Paris City, France Ultimate Travel Guide 2024

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France Ultimate Travel Guide

Our 2024 Paris City travel guide contains information to help you make the most of your visit, such as things to do, transportation ideas, hotel recommendations, and where to dine. It also discusses how to visit the city efficiently, including where to stay and step-by-step itinerary ideas. (Updated April 1, 2024.)

Paris is the cultural capital of the globe, excelling in areas such as art, food, fashion, and architecture. Every day in Paris may feel like a poetic voyage, and Hemingway’s description of Paris as a moving feast is remarkably accurate. In case it wasn’t evident, Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world. That may appear to be the kind of pointless fluff that is added to any travel book to make you feel better about going there.

That is not the situation here. Not that it matters, but my three favorite cities in the world are Kyoto, Paris, and France, in that order. I could spend the rest of my life in any of them, and there aren’t many other places where I can do so. Even though Paris is “only” my second favorite, it is the best-rounded of the three.

We’ve been visiting Paris for years, and each trip brings fresh sights and discoveries. An under-the-radar museum so outstanding that we’re surprised we didn’t see it sooner. We hadn’t seen these postcard-perfect views of the Eiffel Tower before. Indeed, some boulangeries are so exceptional that they have the potential to transform lives.

The idea is that Paris is so full of beauty, charm, history, and substance that it has an irresistible and limitless allure. Paris is one of the world’s most unique cities. In all of our travels, I’ve never discovered anything quite like Paris. I recognize and appreciate the fact that it is not for everyone, but it is unlike anything else in the world.

Anyone who associates Paris with London, New York, and other major cities is fundamentally misunderstanding them all.

The travel demand to Paris in 2024 is expected to soar ahead of the Summer Olympics, which will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024.

Flight bookings to Paris for the Olympic Games are up 125% over the same travel period last year, according to data compiled by travel industry analytics firm Sojern. Arrival dates vary, but the bulk of travelers intend to leave Paris on the final day of the Olympics.

However, we should not assume that Paris will slow down after the Olympics in 2024. For starters, the broadcasts themselves are usually beneficial to tourism (the current Tokyo Olympics being an exception, for obvious reasons), as they spotlight the towns and what makes them unique. As a result, there is normally an increase in bookings during the season after the Olympics—in this case, around the Christmas 2024 season.

Furthermore, Europeans who are uninterested in the Olympics will most likely avoid Paris during the two weeks of summer 2024, preferring to travel before or after the games to avoid the crowd. So it’ll be a double-whammy from June to September 2024, with committed Olympics crowds during that time and everyone else outside of that two-week period.

Even without the Summer Olympics, Paris has proven to be extremely popular over the previous year, with pent-up demand for international travelers powering a significant rebound despite economic troubles. Last year, the Eiffel Tower attracted 6.3 million tourists, outnumbering those who visited in 2019.

Data also reveals that many Parisians are planning trips to other parts of France during the Summer Olympics, a classic ‘get out of town’ strategy to avoid the “crowdpocalypse” conditions associated with the event. Bookings from Parisians heading to other parts of France are up 49% between late July and mid-August 2024, with Lille, Nice, Corsica, Lyon, and Toulouse among the most popular.

If you’re on the fence about taking a trip right now, we recommend visiting Paris or France. In fact, we intend to return to both Paris and the Côte d’Azur in the near future.

Now that we’ve addressed the update, let’s focus on organizing your visit.

When should I visit?

Objectively, the best times of year to visit Paris are in the spring and fall, avoiding important public holidays (such as Easter) observed in other European nations. The advantage of these times of year is that school is in session, so there are fewer tourists, and the weather is generally good compared to the rest of the year.

March and October provide the ideal blend of weather and crowds, according to our research. If you go before March or after October, it may be frigid. If you travel after March or before October, expect significantly larger crowds. (We’ve found that the trade-off in crowds is completely acceptable for later April, as it brings great weather and flowers in bloom.)

Summer is the absolute worst time to visit Paris, both in terms of the crowds and the weather. In fact, we no longer propose that anyone visit Europe between June and August, with a few exceptions.

This is largely due to the searing heat waves that have hit Europe in recent years. Heat and humidity have been uncomfortable and dangerously high over the summer months. European towns, not designed to withstand record-breaking heat, exacerbate these conditions.

Air conditioning is uncommon in European buildings and households, as well as on public transit systems. In fact, less than 5% of all European residences have air conditioning, and many older hotels do not.

As a result, if you plan to visit Europe during these months, make sure to book a hotel or Airbnb that boasts air conditioning. You should also pack and dress appropriately (all style advice goes out the window, and comfort reigns supreme) to withstand this weather.

Trust us—we traveled in mid-September last year, when temperatures were only in the 80s, and stayed in a place with no air conditioning. We were so uncomfortable at night that we went out and purchased a fan solely to have a good night’s sleep. And the temperatures were 15-20 degrees lower than the summer highs!

Summer is unpleasant due to the hot heat, long queues at famous tourist attractions, and higher hotel charges. If you only have school breaks in June, July, or August, plan accordingly or consider taking a trip abroad.

My personal recommendation for the ideal time to visit Paris is around the holiday season, from mid- to late-November. For obvious reasons, Paris does not observe Thanksgiving, so the holiday season begins earlier. Around mid-November, Parisian department stores unveil their extravagant (and often perplexing) window displays, set up trees, and deck the Champ-Elysees for Christmas around the same time.

I enjoy the vibrancy and heightened sense of romanticism that Christmas brings to Paris, and the displays are also quite impressive. One potential drawback is the colder temperature (it can snow in Paris). This doesn’t worry me at all, but rational people may disagree.

We have a separate piece about Christmas in Paris that will show you how beautiful the city is over the holidays.

How long will my visit last?

As previously said, we have visited Paris six times and have yet to see anything we want to see. Not even close. I believe we’ve seen less than half of what we’d like to see, but even that is a changing target. As we get deeper into the city, we discover new items and add them to our list of future places to visit. If anything, our list is getting longer rather than shorter.

This is a convoluted way of expressing that you should stay for as many days as possible. That may appear to be a throwaway response, but there is so much culture in Paris that you could spend your entire life there and never get bored. I’d want to spend the summer simply exploring Paris. The reality is that vacation time is limited and travel is expensive, so most people will likely only have one or two weeks.

My strong advice is to attempt to spend 5-7 days in Paris on your first visit. If you go for a full week, spend one of those days outside the city (Versailles is by far the most popular day trip).

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As Disney enthusiasts, we certainly enjoy Disneyland Paris (see our Disneyland Paris Planning Guide), but it is not for everyone. If you’re not a Disney fan, it’s usually best to forgo the park. If you do attend, we recommend focusing on Parc Disneyland and skipping Walt Disney Studios Park, or at least spending a few hours there.

Ideally, we propose spending 10–14 days in France, with one week in Paris and the rest of the time elsewhere. In addition to Versailles, the surrounding Loire Valley is a great area to visit. Although it is further away, Normandy is also a fantastic place, and we usually recommend it since the rising tide at Mont Saint-Michel is one of the nicest travel experiences we’ve ever had.

The temptation while traveling to Europe is to see numerous countries, but we recommend against it unless you have at least 10 days to tour. One of the most common mistakes people make is trying to do too much. They just have a shallow or cursory experience in each location and must deal with the inconveniences of moving towns and accommodations. If you just have a week, you will most likely not have enough time to see London and Paris, let alone three different countries.

Remember that, while European countries are geographically similar to states in the United States, none of them are the equivalent of Iowa or a ‘flyover state.’ Each is brimming with culture and exciting things to do. Furthermore, traveling between European countries takes time, just like transiting between states does. Expect to lose around one day of ‘commute time’ for each country you visit. A whole day missed on a week-long journey is a heavy price to pay for visiting another country, especially when each location has so much to see and do.

Getting There and Around

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re flying to Europe from abroad, not driving to France (for driving advice, try Google Maps). I’ll also presume you’re flying into Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is in the suburbs of Paris. There are now some fantastic airfare offers available from numerous US cities to Paris. In fact, flying from Los Angeles to Paris is often cheaper than flying within the United States.

As always, we recommend using ITA Software’s flexible search to get the best airfare prices, as well as fare alerts from AirfareWatchdog.com. You can customize the alerts here (not as many as I’d like) and receive email notifications when prices drop.

When you arrive at CDG Airport, the most efficient and least expensive method to get to Paris is to take the RER B city train, which departs from CDG Terminal 2 or Roissypole. The RER B train line goes north-south through Paris’s city center, beginning at Gare du Nord (Paris’ major station, which also acts as the London-Paris Eurostar station) and continuing to a number of other stops, including Saint Michel/Nôtre Dame.

The RER, which is mainly a commuter route that connects the city to the surrounding suburbs, is not as frequently used in Paris. The RER has a few stops within Paris, so it may be your best option on occasion, but you’ll primarily utilize it to get to the airports, Disneyland Paris, or somewhere else outside of the city.

Instead, you will largely use the Paris Metro. Out of all the mass transit systems we’ve utilized, I believe the Paris Metro is comparable to the London Underground or the New York Subway. This is meant to suggest that it is older and feels its age, but it is still relatively reliable and generally safe. When compared to the newer and cleaner transit networks in Asian cities, it may fall short of expectations. One major advantage of the Paris Metro is its themed stops. My favorite is Arts et Métiers, which features a steampunk-inspired style.

The Paris Metro has around 300 stations, and you are never more than a 10-minute walk away from one. The Metro runs from about 5 a.m. until after midnight (in our experience, the last train is frequently packed) and offers single-use tickets for about $2 US, as well as 1-day to 5-day Le Paris Viste passports for tourists. There are additional unlimited travel passes available for the Paris Metro and bus network, which require a foreign passport to acquire.

We discovered that the Metro turnstiles’ ticket readers do not always work. This happened numerous times and was not a one-time occurrence. In those cases, we first attempted to locate a staff member who could assist us, but if that failed, we simply pushed through the gates and kept our ticket in case there was a problem later. I’m not sure if this is strictly “good” advice, but we saw the same thing happen to others, and short of buying another ticket, this was the most common remedy.

We do not recommend getting day passes or unlimited passes for one simple reason: strolling around Paris is part of the experience. While the Paris Metro is fast, relying too much on it keeps you underground when you should be exploring the city’s lovely avenues and soaking up its romantic atmosphere. Unless you take six or more Metro journeys per day (which we believe is excessive), these day passes are a bad deal.

We recommend obtaining a carnet of ten tickets from vending machines near Metro stations’ turnstiles. This is essentially a stack of individual tickets sold at a discounted price. The main benefit, however, is that these carnets will save you excursions to ticket booths, which frequently have long lines of tourists. Multiple people can share these individual tickets.

On some occasions, the bus is the fastest mode of transportation. We discovered that this is rarely the case, but the buses in Paris are actually rather nice, so don’t try to avoid them. We’ve never hired taxis in Paris and are unlikely to do so again, owing to the fact that walking and taking the Metro have never failed us. We see no reason to pay extra for a taxi.

Whatever you do, do not rent a car for your trip to Paris. Even if you plan to do side trips from Paris, try to use public transportation or rent a car on your way out. There are several causes for this. First, hiring a car from (or to) the airport is inconvenient. The lines are too long and move slowly. Second, the parking situation in Paris is unsatisfactory and can be frustrating.

On one of our journeys, Paris was only a stopover for a few days on a longer journey through France, Switzerland, and Germany. As a result, we had a rental automobile for the entire vacation. We had rented an Airbnb in a neighborhood on a quiet side street, and our owner had mentioned that there was ample street parking. I’m betting the host didn’t own a car because, while there were parking places, they weren’t empty.

During our entire time, we never spotted an empty parking spot near the building. I believe France is a country of Costanzas; once they grab the nice location in front of the good building in the good neighborhood, they don’t leave for weeks. I can imagine them scrambling for a parking spot.

On our first night, we spent over an hour looking for a parking spot (mistakenly driving through the Arc de Triomphe traffic circle twice), and when we found one, it was a 20-minute walk from our Airbnb flat. We never moved the automobile during our entire time in Paris on that trip. It simply sat there, “guarding” our spot.

We learned from our mistakes and decided not to pick up our rental car until the end of our stay in Paris on our second multi-stop journey. We picked up the car from a massive subterranean facility near Gare du Nord Station just before leaving the city. Aside from having to do three circles around Charles De Gaulle Airport to find the rental car return location, this was a much better idea and a fairly straightforward procedure.

Where do I stay?

When we visit Paris, we usually spend time in Val d’Europe as well as in the city. Val d’Europe is located just outside of Paris and near Disneyland Paris, making it easy to walk to the theme parks. We’ve stayed in several different arrondissements in Paris.

Generally, I choose places along the Seine or near the Champs-Élysées. While the entire city is charming and full of interesting attractions, we particularly enjoy the 7th and 8th arrondissements. This is not to mean that you should ignore all other parts of Paris when seeking a place to stay. It’s just our preference.

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We would have stayed in other arrondissements as well. Almost anything in the city center is a viable alternative. Personally, I would avoid sites along the city’s perimeter. There are hip spots in Montmartre, but the downside is that you’ll have a long journey to most other points of interest in Paris. In comparison, if you stay near the Seine, around half of the attractions you might wish to see are within a 30-minute walk or a shorter RER journey.

If you’re thinking about spending a few nights at Disneyland Paris, Val d’Europe is a great option. Disney collaborated in master-planning the entire town, ensuring its newness. It has a suburban feel to it, but with traditional French styling. While it lacks the historical attractiveness of France’s picturesque villages, it has its own modern charm that is not overly cookie-cutter.

All of this suggests that if you don’t want to pay the outrageous prices of Disneyland Paris hotels, Val d’Europe hotels are great options. Hotels in Val d’Europe typically cost $75–150 per night, making them an affordable option if you’re visiting both Disneyland Paris and the city of Paris.

Aside from the overall area, we’ve stayed at a variety of hotels and Airbnb units. On our most recent vacation to France, we stayed in a hotel because the cost was low due to a fall in tourists. For a few years, it was feasible to book decent hotels in Paris for less than $150 per night. A short search now reveals that prices have risen significantly in just a few months and have returned to “normal” levels.

With increasing hotel charges, we strongly recommend Airbnb. We’ve used it multiple times throughout Europe, including a few times in Paris. It’s a cost-effective alternative to hotels and allows you to live like a local, such as by doing laundry or going to the market for fresh produce, cheese, and wine.

Not to bury the lead, but the most significant advantage of choosing Airbnb is the price. The value proposition of renting your own apartment or flat is substantially greater than booking a hotel, and we often rent units on Airbnb for less than half (and often much less) of what we’d pay for a comparable hotel. Our favorite experience in Paris was when we leased a flat near Victor Hugo Square, had a fantastic market just below us, and prepared some of our own meals with fresh, local food. It was somewhat outside of our preferred 7th arrondissement, but it was ideal.

Hotels offer a variety of alternatives. Locally owned boutique hotels, large brands such as Hilton and Hyatt (the top photo in this section was taken during our stay at the freshly renovated Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile), and low-cost hostels. We haven’t stayed at enough of these to offer firm suggestions on whether they are good or terrible.

Aside from the strangely high bathtubs and inexplicable lack of shower doors, we’ve enjoyed fantastic stays at every hotel in Paris. Outside of the city, you might expect to discover more dated hotels, but we have yet to come across the Paris equivalent of a sleazy motel.

Things to do

Paris has so much to offer that a little section in a planning guide will just not do the subject credit. Even if this were a 200-page book about Paris, we would only be scraping the surface. Instead of trying (and failing) to cover the topic comprehensively, we will rely on a handful of our other resources.

First, check out our Top 10 Things to Do in Paris page. That covers our favorites and goes into some philosophical detail on how to approach the city. Second, here’s our 1-Day Highlights Itinerary for Paris, France. We’ll soon have other multi-day itineraries to add to this one, but it’ll give you a general idea of what we think are the most essential things or areas in Paris.

Finally, is the Paris Museum Pass worth it?. Spoiler alert: the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes, thus the title is somewhat misleading. Rather, the post focuses on how we’ve used that pass to get more value, as well as some of the benefits it provides. The benefit of obtaining this pass (which we recommend acquiring at the airport upon arrival) is that it does a lot of the planning for you, allowing you to narrow down an immensely long list of areas of interest to what is on there.

During our most recent trip to France, we acquired the Paris Museum Pass (4-day version this time) and much enjoyed it. We have now explored almost all the attractions available with the Paris Museum Pass, and we plan to publish additional articles on maximizing its benefits.

To summarize, we are major supporters of this and advocate obtaining the pass—but not confining yourself to only the places on the Paris Museum Pass. The Paris Museum Pass excludes some great, lesser-known gems.

Finally, we have posts on Paris, France. We haven’t written about all we did in Paris, but we’re working on it. These break-out pieces provide photographs, in-depth analysis, and strategic recommendations for certain topics of interest. They are useful resources if you wish to learn more about a specific attraction or area of interest.

One thing I would advise against is the belief that you must see everything or accomplish X amount of activities on your first vacation to Paris. This strategy not only sets you up for failure (as it is absolutely impossible to see everything), but it also misses the point of Paris. In some cases, I agree that doing everything possible is a wise strategy.

Conversely, one should savor Paris like a fine French wine. So much of the experience comes from simply being there and taking in the city’s romanticism. What distinguishes Paris is not its museums, monuments, or retail malls. What makes Paris unique is how it all comes together. The city oozes culture, and every second spent relishing it is worthwhile.

The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacré-Coeur, and Musée d’Orsay are all excellent. They are among the most intriguing and enjoyable sites we have ever visited. However, none of these are absolute must-see areas of interest. You may skip any, or all, of them and still have an amazing trip.

Complete not approach Paris checklist-style, attempting to complete everything. This is the fundamental message. Doing things is nice, and you’ll probably do a lot of them, but if you’re constantly racing around, you’ll miss out on the best thing to do in Paris: experiencing it.

Where to Eat

Whatever you’ve heard about Paris’ food scene is accurate. All of it. Paris is the world’s greatest gastronomic city. Better than New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles. We ate some of the greatest meals we’ve ever had in Paris.

Having said that, I’m far from competent to provide dining suggestions in Paris. When deciding where to eat, we typically reference both the Eater Guide to Paris and Infatuation’s Where to Eat & Drink in Paris Guide. These resources are far more thorough than anything I could offer.

Instead, I’ll provide some random comments and observations. First, dining in Paris isn’t as pricey as you may think. To be true, it can be extremely pricey, but the price listed on the menu is what you will pay. Tipping is not common in France, although you might leave a small tip on the table for exceptional service, and you can enjoy many excellent meals for less than $25 per person, excluding wine. Wine, coffee, and bottled soda can significantly increase costs.

Speaking of which, ordering tap water in France is not extremely usual, and it has only recently gained popularity. Some servers remain adamant about it, but they will offer you water (by the carafe) upon request. We rarely drink alcohol or soda while traveling, and we’ve observed that some servers in Paris aren’t too keen on it, despite the fact that it’s now the law.

As a result, we normally avoid places that place a strong focus on wine—there’s no reason to feel out of place or impolite to the establishment if they expect every table to order wine.

If you’re scared by Paris’s upscale dining scene, consider Boulangeries your buddy. To be fair, even if you aren’t afraid of table-service restaurants, these are your friends. If you visit Paris without dining at a boulangerie or pâtisserie, you haven’t really seen the city. These are today’s existential questions.

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Paris is almost defined by the bakeries and pastry shops that line nearly every block; they were the Starbucks of Paris before Starbucks was popular (and with far superior baked products). Simply put, they are essential for a visit to France.

While eye-catching goods like the St. Honoré and macarons will definitely pique your interest (and are must-tries), don’t forget the tried-and-true baguette and croissant. We recommend stopping by a boulangerie every day for lunch specials; the earlier the better, as popular items sometimes sell out.

If you’re staying at an Airbnb, we recommend going to grocery stores or supermarkets. Carrefour is our top pick in terms of value. As the advertisement for the above Metro station shows, it is substantially less expensive than its competitors. It’s similar to Aldi, but with higher-quality cheese and meat at lower costs.

The best restaurant we’ve been to in Paris is Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie. I mention this not because I think it’s a must-do (though our lunch here was fantastic), but to emphasize the point about affordability while simultaneously bringing up another topic: foie gras.

Foie gras is the restaurant’s specialty, and it appears in a variety of meals. Foie gras is contentious, and as a result, it is uncommon in the United States. In contrast, it is ubiquitous in France. The decision to participate is entirely up to you, but you should be aware of its prevalence.

The only other thing I’d suggest is to avoid familiar chains. McDonald’s and Starbucks are widely available and popular in Paris. While we frequently stop at these places when traveling worldwide for a quick, cheap dinner out of necessity, I strongly advise avoiding doing so in France. The food is just delicious, and there are numerous quick, low-cost local options that are far superior to American fast food corporations.

What should I pack?

A voltage converter is a must-have for any vacation to France. We highly recommend the BESTEK Portable Travel Converter with Multiple Outlets. You can get cheaper ones, but they will be bulkier and heavier and take up valuable space in your suitcase.

When packing, keep in mind that Paris gets true winters, complete with snow. If you want to come between October and March, pack for cooler weather.

In general, we recommend avoiding overpacking. This is especially true if you want to see more than just Paris while in Europe. Don’t let unnecessary luggage burden you, as you’ll be walking a lot and using the train, among other activities. Don’t pack anything “just in case.” Paris is a global city with access to almost anything you could possibly need. In my opinion, it is better to underpack rather than overpack.

You may read more about our “carry-on philosophy” and the bags we use here. Seriously, this is essential if you plan to travel through Europe by train or foot. It’s so much easier than hauling around a ton of bags!

For organizing visits to other European destinations, we recommend using a dedicated guidebook, such as Rick Steves’ Best of Europe. We definitely recommend Rick Steves’ Paris. We love his TV show and believe he has the best guidebook to Europe, so wherever you go, we’d recommend picking up one of his guides for that region.

Other Wisdom

This is perhaps the most significant portion of the guide, despite its location near the bottom. Oh well, if you’re making the effort to visit France, presumably you’ve also taken the time to read the entire post.

While Paris is a global city and the vast majority of people you’ll meet can speak some English, it’s a good idea to start any conversation in French with, “Je ne parle pas français. Can you speak English?” (“I don’t know French; do you speak English?”).

Many Americans would likely respond rudely if someone approached them and asked a question in Mandarin, and the French do not tolerate people who do not make an attempt.

This is also apparent in terms of dress. No, you don’t have to look like you just stepped off the runway or wear only the latest fashion. You should avoid looking like you just got out of the gym or wearing an ill-fitting garment. This can be a big break from regular life for many Americans. While the French may occasionally dress down, they consistently maintain a sharp appearance, even in casual attire.

Uggs, Crocs, yoga trousers, gym shorts, novelty shirts with’smart’ wording, cargo shorts, American flag apparel, trucker caps, and anything camouflaged will not be seen in Paris (except for visitors). You may believe it is superficial for Parisians to assess individuals based on how they dress, and you are definitely entitled to that opinion. It doesn’t change the fact that looking good will get you better treatment.

In fact, adopting these two pretty simple things will usually give your encounters a considerably warmer tone and make a major difference in the overall enjoyment of your vacation. We hear so many Americans complain about how rude the French are, yet aside from a few isolated incidents, we’ve never seen anything quite similar.

Next, it should come as no surprise that France does not use the United States dollar as its currency. While you can order euros from your bank ahead of time (which is a good idea as a backup plan), the best alternative is to withdraw euros from an ATM in France. This method will provide you with the best exchange rate, and while there may be a small cost, it is usually more than covered by the rate.

Avoid currency exchanges—this advice applies to any foreign country. You can either order currency ahead of time or use an ATM when you arrive. Just make sure your debit card works overseas. It’s also a good idea to notify your bank ahead of time that you’ll be traveling internationally to avoid having your account suspended due to a potential fraud risk. (This happens frequently.)

Having a chipped credit card and using it to pay is the ideal solution. Chip and signature credit cards are becoming increasingly popular in the United States, and they will be accepted throughout Europe. Chip-and-pin credit cards have long been the norm there, but European shops are getting more accustomed to the chip and signature standard.

Chipped credit cards simplify foreign travel by eliminating the need to deal in cash (save for street sellers and other “older” retailers who do not accept cash). We use chipped credit cards for at least 95% of all foreign transactions. Before proceeding, ensure that your credit card does not have a foreign transaction fee, just as your debit card does.

If you are sensitive to cigarette smoke, Paris may not be for you. Smoking is much more common, and it persists in regions where it would be illegal to smoke in the United States. Furthermore, many of these establishments lack nonsmoking areas.

It appears that the tides are shifting in this regard, and smoking is no longer permitted in several tourist destinations, yet it remains common. This is most evident in restaurants, but many cafés are open-air and outside, so unless you’re seated next to a smoker, it may not bother you.

If you don’t have an international data plan or a MiFi gadget, you should know where to obtain free WiFi. Most fast food outlets, including Starbucks and McDonald’s, offer wireless internet. Your hotel or Airbnb will most likely have free WiFi as well. WiFi is unlikely to be available at cafés or fine dining establishments. It is available in some places, but I would not consider it widespread.

I understand that this is only the beginning of the planning process for a trip to Paris. My objective was not to make it too daunting, but it is already very long. I regularly update this guide based on our subsequent journeys to France and other changes, ensuring the information remains current.

If you enjoyed or found our Paris, France Trip Planning Guide beneficial, please leave a comment and/or share this item on social media using the links below. We’ve put a lot of effort into this guide, and we want as many people to be able to use it as possible. Thank you very much for your support!

Your Thoughts

Have you traveled to Paris? What were your thoughts? Planning a trip and have questions? If you’re a Parisian or European with any tips, please share them in the comments. (I might just borrow them for the guide itself.) Hearing about your experiences is both interesting to us and useful to other readers, so please share your ideas!

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