In the south of the 15th arrondissement, the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre takes up a whole slice of the district, at 1 place de la Porte de Versailles. The first exhibition buildings went up in 1923 and the Foire de Paris moved in from 1926. If you let a flat for short stays in the 15th, this is a neighbour worth knowing: every fair brings in exhibitors, buyers and visitors who all need somewhere to sleep.
The exhibition centre in brief
The site belongs to the City of Paris and has been run by Viparis since 1987. Fairs are spread across seven halls, numbered 1 to 7. Hall 7 was rebuilt as the Paris Convention Centre, which opened in autumn 2017.
The events held there include the Foire de Paris, the Salon international de l’agriculture, the Paris Motor Show, Rétromobile, VivaTech and Paris Games Week. For the end of the year, the Viparis calendar lists MIF Expo, the made-in-France fair, from 12 to 15 November 2026, and Créations & savoir-faire, from 18 to 22 November 2026.
Getting there from the rest of the 15th
Viparis’s access page lists:
- metro line 12, Porte de Versailles station: exit 1 for halls 2 to 7, exit 2 for hall 1
- trams T2 and T3a, Porte de Versailles – Parc des Expositions stop
- buses 80 (same stop) and 39 (Desnouettes stop)
- a Vélib’ bike station on avenue Ernest-Renan
Line 12 crosses the 15th through Convention, Vaugirard, Volontaires, Pasteur and Falguière, up to Montparnasse-Bienvenüe, so a flat near any of these stations is a direct ride to the halls. On the tram side, the T3a stops at Balard, Desnouettes, Brancion and Georges Brassens, and the T2 at Porte d’Issy, Suzanne Lenglen and Henri Farman. Our page on Vaugirard and Porte de Versailles covers the area in more detail.
Getting a flat ready for a trade fair stay
An exhibitor does not travel like a tourist. They may arrive the night before the stand goes up, leave after it comes down and spend their evenings on orders and emails. A few things matter, in the listing and in the flat:
- a table that takes a laptop, and the wifi password written down clearly
- an iron or a garment steamer for the next day’s outfit
- late check-in, with a key box or a meeting time agreed in advance
- directions to the right metro exit, set out in the welcome book
Fair stays tend to be short and to follow one another closely. Cleaning between guests has to fit the departure time and the next arrival, and check-in and check-out has to allow for guests who leave the halls at the end of a long day.
The calendar as a pricing tool
Fair dates are published well ahead by Viparis and by the organisers. We follow them to adjust nightly prices and minimum stays around those dates. We cannot tell you in advance how many nights a given fair will bring: that depends on the flat, how far it is from the halls and what else is on offer. What we can do is stop a calendar opened months earlier from staying at the same price as a quiet week.
Routes from Gare Montparnasse and the airports are set out in our post on getting to the 15th arrondissement, which we pass on to guests.
Frequently asked questions
Which metro station serves Paris Expo Porte de Versailles?
Porte de Versailles, on line 12. According to Viparis, exit 1 leads to halls 2 to 7 and exit 2 to hall 1.
Does the tram go to the exhibition centre?
Yes. Lines T2 and T3a stop at Porte de Versailles – Parc des Expositions.
Where can I find the dates of upcoming fairs?
On the Viparis calendar and on each fair’s own website. We use those dates to set prices and minimum stays.
Is a flat far from Porte de Versailles of interest to fair visitors?
It helps if it is near a line 12 station or a T2 or T3a stop, which reach the halls without changing. We say so in the listing.
Photo: Artvill, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
