Actually Useful Paris Travel Tips For 2020

Here is a list of Paris travel tips and hacks that helped me navigate the city for four months!

Paris is a romantic city. It is known to be a dating wonderland. Picnics by the Effiel Tower, hand-holding under the starry night. Who really needs Paris travel tips, right?

Although learning a few French words is important, this post isn’t meant to inform you of something you probably already know. Wrapping my head around the ins-and-outs of Paris took a bit longer than I thought! From safety to transportation, I will elaborate on a few pointers based on my actual experience in town. Hope these Paris travel tips will help you!

Traveling within the City

Trains & Metro

Paris’ extensive metro system has approximately 300 stops. As such, metro stations are easily found throughout the city, especially in the city center. Trains run frequently in tourist zones, usually every 2-5 mins between 05:30 and 00:40 (5:30 am – 12:40 am) Sunday through Thursday and 05:30 – 01:40 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Paris Travel Tip #1 Night buses take over after trains stop running. Check out the app RATP here.

These buses usually stop at every station in accordance with the metro line, so no worries when having a late night out!

The most confusing part of the Paris metro system is pricing.

Individual tickets and multi-day passes are available at every metro counter. Check out the various prices here. The problem is, Paris is divided into 5 different zones.

Every zone is subjected to a different price.

Zone 1-2 is central Paris (Light yellow area on the map). The majority of metro stations are within this zone. After these two zones, the RER Regional Express Network will provide access to other zones, such as Zone 5, where the Charles de Gaulle airport is located. For a more thorough read on zones and transportation, here is a great article that will give you a better understanding of Paris’s metro system.

Paris Travel Tip #2 If you are under 26 and planning on living in Paris for an extended period, the Carte Imagine’R is a great way to save money!

The French government loves to help us kids and will subsidize a bulk of the cost for an annual pass. While the benefits are great, the bureaucratic process can be a headache. To get the application forms,  visit one of the offices in a metro station and ask for the forms for Carte Imagine’R (you will need a valid photo id, a passport-sized photo, school enrollment info and a French bank account reference).

These cards may take a few months to be delivered to your address, which is rather annoying since finding a place in Paris isn’t always easy. However, tickets with Carte Imagine’R ends up being half the price of Navigo (the regular metro pass). It also provides a lot of benefits.

Bike Share

Paris has an extensive bike sharing system called Velib. It’s around EUR 2  for the first half an hour with a valid credit card.

Paris Travel Tip #3 If you return a bike within half an hour and rent a new one, it will only charge you that EUR 2!

Basically, don’t go over the time limit for each and you won’t have to pay extra!

Taxi/Uber

I took the taxi once, it starts at EUR 4 and is EUR 1.25/km. Like North America, Uber is really convenient in Paris.

Traveling between Cities

Intercity Buses

There are tons of buses in Europe, including Euroline, IDBUS, National Express, etc

Megabus is probably the cheapest, with deals as low as ***EUR 1.50*** if you book around a month or so ahead of time. (I was able to book a ticket to Brussels from Paris for EUR 2! Now, they don’t have the most comfortable seats or the most extensive travel destinations, but I thought it was definitely worth it!

Planes and Trains

Trains are quite expensive (yes I do think that Eurorail is extremely pricey).

Paris Travel Tips #4 If you manage to secure a ticket with Ouigo, do so!! It ranges between EUR 10- 35 from Paris to 16 other cities. The catch is, you do need a French or European bank card.

Clubs and Bars

Paris has two completely different club scenes.

Tips for Top 40 Clubs

Generally expensive to get in, unless you meet a promoter (which is quite easy for girls, but be ready for comments on how to dress and whether you are pretty enough). When you do have a promoter, there is free cover, free alcohol, free booths, you name it!

Some of my favorite Parisian clubs are Nüba, an open rooftop bar/club, and club 79, a fancy establishment in the 16th arrondissement.

Deep House Clubs

Geared towards a younger crowd, most are dressed casually while the cover is not as expensive, though this differs based on the club.

Is Paris Safe?

Overall, I felt safe during my 4-month stay in Paris. However, there were a few incidents that stood out.
1) Always watch your belongings on the metro! The subway can get quite crowded and I did get my phone stolen 🙁
2) Definitely be careful when you are on the border of the city! Paris isn’t the safest at night and certain arrondissements are known to be more dangerous.

Compared to say, Italy, People in Paris weren’t overly excited to help out tourists (to be fair, there are a lot of us). But start your sentence with a few French words, they are a lot nicer afterward!

Personal Experiences and Tips

1. There are tons of small museums in Paris. The Louvre may be your #1, but don’t miss out on the smaller joys!
2. Visit the Eiffel Tower at night. Having a drink on the greenery under the lit up structure is much more romantic than visiting during the day!
3. My favorite supermarket in Paris is Lidl. They have some of the cheapest groceries/wines/bread, and some of the most delicious croissants! I remember these buttery pastries are like EUR 0.50 or so!

Weather in Paris

The summers in Paris are warm while winter can be quite cold. Although Parisian snow tend to melt immediately, there always seems to be brown slush around the city streets between December and February. I lived in Paris from January to April and did not love the weather until it was time to leave!

When to visit Paris

Paris is most beautiful during Spring and Fall. Cherry blossom season between late March and early April is a great reason for a visit. Between May and June, the newly-bloomed flowers and the freshly grown grass are truly captivating. September and November also have enjoyable weather and smaller crowds.

Happy Travels xx