Hôtel de NELL / Google MapsI've stayed here
Hôtel de NELL
Grands Boulevards · 9e
A really nice hotel, and I'd stay again. The neighborhood is a good part of why.
9 Rue du Conservatoire, 75009 Paris
Hôtel de NELL / Google MapsParis
by Tomáš Zeman
The places, walks and meals I actually recommend to friends before they visit.
Stay
Stay where the city actually lives
None of these are near the Eiffel Tower, which is the point. I've only slept in one of them, so each says plainly how well I know it.
Hôtel de NELL / Google Maps
Hotel Faubourg Galant Paris - Handwritten Collection / Google MapsA friend's pick, not mine
Hôtel Faubourg Galant
Saint-Georges · 9e
A friend swears by this one. I haven't stayed, so the verdict is his and not mine.
Directions
Hôtel Amour / Google MapsAnother friend's pick
Hôtel Amour
Pigalle · 9e
A different friend put me onto this one. I haven't stayed here either, so it's their recommendation carried over rather than mine.
Directions
Hotel Élysée Montmartre / Google MapsMy old neighborhood, not my hotel
Hôtel Élysée Montmartre
Montmartre · 18e
I lived around here, so I'll vouch for the streets rather than the rooms. I like the clean look of it, but I'm going on pictures.
78 Blvd Marguerite de Rochechouart, 75018 Paris
Directions
TRIBE Paris Batignolles / Google MapsGoing on pictures
TRIBE Paris Batignolles
Batignolles · 17e
The most affordable of these and the one I know least. Batignolles is the reason to consider it. It's where the city feels lived in rather than visited.
Directions
Eat
Places worth planning a day around
Paris has thousands of restaurants. These aren't all of the good ones. They're the ones I find myself recommending.
Coffee
Paris has plenty of beautiful cafés. For specialty coffee, these are the ones I actually seek out.
Clove / Google MapsClove
Montmartre · 18e
€
Probably my favorite coffee in Montmartre.
Directions
臺灣黑熊 / Google MapsSevenly Heart
Marais · 3e
€
Where I stop in the Marais, usually halfway through a walk south.
55 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris
Directions
Télescope Café / Google MapsTelescope
Palais-Royal · 1er
€
Tiny, serious, and one of the places that set the standard for coffee in this city.
Directions
Breakfast & brunch
Breakfast is usually a small affair here. Traditionally it's an espresso, a croissant, and a cigarette if you smoke. If you want more than that:
Breizh Café Abbesses | La Crêpe Autrement / Google MapsBreizh Café
Montmartre · 18e
€€
Proper Breton galettes and crêpes. Fill up before the hill.
93 R. des Martyrs, 75018 Paris
Directions
Le Charonne / Google MapsLe Charonne
Bastille · 11e
€€
Where I'd go for brunch, which is one of the few meals Paris does on the weekend.
25 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Directions
Kaoru K / Google MapsBoulangerie Utopie
Oberkampf · 11e
€
A bakery that treats bread as something to experiment with. The black sesame baguette is the one people come for.
20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris
Directions
Lunch
Scott Douglass / Google MapsWalk in
Les Enfants du Marché
Marais · 3e
€€
A counter inside the Marché des Enfants Rouges. Sit at the bar, order what they tell you.
39 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris
Directions
L'As du Fallafel / Google MapsWalk in
L'As du Fallafel
Marais · 4e
€
Get a falafel sandwich, then walk it off toward Place des Vosges.
34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris
Directions
Dinner
Have one great classic French dinner, and one that tells you where Paris is now.
Early June / Google MapsWaitlist
Early June
Canal Saint-Martin · 10e
€€
Currently one of my favorite tables in the city. Great food, natural wine, good service.
No reservations, just a waitlist. Show up in person when they open and they'll try to find you a time later that night. Be polite and patient.
19 Rue Jean Poulmarch, 75010 Paris
Directions
Le Bon Georges / Google MapsLe Bon Georges
Saint-Georges · 9e
€€€
One of my favorite upscale classic French bistros, and a good introduction to a certain kind of Paris dinner.
45 Rue Saint-Georges, 75009 Paris
Directions
Hotel Garden Saint Martin (Hôtel Quartier République, canal Saint-Martin Paris) / Google MapsHôtel du Nord
Canal Saint-Martin · 10e
€€
Right on the quay, with tables out under the parasols. Go for where it is as much as what's on the plate.
35 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris
Directions
Au Bourguignon du Marais / Google MapsAu Bourguignon du Marais
Marais · 4e
€€
Burgundy from end to end, the food and the list both. Ask for the terrace.
52 Rue François Miron, 75004 Paris
Directions
JR Hubert / Google MapsWalk in
Le Relais de l'Entrecôte
Saint-Germain-des-Prés · 6e
€€
Steak frites and nothing else. There's no menu to read, they just ask how you want it cooked, and the second helping arrives without you asking.
20 Rue Saint-Benoît, 75006 Paris
Directions
Walk in
Bouillon Chartier
Grands Boulevards · 9e
€
A vast belle époque dining room, waiters in waistcoats, and the bill written on the paper tablecloth. Go at 6pm, before the line forms and while the room is still calm enough to look at.
7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris
Directions
Grozdana Kiskinova / Google MapsLe Bon Bock
Montmartre · 18e
€€
A Montmartre restaurant I like a lot. Good food, and it happens to have natural wine too.
Directions
Something sweet
Maison BERTHILLON / Google MapsBerthillon
Île Saint-Louis · 4e
€
The Paris ice cream classic. Eat it walking along the river.
29/ 31 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, 75004 Paris
Directions
M J / Google MapsExpect a line
Cédric Grolet
Opéra · 2e
€€
The trompe-l'œil fruit that everyone photographs. Worth it once, and go early.
35 Av. de l'Opéra, 75002 Paris
Directions
Brian Kling / Google MapsPlaq
Sentier · 2e
€€
Chocolate made from the bean in the back of the shop. Buy bars to take home, and drink one there.
Directions
Glace Bachir / Google MapsBachir
Marais · 3e
€
Lebanese ice cream coated in crushed pistachios. The achta is the one to get.
Directions
TRABEE-TimeTravel / Google MapsCarette
Place des Vosges · 3e
€€
If the weather turns cold, this is where I'd stop for a hot chocolate.
25 Pl. des Vosges, 75003 Paris
Directions
laCrèma par Roberta Costa / Google MapsLaCrèma
Latin Quarter · 5e
€
Small-batch, seasonal flavors, and a local feel.
Directions
Otherwise start your day at a café rather than a boulangerie. They have croissants too, and you get somewhere to sit.
The € marks are relative, not exact: one is everyday, three is an occasion. Some of these came to me from friends; the chain of recommendation is part of the charm.
Drink
Paris gets better after dinner
This is how I like to start a weekend night. Somewhere small, a good bottle, and nowhere else to be.
Drinks
228 Litres / Google MapsEarly, if you want to sit
228 Litres
Pigalle · 9e
Named for the barrel. Go for the bottles they're opening by the glass that night.
3 Rue Victor Massé, 75009 Paris
Directions
Britta Uschkamp / Google MapsArrive before 7pm, or after 10pm
Septime La Cave
Bastille · 11e
My favorite natural wine bar in the city. Small plates, no reservations, and you'll probably be standing.
Directions
Early evening, while it's still light in the garden
Hôtel Particulier Montmartre
Montmartre · 18e
The old Hermès house, down a private street. I love it more for the atmosphere than the food, which is why I'd come for a drink rather than dinner. There's a cocktail bar downstairs. Leaving at night, you get the Eiffel Tower.
Directions
Le Rooftop de la Tour d’Argent - le Toit de la Tour / Google MapsJust before sunset
Le Rooftop de la Tour d'Argent
Quai de la Tournelle · 5e
The rooftops, the bridges and the river all at once. Go for the view and time it for the end of the day.
15 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris
Directions
Dancing
Pamela / Google MapsLate
Pamela
Saint-Germain-des-Prés · 6e
Where I'd go to actually dance.
Directions
Astrologer Miloš Mušicki / Google MapsAfter midnight
Silencio
Sentier · 2e
The David Lynch basement. Members only until midnight, then the door opens to everyone.
142 Rue Montmartre, 75002 Paris
Directions
Nicolas Lucas / Google MapsVery late, or very early
Le Carmen
Pigalle · 9e
Open until dawn. This is where the night goes when it isn't ready to end.
Directions
A Paris ritual
Champagne by the Seine
Buy a chilled bottle from a wine shop, bring glasses from wherever you're staying, and find a spot along the river around sunset. That's the whole plan.
This doesn't need to be expensive. A good bottle from a neighborhood cave costs less than you'd think, and the shop will chill it for you if you ask. Bring a bag for the bottle and the glasses, take your trash with you, and keep it to your own company. It's a public riverbank, not a party.
Or take it up to Sacré-Cœur instead. One of my favorite ways to end a day in Montmartre.
Art
You don't need to spend your whole trip inside museums
Choose one great museum or exhibition, then go back outside.
If you only do one
At the Rodin, buy the garden-only ticket if you just want to sit among the sculpture. Bought separately, each museum needs its own standard entry.
Photo: Samuel Isaacs / UnsplashFirst time in Paris
Musée d'Orsay
The building is almost as good as the collection. Go for the Impressionists, stay for the clock.
Give it Two to three hours
Closed Mondays
Worth knowing The combined Orsay–Rodin ticket is €25, good for one visit to each within three months
Directions
Josephine Pacate / Google MapsIf you'd rather be calm
Musée Rodin
Smaller, quieter, and there's a garden you can sit in. Sometimes that's the better afternoon. The museum itself is really worth it too.
Tickets There's a cheaper garden-only ticket
Give it An hour and a half, longer in the garden
7e, a short walk from the Orsay
Book tickets †
Directions
If you want more, or something newer
Paris is an amazing town for museums, and you don't need to see all of these.
Chien Ping / Google MapsMusée du Louvre
Louvre · 1er
Too big to see in a day, so don't try. Pick two or three things you actually want to stand in front of and leave when you've seen them.
Directions
William Cheng / Google MapsMusée de l'Orangerie
Tuileries · 1er
Monet's waterlilies in two oval rooms built for them. Small enough to do properly in an hour.
Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris
Book tickets †
Directions
Franck Diverd / Google MapsMusée Picasso
Marais · 3e
In a seventeenth-century hôtel particulier, which is half the pleasure. Another one that folds into the Marais walk.
5 Rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris
Book tickets †
Directions
Jérémy Huang-Yau / Google MapsMusée Carnavalet
Marais · 3e
The history of the city itself, and free to enter. The right museum to fold into a Marais walk.
23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris
Directions
Musée des Arts décoratifs / Google MapsMusée des Arts Décoratifs
Louvre · 1er
Furniture, objects and design across centuries. If you like how things are made, this is your one.
107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Directions
Aurelia Cheraiki / Google MapsMusée de Montmartre
Montmartre · 18e
Its gardens look straight onto the vineyard. Fold it into the Montmartre walk rather than making a trip of it.
Directions
Clemence Laurent de Cassini / Google MapsBourse de Commerce
Les Halles · 1er
Contemporary work in a rotunda Tadao Ando rebuilt from the inside. Go for the building as much as the art.
Directions
Stefan Kube / Google MapsPalais de Tokyo
Trocadéro · 16e
Raw, unfinished, often strange, and open late, which makes it a good evening. The restaurant is genuinely good, and it looks straight at the Eiffel Tower.
13 Av. du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris
Directions
Laurent Lieben / Google MapsFondation Cartier
Palais-Royal · 1er
Now on the place du Palais-Royal, in a Jean Nouvel building. One show at a time, done properly.
2 Pl. du Palais Royal, 75001 Paris
Directions
Jean-François Roux / Google MapsGrand Palais
Champs-Élysées · 8e
Great shows when the program is right, under that glass roof. Check what's on before you go.
Directions
Institut suédois / Google MapsInstitut Suédois
Marais · 3e
Free, no booking, and a cute Swedish café in the courtyard called Fika. One of the calmest corners of the Marais.
Directions
One to skip for now
The Centre Pompidou is closed for a major renovation, so don't build a day around it. Parts of the collection are showing elsewhere in the city while the work goes on.
Ticket prices change and exhibitions change faster, so check the official sites before you go. Closing days vary, but most are Monday or Tuesday.
† We earn a commission if you book through these links. It never changes what is in the guide.
Wander
Paris makes more sense on foot
These aren't sightseeing checklists. They're neighborhoods and routes where the walking itself is the point.
Walk one
Montmartre, early
Start earlier than you want to, before the hill fills up. Come out at Abbesses, take rue des Abbesses for the cafés and rue Lepic for the climb, and let the streets pull you gradually uphill.
The route itself is the point, not any single stop along it.
- 01Abbesses, and the long way out of the métro
- 02Rue des Abbesses, for a coffee standing up
- 03Rue Lepic, uphill and to the left
- 04Moulin de la Galette, the old windmill
- 05La Maison Rose, pink on its corner
- 06Clos Montmartre, the vineyard
- 07Sacré-Cœur, and the city underneath it
- 08Down rue des Martyrs on the way home
Photo: Mattia Bericchia / UnsplashWalk two
Le Marais, north to south
Start in the northern Marais and drift south. Eat at the market first, then let the small streets take you down toward Place des Vosges, which is where this walk is actually going.
- 01Marché des Enfants RougesSmall counters, no ceremony. Pick whichever line looks best.Maps
- 02Lunch at Les Enfants du MarchéA counter inside the market. Sit at the bar and order what they tell you.Maps
- 03Sevenly HeartCoffee before you carry on south.Maps
- 04The small streetsNo route here. If you end up somewhere that isn't on this page, you're doing it right.
- 05A museum, if you want oneThree are right on the way, and none of them will take your whole afternoon.Maps
Where the walk ends
Place des Vosges
Don't just walk through it. Sit under the arcades or on the grass for a while.
Red brick on four sides, plane trees and lawn in the middle, arcades all the way round for when it rains. It's the calmest square in the Marais, and most people give it four minutes.
Maps Carette, under the arcades
Walk three
The Seine and the islands
One of the best ways to feel the city is simply moving along the river. No route, no destination. The two islands in the middle of it are small enough that you can't really get it wrong.
Walk the river rather than racing between the landmarks on it.
- 01Notre-Dame, from the outsideBetter at night, from the quay, with the stone lit and the water moving.Maps
- 02Île de la CitéCross it rather than tour it. The quays on either side are the good part.Maps
- 03Île Saint-LouisQuieter than its neighbor, and the better of the two to slow down on.Maps
- 04Berthillon, then back to the waterEat it walking. That's the whole instruction.Maps
If you'd rather ride it than walk it, a Lime along the car-free stretches of riverbank is one of my favorite things to do in the city.
Or picnic at the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Buy lunch on the way in, find a patch of grass, and stay longer than you meant to. On the first warm weekend of the year the whole city is lying on these lawns.
Maps Leave Paris for a day Six day trips, in the order I'd choose them.
Shop
Pharmacies and groceries
Pharmacies
Look for the illuminated green cross. French pharmacies are excellent for everyday medication, skincare and beauty products. If you need something unusually specific, I send people to the large pharmacy underground at Westfield Forum des Halles.
Groceries
Monoprix
My default for groceries plus household things.
Carrefour / Carrefour City
Reliable and everywhere.
Naturalia
Organic, and where I’d go for produce, cheese and wine rather than a full shop.
La Grande Épicerie de Paris
Not where I’d go for cheap groceries. It’s where I’d go because food shopping there is fun.
Weekend
Photo: William Dmytrow / UnsplashThree unhurried days
Day one
Montmartre, slowly uphill
Start with breakfast, then simply wander. Let the streets pull you gradually uphill toward Sacré-Cœur. Don’t aim for the sights; let them find you on the way up.
You’ll pass the old windmill, La Maison Rose and the little vineyard almost by accident. That’s the right way to find them.
Breakfast
Breakfast is usually a small affair here.
Traditionally it’s an espresso, a croissant, and a cigarette if you smoke. Plenty of Parisians do. If you want something more than that, this is where I’d go.
Proper Breton galettes and crêpes, and the right way to start the morning before the hill fills up.
Coffee
The cafés are all great for atmosphere and very easy to find on rue des Abbesses. But if you want really excellent specialty coffee, go to Clove.
Probably my favorite coffee in Montmartre.
Photo: @lisaonophoto · Creative production: @resetlab_ · Art direction: @karlarodce
Photo: @clovecoffeeshop
Photo: Samuel Isaacs / UnsplashAfternoon
Have one proper museum.
My favorite is the Musée d'Orsay. The building is almost as good as the collection.
Probably my favorite major museum in the city. It houses one of the world’s great collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art inside a spectacular former railway station on the Seine.
From Tomáš
If you’d rather have something calm and intimate, go to the Musée Rodin instead. There’s a garden you can sit in.
Come back for sunset
Bring a bottle of Champagne up to Sacré-Cœur.
One of my favorite ways to end a day in Montmartre.
Dinner
Have one great classic French dinner.
Photo: @le_bon_georgesOne of my favorite upscale classic French bistros, and a good introduction to a certain kind of Paris dinner.
Day two
See the city from a different angle
Walk or bike along the Seine.
Just follow the river and let it carry you. There’s nowhere you need to end up.
And if you want to change your view for an hour, there are two good ways to do it. I wouldn’t call either one better.
See it from the water.
The specific Seine cruise I recommend if you want to see the city from the water.
Or see it from above.
The rooftops, the bridges and the river all at once.
Photo: Pascal Bernardon / UnsplashThe 10th
Walk along the Canal Saint-Martin.
Worth it simply for the walk. Then, if you can, dinner nearby.
Photo: Pascal Bernardon / Unsplash
Currently one of my favorite tables in the city.
Great food, natural wine, good service.
Photo: Early June
That night
Walk past Notre-Dame at night.
Later that night
The tower sparkles for five minutes, on the hour, after dark.
Don't watch it from underneath. It's much better with a little distance.
Day three
The Marais, slowly
By now you have your bearings, so this day is looser than the two before it on purpose.
Start at the Marché des Enfants Rouges, then wander south through the Marais toward Place des Vosges. Everything in between is the day.
Lunch at the market, whenever you get hungry.
Photo: Ville de ParisSmall counters, no ceremony. Pick whichever line looks best. If you’re hungry, get a stool at Les Enfants du Marché.
Then simply wander.
A wander, not an itinerary. Get a falafel sandwich, and if it turns cold, stop for a hot chocolate. If you want coffee, Sevenly Heart is on the way.
End up at Place des Vosges.
Sit down for a while before you go anywhere. It’s the calmest square in the city.
From Tomáš
There’s no route here. If you end up somewhere that isn’t on this page, you’re doing it right.
A few more of mine
Places I keep coming back to
A hidden-feeling place I love more for the atmosphere than the food. A beautiful garden where chickens wander among the outdoor tables, a chic restaurant inside, and a cocktail bar downstairs.
My favorite natural wine bar in the city. Small, busy, natural wine, small plates.
A Montmartre restaurant I like a lot. Good food, and it happens to have natural wine too.
Some of these came to me from friends. The chain of recommendation is part of the charm.
Day trip
Six, edited down
Sometimes the best thing to do in Paris is leave it for a day.
But only if it earns the day. You have a limited number of them, and Paris isn't finished with you. These six are the ones I think are worth the train, in the order I'd choose them.
Best first day trip
Versailles
It's the one that's genuinely unlike anything in the city, and the gardens are the reason to go rather than the state rooms. Go early, walk out to the Trianon and the Hameau de la Reine, and let the crowd stay behind you at the palace.
If you only leave Paris once, leave it for this.
| Best for | First-timers, gardens, anyone traveling with kids |
|---|---|
| Travel time | About 45 minutes each way · RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche |
| Getting in | Check the site. The Passport ticket covers palace, Trianon and gardens |
| How much of a day | All of it. Leave in the morning, come back for dinner |
| Booking | Yes. Timed entry, and it sells out. |
| When | Closed Mondays. The fountains run on set days in season, so check before you pick your date |
Official site Book tickets †Google Maps
Photo: Richard Hedrick / UnsplashBest for art
Giverny
Monet's house and garden, and the pond he painted for thirty years. If you go to the Orsay and love what you see there, this is the same story with the paint still wet. You're standing in the subject.
Go in the morning, before the coaches.
| Best for | Painters, gardeners, anyone who lingers in the Impressionist rooms |
|---|---|
| Travel time | Around 1 hour 15 each way · Saint-Lazare to Vernon, then the shuttle or a bike |
| Getting in | Train plus one admission for the house and gardens |
| How much of a day | Most of it, though you could be back by late afternoon |
| Booking | Yes, timed entry, and it's worth doing. |
| When | Seasonal, roughly April to November. The waterlilies are a summer thing |
Best for wine
Reims / Champagne
Forty-five minutes on the TGV and you're in the chalk cellars. Book one big house for the spectacle of it and one small grower for the wine you'll actually remember, have lunch between them, and don't try to fit in a third.
The fastest way out of Paris, and the one you'll be happiest on the train home from.
| Best for | Anyone who drinks wine seriously, or wants one indulgent day |
|---|---|
| Travel time | About 45 minutes each way · TGV from Gare de l'Est |
| Getting in | Cheaper if you book the TGV early. Tastings vary a lot by house |
| How much of a day | All of it, and you won't want to do much that evening |
| Booking | Everything. Cellar visits, the train, and lunch. Small growers often need weeks |
| When | Any time of year. Harvest in September is the most alive, and the hardest to book |
Best short trip
Chantilly
Twenty-five minutes out of Gare du Nord and you get a château on a lake, a Le Nôtre park, the Grandes Écuries, and the Musée Condé, which holds one of the best collections of old master paintings in France outside the Louvre, hung the way its owner left it rather than the way a curator would.
The most you'll get for the least travel. And yes, have the crème Chantilly where it was named.
Photo: Grant van Cleemput / Unsplash| Best for | Paintings, horses, anyone short on time |
|---|---|
| Travel time | About 25 minutes on the train · Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux, then a walk or shuttle to the gates |
| Getting in | One Domaine ticket covers château, park and stables |
| How much of a day | Half a day is honest, a full one if you walk the park |
| Booking | No need. Buy online to skip the line |
| When | Spring or autumn for the park. Check the closing day before you commit |
Best escape into nature
Fontainebleau
A château that's arguably more interesting than Versailles and a great forest wrapped around it: sandstone boulders, sand paths, climbers on the rocks. Do the palace in the morning and spend the afternoon in the trees.
The one to pick if you want air, not lines.
Photo: Mathurin Napoly / Unsplash| Best for | Walkers, climbers, anyone who's had enough of crowds |
|---|---|
| Travel time | About 40 minutes each way · Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon, then a short bus |
| Getting in | Train plus château admission. The forest is free |
| How much of a day | A full day if you walk, an easy half if you only do the château |
| Booking | Not really. Buy the château ticket online and walk in |
| When | Best in autumn. The château closes Tuesdays |
Best quieter alternative
Auvers-sur-Oise
Van Gogh's last two months, and the small room he died in. The wheatfield, the church, the graves. It's a village, not an attraction, and you can walk the whole thing in an afternoon with hardly anyone around.
Quiet and genuinely moving. Not a first choice, but the one I'd send someone back for.
| Best for | Second visits, Van Gogh, walking somewhere with no crowd |
|---|---|
| Travel time | About 1 hour each way · from Gare du Nord or Saint-Lazare, usually with one change |
| Getting in | Train plus a small charge at the Auberge Ravoux. Most of the village is free |
| How much of a day | Half a day is enough. Go after a late breakfast |
| Booking | No. Just check what's open on the day |
| When | Seasonal. Much of the village shuts outside roughly April to October. July for the wheatfields |
Travel times are approximate and ticket prices change, so I've left them off. Check the official sites above before you build a day around one of these.
From Tomáš
On a first trip of three days, I'd stay in the city. Save these for when Paris is no longer new.
† We earn a commission if you book through this link. It never changes what is in the guide.
With kids
One purely fun thing a day
You don’t need to design a completely different trip. I’d just add one thing each day that is purely fun for them.
Jardin du Luxembourg
Great playgrounds, puppet shows and little sailboats on the pond.
Montmartre funicular
Take it instead of making small kids climb the stairs to Sacré-Cœur. It uses the regular Paris transit system.
Seine boat ride
A very easy way to see a lot of Paris without making everyone walk all afternoon. I recommend Vedettes du Pont Neuf.
Ice cream
Berthillon on Île Saint-Louis for the Paris classic. Bachir on rue Rambuteau for Lebanese achta coated in crushed pistachios.
Carousels
You’ll find them all over Paris. Simple, charming and excellent for younger kids.
Rainy day
Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is my strongest rainy-day kid option.
And bring snacks. Paris restaurant schedules do not always align with hungry American children.
Practical
A few things that make Paris easier
The essentials for Paris, from As I Know It, with Tomáš’s own takes marked.
Before you come
Get a local eSIM before you fly
If your phone is unlocked, install an eSIM before you leave home. Then you can turn it on when you land and immediately have Maps, WhatsApp and internet.
You may not need one if your international plan already includes a travel package. But those packages cap your data and throttle the speed once you pass the cap, so check what you actually get before you rely on it for a week.
Ubigi Our pick France plan: 10 GB / 30 days, €10 as of September 2026. For most people visiting Paris for a week, that’s plenty. Ubigi ↗
Airalo Another easy option. Its France plans are sold as unlimited data by the day, from €10 for three days to €52.50 for thirty. Worth it if you would rather not count gigabytes. More expensive than Ubigi if you do. Airalo ↗
Holafly Also unlimited, and also priced by the day: €11.37 for three days, €25.50 for a week, €68.90 for a month. Airalo works out cheaper at every length we checked, so compare the two before you buy. Holafly ↗
Tomáš’s take
I’d buy 10 GB from Ubigi and be done with it.
Prices checked September 2026.
Bring a plug adapter
France uses Type C and E plugs and 230V electricity. Most modern phone, tablet and laptop chargers already accept European voltage, so Americans usually just need a plug adapter rather than a voltage converter. Check the voltage label before plugging in things like hair dryers or styling tools.
Download these apps before you arrive
Île-de-France Mobilités For Metro, RER and bus tickets. Install it before you fly. Downloading an app underground, with no signal and no eSIM yet, is a worse way to start the trip.
Google Maps For walking directions, opening hours and all the places in this guide.
Lime Electric bike share, and my preferred way to get around Paris.
Uber Works the way it does everywhere, and can hail a licensed Paris taxi as well as a private car.
Bolt The European competitor, also with Paris taxis in the app. Have both, since prices vary between them.
Book in advance
Paris is better if you don’t schedule every hour, and most of it doesn’t need a reservation.
A few weeks before
- The one or two dinners you really care about
- Major temporary exhibitions
- Versailles or the Louvre, if your dates are fixed
A few days before
- Which days your places and museums are closed
- The weather
- Save the spots you actually want to reach
Don’t plan
- wandering Montmartre
- the Marais
- Canal Saint-Martin
- walking or biking along the Seine
- Champagne at Sacré-Cœur
Everything else you can decide on the morning of.
If you want an apartment, book it earlier than feels necessary. Paris caps short-term rentals of a primary residence at 90 nights a year, so the good ones go fast.
As I Know It suggests
Somewhere to leave your bags
The gap between checkout and a late train is the worst part of a short trip. Left luggage can be booked online, by the day. Bounce
Same price as going direct. Checked 6 September 2026.
As I Know It suggests
Tickets, if you know what you want to see
If you already know the big places you want, tickets are worth booking ahead in busy months, and skip-the-line tickets are usually worth it in summer. Compare the price with the attraction’s own site first. Tiqets
Cheaper than going direct. Checked 8 September 2026.
Sundays and Mondays
Paris does not run on a completely predictable seven-day schedule. Independent shops and restaurants frequently close Sunday, Monday, or both. Museums often close Monday or Tuesday. Check Google Maps before crossing town for somewhere specific.
Staying safe
Watch your phone
Paris is generally safe, but phone and wallet theft happens, particularly on crowded Metro trains and around major tourist sites. Don’t leave your phone sitting at the edge of an outdoor café table. On crowded trains, especially near the doors, know where your phone and wallet are.
Emergency: 112
Free from any phone, in any EU country.
From the airport
The taxi line is outside, and signposted
After baggage claim, follow the official taxi signs and taxi line.
Paris taxis have fixed airport fares. Which fare you pay depends on whether your destination is on the Right Bank or Left Bank.
| Airport | Right Bank | Left Bank |
|---|---|---|
| CDG | €56 | €65 |
| Orly | €45 | €36 |
Montmartre, the 9th, the Marais and the Louvre are on the Right Bank. Saint-Germain, the Latin Quarter and the Eiffel Tower are on the Left Bank.
These are official fixed fares for direct Paris-airport taxi journeys. Service Public ↗
Tomáš’s take
After a long overnight flight, I’d usually just take the official taxi.
Fares checked August 2026.
Nobody official approaches you
Don’t accept a ride from anyone who approaches you in the terminal claiming to be a taxi driver. Real drivers wait in the line.
Public transportation from the airport
If you’re traveling light, this is much cheaper.
| CDG → Paris | RER B |
|---|---|
| Orly → Paris | Metro 14 |
The Paris Region ↔ Airports ticket costs €14 in 2026. Île-de-France Mobilités ↗
Use Île-de-France Mobilités or Google Maps for the actual route to your hotel rather than memorizing transfers.
As I Know It suggests
A booked car, if you’d rather
Public transport is often cheaper. A booked transfer is worth it with luggage, small children, or a late arrival. Welcome Pickups
Same price as going direct. Checked 6 September 2026.
Getting around
Walk. My first choice
Tomáš’s take
My first choice. Paris is compact, and a lot of the best parts happen between wherever you thought you were going. If somewhere is 20–30 minutes away, I often just walk.
Metro + RER
For longer distances, the Metro is usually easiest. In 2026:
| Metro / Train / RER | €2.55 |
|---|---|
| Bus / Tram | €2.05 |
| Airport transit | €14 |
The Paris Metro doesn’t yet let you tap in with your bank card. Buy one-way tickets in the Île-de-France Mobilités app instead, and install it before you arrive. Downloading an app underground, with no signal and no eSIM yet, is a worse way to start the trip.
You can buy tickets using the Île-de-France Mobilités app and load them onto a compatible phone.
The old €2.15 ticket and carnet of 10 advice you may see online is outdated. The system changed.
Fares checked August 2026.
Lime bikes
Tomáš’s take
This is what I prefer. One of my favorite things to do is bike along the Seine, particularly the stretches of riverbank without cars.
The electric bikes are easy for spontaneous short rides, and you leave them wherever you finish rather than hunting for a docking station. Rates and passes change, so check the app before unlocking.
Uber + Bolt
Useful late at night, when you’re tired, dressed up, carrying things, or simply don’t want another Metro ride. Check Uber ↗ and Bolt ↗ and compare.
Bolt is the European one. Neither is reliably cheaper than the other, so check both before you book. Both can also hail a licensed Paris taxi through the app.
Both work from CDG and Orly too, but airport pickup can be less convenient than walking straight to the official taxi line, and it isn’t reliably cheaper.
And remember: driving across Paris is often slower than taking the Metro.
Keep the bag that matters at your seat
Luggage theft on French trains is common enough that SNCF itself tells passengers to stay vigilant, especially in summer. Bags travel unchecked and at your own risk, so keep the one that matters at your seat. Locking a bigger bag to the rack is allowed, as long as it stays in the luggage spaces and doesn’t block anyone else’s, and a small tracker inside is cheap insurance.
Eating and drinking
Paris eats on Paris time
| Lunch | Generally noon to 2:30pm |
|---|---|
| Dinner | Usually from around 7:30pm |
Don't assume that because Google says a restaurant is open until 11pm you can show up at 10:45pm for dinner. The kitchen may have stopped taking orders long before the doors close.
When it matters, check the restaurant's own site or Instagram as well as Google Maps.
A lot of kitchens close between lunch and dinner. If you're hungry mid-afternoon, look for:
Service continu It means the kitchen serves right through the afternoon. Otherwise, find a boulangerie.
And don't rush a good meal. Lunch or dinner with friends can easily stretch to a couple of hours. That's part of the pleasure of eating here.
Tap water is fine
Paris tap water is safe to drink. At a restaurant, ask for:
Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît.
| Une carafe d’eau | Free tap water |
|---|---|
| Eau plate | Still bottled water |
| Eau gazeuse | Sparkling bottled water |
Ordering a carafe d’eau is completely normal.
Service is already included
Restaurant and café prices already include service. You do not need to add 20% the way you would in the United States.
Tomáš’s take
If the service was good, I usually round up or leave a few euros. It’s appreciated, not obligatory.
Money
Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, in bakeries and for a single coffee. You don't need to carry much cash.
A small amount is still worth having: the odd market stall, a boulangerie with a card minimum, a tip you want to leave in coins. Use a bank ATM rather than the standalone machines in tourist areas.
If a card machine offers to charge you in dollars instead of euros, decline. Always pay in euros and let your own bank do the conversion.
As I Know It suggests
Sort your money before the airport
Airport exchange desks and your own bank’s foreign rate are two of the most expensive ways to pay abroad. A travel card charges the real exchange rate plus a small published fee, and the physical card costs a few dollars to order. Wise
Same price as going direct. Checked 6 September 2026.
Language and culture
You don’t need to speak French. But there is one rule worth knowing:
Say hello before asking for something.
Bonjour, or bonsoir after dark, is expected when you walk into a shop or a restaurant, said to anyone you see rather than just whoever’s serving you.
Au revoir matters just as much on the way out.
| Bonjour | Hello / good day |
|---|---|
| Bonsoir | Good evening |
| Au revoir | Goodbye, on the way out |
| Excusez-moi | Excuse me, if you’re interrupting someone |
| S’il vous plaît | Please |
| Merci | Thank you |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît | The check, please |
| Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît | A carafe of tap water, please |
English is widely spoken in central Paris, but starting with bonjour goes a surprisingly long way.
Don’t optimize Paris too much.
Tomáš’s take
Pick a few things you really want to see. Book the things that actually need booking. Then leave enough empty space to walk somewhere, sit somewhere, have another glass of wine, or change your mind.
That’s usually when Paris gets good.
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Cards are the most common way to pay, and most card payments are contactless, so expect to tap your card or phone for everyday purchases. Keep a little cash anyway: shops have to accept euro cash but may refuse cards, so a few small shops and market stalls take cash only or set a card minimum, which they must post. Menu prices already include service, so no service charge is added to the bill; a tip is up to you, and rounding up is plenty. If a card machine or an ATM offers to charge you in your home currency instead of euros, decline, and let your own bank do the conversion. At an ATM, read the fee on the screen before you confirm.
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