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Price of a cup of coffee
From € 3 to € 4
Tipping
Not required. Still if you decide to tip, it is common to leave 10% of the bill.
Tap water
The tap water in Paris is drinkable, though may have a strong taste.
Museums in Paris
All museums in Paris are free for children under 18 years old. As some museums are free for everyone, or offer discounts, it can be worthwhile to check your situation in advance.
Public transport
Paris has an extensive metro network operating from 6:00h till 01:00h, as well as buses and tramways. During the night (from 1:00h till 5:30h) you can use Noctilien night buses.
All means of transport require a T+ticket, which costs about € 2. If you buy a booklet of 10 tickets, you will pay an advantageous price of around € 15. Tickets can be purchased at ticket desks and vending machines in stations of bus, metro and RER.
Metro
Paris has a very good metro network, consisting of regular metro lines and suburban trains called RER. These are perfect to reach about any point in Paris, though it can get crowded at times.
Trains
For searching and booking trains in France, we recommend the official website of SNCF. In the Paris region, we recommend to use the official regional service called Transilien.
For more information about public transport in Paris, see the official website of RATP, or their app.
From the Airport to Paris
The three main airports around Paris are Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Beauvais.
Charles de Gaulle
All terminals (1, 2 and 3) of Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) are linked by a free train, which runs every 5 minutes.
Train
The fastest way (about 40 minutes) to reach Paris is the RER train line B, running from 5:00h till midnight. The train stops at several metro stations in the centre of Paris, such as Jardin du Luxembourg, St-Michel Notre-Dame, Châtelet - Les Halles and Gare du Nord. One way costs about € 10.
Taxi
Taxis can be found outside the airport terminals. Official taxis apply fixed rates of € 50 to the 'right bank' of Paris (North of the Seine river), and € 55 to the 'left bank' of Paris (South of the Seine river).
See the official website of Charles de Gaulle Airport, for further info on the various ways of getting there.
Paris-Orly
Bus
The bus is a relatively cheap and quick option. OrlyBus runs about every 20 minutes between Paris-Orly and Denfert Rochereau (as of early morning till midnight). Denfert Rochereau provides a good metro connection into various parts of the city. The ride takes about half an hour and costs about € 10.
Train
A monorail called Orlyval connects Paris-Orly with the RER suburban train network. The monorail runs frequently between the airport and Antony station, from 6:00h till 23:35h. From Antony station you can take the RER line B into central Paris. The total trip duration into the city of Paris is around 45 minutes, and costs about € 15.
Taxi
Taxis can be found outside Gate L of Orly Sud, and outside Gate B on the arrivals level of Orly Ouest. Official taxis apply fixed rates of € 30 to the 'left bank' of Paris (South of the Seine river), and € 35 to the 'right bank' of Paris (North of the Seine river).
See the official website of Paris-Orly Airport, for further info on the various ways of getting there.
Beauvais
Bus
There is a special shuttle bus, which timetable is adapted to the schedule of the flights. The bus runs from the airport to Porte Maillot, which lies West of the centre of Paris. From there you'll have a good metro connection into various parts of the city. The journey takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes, and costs about € 20.
Taxi
Taxis into Paris are expensive: about € 170 during the day, and € 210 for a night trip. The trip duration ranges typically between 60 and 90 minutes.
See the official website of Beauvais Airport, for further info on the various ways of getting there.
Events
Bastille Day
Bastille Day is celebrated through the entire country on 14 July. 'Le Quatorze Juillet' commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. Festivities in Paris include one of the oldest military parades in the world, held in the morning on the Champs-Élysées. The official celebrations typically end with spectacular fireworks around the Eiffel Tower.
Champs-Élysées piétons
One Sunday per month you can enjoy the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysées without cars and traffic. Check the dates on the official citypage (Fr) of Paris.
Christmas markets
Christmas Markets are held throughout Paris, from November onwards. Some recommendations are Les Halles, Notre-Dame, Champ de Mars (near the Eiffel Tower), and the impressive Christmas village at La Défense.
Paris Pride
The Paris Pride is a gay parade and festival celebrated annually in the end of June. The parade typically leads from the Montparnasse Tower to Place de la Bastille. After the parade, most festivities continue in Le Marais. For more information about the event, check out the official website (Fr).
Tour de France
Le Tour is one of the most popular sports events in the world, typically held in July. Traditionally the Tour ends with a final stage on the Champs-Élysées. Learn more about the Tour on the official website.
Culture and arts events
European Heritage Days
The European Heritage Days usually take place in a weekend in the second half of September. During these days some unique and private places of the city, like embassies, hidden gardens, historical and private residences, open their doors to the public! Learn more about the European Heritage Days on the official website.
Fête de la Musique
Fête de la Musique is an event for music lovers, celebrated on the 21st of June. For this international event, Paris organises concerts in the middle of streets, in metro stations, in cafés and bars, and other unusual places! If you are a music lover you can take part in this festival yourself, and start your own concert right on the street!
Night of Museums
The Night of Museums is a special night in Paris that takes place once per year. On this night all museums in Paris are free, and some offer special tours and activities as well. Learn more about this year's edition on the official website.
Nuit Blanche
Paris celebrates Nuit Blanche in the beginning of October (usually the first Saturday). For one night the city becomes a huge, light-flooded area designed for the festival of contemporary art. Special activities take place in churches, museums, and other sights. Visit the official website (Fr) for the latest news.
Local pages
Batobus
The Batobus is a river shuttle that stops at the main sites along the Seine river. With a pass you can hop on and off at any stop. In high-season boats run about every 15 to 30 minutes.
Bicycle sharing
The city has a bicycle sharing system, called Vélib’. Payment is possible by creditcard. Find more information about their rates and docking stations on the official website. The Vélib’ App is able to show you a useful up-to-date map with bicycles available at docking-points near you.
Going out
Paris offers many options for having a good time at night. Simply head for one of the bar areas on our map, and you're likely to find something you love. If you want to plan things more in advance, Parisbouge (Fr) gives an idea of some of the options you have.
Riverboats
Several companies offer boat tours from the Seine riverside. Bateaux Parisiens and Bateaux Mouches are among the best known. During the tours of typically around one hour, you get to see world-famous sights from a different angle. Boats operate during the day, but also around sunset.
Taxi
Taxi apps like Uber work well in Paris.
Tourist office
The tourist office in Paris has several 'welcome points', for instance at Gare du Nord and the Louvre. People there are happy to help. Besides that, the official website of the tourist office offers a comprehensive list of things to do in Paris. The office also cooperates with other tourism organizations in the region, so you can find all the useful information to plan a visit to surrounding cities as well.
Getting to Versailles
The fastest and most economical way to get to the palace, is taking the train from Montparnasse station. The ride to Versailles-Chantiers station takes only 12 minutes. One-way tickets are about € 4. Versailles-Chantiers is 20 minutes walking from the palace.
Another very popular option is taking the RER train line C, which leaves for instance from station St-Michel Notre-Dame, Musée d'Orsay, Les Invalides and Champ-de-Mars (near the Eiffel tower). In 30 minutes you can get to Versailles-Château-Rive-Gauche, within 15 minutes walking distance from the palace.
Getting to Disneyland
The Magical Shuttle drives you to Disneyland from the airports Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, from the centre of Paris, as well as from several hotels.
Another option is to get on the RER train line A, in the direction of Marne-la-Vallée / Chessy. Get off at Marne-la-Vallée / Chessy and walk straight into Disneyland!
The RER A train leaves for instance from Châtelet - Les Halles, and the ride takes about 50 minutes.
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