A few handy tips for visiting Paris…
Transport / Logistics#
- The Citymapper app for getting around town.
- Set up a Navigo pass on your phone with the Bonjour RATP app: add it to Apple Wallet on iPhone, pay contactlessly, and skip queues at metro ticket machines.
- Luggage: Bounce or Nannybag. At Gare du Nord, be cautious with left luggage: there have been safety incidents (bomb alerts linked to bags have already disrupted or shut down baggage services).
- Batobus: hop-on hop-off, nine stops on the Seine — a nice alternative to the metro to see Paris from the river.
Accommodation#
- Prefer Airbnb in Paris: Flat near Montmartre, Flat near Gare du Nord, Another flat near Gare du Nord.
- Alternative: stay outside Paris (often cheaper). Example: Ibis Styles Paris Romainville, about 300 m from metro line 5 into the centre.
Museums & monuments#
- Louvre — guided tour: book long in advance.
- Musée Carnavalet — history of Paris: a guided tour is recommended (thematic tour “The museum essentials”) — check the calendar with filters.
- Palais Garnier — self-guided tours, guided tours, or immersive game Arsène Lupin and the opera’s secrets.
- Hôtel des Invalides — immersive show Aura Experience.
- BnF — free, glorious library; Galerie Vivienne is right next door.
- Musée d’Orsay — essential; guided tours for families or adults the masterpieces — book well ahead.
- Musée Grévin — often long queues, but kids love it. Near Théâtre des Variétés and Théâtre des Nouveautés.
- Eiffel Tower — tickets, especially in advance during school holidays; sparkle every evening (about five minutes at the start of each hour) — since July 2024, Tour Eiffel Effect, immersive experience on the first floor.
- Sainte-Chapelle — advance tickets and commented tours; best on a sunny day for the stained glass.
- Notre-Dame — reopened 7 December 2024; book online, mobile app.
- Basilica of Sacré-Cœur — dome visit for a great view; attending a Mass (four daily) is a nice way to visit.
- Eternelle Notre-Dame — virtual tour, beautiful, highly recommended.
Theatres#
- Read reviews on Ticketac.
- Mon jour de chance at Théâtre Fontaine — really good, we strongly recommend it.
- Une idée géniale — seen in Brussels at Théâtre des Galeries; in Paris at Théâtre des Variétés until 27 April 2025.
- ADN at Théâtre Michel — fun thriller, gripping pace, sets and projected images.
Entertainment#
- Le Grand Rex — Paris’s largest screen with optional guided visit or cinema-themed escape room; La Féerie des Eaux over the Christmas period.
- Outdoor escape games — Atlantide app, Sous surveillance mission in the Marais from Place des Vosges (free, geolocation). Organised escapes: Butte-aux-Cailles via My Urban Experience.
- Seine cruise — La Croisière des Mystères with Vedettes de Paris, embarkation near the Eiffel Tower.
Walks#
- Plenty of walks on the Paris je t’aime site.
- Paris neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood shopping trails on Visit Paris Region.
Restaurants#
- Google Maps with filters, Mapstr, TripAdvisor.
- Bib Gourmand for great value meals.
- Cantine De Sam (near Théâtre Fontaine) or Baba next door; Afendi Lebanese near Théâtre Antoine; Eats Thyme Lebanese near the Louvre / Palais-Royal (Ma Table Libanaise cookbook); Lazzi before Théâtre Édouard VII (direct theatre entrance from the restaurant). For quirky picks, try list-style articles such as Topito.
- Always double-check the place still exists and is open when you visit.
