A plan for Paris

Paris sits on the River Seine, in north-central France. Around 2.2 million people live in the city of Paris, but this only represents the urban core within the Boulevard Périphérique. There are some 10 million people in the wider Métropole du Grand Paris (814 km2) and almost 13 million people living in the metropolitan area, making this one of Europe's largest.

Due to high expectations, a tight schedule, and language barriers, not to mention the large crowds and long lines at certain attractions during high season, the city also disappoints some visitors. Foreign visitors who have an idealized view of Paris might be shocked by the typical challenges of visiting any large city. They expect romance, beauty, and luxury, but they find street crime, traffic noise, pollution, garbage, and relatively high costs. In the worst case, visitors might experience the Paris syndrome, which is a state of severe culture shock and anxiety – sometimes, severe enough that it even results in a psychiatric emergency that requires hospitalization.

To enjoy the wonders of Paris, make realistic plans. The number of attractions and landmarks is overwhelming; visiting only the most famous ones (which are overcrowded during major holidays) can be time-consuming. The city also has more to offer for people who take time for a calm stroll along the back streets. If your time in the city is short, be selective, and save some attractions for your next visit.

Paris je t'aime. The website of the tourist office. (updated Jan 2024)

SPOT24, 101 quai Jacques Chirac, Paris 15th (Metro: Bir-Hakeim (line 6); RER: Champ-de-Mars—Tour Eiffel (line C); Vélib': station 7023). Daily 10:00-18:00. The City of Paris welcome centre also has an exhibition and shop. (updated Jan 2024)

History

Paris started life as the Celto-Roman settlement of Lutetia on the Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine now occupied by the Cathédrale de Notre Dame. It takes its present name from the name of the dominant Gallo-Celtic tribe in the region, the Parisii. At least that's what the Romans called them, when they showed up in 52 BCE and established their city Lutetia on the left bank of the Seine, in what is now called the "Latin Quarter" in the 5th arrondissement.

Highlights are listed below. Detailed information can be found on each individual district page (click on the name of the sight).

Landmarks

1 Eiffel Tower. No other monument better symbolizes Paris.

2 Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile. The Arc de Triomphe exudes grandeur and offers a central view of the city.

3 Champs-Élysées. Widely regarded to be one of the most recognizable avenues in the world (updated Jun 2018)

4 Notre Dame Cathedral. Impressive Gothic cathedral that was the inspiration for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

5 Sacré Coeur. A church perched on top of the highest point in Paris. Behind the church is the artists' area, in front are spectacular views of the whole city.

6 Opera Garnier. Masterpiece of theatre architecture of the 19th century built by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1875 housing the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis XIV.

7 Catacombes de Paris. Used to store the exhumed bones from the overflowing Paris cemetery. The bones of more than 6 million bodies lie here.

8 Grande Arche de la Défense. A modern office-building variant of the Arc de Triomphe.

9 Panthéon. Underneath, the final resting place for the great heroes of the French Republic including Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie; above, a marvellous view of the city. (updated May 2023)

10 Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Unlike any cemetery in the world. Ornate grave stones, monuments set among tree lined lanes. See the graves of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Frédéric Chopin, among many others.

11 Sainte-Chapelle. Exquisite stained glass chapel. More beautiful interior than the gloomy Notre Dame Cathedral.

Museums and galleries

All national museums and monuments are free for all every first Sunday of the month.

12 The Louvre. One of the finest museums in the world of art and culture. Home of the Mona Lisa and innumerable others. Enormous building and collection, plan at least two visits..

13 Musée d'Orsay. Incredible collection housed in a former railway station. Works by the great artists of the 19th century (1848-1914) including Monet's "Blue Water Lilies, Renoir's "Bal du moulin de la Galette", van Gogh's "Bedroom in Arles", Whistler's "The Artists Mother", etc.

Sports

1 French Open (Roland Garros). One of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments. It is scheduled for two weeks from the last Sunday in May. The event, on clay courts, features the world’s top-ranked tennis players.

Football: 2 Paris Saint-Germain play soccer in Ligue 1, the top tier, and often win it. But don't head for the central district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés! PSG play at Parc des Princes Stadium in the 16th arrondissement south of Bois de Boulogne. The club name derives from Saint-Germain-en-Laye 20 km west.

Paris FC have long been the poor relations, but in 2025 were promoted to Ligue 1. They play at Stade Charléty on the peripherique in the 13th arrondissement.

3 Stade de France (RER train D). France's national stadium has a capacity of 81,338, and hosts concerts and various events. Soccer clubs sometimes play here when their home stadium is unavailable.

Rugby: two clubs play rugby union (15 a side) in Top 14, the top tier:

Racing play at La Défense Arena (or U Arena) in Nanterre.

Stade Français play big games at Stade de France and others at Stade Jean-Bouin, next to Parc de Princes the PSG soccer stadium.

Events

It seems like there's almost always something happening in Paris, with the possible exceptions of the school holidays in August and February, when about half of Parisians are to be found not in Paris, but in the South of France or the Alps respectively. The busiest season is probably the fall, from a week or so after la rentrée scolaire or "back to school" to around Noël (Christmas) theatres, cinemas and concert halls book their fullest schedule of the year.

Good listings of current cultural events in Paris can be found in Pariscope or Officiel des spectacles, weekly magazines listing all concerts, art exhibitions, films, stage plays and museums. Available from all kiosks. Timeout is a good option for tourists, who don't speak French.

Even so, there are a couple of annual events in the winter, starting with a furniture and interior decorating trade fair called Maison & Object in January.

Individual listings can be found in Paris's district articles

Paris is one of Europe's culinary centres, where the haute cuisine has flourished since at least the French revolution. It may however come as a surprise that Paris isn't considered the culinary capital of French cuisine; many people prefer the French cooking found in small rural restaurants, outside of the city, closer to the farms and with their focus on freshness and regional specialities. Even among French cities, Paris has long been considered by the French as second to Lyon for fine dining.

There have been other challenges in the last 20 years or so as restaurateurs in places like San Francisco and Sydney briefly surpassed their Parisian fore bearers, again with an emphasis on freshness of ingredients but also borrowings from other cuisines. Parisian cooks didn't just rest on their laurels during this time, rather they travelled, taught, and studied, and together with Paris's own immigrant communities, have revitalized the restaurant trade. Today you can find hundreds of beautiful restaurants with thoughtful (or just trendy) interior design and well-planned and executed cartes and menus offering a creative mélange of French and exotic foreign cuisines. It's safe to say that Paris is once again catching up with or edging ahead of its Anglophone rivals.

Of course there are also some traditional offerings, and for the budget conscious there are hundreds of traditional bistros, with their sidewalk terraces offering a choice of fairly simple (usually meat centred) meals for reasonable prices.

The bars scene in Paris really does have something for everyone. From bars which serve drinks in baby bottles, to ultra luxe clubs that require some name dropping, or card (black Amex) showing, and clubs where you can dance like no one's watching, (although they will be). To start your night out right, grab a drink or two in a ubiquitous dive bar, before burning up the dance floor and spreading some cash, at one of the trendy clubs.

Canal St Martin. Many cozy cafés and other drinking establishments abound around the Canal St Martin in the 10th.

The Marais. The Marais has a large number of trendier new bars mostly in the 4th and to a lesser extent the 3rd with a few old charmers tossed into the mix. A number of bars and restaurants in the Marais have a decidedly gay crowd, but are usually perfectly friendly to straights as well. Some seem to be more specifically aimed at up-and-coming hetero singles.

Bastille. There is a very active nightlife zone just to the northeast of Place de Bastille centered around rue de Lappe, rue de la Roquette, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine (especially the amazing Club Barrio Latino) and rue de Charonne in the 11th. Many of the bars closest to Bastille have either a North, Central, or South American theme, with a couple of Aussie places mixed in for good measure, and as you continue up rue de Charonne the cafés have more of a traditionally French but grungy feeling.

Quartier Latin - Odeon. If you're looking for the nouvelle vague (new wave) style, student and intellectual atmosphere of Paris in the 1960s and 70s, you'll find a lot of that (and more hip and chic) places in the quartier Latin and between place Odeon and the Seine. The neighbourhood is also home of many small artsy cinemas showing non-mainstream films and classics (check 'Pariscope' or 'l'officiel du spectacle' at any newspaper stand for the weekly programme).

By public transport

Paris has an excellent public transport system that spans every inch of the city. It is well-known for its Métro (short for Chemin de fer métropolitain, "Metropolitan Railway"), RER (short for Réseau Express Régional, "Regional Express Network,"), and Transilien rail networks. The Métro, RER and Transilien are complemented by a large network of trams and buses.

Île-de-France Mobilités is the authority that controls and coordinates the different transport companies operating in the Île-de-France region, including Paris. The website and app can be used to plan journeys, track services, and purchase tickets.

RATP operates the Métro, trams, buses, and about half of the RER A and B. SNCF operates the rest of the RER, as well as the Transilien. Both companies take the same tickets, so the difference is of little interest for most people except in case of strikes. For example, RATP may strike without SNCF doing so or the other way around.

The Métro and RER move staggering numbers of people into, out of, and around Paris (6.75 million people per day on average), and most of the time in reasonable comfort. However, certain lines are operating at or near capacity, sometimes being so full that you'll have to let one or two trains pass before being able to board. If you can help it, avoid Métro lines 1, 4, and 13 and RER line A and B during rush hours as these are the most congested lines in the system.

Strikes, breakdown and construction are regular occurrences on the Paris public transit system. Generally during a strike, the Métro operates with reduced service and some RER lines may stop operating altogether. Visit the RATP or SNCF websites for information on which routes are affected. Beware that real-time traffic information and construction announcements are often available only on the French-language version.

By Métro

Look for the Métro stations, marked with a large "M" sign or with an old-styled sign saying "Métropolitain".

Crime

Paris is a relatively safe city. This does not stop it from being plagued by petty crime, especially pickpocketing, and muggings. Scams, of which there are many, are also prevalent, though the police are slowly cracking down on them. While not common, purse snatchings do happen. Violent crime is rare. However, watch yourself at ATMs and other places where your cash may be visible. Keep your money and your wallet in your front pockets, and avoid ATMs that are open to the outside, especially at night.

As a densely populated city with equally dense neighbourhoods, one would be remiss to generalise the safety of entire 'arrondissements' based on a few specific areas. Several arrondissements have their share of crime, however. The 18th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements are widely seen as the least safe areas of Paris, but safety levels vary dramatically from street to street. During the day, they're usually fine; you might have to watch out for pickpockets and scammers, but not much more. However, be on your guard at night. The 10th arrondissement (namely the areas bordering the 18th and 19th arrondissements) and the southeastern portion of the "périphérique" have also gained a reputation for being sketchy.

Several of the inner suburbs (commonly referred to as the banlieues) such as La Courneuve, Saint-Denis, Sarcelles, and Pantin are notoriously 'rough' by European standards, and you should be cautious when visiting these places. Unrest in those areas has made global headline news (as did the somewhat heavy-handed reactions of various French governments).

Parisians have a reputation for being egocentric, rude and arrogant. While this is often only an inaccurate stereotype, the best way to get along in Paris still is to be on your best behavior, acting like someone who is "bien élevé" (well brought up). It will make getting about considerably easier.

Parisians' abrupt exteriors will rapidly evaporate if you display some basic courtesies. A simple "Bonjour, Madame" when entering a shop, for example, or "Excusez-moi" when trying to get someone's attention, are very important; say "Pardon" or better "je suis désolé" if you bump into someone accidentally or make other mistakes. If you speak French or are using a phrasebook remember to always use the vous form when addressing someone you don't know; this may transform the surliest shop assistant into a smiling helper or the grumpiest inhabitant to a helpful citizen. Courtesy is extremely important in France (where the worst insult is to call someone "mal élevé", or "badly brought up").

If you only learn one long phrase in French a good one would be "Excusez-moi de vous déranger, monsieur/madame, auriez-vous la gentillesse de m'aider?" (pardon me for bothering you, sir/madam, would you have the kindness to help me?) - this level of extreme politeness is about the closest one can come to a magic wand for unlocking Parisian hospitality. If you know some French, try it! But remember, too, that Parisians have places to go and things to do, so if they have no time and don't answer you, don't take it personally. Many Parisians, given time, will go out of their way to help, especially if you make an effort to speak their language and act polite to them.