Practical info and advice
Are you planning to visit Paris for the first time, but don't know how to plan your trip?
I give you all my advice for the preparation of your stay!
Pratical Information
What is the best season to visit Paris?
If you are flexible with the dates, it is interesting to take into account the seasons to enjoy warm weather but also of the variation in prices. Booking rates can vary greatly depending on the low and high season. This should appeal to the tightest budgets.
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Spring in Paris is synonymous with lots of greenery, trees in bloom and the city is famous for its cherry blossoms. However, temperatures are still cool (between 8°C and 15°C), with frequent rainfall. If you choose this season, don't forget to put an umbrella and a mid-season jacket in your suitcase.
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Summer in Paris is very pleasant, with longer days and temperatures ranging from 23°C to 32°C. Many festivals and outdoor activities take place everywhere. In August, the capital is free of Parisians, which means that the city is almost reserved for tourists. However, it is also the high season in Paris, which means higher prices and longer waiting times for sightseeing.
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Autumn is the best season to visit Paris. Temperatures remain mild and pleasant (between 10 and 17°C), especially in October. The trees take on magnificent colours and the Parisian streets are often neglected by tourists.
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Winter is not the best season to visit Paris because of heavy rainfall and temperatures ranging from 2°C to 7°C. However it can be pleasant to visit Paris at this time for the Christmas atmosphere, especially the illuminations of the Champs-Elysées and the Christmas decorations in the windows of the department stores. Finally, Paris, the city of love, is the perfect place to celebrate Valentine's Day!
How to get to the centre of Paris from the airports?
Paris has 3 airports:
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Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), located on the northern outskirts of Paris. If you are travelling from abroad, you will probably land there. This airport is dedicated to international flights.
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Orly (ORY), located on the southern outskirts of Paris. It is dedicated to European and Mediterranean flights.
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Beauvais (BVA), about 100 km from Paris. Some low-cost companies (Ryanair, Wizz Air, Volotea) operate European flights there.
By public transport - the most economical:
Roissy-Charles de Gaulles and Orly are served by public transport. However, if you can choose your destination airport, choose Roissy-Charles de Gaulle over Orly, whose transport remains more advantageous (price, ease of access to Paris). Also note that the mode of transport depends on your final destination in Paris and the time you have available!
Roissy CDG Airport :
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RER B: for a journey to the centre of Paris in 35 minutes. The ticket costs €10.30 and can be used for 2 hours from the first validation, on the rail network (RER and metro).
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Bus 350 (Roissy-CDG - Paris Porte de la Chapelle): for a journey between CDG and Porte de la Chapelle in 60-80 minutes (frequency 15 to 30 min). The bus ticket costs 2€.
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Bus 351 (Roissy-CDG - Paris Place de la Nation): for a journey between CDG and Place de la Nation in 70 to 90 minutes (15 to 30 min. frequency). The ticket costs 2€.
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The RoissyBus: link between CDG airport and Place de l'Opéra. The single ticket costs 13.70€ and can be bought by credit card on the bus.
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The direct bus Line 2 (CDG - Eiffel Tower): the single ticket bought online costs 18€ (+1€ bought on the bus). The journey to the Eiffel Tower takes 45-70 min.
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The direct bus Line 4 (CDG - Gare Montparnasse): the journey takes about 70-80 min and operates a link via the Gare de Lyon. The single ticket bought online costs 18€ (+1€ bought on the bus).
Orly Airport :
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Orlyval + RER B combination: the combined ticket costs €12.10 for a journey of approximately 35 min to the centre of Paris. Please note that if you buy the tickets separately, you will pay €9.30 + €10.30 (= €19.60).
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The T7 tramway: the t+ ticket costs €1.90. Tram line 7 connects Villejuif-Louis Aragon station, the terminus of metro line 7.
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The OrlyBus: journey from the airport to Denfert Rochereau station takes about 30 min. The ticket costs 9,50€.
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The direct bus Line 1 (Paris-Orly - Étoile/Champs-Élysées): the single ticket costs 12€. The bus serves Gare Montparnasse (20-30 min) and Étoile/Champs-Élysées (50-60 min). Preferably to be bought online here so that you don't pay extra on the bus.
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The direct bus Line 3 (Paris-Orly - Paris-CDG): 1h10 to 1h20 journey. The single ticket costs 22€ per person. Preferably to be bought online here
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The bus 183: direction Porte de Choisy. The journey costs 2€ and lasts 60 min.
Depuis l'aéroport Beauvais :
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L’aéroport Paris-Beauvais dispose d’un service de navette entre Paris Beauvais et la gare routière de la Porte Maillot. Le billet coûte 17€ (ou 15,90€ si vous l’achetez en ligne à l’avance) pour un trajet de 1h 15min. Une fois arrivé à la station de bus Porte Maillot, vous devrez acheter un ticket de métro t+ pour atteindre votre destination finale.
By private transport - the most comfortable:
Airports have a dedicated area to official taxis, located at the exit of the terminals. The G7 taxi company, for example, offers a fixed rate applicable to journeys in Paris (Roissy CDG - Paris Rive Droite: 53€ / Rive Gauche 58€. Orly - Paris Rive Gauche: 32€ / Rive Droite 37€).
It is also possible to order a ride on Uber or Kapten applications. The applications do not offer a fixed rate.
Furthermore, it is preferable not to use people offering their service at the airport exits.
For your travels, I also advise you to use the Maps application from Google
and the official application for RATP Paris transport
What are the means of payment used in France?
Credit cards and cash in euros are the most common means of payment used to pay for purchases in France.
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in France. However, you should be aware that small shops or mini-markets do not always accept payment by credit card (except for minimum amounts) and prefer cash.
It is also possible to pay with contactless technology by bank card or via NFC as long as the payment terminal indicates this.
Advices for a perfect stay in Paris
IN THE STREET
1/ Don't hesitate to ask for directions, Parisians are not very smiling because they are often in a hurry, but they don't bite and will be happy to help you!
2/ If you have to slow down on the pavement and look for your way, make sure to stand on the side not to bother those behind you who are walking fast.
3/ Walk with a firm step down the streets because a lost soul will always appeal thiefs.
4/ Enjoy your stay walking in the streets, discovering the architecture beauty instead of taking the metro. With a good map in hand, you will realize that Paris is not that big.
5/ To find your way, memorize a few cardinal points of reference: Montmartre in the north, Opera in the north-west, Châtelet in the centre, Champs-Elysées in the west, Bastille in the east, St Germain on the other side of the Seine, Montparnasse in the south, Chinatown in the south-east.
6/ Beware of groups of girls who want you to sign sheets that they hand you almost in front of your eyes, very often they are here to steal your personal belongings.
IN TRANSPORT
7/ Concerning the tickets, I advise you to buy a booklet of 10 t+ tickets as soon as you arrive. This is more economical. These tickets allow you to travel on metro, tram and RER lines (in Paris) as well as on buses in the Ile-de-France region and the Montmartre Funicular. If you need to go beyond Paris (zone 1), you can choose the bus because your t+ tickets are valid or buy other tickets in the destination zone, at an automatic ticket machine or at an RATP ticket office.
Please note that links with the t+ ticket differ according to the mode of transport. Links are possible for 1h30 on the rail network (metro and rer in Paris) and road network (bus and tram). It is not possible to take a t+ ticket for a ride in the bus and then in metro/rer. It is therefore necessary to remember that no link between the rail and road network is possible.
8/ If you are planning a one-off trip outside Paris (e.g. the Stade de France (zone 2), the Château de Versailles (zone 4), Disneyland (zone 5)), you can buy a ticket covering the area from Paris to the arrival area.
9/ Be careful, even if the metro line 1 goes from Vincennes (zone 3) to La Défense (zone 3) - if you take the RER it will be faster, but also more expensive because you need a ticket going to zone 3.
10/ To estimate your journey time, count 1 minute between 2 stations and 5 minutes if you have a change to make.
11/ To organize your journey by metro, look at the colour of the line + its number + its terminus station which will give you the direction to take. The metro corridors are quite well marked out, you have to open your eyes and sneak in quickly.
12/ To organize your trip by RER (larger trains that go to the suburbs of Paris), you have to do the same as the metro but once on the platform, you will have to check if the train stops at the desired station. To do this, look on the large boards installed on the platform with the stations of the line and a small orange light signal appears in front of the station name. If the light signal is off, the train will not stop. Be careful to look at the terminus of the line you have to take, because unlike subways, rer trains can have several directions.
13/ If you take the transports with suitcases, make sure to settle where there is room, and not to stay in the middle of corridors and doors, at the risk of blocking other passengers.
14/ You should not be too noisy in transport and respect the people around you. Be civic-minded.
15/ Remember to stay on the right side on staircases and escalators, especially in metro and RER stations.
16/ Pickpockets are present in public transport. Be careful with your bags and mobile phones. Keep your bags closed AND in front of you.
IN A BAR / RESTAURANT
17/ Tip is not obligatory in France and at your discretion. The prices take into account the service. However, if the waiter seemed very pleasant to you, you can leave him a small amount of cash.
18/ Bars generally close around 2am and clubs around 5am.
19/ If you decide to settle down on a café terrace, make sure you don't leave anything tempting on your table (cigarette packet, mobile phone...) at the risk of being robbed. And believe me, you will be robbed before you know it. Attach your bag to your chair, or keep it on your lap for added security.
20/ Reservations are not always mandatory in restaurants, but it is safer, especially on weekend evenings, to reserve your table by phone, by email or by phone.
TAKE A CAB
21/ If you wish to take a taxi, check the light on the roof of the car. The green light indicates that it is free, the red light indicates that it is busy. The minimum charge is 6€.
22/ To take a taxi in Paris, there are 2 options: you can try to hail it in the street or you can go to a taxi stand and take the first car in the queue. Note that taxi companies (G7, Taxis Bleus) have an application to order your taxi online.
23/ Some VTC companies are authorized in Paris and its suburbs, such as UBER, Kapten or Heetch.
24/ It is sometimes safer to take a taxi or a VTC than to take the last metro.
MUSEUMS & MONUMENTS
25/ The museums of Paris are open and free every first Sunday of the month. Plan to go early to avoid queues.
26/ The Palace of Versailles is not located at the Porte de Versailles (fairs and exhibitions) but much further away. You will have to take the RER C to the Versailles Château - Rive Gauche station to get there (about 40 min). As the station is very busy, it is recommended to buy a return ticket.
IN SUPERMARKETS
27/ Note that from now on, no alcohol is sold after 9pm in supermarkets or other grocery stores.
ART AND CULTURAL OUTINGS
28/ For your theatre outings, you can buy your tickets on BilletRéduc and take advantage of attractive last minute rates!
29/ For the cinema, plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the show. Some screenings can be taken quickly if it is a highly anticipated film!