Is the City of Light calling your name? Answer that call by planning an amazing trip to the city with our Paris travel guide!

Paris is one of my favorite cities to travel to with its abundance of things to do, fantastic food, exceptional wine, and its artistic ambiance. You can’t go wrong taking a leisurely stroll through the city streets or next to the Seine and popping into some cafes for coffee or stopping at a wine bar in the afternoon for a glass of something produced right there in France.

Paris is a city I always recommend to friends who are looking for the ideal European travel destination. If you’ve never been to Paris, get oriented and figure out what to do on your trip with our travel guide to Paris!

Paris travel guide

Where is Paris?

Paris is the capital of France, and is in the Île-de-France region, which is northern France. It’s about 137 feet above sea level and sits alongside the river Seine. Paris is two and a half hours away from London by train, an hour and 45 minutes by train from Brussels, and just over four hours by train from Frankfurt.

Timezone

Right now Paris is on Central European Summer Time, putting them six hours ahead of New York City, eight hours ahead of Denver, and nine hours of Los Angeles.

Weather in Paris

Paris can be stifling in summer and chilly in winter, making it a fun destination to visit any time of year to experience different seasons. Even if visiting in the winter, there are tons of museums to visit, shows to see, and indoor activities to keep you warm – plus drinking all that amazing French wine will keep you warm inside out!

Average temperatures in Paris by season (Fahrenheit):

• Spring: Lows in the mid-40s and highs in the 60s
• Summer: Lows in the mid-50s and highs in the high 70s
• Fall: Lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s to even 70s
• Winter: Lows in the 30s and highs in the mid-40s

Paris’ hottest months are July and August, its coldest is January, and the months with the most rain are December and May.

Weather is reported in Celsius in Paris, so don’t be alarmed if you see that it’s 23 degrees in the middle of June! To calculate the temperature in Celsius to Fahrenheit: (Temperature (C) x 1.8) + 32 = Temperature (F)

Basic travel info

• Police/emergency: 112
• Area code: +33
• US embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris, France
• Electricity: Expect 230v for electrical outputs, meaning you’ll need a converter if bringing your own electronics, hair dryer, etc. For plugs, you’ll need C or E.

Language

As the capital of France, it’s no surprise that Parisians speak French. Many servers in the restaurants and tour operators speak English and provide English menus or information.

Common French phrases for travelers

Hello | Bonjour (bohn-zhour)

Good evening | Bonsoir (bohn-swahr)

Good night | Bonne nuit (bohn-nwee)

Goodbye | Au revoir (ohr-vwahr!)

Yes | Oui (wee)

No |  Non (nohn)

Please | S’il vous plait (see-voo play)

Thank you | Merci  (mehr-see)

I’m sorry | Je suis désolé (jhuh swee day-zo-lay)

Excuse me | Pardon/Excusez-moi  (pahr-dohN./eks-kew-zey-mwah)

I don’t speak French | Je ne parle pas français (jhuhn pahr-ley pah frahn-say)

Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? (Pahr-ley ahN-gleh)

Where is…? | Ou est… (ooh eh…)

I would like | Je voudrais (zhuh vooh-dreh)

How much is… | Combien coute… (kohN-byaN kooht…)

The bill, please | L’addition s’il vous plait  (lah-dee-syohN, seel vooh pleh)

Want a few more French travel phrases up your sleeve? Check out our guide to French for travelers!

Currency in Paris

France is part of the EU, so the Euro is used in Paris. Right now, $10 USD equals about 8.9 euro. Cash is the most commonly accepted currency, but many attractions do accept credit cards, especially for bigger purchases. Be sure to carry 1€ coins and 50 cent pieces for public restrooms, too!

Transportation

Getting around Paris is super easy thanks to their comprehensive Metro system. It has five lines and its density of stations makes it easy to navigate and hop right on. A single ticket is 1,90€ or you can buy a 10-pack for 14,90€. A single ticket is valid for two hours after you validate it, and allows as many transfers as you need.

If you’re spending quite a bit of time exploring Paris, you may want to invest in the Paris Visite travel card. The travel card provides unlimited rides on the metro and RER networks – as well as discounts to select attractions. You can buy the card in one, two, three, or five consecutive day passes, with a one-day pass being 12€ for Paris only or 25,25€ for the Greater Paris area, up to 38,35€ for a five-day Paris-only pass.

If you’re planning on going to Versailles, Disneyland Paris, and want transportation back to the airport, you’ll need the Zones 1 – 5 (Greater Paris) ticket, and for five days that’s 65,80€ per adult.

Paris neighborhoods

No matter what neighborhood in Paris you end up exploring, you’re sure to find stunning architecture, charming cafes, and plenty of photo opportunities. Many neighborhoods are home to art, museums, and world-class dining, but other neighborhoods are more residential or Bohemian. Find the right Paris neighborhood for you below!

Most popular neighborhoods in Paris

• Bastille: Bars, cafes, eclectic
• Canal Saint-Martin: Bohemian, restaurants
• Champs-Elysees: Luxury, expensive, touristy, high profile
• Gare du Nord: Train station, multicultural
• Invalides: Ecole Militaire: Residential, restaurants, intimate
• La Chapelle: Multicultural, lively, food
• Le Marais: Bohemian, fashion, art
• Louvre: Tuileries: Art, touristy, classic
• Montmartre: Artistic, charming, Old World, restaurants
• Montparnasse: Touristy, trains, creative
• Notre Dame: Touristy, restaurants, sightseeing
• Palais Royal: Cafes, retreat, green
• Quartier Latin: Cool, nightlife, cafes
• Tour Eiffel – Champ de Mar: Touristy, romantic, sightseeing, picnics

Accommodations

Between the hotels and apartments for rent, you’ll be able to find somewhere to stay in Paris. You’ll find more economical rates outside of the city center, and with Paris’ fantastic transportation system, you can easily hop on the Metro to get wherever you need to go. Paris is definitely a city you do not need to be central to have fun in.

10 best hotels in Paris

1. Hotel Original Paris
2. Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel
3. Hotel Eiffel Blomet
4. Novotel Paris Centre Gare Montparnasse
5. Hotel Cecilia Paris
6. citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon
7. Hotel Magda Champs Elysees
8. Hotel Eiffel Seine
9. Hotel Da Vinci & Spa
10. La Maison Favart

Dining and tipping in Paris

Like most other European countries, servers are paid a living wage in Paris so tipping isn’t as big of a deal as it is in America. For good service, a 10% tip will do or just leave a euro or two on the table when you leave. Don’t be surprised if you don’t see your server from the time they serve your food to the time you request the bill, it’s polite etiquette for servers to give you time and space to enjoy your food and the company of your dining companions.

10 best foods to eat in Paris

1. Pain au chocolat
2. Crepes
3. Baguette and cheese
4. Foie gras
5. Steak tartare
6. Steak frites
7. Duck
8. Escargot
9. Coq au vin
10. Macaron

Best drinks in Paris

• Champagne
• Bordeaux
• Soixant Quinze

Top 10 things to do in Paris

There’s enough to do in Paris to keep you busy for weeks, but if you want to narrow it down to the must-dos in Paris, here are our top 10:

1. Free walking tour of Paris with Discover Walks
2. Go up the Eiffel Tower
3. Take a boat ride on the Seine
4. Visit Notre Dame (still reeling from the devastating news of the fire)
5. Discover the art in the Louvre
6. Feel the thrills and chills in the Paris catacombs
7. See a show at the Moulin Rouge
8. Stop for a photo at Sacre Coeur
9. Go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe
10. Stroll le Jardin du Luxembourg

Parisian culture & etiquette

• Be polite: Always offer a greeting or say hello when entering a shop or meeting a group of people. Use titles when addressing people or default to using monsieur, madame, or mademoiselle when talking to others, unless you’re familiar with them and they’ve invited you to use their given name. A thank you never hurts any interaction either!
• Be late: Surprisingly it’s okay to arrive late to things and most Parisians won’t notice or care if something was supposed to start at 10 a.m. and it’s now 10:15 a.m. If you’re going to be more than fashionably late, more than 30 minutes, it’s polite to give your company a head’s up. There’s leeway and then there’s just late beyond excuse.
• Engage in a debate: Debates aren’t just for politicians in Paris, many French citizens enjoy getting into lengthy discussions and having confrontations about their ideas with friends and family. The debate allows for people to share and discuss ideas and showcase their passion for their beliefs. If someone challenges you in a conversation, it’s not considered rude.
• Enjoy the silence: Having a good old debate with a friend in a cafe is fine, but don’t engage with strangers when waiting in line somewhere or talk loudly on your phone in public. Let people enjoy their privacy in peace while in public spaces.
• Take a gift: Going to dinner at someone’s house? Send flowers to their home in the morning so they can put them on display during the dinner party, and send flowers in odd numbers but never in the amount of 13. Some Parisians will be offended if you bring a bottle of wine to a dinner as it’s saying you feel your wine selection is superior to theirs.
• Drink wine with your meal: Wine is a major French export and something that’s meant to be enjoyed with food, so be sure to order a glass or share a bottle with friends when dining. If you don’t like the vintage, keep your glass full or your host or hostess might pour you more.

Paris is an amazing travel destination, and one that is easy to go back to time after time. I love visiting Paris and discovering new bistros, cafes, and streets to get lost in. I hope this Paris travel guide helps you better plan your trip!

Bon voyage!