Whether it is your first time visiting Paris or your first time in a long time, having a proper planning guide to Paris can be key to making the most of your visit. Food, wine, history, art, architecture – you name it – Paris offers something that can appeal to all types of travelers (if you know where and how to look). Based on having lived in Paris as a student and having had a career in pastry and wine, this is a guide to visiting Paris and the best it has to offer while still taking the time to stop and enjoy the leisurely surprises hidden around each corner.

Arrival and Hotel in Paris

Bonjour and welcome to Paris! Most direct flights from the U.S. arrive in the morning to CDG, with the customs/arrival process very clearly marked in English. Taxis can be found outside the arrivals terminal (often Terminal 2E). However, consider pre-booking pickup transportation through Blacklane or Welcome Pickups for an assigned driver to be waiting for you personally to assist with luggage and navigating the arrivals terminal. For those familiar with large public transportation systems, the RER B Line offers a direct route straight to and through the city’s heart, but should only be taken if carrying minimal luggage.

Head straight to your hotel to drop off the suitcases, and if lucky, shower or change clothes to start your first day in Paris! Having stayed and lived in various arrondissements (neighborhoods) across Paris, I recommend sticking to the centermost, such as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 9th arrondissements for the easiest access to the most popular neighborhoods and sights. Some of my favorite hotels include (in ascending order of price) Hôtel Dame des Arts, La Fantaisie, Maison Delano, and Le Meurice.

Day 1 – Montmartre with dinner in the Marais

Arriving in a new country after an overnight flight is always a mixed bag of excitement, stress, and exhaustion. Make sure you plan your first day in Paris to be more flexible yet exciting enough to stay awake until an acceptable hour to beat jet lag.

Starting with a stroll up to/through Montmartre is a great way to jump into Paris without time constraints. Depending on where you are staying, you can either walk to Montmartre itself, take the Metro to Abbesses or Anvers (Abbesses station requires less uphill walking than Anvers), and possibly take the Funiculaire the remainder of the way up the hill if you are not inclined to the stairs in front of the Sacré Cœur. Enjoy walking the side streets of Montmartre, perhaps taking lunch at Café de Luce if you find yourself nearby.

Take a short break back at your hotel (but definitely do not lie down for a nap) and fully freshen up if you were not able to get into your room earlier on arrival. Apéro hour is very much an expected activity in Paris, so head out in the early evening toward the Marais neighborhood and enjoy a pre-dinner drink and snack at Le Mary Celeste (reservations recommended) or Le Barav.

After your apéro, walk by Le Centre Pompidou (which is quite a happening spot on pleasant weekend evenings) before heading to your dinner reservations at Parcelles nearby. If you still have the energy, walk towards the Seine after dinner to get a night-time glimpse of Notre Dame and the glittering Tour Eiffel (the light show occurs on the hour after dark until 1:00 a.m.).

Day 2 – Palais Garnier, Marché d’Aligre, and a picnic at the Tour Eiffel

Whether your second day falls on a weekday or weekend determines a bit more about your morning plans, which could perhaps include a self-guided tour of Palais Garnier (the stunning Paris Opera House), a taste-testing adventure to find the best croissant (find my guide here), or an outdoor market such as Marché d’Aligre.

However you spend your morning, head over to the Left Bank and visit Le Bon Marché for a true Paris department store experience. Once you have shopped your fill, walk across the street to La Grande Épicerie (the food hall of Le Bon Marché) to procure all the delicious things you might want for a picnic beneath the Tour Eiffel, which is a short walk away. Many tourists and locals enjoy the views from the grass of the Champ de Mars, so find a good spot and enjoy your picnic lunch.

After lunch, for those who want to experience the views from the Eiffel Tower, tickets must be purchased 60 days in advance when they are released on the official website (and beware, they do sell out weeks in advance). If you are looking to go to the very top, purchase Summit tickets, and note that other tickets are only going so far as the 2nd-floor platform.

After your Tour Eiffel visit and picnic, walk across the Seine towards the Champs Élysées. Enjoy a stroll past the shops (and tourists) to take in the Arc de Triomphe. If you still have energy, you can climb to the top for a fee (just be sure to use the underground walkways; do not cross the roundabout traffic in order to get there).

For dinner your second evening, head to the 11th arrondissement to try mainstays such as Septime (reservations required), Clamato (walk-in only), or Bistrot Paul Bert (reservations required). For more dining details and suggestions, find my guide here.

Day 3 – The Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries, Musée d’Orsay, and Notre Dame

Consider starting your morning with an early guided tour of the Louvre, such as those led by Context Travel. The Louvre is much too large to see in one day, let alone one trip, so start with a three-hour guided tour to see some of the highlights (and take notes on what you want to go back to on your next visit). Pick up a jambon beurre sandwich (or any of the amazing options) at Le Petit Vendôme before enjoying a respite in the Jardin des Tuileries.

If you have not yet had your fill of art, head across the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay for a much different era of art, dating from roughly the mid-1800s to early 1900s. Once you have admired to your heart’s content, walk along the Seine to Notre Dame via the Quartier Latin. Keep heading along the river to Île Saint-Louis to reward yourself with the real Berthillon ice cream shop.

If you are looking for something slightly calmer for dinner (and not requiring reservations), consider the Breizh Café for the evening, which has a few locations dotted across the city, all of which are great.

Days 4-5 – Day trips to Versailles, Chartres, and Giverny

If your travel time allows, consider adding a couple of day trips to your Paris visit, such as Versailles (a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV), Chartres (known for its grand Cathédrale Notre-Dame), or Giverny (home and extensive gardens of Claude Monet).

Versailles is quite easy to visit from Paris directly via the RER C subway line (make sure you purchase the correct ticket for zones 1-5) for anyone that is comfortable with subway systems. Consider taking the RER C to Versailles and having your tour start there to save time and money (though booking a roundtrip tour from Paris to Versailles with a guide is certainly much less hassle).

Chartres and Giverny are close to Paris, but booking a roundtrip day tour is likely best if you are only going for the day (renting a car is not worth the headache).

Getting around Paris

Paris is an incredibly dense city with a great public transportation system. It is often quicker to get from point A to point B by walking or public transportation than to take a carshare service such as Uber (which is also quite expensive). Always look at Google Maps (or the Boujour RATP app) before setting out to your next destination, as it might be quicker to walk than hop on the Metro!

Paris Metro Ticket Options

If you are going to venture onto the Metro (Paris’ subway system), there are multiple options in terms of purchasing tickets. Most tourists are recommended to use single-use tickets called T+, a rechargeable Navigo card (available for single-use tickets, daily or weekly passes, with weekly running Sunday to Saturday regardless of when you activate it), or a Paris Visite pass.

Single-use tickets (T+) can be purchased from machines or the window counter at any of the stations and are generally cheapest if purchased in packs of 10 rides. This is the traditional method for the Paris Metro system but are not used as often now that rechargeable (and some phone tap options) are available.

The Navigo card is the best option in the long run, as you can swipe it for entrance and exit easily and reload. The Navigo card costs €2 each, and every person in your party must have their own card. When purchasing from an employee at a window counter, you can ask to have 10 T+ tickets loaded, which is good for most travelers staying for a handful of days. Once the card is purchased, it can be reloaded via the app IDF Mobilités, at a window counter, or at a machine. You can choose from a single-trip T+, a daily pass, or a weekly pass. If you plan to do a fair amount of walking, with some public transit, the T+ single-use is likely the best option for those staying five days or less.

Another offering is the Paris Visite Pass, which allows unlimited travel for a select number of days (in a chosen zone range). However, it can only be picked up at certain locations and tends to cost more than getting single-use T+ tickets or Navigo cards.

Do be aware that if you are looking to travel outside the immediate city center of Paris via the Metro or RER (to Versailles or Disneyland Paris, for example), you must ensure you have a ticket that covers travel through all zones (1-5), which single-use T+ tickets do not. Make sure to buy a special ticket for any travel outside the immediate city center (the easiest way is to tell the employee at the window counter where you want to go). Do not take assistance from anyone passing by offering to help or sell you extra tickets they may have. This is a common scam and pickpocketing opportunity, so only buy tickets from machines or official employees at the window booth.

Navigating the Paris Metro

Google Maps (or Bonjour RATP) will tell you the subway line number/color and the final stop on the line you must take (which tells you the train’s direction). Once you enter the subway station, keep looking for signs that say the end stop you are looking for until you reach the platform (there will be signs near the ceiling that will again tell you the end stop and the amount of time until the next arriving train).

Google Maps and Bonjour RATP will also tell you the exact exit number you should use to save time when leaving the Metro. However, know that sometimes it is just easiest to get out of the station and get your bearings above ground (an example of this being the Châtelet station, as it is so big). If you are using the exit numbers, when you step off your train car at the desired stop, look both ways for the Sortie sign with the corresponding number from your directions. There may sometimes be multiple “forks” in the path in order to get to that exit number, and sometimes, it can take upwards of 5+ minutes of walking. In the end, it is the quickest and most direct option if you can keep track of the numbers.

Packing for Paris

Ever seen Emily in Paris? Well, good news, that is NOT how most Parisians dress, even during fashion week. Think more understated chic, such as nice denim (no rips or fraying), low-heeled ankle boots or white casual trainers, white shirts, and oversized blazers in the spring. Extensive makeup, accessories, berets, backpacks, fanny packs, athleisure, running shoes, and flip-flops are all things that locals do NOT wear, so if you are looking to blend in, avoid these options.

Additional Considerations

Upon entering a shop, restaurant, bar, etc. in Paris, always say bonjour (or bonsoir after ~4:00 p.m.). If you fail to say bonjour/bonsoir upon entering, you will be immediately met with the cold shoulder or, even worse, corrected for failing to greet them upon entering. So, for the sake of politeness, always make it a point to say bonjour/bonsoir when entering.

It is very highly frowned upon to eat while walking, as well as eating while on public transportation. The best rule of thumb in Paris is to sit down to eat, then continue on your way.

Public transit etiquette is to keep one’s voice down on subways and buses and stand if the train starts to get busy. Many of the seats flip up when they are not in use, and locals expect they will not be used when trains start to fill.

Paris is a very safe city but has some pickpocketing issues, just like all major metropolitan areas. Do not put items such as wallets or phones in the back pockets or side pockets of cargo pants; always place valuables in secure, zippered areas (if possible), and keep your bags in front of you when in crowded areas such as trains. Never place your purse or backpack on the back of your seat in a restaurant, instead keeping it on your lap or wrapped around your legs.

There are a few known tourist and pickpocket schemes to be aware of. Friendship bracelets and being asked to sign petitions at the Sacré Cœur in Montmartre are common scams to avoid. Another repeated scam is people coming up to you in a Metro station while you are purchasing tickets, offering to sell you theirs they mistakenly purchased (or some other related excuse). If you are uncertain of where to go or how to purchase tickets, always go to the employee at the station’s window booth for assistance.

While the above issues do happen from time to time in all major cities, paying attention to your surroundings goes a long way toward avoiding unfortunate situations.

Paris is a beautiful city, with amazing food, history, and wonderful people, so make sure to enjoy your time, keeping in mind some of the tips above to make the most of it.

If you liked this guide, reach out to customize and book your next travel experience. Or just to chat about travel in general.