There’s simply nothing like Paris. We’re often asked about our trip so I created this guide to share some tips.
This is intended to jump start trip planning and is not an exhaustive guide to every site in Paris. I’ve focused on planning and prep, providing detailed tips about booking and visiting popular sites (with links to the official web sites) and highlighting issues to look out for.
For context: Tom and I had been to Paris twice but many years ago (1993, 2000). We returned in 2024 with my parents for their first visit.
Shout out to our friend Judy, who has lived in Paris for over a decade, for insider suggestions before our trip!
Determine your “must see” sites.
Web sites and social media are helpful tools but don’t overlook the efficiency of a good guidebook.
Flipping through a book can be the fastest way to learn the key elements of a location and what looks interesting to you. With so many disjointed sources of travel research available – web sites, social, video – a book can cut through the overwhelming clutter.
I seldom take the actual book with me – it’s all about that initial prep. Guidebook styles vary so it comes down to personal preference which works.
DK guides are a go-to: visually focused, with plenty of photos and detailed museum/castle diagrams and area maps. The DK Paris Top 10 is often all that is needed for a short trip (the full DK Paris is worthwhile also).
Rick Steves’ has been laser-focused on Europe for decades so his books really have it down to a science. Rick Steves Pocket Paris fits all the essentials into a small format. For most trips this is sufficient but there’s also a full Rick Steves Paris guide.
Forums can be a good source of very current info or conditions: TripAdvisor’s Paris Forum and Reddit’s ParisTravelGuide. In general I feel that the posters on TripAdvisor and Reddit can lean a bit too cautious – i.e. overly worried about pickpockets on the Paris metro or afraid of driving a twisty mountain road in Ireland – but there’s still useful info there.
It would take weeks, months, years (or several lifetimes) to see everything in Paris so allow time for ample research and be selective in your focus.
Determine how many days to spend.
Once you have your “must see” sites, assume each major thing will take half a day and plan on doing one of these per day.
Then choose flexible secondary options to slot in around them, noting which are more important than others, can be skipped, and are grouped nearby.
Sure, you can cram more in, and we often do, but don’t discount the time involved in getting around, waiting in line, or not having room to pivot to something interesting because you’ve packed the day tight.
For our trip the “must see” items were: Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, boat cruise on the Seine, and Versailles.
The secondary items were: Bus tour (“Hop-On Hop-Off”), Sacré-Cœur (+ climb to the top), Arc de Triomphe (+ climb to the top), Galleries LaFayette (dome inside and rooftop view).
We decided on four full days, not including arrival and departure days. Three in Paris with a day for Versailles allowed us to see the major sites without being overwhelmed.
I planned an itinerary with plenty of open space in case my folks wanted to take a break, and Tom and I had things to do if they were taking it easy.
But this type of schedule for a short trip to Paris would work for anyone – plan the big stuff ahead and freeform the rest:
Day 0: Arrival; settle into lodging, dinner
Day 1: Eiffel Tower
Day 2: Louvre
Day 3: Open Day
Day 4: Versailles
Day 5: Flight out
Determine if sites need to be booked ahead.
This gets the biggest reaction when I mention it – eye rolls with “no way am I scheduling my vacation like that”. Unfortunately this is reality for many places now, not just Paris.
Most major sites offer booking a day and time slot ahead. This can be a helpful option to avoid standing in line for hours… or may be the only way to get in during busy seasons.
This wasn’t something we’d dealt with on prior trips to Paris and it added complexity to the planning. There aren’t “skip the line” tickets, you’re just booking a 30-minute entry slot.
Look into this early in the planning process as reservations can open months in advance and can sell out, potentially in minutes.
During the summer this is probably needed but I’m not sure for shoulder-season (our trip was late Sept.), and probably not in off-season.
We booked tickets ahead for: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Versailles. Eiffel Tower was hard, like getting tickets for a concert. I got those at 60 days out and was able to get Louvre and Versailles at the same time.
Book directly with the official sites (links under each section below). In my research it seemed tickets from sites like Viator or Get Your Guide cost more but you weren’t getting anything more than an entry ticket.
Paris Museum Pass, City Pass etc – There are passes that offer entrance to multiple sites for one price. I’d determined we weren’t staying long enough or doing enough to make a pass worthwhile but you might want to crunch the numbers for your trip. And you still need to reserve time slots even with a pass.
Choose Lodging.
It helps to have an idea of what places you’ll visit in order to pick a location that is central, but it’s not necessary. Things to consider:
Hotel or Apartment? Hotels offer ease of check in, might offer amenities or services, and won’t have the fees associated with rentals. Apartments offer more space and feel more like you live there. One thing that stood out in my research is that eating in your hotel room in Paris is frowned upon.
Proximity to a metro stop (unless you’re only taking taxis) and/or in walking distance to a few sites. Check if the lines served by the nearest metro stops get you where you want to go easily – that’s not always the case.
And while you can save money or get a larger apartment by staying outside the main city you’ll lose precious time traveling in every day.
What floor? is there an elevator? The first floor in Paris is what we’d call the second in the U.S. and there might not be an elevator. You might be fine chugging up 5 flights every day but remember you’ll have to get your luggage up and down too. Descriptions can be inconsistent about stating this.
Do you require air conditioning? Because it’s not a given in Paris, or Europe in general.
What we choose and why. We rented an apartment through VRBO (have been using this for decades, long before AirBnB existed, but that would be fine too). While the apartment wasn’t perfect it was quite good for our needs.
We wanted to eat breakfast and some light food so having a fridge with a dining table was important. There might be times my folks need to take a break and come back for a few hours. So for us, an apartment was key.
Our must-haves were two bedroom, two baths, first floor or an elevator, and air conditioning in case a heat wave hit (like it had done the prior September – Mom wasn’t having that!).
Meeting these specs was harder than it sounds and to simplify the process we whipped up a simple spreadsheet to narrow down pro/cons of the options.
The amenities and layout/decor also varied wildly. The apartment we decided on even had a rooftop terrace with a view of the Eiffel Tower in one direction and Sacré-Cœur in the other:
Tips for Visiting Paris Sites
These are the places we visited on our last trip, obviously there’s a ton more to do in Paris. This info could change at anytime but was current to our trip in September 2024.
Eiffel Tower
Factor half a day to visit the Eiffel Tower: travel there, wait in line to go through security, wait for the elevators to visit each level, walk around the tower for views, check out the shops, wander the grounds.
Decide on which level to go up to, and by stairs, elevator, or both. There’s a variety of combos and price points described on the ticket page. You can elevator up to 3 but walk down from the 2nd, etc.
Some people suggest you only need to go up to the 2nd level as you’re closer to see the sites all around. Or that it’s best to come down using the stairs to get the full experience of being in the tower.
We took the elevator to the very top (3rd), elevator down to 2nd, then the elevator back to ground level. Since we were with my folks we weren’t looking to do stairs.
My two cents: Go to the tippy top 3rd level and do the rest on the way down, especially if you’ve never been. It’s cool! If budget or ticket availability keeps you to 2nd level (photo below), you’re still getting an amazing time.
And even if you can only see it from the ground that’s still awesome… you are in Paris at the Eiffel Tower – life is good!
Are the elevator or stairs scary? Not unless you have a really extreme fear of heights or elevators. My Mom isn’t a fan of enormous elevators and it didn’t bother her. You’re never close to any edge, anywhere.
The elevator was packed but I lucked out and was up against the glass and could see the intricate metalwork and the stairs in the interior of the tower.
Book ahead? If you’ve never been or are traveling in high season it’s worth locking in a time. This was likely my parents only visit to Paris and I didn’t want them to miss the Eiffel Tower – or tire out waiting awhile in line.
You do give up the freedom of going whenever and you’re stuck with your time slot even if the visibility is poor.
However, we were there well out of the busy season and probably could have walked up and got them (I didn’t notice much of a line). If we weren’t traveling with first-time visitors that’s what we would have done.
Get tickets on the official website. Tickets are also available on travel sites like Get Your Guide or Viator but you’ll pay more for just an entrance ticket. These sites are normally fine when booking tours but a waste for entrance tickets for Paris sites – unless the official site is sold out.
Tickets and info: Official Eiffel Tower website. Opening hours, open status (weather can close the top), current waiting time, interactive map for each level, and historical background about the tower. Worth spending time on here.
Tips for booking Eiffel Tower tickets. A portion of available tickets open up 60 days out, then another block within a few weeks of your date, and there should be some held for walk-up tickets too.
I’d gone through the site’s ticket process up until check-out to see how it worked and how fast tickets got snapped up. Even with planning and prep I still made mistakes – so now you don’t have to:
- Tickets open up 60 days at 12:00am – Paris time.
- Example: For a visit on Sept. 22, use a search engine: “what is 60 days before Sept. 22” to find that is July 24th.
- But: 12:00am on July 24th in Paris = 6:00pm July 23rd in the U.S (eastern time, adjust accordingly; also factor in daylight savings).
- That time difference is what tripped me up. I calculated I could buy them on July 24th and went to get tickets at 6pm – only to realize now it was really 12am July 25th in Paris and the tickets had been on sale for a day and there were few time slots left. Uuuugh.
- Change your computer/mobile timezone to Paris in order for tickets to show as available; they might not show otherwise. So, at 6:00pm on July 23rd set your computer/mobile timezone to Paris and voilà! you can buy tickets for Sept 22.
- Have multiple credit cards ready to try. The payment system uses “3D verify” which many U.S. cards don’t support. I had to try 2 or 3 before one was accepted. The website has been improved since we booked but the process seems to be the same.
- Names must be added to the tickets and are non-changeable.
Booked up? If you can’t get your preferred level / time slot, an option is to spring for the pricier champagne tickets and sip a little bubbly on the top level (cheesy but fun!). Or try for reservations at the Jules Verne restaurant – tower entrance is included. Sites like Get Your Guide or Viator may still have tickets (for a higher price).
From the Eiffel tower the Arc de Triomphe can be seen with Paris sprawled behind it. Note how roads lead out from the arc in all directions like spokes on a wheel:
Detailed metal work is visible while looking up into the tower while standing under the center.
For the best shot OF the tower: Cross the road toward the Trocodero to get further back to get it all in without using wide angle (that’s the nighttime photo at the top of the page).
The Louvre
Factor half a day for a visit to the Louvre: travel there, wait in entrance line, walk around the museum, check out the gift shop, walk around the exterior and Pyramid. The Louvre is CLOSED on Tuesdays.
The Louvre is impressive even if you aren’t into art or museums. BUT if you really aren’t into either, don’t feel obligated just because it’s a top attraction. Why wander around bored when there is so much to do in Paris?
Spend some time on the Louvre web site. In addition to tickets, it has all the info to plan your day, including when certain galleries will be closed. View the museum’s brochure ahead for floor plans of each level plus the locations of major pieces.
The interactive map has the location of every piece in the museum. This can be used as a locator while there with some success but we felt using the brochure was easier.
Look for a brochure after descending into the lobby – we didn’t think to do that and had to find one later. There’s plenty of signage throughout and all rooms (salles) are numbered.
Getting tickets for the Louvre. I’ve read that tickets are supposed to be bookable 60 days ahead but the website doesn’t offer this info, and in just checking the site now I could book about 3.5 months from today… so start looking well before and see what is open.
The Louvre site rejected several of my credit cards at first too, but I was able to snag the first slot at 9:00am (your results might vary in high season).
Tickets and info: Official Louvre website.
Wing it or Plan it? Most will be happy hitting the main popular stuff and wandering around. But if you’re an art enthusiast or want to see particular pieces it’s worthwhile look at the map a bit before arriving.
Tip for fellow over-planners: As a graphic designer I’m very into art and love museums in general – so I took my planning a smidge further.
For most people this is total overkill BUT we saw every single piece of art that we wanted to – without wandering aimlessly, backtracking, or making my folks wait for us at our meet-up time:
I downloaded the PDF of the brochure, cropped it to the floor maps I needed and sized to print out. Using the interactive map to find the numbered room (salle) for each piece, I marked red dots on the paper map. It was easy to see how to ‘connect the dots’ and plan an efficient route.
Our Visit. There was already people in line when we arrived at 8:30am for our 9:00am time slot. Then a line was set up for 9:30 entry, and another that might have been 10am or walkups, unsure.
Enter the glass pyramid to go through security and take escalators down to the lobby level. From here the Denon, Sully, and Richelieu wings branch off.
People make a beeline for Mona Lisa so they can see it without crowds. It was located in Salle 711 (as of our visit, but there are renovation plans to move her into a room of her own).
In the lower lobby there were big staircases ahead but I spotted an elevator so steered my folks to that – just walking around the museum would be tiring enough for them.
We popped out of the elevator and didn’t know which direction to go until a guard motioned us to a doorway. This turned out to be the exit for Mona so we’d accidentally gotten ahead of everyone trying so hard to get there first (oops!).
Oddly, while it’s not a large canvas, I remembered it as being smaller. It was nice having her to ourselves, if for only a moment, until the room filled up like this:
After this we set a time to meet back up at the gift shop outside Mona. My folks meandered through the halls while Tom and I set off on our Plan.
We mainly took photos of the incredible spaces and not the art (a souvenir book is better if you want a nice record of the art).
Some paintings are just massive and need to be appreciated in person. Many people get annoyed when there are people in their photos but they can add scale and interest to the composition:
This is Jacques-Louis David’s “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine on December 2, 1804“. Fun Fact: You might experience déjà vu at Versailles – David’s copy of the Coronation hangs there.
There’s so much to see – total sensory overload. In some rooms the paintings are stacked to the ceiling. This “salon style” originated in 17th century France and differs from “museum style” rows of paintings at eye-level.
The Louvre has lots of sculpture in addition to paintings. The famous “Winged Victory of Samothrace” sits at the top of the Daru staircase.
After spending the entire morning soaking in the Louvre we enjoyed a delicious splurgy lunch at Angelina’s, located in the Richelieu wing of the museum.
Across the road from the Louvre a smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe (du Carrousel) kicks off the Tuileries Garden. This stretches from the Louvre towards Place de la Concorde and is a pleasant stroll after visiting the museum.
Seine Boat Cruise
A relaxing way to see many major sights from a different perspective or a low-energy activity to do on arrival day.
There are multiple boat companies, each launching from a few different points along the Seine. They all do basically the same 1-hour route, looping back to the launch. Usually there is open top seating on the upper level and the lower level has big windows. Batobus offers an option with stops to hop on and off.
I researched the different companies, weighing which start point was best, and looked at reviews – there were some with better than others.
We went with Vedettes du Pont Neuf, located under the Pont Neuf bridge and it was good, no complaints. A Pont Neuf start location worked better for us but there are several companies that start at Eiffel and another mid-way.
Tickets can be booked ahead but it’s not needed (though you’ll save some money). We walked up and got tickets.
Day vs Night Cruise? The buildings can be seen in detail during the day while at night the city is lit up with the romantic sparkle of Paris.
We did the day cruise this time and the night one years ago and it’s hard to recommend one over the other. I’m glad we’ve done both. If you’re going for a mood, then do nighttime. If you’re more interested seeing detail in the sites, go daytime. Got time? Do ’em both!
Lunch/dinner cruise? I’d ruled this out as an option for us early on. I wanted to focus on the sites and photos and not fuss with a meal.
Night Cruise + Eiffel Tower Sparkle. Every evening the tower sparkles for 5 minutes at the top of the hour once it’s dark enough (8 or 9pm). A few boats per hour will be in front of the tower when this is happening and people try to book those.
If you can get that boat, cool, but in my opinion it’s better to just be on the ground in front of the tower instead of jockeying for photo position on the boat. Again, you’ll want to be across the road at the Trocadero to fit the whole tower in your shot.
Sacré-Cœur
The Catholic basilica perched on the top of a hill in Montmartre offers yet another viewpoint of the city. Check out the church interior, climb the steps up into the dome, and hang out on the steps in front of the church.
Entry is free and you can’t book ahead. There was a brief line through security bag check but it moved quickly.
Head into the church and make a circuit around. There are a variety of votive candles if you’re inclined to light one (they take credit cards!).
Climb to the top. This was so cool but not something everyone will want to do (my folks did not!). While we’d been to Sacré-Cœur before, I didn’t realize the dome could be climbed (or maybe it wasn’t an option before).
Info: Official Sacré-Cœur website.
For dome access, exit the church and turn to the right and head right again down the side of the building (still within the secure area). Pay the fee and start climbing steps up into the dome for a different perspective over the city.
Arc de Triomphe
The iconic arch sits in a roundabout. Climb to the top and see how the roads lead out from it like spokes in a wheel.
We hopped off our bus for pictures of the Arc. Find the stairs for the pedestrian tunnel that goes UNDER the roundabout to get to the base of the arch.
People didn’t realize that and were running across multiple lanes of traffic like they were playing an insane game of real life Frogger. Yikes.
While we’d also been to the Arc before we had never climbed to the top for a reason I cannot fathom (no time? didn’t know about it?). Time to remedy this glaring oversight.
Tickets are available ahead but we didn’t do that. There was a line in the afternoon but not as much when just Tom and I came back another evening (my folks didn’t want to go up).
Info: Official Arc de Triomphe website and interactive panorama.
We climbed the 284 narrow winding stairs up to the top. There is an elevator but it’s only “for for those who need it” as per the website. I never could nail down the criteria for that but I’m sure my folks could have taken it if they wanted to go up (this was the last stop of the day and they were ready to relax!).
At the top inside are displays about the monument and a walkway outside circuits the top for 360° views over the city.
The photo of the Eiffel Tower at the very top of this page was taken from the Arc. The photo below is looking down the Champs-Élysées towards the Louvre at the far end:
Notre Dame
Catholic church built in the 12th century. This is open after being closed for renovation after the 2019 fire. On our visit it was still fenced off with scaffolding around it so we hopped off the HOHO bus and walked over for a few exterior photos and also passed by it on the Seine cruise.
Timed entry tickets (free) are available if you want to make sure you get in and not have to wait in line. Tickets can be reserved 1 or 2 days before or on the day of, in 15-min increments.
My current online research on this (it doesn’t state it on the Notre Dame website) shows that time slots become available at midnight Paris time for 2 days ahead and then same day slots 4 hours in advance.
Which is a lot to keep track of while on vacation and who wants to wake up at 5am to get tickets for a 9am slot? But if this is high on your list, it’s worth trying.
Info: Official Notre Dame website; and a detailed Guide to the Reopening of Notre Dame with ticket and visit specifics.
We’d been to the top on a prior trip and it was amazing to be up there with the gargoyles. The bell towers are currently still closed but are tentatively set to reopen in 2025.
Galeries Lafayette
Check out the stained glass dome featured in this enormous shopping complex, then head to the rooftop for another viewpoint over Paris.
Galeries Lafayette wasn’t on my radar until our Paris-based friend suggested it as her folks enjoyed going when they visited her.
The dome hovers over the main display floor but head upstairs for a closer look. Wait your turn to get out on the catwalk (we didn’t feel it was worth waiting).
Continue up to the rooftop for a view of the Eiffel Tower and a huge Paris J’Taime sign. Cross the street for Le Gourmet’s large selection of savory and sweet foods.
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles’ history stretches back to the 1600’s but it is most known as the residence of Louis the XVI and his wife Marie-Antoinette… before the French Revolution took off with their heads!
Day trip. It’s roughly an hour to get there via train or taxi, and at least half a day to explore the palace and some of the grounds (though you can easily do more). We were back in Paris by mid-afternoon and felt we’d covered it well enough.
Opening times. The Palace and the estate of Trianon are CLOSED on Mondays. Check the website as each section has it’s own times.
By taxi. We allowed more time in morning rush hour but we weren’t delayed. You’re dropped off at the front of the palace. We chose to go via taxi because we were with my parents.
By metro. This is relatively straightforward and there is a 10 minute walk to the palace from the metro stop. And be sure to get the proper ticket for the zone Versailles is in. We made that mistake on our other visit… in 1993… back in the dark ages before helpful web sites like existed!!
Tickets. I booked ahead and got the first time slot of the day, 9:00am (they are in 30 min increments). I feel it’s worth booking ahead as long as you’re certain you want to visit.
There are separate lines for ticket holders and without. Going all the way there and waiting in line to find out there’s no tickets left seems like a risk to me.
Get tickets for Versailles ahead or not? Time slots are available 90 days in advance. The calendar shows more ahead but when selected they will state the on sale date.
However, in looking at ticket availability right now, in mid-June, it wasn’t totally booked up: Either Palace-only or Passport tickets were available in the 2 to 5pm range for the next few days and rest of the month. And I could get 9am or any slot for any day in July, through the rest of the 90-day window.
Our two cents: If you want roll up on a whim at 2pm and stand in line for tickets you can probably get in, as well as booking for those slots once you’re in Paris.
But if you want an early time to make the most of your day, I’d book ahead. You may not need to make a decision on that as far out as for Eiffel or Louvre nor should it be the scramble to do it the second they go on sale.
There are multiple ticket options. There is the main Palace, further out is the Trianon Estates, and these are surrounded by the gardens.
There’s also a guided tour of the King’s apartments to add-on, the days that have “musical gardens” cost more, and ticket prices vary in high vs low season. Read through the web site to get familiar with the current options, it’s a bit confusing.
I was happy with our choice of the “Passport” ticket – the whole “Estate of Versailles”: Palace, Grand and Petite Trianon, and gardens. There are ticket checkpoints between the different areas.
We enjoyed both of the Trianon Estates as it was a different architectural style but this is skippable if you need to cut for cost or time.
Tickets and Info: Official Versailles website. Read through the different sections of the estate and what each ticket offers access to; mobile app available with interactive map.
Our visit to Versailles. We arrived well ahead of our 9am tour and only a few people were in line. The building next to the line had bathrooms that were open. There’s security bag check as you enter.
Hall of Mirrors. Like the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, people make a beeline to this very famous room to get photos with no or few people.
People were zooming past us, as expected, but I wasn’t overly concerned – it wasn’t like my folks were going to outrun them anyway! We skimmed past the beginning stuff a bit and then backtracked to see it more fully after seeing the Hall of Mirrors.
The impressive hall is filled with huge mirrors and chandeliers and is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, ending the First World War. The hall is often a shooting location for movies or shows.
There was only a handful of people when we arrived but soon more people filtered in from the next entry slot at 9:30.
Of note… we’ve been traveling long before people did “selfies” every 3 seconds and have been in the creative industry long before “influencers” were a thing… so I am very aware that people often pose for social media or as “content creators”.
But the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles took it up a notch – this was the first time we’ve spotted people in nice outfits with a photographer in tow, staging mini photo shoots. Like selfies on steroids… yowza!
After meandering through the entire chateau, we went outside to the courtyard. Over on the left is the Orangerie which contains orange trees from Portugal, Spain and Italy, lemon trees, palm and pomegranate trees – some more than 200 years old.
Ahead is a large fountain with the grand canal stretching out beyond.
Getting around the grounds of Versailles. The estate is vast. Consider paying for the Little Train (tram car that stops at a few key areas), bike or golf cart rental to explore the grounds beyond the fountain.
We rented a golf cart. This was a great way to take my folks through the gardens and out to the Grand and Petite Trianon estates. There is more flexibility to stop as you please opposed to the Little Train.
Currently the cart rental is €42 an hour with a 1-hour minimum (you pay for your time at the end), driver license required, and it’s off on the left in the courtyard. We had it for 2 hours (it went quick).
Carts hold four people, with two seats facing back. The speed is limited and allowed areas are geo-fenced. Make a wrong turn and the cart slowly comes to a stop and you’ll need to back up.
Language Tips
Don’t expect to be fluent in time for your trip unless you’re a whiz at learning languages. Even if we had the right words our pronunciation often wasn’t understood – so they didn’t know what we were saying anyway. Even Emily in Paris had that problem!
Always Start with Bonjour.
Bonjour to the taxi driver, bonjour to the hotel staff, bonjour before ordering anything. Always, everywhere. A simple greeting that means hello or good day.
This formal politeness is expected. They’ll still know you are a tourist (good luck trying to hide that) but at least you are trying.
Bonjour, got it. But do I need to learn French?
Technically, no, but a little goes a long way here. Learn at least a few basic words in addition to bonjour– yes, no, please, thank you, excuse me, basic numbers, how to ask where the restroom is and read basic signs to get around.
Most people you encounter at sites or restaurants will know at least a little but don’t expect them to magically pop into fluent English.
Focus your efforts more on learning food: reading menus and ordering. This is most of what you’ll need French for.
This is especially important if you have food allergies, are vegetarian/vegan, or are just a picky eater.
Google Translate or other translation apps are handy, especially for the grocery store, but they aren’t going to decipher handwritten menu boards outside of cafés and it’s kinda janky to sit there running your phone over the menu. And while you could talk into a translation app for the server – that’s not a good look.
On our very first trip we hardly knew any French… so Tom pointed to what appeared to be a tasty sandwich in the boulangerie case. Once back at the apartment and totally famished, he discovered it was actually salmon and he utterly despises fish. That disappointment is still palpable 30 years later. Don’t let that happen to you!
Duolingo is a popular language app, but…
We practiced with it daily for months and, frankly, don’t think it’s that great a way to prep for a trip.
Getting used to hearing and seeing French words was certainly beneficial, however. And their page with common French phrases and how to pronounce them is helpful. There are plenty of other language apps too.
Getting around Paris
Walking and the metro (subway) is the best way. But consider taxis or ride shares if you aren’t used to subways, are mobility challenged, or really out of shape.
We took my folks around by taxi, and when on our own we walked or used the metro. Buses are also an option but we’ve never used them in Paris.
The Paris Metro.
Apps and online maps make metro route planning a snap plus they provide arrival and departure times. If you aren’t used to riding a subway then it might be a little overwhelming. We find Paris to be similar to the New York City subway.
Crowded. It was relatively full every time, and rush hour was expectedly packed tight.
Elevators are not guaranteed; might still need to walk a bit. Many metro stations have long stairs and may not have elevators. Parisians with this concern normally utilize the bus instead of the metro. Also could be a long walk underground to the train, or the stop is blocks away from where you’re going.
Tickets can be confusing. Individual tickets, Navigo cards, weekly passes… the days of just buying un carnet of paper tickets is basically over. Choosing what is best for a trip can get complex and already changed just a few months after our trip.
What did we use for the metro? We used the Wallet on our iPhones to add a pass (hit + to add to wallet, select Transit Card, and scroll down to France) and then bought individual tickets for the handful of trips we took. There was a bit of a learning curve on the first try but soon got the hang of it and found it really convenient.
Of note: the ticket, pass, or phone is scanned on the reader then you push through a gate or turnstile – but you need to keep the pass handy to scan out as well.
Zones. Most tourist sites are in the main zones and one price, but Versailles and the airports are outside of those. Be mindful of buying the proper ticket or risk getting a fine from an inspector.
These fines are nothing new. On that first trip ages ago we bought the wrong tickets to Versailles but didn’t realize it until our return trip. Inspectors came around and we saw that everyone pulled out a different color ticket than us – uh oh.
We were yelled at in French while we looked at each other with confused faces in flustered embarrassment, and paid our fines.
Felt awful while it was happening but it’s made a fun travel story ever since. If you know us in real life then we’ve likely told you this story, along with the fish sandwich one, and probably more than once.
RATP site for Paris: Official site for metro (subway) / RER (trains); routing app.
Les Frenchies’: Fun, helpful videos explaining tickets; how to use the metro. Great content in general, spend some time here.
Paris By Train: In-depth and updated info on tickets, passes etc.
Paris by Taxi.
A taxi can be more convenient but slower to get around than the metro (we sat in a lot of traffic). Normally we seldom use taxis or ride shares on our travels but this was the best way to take my parents around.
The official taxi service is G7. They have a mobile app that works the same as a ride share (like Uber) and worked well. G7 are the only taxis that can use the bus lane and might save some time in rush hour.
With the G7 app, we could schedule a pick-up ahead, choose a larger vehicle like a van, and select an English-speaking driver. Some vans had accessible options like a step-up which was helpful for Mom. There are surcharges for some of these.
There are other taxi apps such as Heetch and of course Uber works in Paris too. We only used G7 and had a good experience with most rides.
Airport Taxi Rates. These are flat and not metered, and depend on location. Check ahead if your lodging is left or right bank (65€, 56€ respectively in 2025).
Watch for scams. Even though I’d seen warnings about this in forums, and there are signs ALL OVER the airport explaining the fixed pricing and to watch for scammers – I was surprised to have it happen the very first ride at from the official taxi stand at the airport and with an official G7 taxi no less.
Soon after we were on our way I realized the meter showed 65€ instead of 56€. I’d done my prep and knew the apartment was on the right bank but it made me second guess myself.
I pulled out my phone, forced my jet-lagged brain to function and found an airport taxi fare map showing the left and right bank rates on G7’s site.
The driver pointed to 65€ on the meter when we arrived so I showed the map to him. He went off in lightning-fast French while waving his arm around. I have no idea what he said but we paid the correct 56€.
The difference was only 9€ more if I hadn’t caught him (about $9.50 USD) and probably wasn’t worth the stress of me trying to figure it out – but it’s the principal of the matter. And that’s enough for several pain au chocolat!
Cost to tool around Paris via Taxi for 4 days: about $500 USD. Not nearly as pricey as I expected. This was to and from the airport, four days of short trips around the city and round trip out to Versailles, for four adults ordering a larger vehicle ahead.
So 4 days plus the airport half-days comes to about $100 USD per day. Compare that to the second part of our trip where 6 days of car rental in Iceland was $890 USD, or $148 USD per day (you’d never rent a car for a city trip, but just for per day cost comparison).
Taxis for 4 people. Sedan drivers don’t like to take four, they are supposed to, but sometimes won’t. Normally their stuff is piled on the front seat so it’s inconvenient for them.
We even ran into this on our first trip eons ago. We were traveling with two friends and the airport taxis made us take two cars to our lodging.
Even with ordering larger vehicles, like a small van, sometimes there wasn’t much more room than a car. Tom would sit up with the driver (always awkward) and I was in the back seat with my folks.
Issues getting taxis. It was no problem to book a taxi to the apartment but once out and about we had a few minor hiccups.
After our Seine Cruise we were on a major road but not really near anything so waited awhile before anything popped up on the G7 app. We also waited a long time at Versailles for anything to show up (and then it started raining). The driver who finally came kept missing directions on their GPS on the way back.
There is an area right in front of the Louvre Pyramid where taxis wait so walked to that instead of trying to order. But the first cars refused to take us, probably because it’d be a short trip to the apartment. Not sure. Only after I pointed to my parents with a “ma mère, mon père!” did we get one to finally relent.
Address Tip. Add your hotel or apartment address in the taxi app ahead of time. And it might be handy to have the address easily available to show to a driver when using a taxi stand.
We were staying at an apartment instead of a hotel that we could just name, so I’d printed the address and nearest cross streets on a slip of paper (and tucked several in my wallet) instead of trying to say it. Unsure if this was helpful or looked odd but it was easier for me.
Hop-on Hop-Off Bus Tour.
This can be a good light activity to do on arrival or for a break during the day. However, we don’t think they are a must do.
Large cities offer bus tours that pass most major sites with stops near many of them. The idea is you can “hop-off” and see the Eiffel Tower then “hop-on” to ride to the next stop.
Who you callin’ a HOHO? Sometimes I’ll forget and use the abbreviation for the “Hop On Hop Off” bus when discussing travel with someone and get a confused pause and an “excuse me?”.
But they are also a low-effort way to tour the city in about 2 hours if you don’t get off at any stops. If we’re arriving early morning we may drop our bags, fuel up with triple-shot caramel macchiato, then ride the HOHO around without getting off.
Over the years we’ve done HOHOs a handful of times – Paris, London, and Dublin.
There are a few downsides. They sit in traffic and can be slow and crowded. Snagging a spot on the top level is best, it’s harder to see from the lower level. The bus is often packed when you get on, but seats up top usually open up at stops but that requires you to pay attention and scoot up there.
You’ll need to get off the bus in order to see a site well, and you might need to still walk a bit over to the site anyway.
The next bus arrived quickly when we hopped off for photos of Notre Dame, so that wasn’t an issue but doing that many times will add up on the 2-hour route. Factor that into your itinerary. It might be faster to walk and metro between places.
Paris Food Tips
Baked goods in Paris are incomparable. Don’t bother booking a hotel with included breakfast or stocking your apartment with your usual cereal and yogurt.
Every morning just run to the nearest boulangerie and shovel fresh croissants and pain au chocolate etc into your mouth. You won’t want anything else and you’ll walk it all off in time for lunch.
Nutella. See if you can spot GIANT containers sitting in cafe windows. Nutella is used so much they get it in bucket-sized jars!
If you’re renting an apartment, consider picking up a small container of Nutella so you can slather croissants and the most delicious bread you’ve every had with even more chocolate-hazelnutty goodness.
The four of us may have gone through half a container in a few days – but you didn’t hear that from me.
Paris is known for café culture, but the coffee itself isn’t a focus. We enjoy coffee and thought this might be an issue, but we were too busy cramming our faces with pastries to notice. A café noisette is an expresso with a little milk or cream, and is very good.
Restaurants. We’re just not into fancy dining and often grabbed pre-made sandwiches at the boulangerie, or picked up fresh baguettes and added cheese, ham, and butter from the grocery.
Breakfast was croissants and whatever looked good coming hot out of the oven. Simple and delicious.
So I don’t have any recommendations for dining other than we really enjoyed our lunch at Angelina’s after wandering around the Louvre.
This was a suggestion from our Paris-based friend that we wouldn’t have thought to do otherwise. Seats overlooking the pyramid courtyard weren’t available for us, but maybe you’ll luck out.
After our meal we ordered desserts with their famous hot chocolate. This was lunch and dinner for us but you’ll probably want to order the hot chocolate OR a dessert if you’ve had food too.
Because that hot chocolate is basically melted candy poured over a cup filled with whipped cream. Just writing that put me into a sugar coma.
Macarons. Colorful, delicate, meringue-based cookies that are as tasty as they are pricey. Roughly three euro+, per cookie, on average. Which did not stop us from polishing off a whole box in one sitting.
Entirely different than the coconut-based macaroon (that’s “oo” not “o”). Also not to be mistaken with Macron, the President of France (but I bet he likes macarons!).
The Hermes macaron shop in the Eiffel Tower has flavors only available there and the cookies have the tower printed on them. Cool super duper splurge. Treat yo self!
Consider having an Umbrella
Paris is probably the only place where we don’t mind if it rains. A little drizzle makes the city just shimmer in a way that only Paris can.
We use our hiking raincoats even for city travel because who wants to tote even a compact umbrella around – especially one once it’s wet? Bleh.
But it was only just lightly raining one evening as we went from site to site either walking or popping on the metro a bit. After hours of this our pant legs were soaked and we had to drape our jackets out to dry that night.
An umbrella would have been handy in this case so consider packing one, or buy one off of the vendors that magically appear at the first drop of rain!
You remember that day in Paris
– The Cure, “How Beautiful You Are“
When we wandered through the rain
Paris-based Movie and Shows
There are too many to list but this will get you started. We’re into movies and lean a little artsy in our tastes so that is reflected in some of the recommendations.
Emily in Paris (Netflix) – Light rom-com series showcasing Paris locations that will get you amped up for your visit. Watch the first season of this series if nothing else on this list.
Call My Agent (Netflix, French with subtitles) – Comedy series about a Paris-based talent firm; Emily in Paris was influenced by this.
Amelie (2001, French with subtitles) – Quirky romantic comedy featuring Audrey Tautou and the Montmartre-area (you can even visit Café des Deux Moulins and crack your crème brûlée with a spoon – we did!).
The Da Vinci Code (2006) – Cheesy mystery fun that features the Louvre, Tom Hanks, and Amelie’s Audrey Tautou.
View to a Kill (1985) – At least watch the amazing Eiffel Tower chase sequence in this James Bond flick (the whole movie is not set in Paris). Then watch Duran Duran’s A View to a Kill video for the theme song – also filmed on the Eiffel Tower.
Before Sunset (2004) – Julia Delpy and Ethan Hawke have a deep conversation while wandering around Paris in the second installment of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. The first, Before Sunrise, is the best of the 3 and is worth watching first (but takes place in Vienna). There are locations from Sunset we wanted to visit but we couldn’t fit them in. Next trip!
Dangerous Liaisons (1988) – John Malkovitch and Glenn Close scheme and manipulate in this romantic drama set during the 18th century royal court. The costumes alone will get you ready to romp around Versailles but it’s beyond my control to get you to watch this.
Three Colours: Blue, White, Red (1993-4, French with subtitles) – Krzysztof Kieślowski trilogy featuring Juliette Binoche and Before Sunset’s Julie Delpy. Much of these dramas are set in Paris and the three colors symbolize the French flag and concepts of liberté, egalité, fraternité. Fantastic movies that are cleverly intertwined with each other – but aren’t going to be everyone’s taste.
Gifts or Relive Your Trip
Angelina’s hot chocolate mix can be ordered from their online store in the U.S. and there are café locations in New York City to stop in for their signature desserts.
I got this Paris-themed wooden puzzle for my mom after our trip and she really enjoyed putting it together. The high-quality pieces are all unique and some are in the shape of the items like the Eiffel Tower or a beret.
Those in north/central New Jersey or the NYC-area can enjoy croissants, pain au chocolate, and other pastries from Paris Baguette. A bit spendy compared to what you’d pay in Paris but pretty tasty.