10 Tips for Travelling to Paris

When you start planning a trip to Paris, you tend to focus on mapping out your itinerary and researching all the sights to see in the city. Given the sheer number of attractions on offer, this step is essential for making the most of your time, but sometimes equally important practical details are overlooked.

That’s why, in this article, I’m sharing some simple tips to help ensure your trip goes smoothly. Sometimes, it’s the little details that make the difference between a great experience and a problematic stay, such as knowing how to get around the city or the option of buying a tourist card to save a bit of money and make things more convenient.

If there are two places you must always visit when travelling to Paris (even if you’re only spending one day there), they are the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower. Their popularity, however, can mean there are too many people, and the experience may not be as satisfying as you’d like.

To try and avoid the crowds, you should bear in mind the busiest times, as well as which times are generally best for seeing both attractions in a more relaxed atmosphere:

• As for when to visit the Louvre, ideally you should avoid visiting between 11:00 and 16:00, as this is the time of day when you’re most likely to encounter large crowds. Remember that it opens its doors at around 9:00 am, so getting there early to have time to see the Louvre in a more relaxed atmosphere could be the solution. Alternatively, you can also go in the afternoon or take advantage of days when it stays open later, usually until around 9:30 pm.
• Going up the Eiffel Tower during the peak season, in summer in Paris, usually involves long queues, especially at weekends. Outside this period, the crowds thin out considerably, but my advice is to try to arrive early, before 10.30 am. Another good time to go up is from 5.00 pm onwards or in the evening.

Paris is one of the world’s most visited cities each year. One consequence of this popularity is the endless queues that form outside its main tourist attractions. These waits, as well as being a nuisance, end up being a huge waste of time, particularly if your stay is short, and there’s only one way to avoid them: buy your tickets in advance.

Fortunately, many of Paris’s attractions offer this option so you don’t have to endure long waits, from the Louvre Museum to the Eiffel Tower, as well as other iconic Parisian landmarks:

• Tickets for the Musée d’Orsay — from CAD 62
• Tickets for the Montparnasse Tower — from CAD 31
• Tickets for Les Invalides— from CAD 28
• Tickets for the Rodin Museum —from CAD 24
• Tickets for the Palace of Versailles —from CAD 71
• Tickets for the Arc de Triomphe —from CAD 28

Oh, by the way, if you’re visiting Disneyland Paris, don’t forget to buy your one- or two-day tickets in advance.

The French capital has a very efficient public transport network, with the metro being the main way to get around the city quickly, as it allows you to avoid traffic.

In my article ‘How to use the Paris metro’, I explain all the factors you need to bear in mind. These include the great utility of the ‘Next Stop’ app, which features a handy map of the operating lines and allows you to plan routes without needing an internet connection. Among the different types of tickets available are:

• Ticket t+: this is the standard single ticket. If you’re only going to use the metro a little, this will be enough.
• Paris Visite: there are several options depending on the validity period (between 1 and 5 days) and the zones you wish to travel in. It also includes discounts for some of Paris’s tourist attractions.
• Navigo Pass: in principle, this pass is cheaper than the previous one if you’re staying in Paris for around a week. The main drawback is that it’s slightly more complicated to obtain, as you need a passport-sized photo and must pay a non-refundable €5 fee.

Unless you’re lucky enough to be able to extend your stay in Paris for more than 7 days, to make the most of your time you’ll need to draw up a list in advance of what you want to see. From a financial perspective, which is also important, it’s worth researching the options the French capital has to offer.

Arguably the best way to save on your visits is the Paris Pass tourist card. This card gives you significant discounts on entry to over 60 attractions, including the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe and the Basilica of Saint-Denis.

It’s also worth noting that on the first Sunday of every month, entry to many museums is free.

The sheer size of Paris (and its surrounding area) and the vast number of places to visit can make exploring the city a challenge. Getting from one place to another takes time you may not have, not to mention the time wasted figuring out how to get to each monument. To avoid this, one of the best options is to book one of the many tours available in Paris. Practically everyone will find one to suit their interests:

• Food lovers can book a tour of Paris’s patisseries.
• Sporty types can book a bike tour of Paris or even an e-bike tour.
• For fans of spooky stories, the ideal plan is to book a night-time ghost tour or even do it by bike.
• There are also tours that explore specific districts in depth, such as the tour of the Latin Quarter, the tour of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district in Paris, or the tour of Montmartre.
• You can also go on day trips outside Paris.

Another option to save time is the sightseeing buses. These allow you to hop on and off as often as you like and usually cover the city’s most interesting spots. On the one hand, you can get a seat on the Big Bus; on the other, you can book a seat on the Toot bus, which also includes two self-guided walking tours through different areas of the capital.

Finally, you can always opt for an interesting option the city offers its visitors: the Batobus. This is a boat that travels along the Seine under the same conditions as a tourist bus, as it allows you to hop on and off at its many stops near the main attractions.

Although it will always depend on how long you’re in a city, personally one of the tips I like to follow most is to stray a little from the beaten track. In the case of Paris, with its many hidden charms, you can discover stunning places if you decide to wander through the city’s neighbourhoods.

These are spots less frequented by tourists, but which will delight anyone who stumbles upon them. Here’s a short list of such hidden gems, though I’m sure you’ll find plenty more on your own:

• Canal St-Martin: this is a sort of artificial tributary of the Seine where merchant ships sail. A stroll along its banks is truly pleasant, something Parisians know well and often do when having a picnic on fine days. An excellent idea is to book a cruise along the River Seine and the Canal St-Martin. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the bridges opening to let the boats still travelling along it pass through.
• Passages and galleries: Paris is full of passages and galleries that combine beautiful architecture with wonderful décor. My advice is to find a good map to plan a route or book a tour of Paris’s covered passages and galleries.
• Paris viewing points: beyond the views from the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame, Paris offers visitors other viewing points from which to admire the city. Some, such as the Montparnasse Tower, charge an admission fee, whilst others, such as the terrace at the Galeries Printemps, are completely free.

When the sun goes down, the city of Paris transforms and reveals a different side. In Paris at night, its streets and many of its monuments are illuminated, and life continues to buzz in a multitude of venues.

Although everyone has their own way of travelling, there are some attractions of Paris by night that you shouldn’t miss. Here’s a short list of the must-sees so you can find the ones that best suit your interests:

• Visit the Eiffel Tower: the icon of Paris is lit up at night to reveal its imposing silhouette to the whole city. To enjoy it, you can simply admire it from a nearby spot or take a night-time trip up the Eiffel Tower to view the metropolis from above. Finally, if the weather is on your side, you can also sit in the Champs de Mars and have a little evening picnic.
• Enjoy the nightlife: although it’s a cliché applicable to many cities around the world, it’s fair to say that Paris never sleeps. Night owls will find a wealth of bars and nightclubs to enjoy well into the night.
• Go to a cabaret: many believe that Paris is the birthplace of cabarets. The most famous is, without a doubt, the Moulin Rouge, which offers the chance to dine and watch the Moulin Rouge show. Other equally interesting venues include the Lido, the Crazy Horse and the Paradis Latin.
• The Seine at night: the river that runs through the capital also offers visitors various ways to enjoy it at night, such as taking one of the night-time cruises on the Seine or simply strolling along its banks whilst admiring its beautiful bridges.

Getting around Paris at night

As transport timetables are limited, getting around at night will depend on the time of day. The metro runs until 1:00 am (2:00 am at weekends). After that, you’ll need to find another way to get around, such as the Noctilien bus service, which runs between 12.30 am and 7.00 am, or take a taxi.

Although timetables in Paris are somewhat more flexible than in smaller French towns, the differences with Spain are still noticeable, especially when it comes to Parisian restaurants.

Any traveller must adapt to the customs of the country they are visiting unless they want to risk finding everything closed. In the French capital, lunch is usually eaten between 12:00 and 13:30, so it is relatively common for many kitchens to close at 14:00.

On the other hand, dinner is usually served from 19:30 to 20:00, which means that if you want to have an afternoon snack, you will also need to bring your schedule forward quite a bit.

For those of us who love discovering the cuisine of the places we visit, Paris seems like a great opportunity. Trying different dishes is the best way to get to know the local culture, and it’s something I’d advise you not to miss.

Among the most typical dishes you’ll find in the French capital are:

• Foie gras.
• Escargots (snails).
• Boeuf bourguignon (a beef stew with red wine).
• Quiche Lorraine (a savoury tart with meat and cheese).
• Croque-monsieur (a classic grilled cheese and ham sandwich).
• French cheeses, best enjoyed with a glass of wine or champagne.

And, of course, you must always leave room for the country’s wonderful sweets. If you have a sweet tooth, you simply must try:

• The best crêpes in Paris.
• Macarons.
• Petit fours.
• Café au lait with a freshly baked croissant, the typical breakfast.

To make your trip a complete success, here are a few handy tips that are easy to follow:

• Learn a few phrases in French. You don’t need to become bilingual, but learning to say bonjour (good morning), merci (thank you) or s’il vous plaît (please) will help you on occasion. If you add monsieur or madame, the result will be even better.
• Closely related to this is the great importance placed in France on manners and politeness. Never forget to say hello or ask for things ‘please’ in restaurants or at ticket offices, and always try to avoid using the informal ‘tu’.
• It might not occur to you, but you should still be aware that feeding the pigeons is strictly forbidden. The fines, moreover, can be quite steep.
• Swimming in the Seine is also prohibited, even in summer. If you simply can’t resist the urge, you’ll just have to head to the so-called Paris Plage.
• One final rule you might find useful to know is that appearing drunk in public carries the risk of a fine. Obviously, no one will say anything if you have a glass of wine whilst picnicking in a park, but try not to go overboard.