Traveling to Paris: Top Recommendations
Traveling to Paris: Top Recommendations
Before planning a trip to Paris, it is advisable to take into account a series of essential tips to avoid wasting time and enjoy our visit to the fullest. We gives you some of the best tips for traveling to Paris, thus turning your getaway into an unforgettable experience.
Places like the famous Eiffel Tower , the Louvre Museum , the Alexander III Bridge, those romantic walks along the Seine aboard a boat, the Moulin Rouge and the Latin Quarter await you in the city of lights and love.
1. When is the best time of year to visit Paris?
The best time of the year to travel to Paris is spring , when the city looks beautiful with flowers blooming in its parks and everything seems to burst with life.
As in most European cities, the seasons are usually very marked with hot summers and cold and humid winters. Take a look at the weather before leaving to prepare the suitcase according to the clothes we need.
Also, do not despair if the forecast contemplates long days of rain: Paris has a lot of activities that we can do in museums, galleries, shops and even a visit to the catacombs on a grey and rainy day is always a great alternative.
2. How to get from the airports to the center of Paris
There are three airports around Paris : Paris-Charles De Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Paris-Beauvais. The first two are quite close to the center while the third is about 90 kilometers away. However, sometimes there are some offers to Paris Beauvais from low-cost airlines that are hard to turn down.
If you arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport you will find yourself about 18 kilometers north of Paris. The easiest way is to get on the RER railway system on line B. In about half an hour you will reach the center of Paris for about 10 euros.
If the plane leaves you in Paris-Orly , the best thing to do is get on the free train that leaves us at the Antony station and from there get on the RER railway line B, which will leave us in the center of the city in about half an hour.
Both airports offer a similar distance and the train will bring us closer to the center of Paris in a similar time. Depending on whether we stay in the north or south of the city, we will be more interested in landing in Charles de Gaulle (north) or Paris-Orly (south).
You will be able to know all the details on how to get from any Paris airport to the city center.
3. Tips on safety and travel insurance for traveling to Paris
Paris is a safe city but like any other big European city we must be careful with pickpockets. They usually operate in subways, crowded areas and have a special eye to determine who is the most lost tourist.
In general, do not ever think of carrying your wallet in your back pocket. Do not leave your mobile on the table on a terrace. Try to separate important documents in different wallets or pockets. Make photocopies of all your important documents and file them in a folder that you can access from any mobile or PC.
4. How is the transport in the city and surroundings
Although on the map it seems that the Louvre is only about 10 blocks from the Effiel Tower, it is wary. The palaces and monumental buildings along the Seine are enormous and the distances multiply. In Paris, the use of public transport is necessary to be able to enjoy several visits in the same day, especially if we have 2 or 3 days of travel.
The standard metro or bus ticket currently costs 1.90 euros. The ideal is to buy a 10-journey ticket that costs 16 euros and can be purchased at the machines in the subway stations or in tobacconists.
On the other hand, another good option is to purchase the Paris Pass , a tourist card that includes unlimited transportation throughout the city as well as entry to more than 60 tourist attractions. The prices vary according to the days of stay in the city. The 3-day pass costs 158 euros and includes practically all the essential tickets in Paris.
5. Which places are essential to visit in Paris
Films have made Paris an icon and many of its monuments are among the most recognized images of tourist imagery of our century. If it is your first time in Paris you will have a continuous sensation of false déjà vu when contemplating its famous monuments that we have seen so many times in the movies, magazines and other places.
If you have at least three whole days you should not miss the most popular places in Paris :
Avoid queues at the most touristy entrances
If we only have one weekend and we want to cover as much as possible, it is important to optimize time and arrive in Paris prepared. If you are clear about what you want to visit during your stay, you will be interested in buying advance tickets that avoid queues at the big monuments .
For this reason, Julius Homes says that it will be great for you to already have the tickets to enter the Louvre Museum without queues , to climb the Eiffel Tower or to enter the Holy Chapel .
6. Free tours in Paris
Similarly, if we want to join a group and get a glimpse of the history and culture of the city, we will always find free tours to sign up for.
It is a good way to warm up with the destination and then, once free, we can delve into more detail in those neighborhoods or themes that we liked the most in Paris.
Among the different possibilities we can do a free tour of classic Paris for two and a half hours, another special free tour for those who love the mysteries and legends of Paris , a guided tour of the Latin Quarter and another of Montmartre .
The truth is that we can spend practically the whole weekend on a free tour visiting Paris.
7. Things to do for free in Paris
Apart from the free tours that we have mentioned above, in Paris we can do many other things without wasting money and enjoy the city.
Among them are cemeteries. In the Pere Lachaise cemetery you will find tombs of some of the greats of history such as Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison or Frederic Chopin. In the Montparnasse cemetery you will find great writers such as Julio Cortázar, Ionesco, Sartre, Maupassant, Cioran or Cesar Vallejo.
If you travel on the first Sunday of the month, as in the vast majority of European cities, you will have many museums that open their doors for free. Among them the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre (from October to March included) or the Pompidou Center among many others. You can see the long list on the official page of Paris .
In summer, don’t forget to take your swimsuit and sunbathe on the artificial beach that is laid out on the banks of the Seine every year. You will surely enjoy a good atmosphere.
The parks in Paris are truly marvelous and obviously walking through them is totally free. If you enjoy a good day, apart from strolling along the banks of the Seine, take the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful gardens in Paris such as the Luxembourg Garden, the Tuileries Garden or the Belleville Park where you will also enjoy some beautiful views of Paris.
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