It is no secret that Paris is one of the most amazing cities on earth, you don’t need me to tell you that.
The two things that stood out to me about Paris was:
- How enormous the structures are, it felt like a city for giants. Similar to New York with the skyscrapers but instead it was these wide massive structures with stunning architecture.
- Paris spares no expense: Everything is done with class even down to the corner cafes will have decorated thick napkins, exquisite cutlery and amazing food. Not like other places where everything is as efficient/cheap as it can be… Paris doesn’t cut corners and truly values whatever they are displaying/giving you whether it is stores, food, hotels etc.
However, if there is an issue with Paris it is that there is just so much to do and it can get overwhelming.
This article will simplify things for you and is just a quick article of Paris for beginners! I will make sure you know how to get around best, where to go, stay and things you cannot miss.
Most Important Tip For First Timers Visiting Paris: How Long To Stay In Paris.
I heard the same thing from many people and I want to make sure you know it is a lie… This tip is so important that I made it under its own heading.
You will hear people say you only need a few days in Paris… go visit for 2-3 nights and get out of there.
Nothing could be further from the truth. If you read this blog you may have seen my article on the #1 mistake new travelers make, which you can read here.
This falls right in line with that mistake and it revolves around rushing to just check a place off your bucket list. Go to Paris for at least a week and take your time to soak in this beautiful city.
You may have thoughts of an itinerary where you have a week for France or Europe, go hit the known main attractions in Paris and then get on a plane to Amsterdam or something since everywhere is so close.
People forget the actual travel to a city that is only a 1-2 hour flight away still takes a ton of time.
For instance, I did a week in Paris then five days in Venice and am so glad I did that vs. try to fit in a third city. My trip from Paris to Venice ended up taking basically an entire day from hotel in Paris to hotel in Venice.
We took off from our Paris hotel at 10am and one could think we might get into Venice by 3pm with a whole afternoon and night to enjoy.
However, it took 1.5-2 hours to get the airport due to traffic, then our flight was delayed two hours, get bags in venice and then depending how you get to your place in Venice, which can be its own set of nightmares (for those who have gone, you know), can take 1-3 dreadful hours.
By the time we got to Venice, checked into our hotel and somewhat unpacked it was 10/11pm where we lost an entire day from a place that is just 1.5 hours away.
The same can be said for a trip into Paris where when you land in Paris, by the time you clear customs, get bags, get to train station, train into town (or uber), walk to hotel, check-in…. 3-5+ hours will go by. You don’t just land in Paris at noon and start enjoying it at 1pm.
So the point is… do not think you can just cram places together as your three days in Paris could realistically just be 1.5 if you include travel time to and from your hotel in city A to hotel in city B.
Thus, slow down, take in this gorgeous city and relax. Enjoy many arrondissements, bike around the city, maybe take a day-train trip to a closer town if you wish, eat everywhere and overall just soak in one of the most stunning cities on earth.
I would suggest at minimum 5 days in Paris. The only reason I would do less is if you took my advice from the 25 Best Travel Hacks & Tips Article, where Paris is just your overseas cheap flight destination on the way to a different country for a longer period.
With that said, now that you know how long to stay, let’s get into a guide for Paris first-timers.
Before You Go | Apps To Download For Paris First Timers
There are a couple of apps you need to download right now as they are game changers for your visit to Paris. Make sure you have them downloaded prior to going as you will need 1-2 right out of the gates.
*Remember, you need Data on your phone to use apps so I suggest getting a digital sim card (Esim) so you can keep your same number vs. old school sim cards. Airalo is one I have used, they are a pain to setup but once you get it, it is so worth it.
Then there is one app in particular that might be the best travel app ever invented and it is a 1000% must have for your Paris trip.
My Airbnb host suggested it to me and it hands down is the best app I have ever used and I have no affiliation nor sponsorship with this app.
The app is Citymapper, it is in 100+ cities currently and I assume will keep growing.
This app is so great for large cities like Paris where it will give you all methods to get from point A to point B, costs, time it takes and any transfers.
This is perfect for Paris as often bicycling is quicker and cheaper than an uber or sometimes you may want to do a train but if there are two of you then it might be almost the same cost and twice as fast to uber.
It truly is ridiculously helpful for time and costs. It also gives you alerts for any issues and is one of the best resources out there.
Another great example is when you land in the airport, it will give you every option and even if you want to walk to the main train station, it tells you how long of a walk, the length of train trip, which exit to go out when you get to your station and then how long of a walk from your arrival train station to your hotel.
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Rideshare Apps: Be sure to of course have Uber but then Bolt is another great app to have and is typically much cheaper than Uber. However, go back and forth with both to check prices for each trip. There are other rideshare apps but those two will be enough and suffice. Sometimes taxis can be as cheap as well and are displayed on the Citymapper app.
Bike Apps: These are huge and biking is one of my favorite things to do in Paris, which I will cover more later. Download Lime, which are everywhere and then maybe an extra one just in case like Dott or Velib.
Language & Currency Conversion App: Really at this point Google does it all. Be sure to download the actual Google app though as this is great for menus and such if you want to take a picture of the menu and it translates it for you.
I believe the newest iPhone is also coming with the picture translation feature. Other than Google I also use Globeconvert for currency but Google truly is one-stop shop these days.
Once you have those then you are all set to take your trip to Paris!
Landed In Paris, What’s Next, How Do You Get To Your Place In Paris?
Well the good news is you have Citymapper, so this will take away pretty much every stress.
Take out the app, type in your destination and voila! As mentioned above when I discussed CityMapper, it will tell you how long of a walk to the train station (typically 10 minutes, which is all inside and some places have the moving walkways to speed you up) then get your ticket and hop on the train.
Paris airport staff are typically super helpful as there are staff at the train kiosks who will help you figure everything out and can make sure you know where you are going to get you on your way.
Of course if you want to uber or bus then Citymapper will give you those options too.
If uber rates aren’t crazy expensive I suggest that when you land since it typically is quicker and can get dropped off right at your door vs. walk from train stations and such.
Maybe you had a long travel day and just want to get to your place with no stress, so this is an easy and stress free option. Of course sometimes prices can be surging so it might not be worth it. Check both Uber and Bolt though just in case.
Where to stay in Paris for First Timers
As mentioned Paris can be overwhelming since it is so large and there are tons of places to stay so here are the best areas to stay in Paris for first timers.
In Paris the neighborhoods are broken down into the word “arrondissements” which are municipal districts/neighborhoods.
There are 20 arrondissements and are numbered in a clockwise spiral, starting in the center of the city and ending in the far east.
Honestly you can’t really go wrong staying anywhere in the heart of Paris in one of the first 1-8 arrondissements, or even all 20, the city has so much to offer.
With that said I would stick to 3-4 of choices to be as central as possible and surrounded with great restaurants, bars, shops and ease of getting around to everything.
To be honest, I would just search for the best value in terms of hotel or airbnb. Do a search with the outline being any of the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th would be ideal but then 5th & 6th are good as well and 10th is good for more budget conscious.
A quick rundown on the best arrondissements to stay in for first timers:
- 1st arrondissements is my favorite as it is the heart of Paris and near everything. It is of course more expensive but you can still find some good options through airbnb.
- 3rd & 4th arrondissements compromise the area known as Le Marais, which is a favorite by many people. It is historic, slightly cheaper than 1st and overall a bit more authentic feel than something like the 1st or 7th arrondissements.
- 7th arrondissements is nice but tourist central since this is where the Eiffel Tower is located. Still a top favorite place to stay by tourists of course.
- 5th & 6th arrondissements are the Latin Quarter & St-Germain-des-Pres, which are good spots as well as it is a bit cheaper, historic and unique.
- 10th arrondissements is a great spot for the budget conscious as it is a bit more up and coming but of course not as close to everything.
You may notice the 2nd arrondissement is missing from the suggestions as it is more the business side of Paris with less residential options and a less focus on tourism.
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Must Do Things For Paris First Timers
You really don’t need this article to tell you what to do in Paris as there are literally one million places to find this out but here are some must-do things in Paris for first timers that you shouldn’t miss.
The first and best thing to do in Paris is to just get on a bike (or walk) and get lost. Paris is such a bikeable and walkable city you will just hit half of the places you wanted to see going on a random bike ride! It has to be the most bikeable city on earth with their commitment to bike lanes.
Don’t have an itinerary day one, just get on a bike and cruise around your area and down the Seine River, which in the end you will see a ton of the amazing things you wanted to see and more.
The great thing if you rent Lime bikes or similar, if you are tired, just park them and can uber or train back to your place.
- Eat: Paris might be the best place I have ever visited for cuisine. I was thinking it might be one of the biggest melting pots in the world and the food options show it. It was amazing to eat unique different cuisines all the time that you might not have at home. Whether it is Asian, African, Middle Eastern and all else, there literally is an authentic and amazing restaurant from every country on earth in Paris.
- Louvre Museum: This might be my favorite and has nothing to do with the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo etc. It is the grounds, they are massive and it is just such a stunning structure and grounds with the Louvre Pyramid, Jardin des Tuileries next to it and the building itself is 10x bigger than I thought it would be. There is also the Salle des Cariatides, which is this enormous area full of ancient Greek & Roman sculptures, that I thought was the prettiest area inside.
- Eiffel Tower: obviously.
- Champs-Elysees & Arc de Triomphe: Yes, Champs-Elysees just like the song (google it so it plays in your head over and over when you are there). Stroll Champs-Elysees, which is one of the most famous shopping areas in the world and then visit Arc de Triomphe that is at the end of the street.
- Catacombs Of Paris: Definitely check this out!
- Palace of Versailles: Only if you stay for 5-7 days and have time for a day trip out there.
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- Latin Quarter: Notre Dame is right there and it is a charming area to walk around and explore as well as some great cheap food spots.
- Pantheon: Another stunning structure and area in Paris.
- Le Marais: A trendy, historical and unique area with tons of shops, galleries and historic architecture.
- Seine River: By boat, walking, bike or all three.
- Moulin Rouge: I had no idea but the street the Moulin Rouge is on is a red light district so maybe don’t bring the kids.
- Slow down: Overall, let me beat it into your head to just walk/bike and take in the city with no rush. Stop in cute cafes, stop and have a glass of wine next to the Seine, eat a ton and overall just relax vs. have a set itinerary to make it to point A, B, C etc just to check it off your list.
Some other places to see as well are Musee d’Orsay, Jardin de Luxembourg, Sacre-Coeur Basilica and of course the list can go on for other great places to see in Paris.
Paris Tips
Here are a few tips for Paris for first timers.
Day trip or overnight trip to the beach/wine country
If you are taking my advice and not rushing through Paris but you still want to see wine country or the beach. Do a day trip or if affordable for you, do overnight trip but don’t check out of your place in Paris.
The time you will save from packing up your place, checking out of a hotel only to come back to Paris and check back into it, dragging luggage everywhere, bending to the check-in/out times of hotels etc… just isn’t worth the $100-250 you might be spending a night. Time is money and in this case… just keep your place in Paris even if it “wastes” $100-200.
Just pack an overnight bag and get on a 3 hour train to one of Bordeaux, Alsace, Etretat, Deauville or even Brugge in Belgium. This way you can leave in the morning and enjoy a full-day at each with no stress, less rushed and then another full-day the next day before heading back to Paris.
Train is better because you just arrive 15 minutes before it leaves the station instead of a plane needing 1-2 hours and the Paris airport, along with other airports typically 1 hour out of town etc.
Overall the goal is not to be rushed and to be smart with your time.
Use Baggage Storage Companies
If you are in a pinch with airbnb checkouts/ins and all else… there are a ton of great baggage storage companies you can use all over town and you can make simple reservations with them. Nannybag is a good one.
Do Not Rent A Car
I have driven in Asia, South America, Central America, Europe, London, Sydney, New York and all over… I would never drive in Paris, it is anxiety filled if you are not a local and used to it. With the bike lanes, scooters and overall giant city traffic, it is insane.
Furthermore, as mentioned it is so easy to get around with bikes, trains, ubers etc.
Plan to spend more than you think
Sure you want to budget travel but then sometimes convenience after a long day can come at a cost. Whether that’s a good meal or paying for an uber because your legs are gonna fall off and standing on a hot train for 45 mins sounds miserable.
While I am all for budgeting and saving money, when will you ever be in Paris again, so make it memorable, not miserable. You won’t remember the extra $500 you spent to enjoy this trip in 10 years but you will remember the memories and experience.
Eat Meals Across Multiple Places & Cafe Hop
There are thousands of places to eat in Paris… so have dinner at two of them in one night. Eat in one place and then stroll down to the cafe on a main road to people watch, enjoy dessert and a bottle of wine.
Overall, I said it countless times but do not rush. Enjoy this stunning city and just relax, eat, take in views and have a stress and itinerary free visit.