the airports. Buses and trams take a €2.05 Bus-Tram ticket.
• Passes: the €12.30 Day Pass (RM 57) excludes the airports. The €32.40 Week Pass (RM 151) runs Monday to Sunday and covers airport trips, which suits a Monday arrival.
• Cards and phones: a Navigo Easy card (€2) holds tickets and day passes; weekly passes go on a Navigo Découverte (€5, ticket windows only) or your phone. Phone tickets work through the Île-de-France Mobilités and Bonjour RATP apps or Apple, Google and Samsung Wallet.
• Bank cards: on buses and the Montmartre funicular you can now tap a Visa or Mastercard for a single fare, which costs a little more than a Bus-Tram ticket. The Métro and RER still need a ticket on a Navigo Easy card or your phone.
• Ride-hailing: Grab is absent from France; it serves eight Southeast Asian countries. Use Uber or Bolt, or the G7 app for licensed taxis.
• Taxis: metered in town, with a minimum fare of €8 (about RM 37) under the fares set on 1 February 2026.

Interchanges involve long corridors and stairs, so pack light.

08

Sample itinerary: 4 days in Paris

Four full days is a comfortable first visit. Mind the closing days: no Louvre on Tuesdays, no Versailles on Mondays.

• Day 1: MH20 lands around 7 am; ride the RER B to drop your bags. Wander the Latin Quarter to Notre-Dame and Île de la Cité, take lunch and mint tea at the Grand Mosque, then the Jardin des Plantes. Early night.
• Day 2: The Louvre at opening, the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Sunset at Trocadéro, then an evening Seine cruise.
• Day 3: Versailles by RER C with a garden picnic. Back in town, Galeries Lafayette under its glass dome and a Pakistani dinner around Passage Brady.
• Day 4: Montmartre by funicular in the morning, the Marais for boutiques and falafel, then the Musée d'Orsay. Sort your tax-free forms and pack.

MH21 leaves late morning, so board an RER B by about 7.30 am on departure day. A fifth day suits Disneyland Paris or a Eurostar hop to London (check the UK ETA first).

09

Money, SIM and practical tips

• Currency: the euro. The ECB reference rate on 28 September 2026 was about RM 4.65 per euro, so €10 is roughly RM 46.
• Paying: tap-to-pay with Visa or Mastercard works in most shops and cafés, and chip-and-PIN is standard. Keep some euros for markets and small bakeries.
• Malaysian e-wallets: DuitNow's cross-border QR partners are Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, so it is no use in France. A low-fee travel card saves the most.
• SIM and eSIM: set up a Europe eSIM before leaving, or buy a prepaid SIM at a tabac with your passport.
• Plugs: types C and E (round pins), 230 V, so pack a travel adapter.
• Tipping: service is included (service compris); round up for good service.
• Safety: pickpockets work the Métro, the RER B, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, and phone snatching tops crime reports. Keep phones off café tables.
• Scams: bracelets tied on your wrist at Sacré-Cœur, a "found" gold ring by the Seine, charity clipboards, the three-card game near the Eiffel Tower, fake helpers at ticket machines, and fake ride-hailing "drivers" who message you for your phone number or an SMS code to take over your account.
• Emergencies: 112, or 17 for police.

10

Designer shopping and VAT refunds

Many Malaysians buy their first serious designer bag in Paris, and some planning stretches the ringgit.

• Where: Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and Printemps stand side by side on Boulevard Haussmann near the Opéra, with most big labels under two roofs. Le Bon Marché at Sèvres-Babylone is calmer. The couture houses cluster in the 8th arrondissement, and the Champs-Élysées adds more flagships.
• VAT refund (détaxe): France adds 20% VAT, and non-EU visitors can reclaim part of it. The minimum is €100.01 (about RM 465) spent in a single store on the same day; the shop needs your passport to issue the tax-free form, and the goods must leave the EU within three months.
• At CDG: validate the form at a PABLO kiosk before checking in bags holding the purchases, since customs may inspect them. Operators take a cut, so the refund is well under 20%.
• Home: keep receipts together and check Malaysian customs allowances before landing at KLIA.