Things to do

This is a must do one afternoon or one day activity:

• The first thing you simply have to do when you arrive in to the city is find your way to metro line 6 and go to Trocadero station... follow the signs to Sortie/Exit #1 (Avenue du Président Wilson Palais de Chaillot). Walk straight and once you are past the building on your left, you will have an amazing view of this metal structure Paris is famous for :-). I get goosebumps just thinking about what you are going to experience. For maximum wow effect I would suggest not googling anything about this suggestion. Just follow the metro-station-exit-wow sequence :-)

• Next thing after that is an easy walk to Arc de Triomphe (here).

• Once there you can make your way down the Champs-Élysées towards the Louvre (here).

• Close to this and also worth visiting is Île de la Cité (here) on which you will find the famous Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.

• Back across the river is the vibrant Le Marais neighbourhood (here) - worth a stroll even without a particular goal. 

All of this is a bit longer but still a pleasant walk that can be done in a couple of hours.

Other places worth visiting but are probably best to get to using public transport are:

• The Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre (here) - it has a vantage point that offers a nice view of the city - a good addon is also the famous artsy neighbourhood of Montmartre on the edge of which the basilica is located.

• For shopping a good start is Haussmann Galeries Lafayette (here) with the dome and the terrace with an amazing view of the city.  

• Marché des Enfants Rouges (03) - oldest food market in Paris, https://www.paris.fr/lieux/marche-couvert-des-enfants-rouges-5461,  https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xrv7StyY6q4qxXDe7

• Visiting this all-in-one place could be an option: Ground Control (12), https://www.groundcontrolparis.com, https://maps.app.goo.gl/5R8gzH822wZWCuVUA - food, drinks, music.. everything is there.

Some general recommendations:

• The inner city (within the primary ring) is not huge so walking is a cool way to get the feel for the city.

• On average the food is not super pricey and is of higher standard - if in doubt about the particular place of looking for inspiration check google or trip advisor.

• Bars have a happy hour when drinks are cheaper - usually between 17:00 and 19:00 but varies.

• The drink of choice is obviously wine vs. beer so it is common to get a bottle of wine for 22-25 eur... while a pint of beer can vary from 4 to 12 eur.

• If you'd like to visit any of the museums/sites - buying a ticket online for an exact entrance time makes most sense. 

• Renting a public city bike with an app Velib is easy and cheap.

• Metro tickets can be bought via the app  Bonjour RATP and also used via the phone. You can easily test if it works with your phone once the app is downloaded. If it doesn't, the classical electronic ticket and the top-up is also available on most metro stations. 

If you are looking for anything in particular, let us know and we're more than happy to help with more suggestions.

P.s.: If you'll be interested in killing some time this documentary about Paris is quite good:  https://youtu.be/9--bUBZmArI?si=5b1A6QjCZfivo-VW

Other

Websites to find interesting things to do:

• Time Out Paris (timeout.fr): it provides information on events, restaurants, nightlife, exhibitions and shows in Paris.

• Meetup (meetup.com): it proposes events based on shared interests and activities (like book clubs, language exchange, board games, fitness, etc), allowing people to connect.

• Eventbrite (eventbrite.fr): it puts together events, conferences, music concerts, fundraisers, sports events, etc, also allowing the direct purchase of tickets.

• Le Bonbon (lebonbon.fr): it focuses on lifestyle, culture, and events in Paris providing info about restaurants, bars, fashion, art, music, and activities planned in the city.

• Paris ZigZag (pariszigzag.fr): it offers a variety of content related to Paris, focusing on news, experiences, events and activities to do.

• Sortir à Paris (sortiraparis.com): it puts together a wide range of events, shows, exhibitions, concerts, activities and it’s updated daily.

• Que Faire à Paris (quefaire.paris.fr): managed directly by the City of Paris, it provides info on events, exhibitions and cultural activities organized in Paris.

• Paris Bouge (parisbouge.com): it focuses on the cultural and entertainment scene in Paris and provides recommendations about events, concerts, exhibitions, restaurants and nightlife.

• On Va Sortir (onvasortir.com): an event-planning website that helps people meet and organize social outings based on similar interests.

• My Little Paris (mylittleparis.com): it shares tips to discover hidden gems in Paris, interesting places, and uncommon experiences.

If you are moving to Paris and you are wondering “how can I make new friends?” here is part 3 of a list of activities you can do by yourself in order to get out there and meet new people!

• Creative Lunch Club (@creativelunchclub): a platform dedicated to creative people, that gives you the chance to regularly meet other creatives for lunch: you will be matched with two other people that share the same interests once a month, and then the three of you set up a place and a time to have lunch together 🍝

• Questo (@questoapp): an app dedicated to outdoor escape games, and even though you can also play by yourself going around Paris solving clues with your phone, they often organize events with a specific time, day and theme, where you’ll have the chance to meet other participants and form groups to solve the clues together 🔎

• ClassPass (@classpassfr): a platform that reunites thousands of different studios, gyms, salons & spas and that, based on how much you are willing to pay each month, gives you a certain amount of credits that you can use in whatever gym/studio/salon you prefer, allowing you to try many different activities every week and meet new people based on various interests! 🤸‍♀️

• Mazette Laboratoire Creatif (@mazette_laboratoirecreatif): a creative laboratory where you can go and give life to your crafting projects. They provide all the materials and they propose a lot of different courses and ateliers, like embroidery, tufting, art therapy, porcelain painting, apéro&painting and more 🧵

• Cook’n With Class (@cooknwithclass.paris): a cooking school in the heart of Paris, where you can enjoy a full French cuisine culinary experience in small groups and in English, so it’s a great way to deep dive into the French culture all while meeting new people! 👨‍🍳

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