Are you planning to visit Paris and looking for tips and practical information before your trip? Check out our travel guide with tips on where to stay, where to eat, how much things cost and how to save money on entrance fees.
This article is a supplement to the previous article on transport to Paris and Paris public transport.
Accommodation in Paris
Paris is one of Europe’ s most visited cities. This goes hand in hand with the wide and varied accommodation on offer. Accommodation prices are higher than in Naples, for example.
Average prices for accommodation in Paris:
- Cheap hotels or hostels: 40-100 € per night
- Mid-range hotels: 100-250 € per night
- Luxury hotels: €250 or more, some top hotels cost more than €1,000 per night (for example, luxury hotels in the centre along the Seine or overlooking the Eiffel Tower).
LUXURY HOTELS
Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel has some of the best views of the Eiffel Tower. There is also an on-site restaurant serving Californian specialities with a French influence. Rooms are clean, modern and decorated in natural tones. Luggage storage and a 24-hour front desk are also available.
Jardins Eiffel is located in the centre of Paris, just 200 metres from the Invalides. The Eiffel Tower, the Orsay Museum, the Louvre, the Seine and more are within walking distance. Ideal location for walks. The rooms are cosy and include air conditioning and a balcony. Some have views of the Eiffel Tower. 24/7 reception and luggage storage included.
MID-RANGE
Hotel de Paris Montmartre is located in the lively Montmartre district, full of cobbled streets, restaurants and views. Rooms are elegant and clean, including private bathrooms. The metro station is just 2 minutes away. The Moulin Rouge Cabaret and Sacré Coeur Basilica are within walking distance. The reception is open 24 hours a day.
Ibis Styles Paris Massena Olympiades is a modern and fresh hotel southeast of the centre. Everything you need is within walking distance – metro, bus and tram stops, shops and restaurants. The reception is open 24/7 and you can store your luggage if needed.
BUDGET HOTELS
HotelF1 Paris Porte de Châtillon is a very cheap hotel in 14th district, which is ideal for those arriving at Orly Airport. Metro and tram stops are just a few minutes away. Breakfast is served in the morning, and you can shop across the street at the Monoprix supermarket if needed. The reception is open 24 hours a day.
ibis Budget Paris Nord 18ème can be found in 18. district on the outskirts of Paris, making it convenient for travellers from Charles de Gaulle Airport. Metro and tram stations are just minutes away, as are shops and restaurants. The rooms are small but sufficient and with private bathrooms. The reception is open 24/7.
Where to eat in Paris
Restaurants in Paris
Don’t eat at the restaurants downtown. In our experience, the price of food often does not match the quality. Outside the touristy parts of Paris, you can eat cheaper and often better.
Restaurants are required to display their menus outside the entrance, so you can get an idea beforehand whether it’s worth going in at all.
French cuisine is great, but there are plenty of other good restaurants that focus on international cuisine. Some of our specific tips on where to eat in Paris are attached below.
TIP: For a great meal, head to the Montmartre neighbourhood near the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, the Latin Quarter near the Pantheon or the St. Germain neighbourhood between the Luxembourg Gardens and the Seine. No specific restaurant tips are needed, as you rarely go wrong in these neighbourhoods.
Markets in Paris
The markets in Paris are a great way to sample local cuisine at an affordable price.
If you walk from the Eiffel Tower towards Invalidovna, you can’t miss Rue Cler. You can stop here not only for lunch, but also for an evening drink.
There’s a good French restaurant on the corner called Le Roussillon, and a short walk away you can get a burger at Birdy. They also have truffle fries.
And if you have to have something sweet to end it like we do, try the Aux Merveilleux de Fred patisserie. They have delicious fluffy cakes.
In the Latin Quarter near the Pantheon, Rue Mouffetard is worth mentioning. The local market and restaurants. In the early evening there are also happy hours for alcohol. Stallholders are here every day except Monday from 8am to 1pm. If you’re looking for a typically Parisian market, the Marché Mouffetard will be the one.
The Marché Bastille, which you can find at Place de la Bastille, is considered by many to be the best. The market is always full and the choice of meat, vegetables and food is wide. There are plenty of restaurants and fast food places in the area, but I would single out the vegan restaurant B.Better about 10 minutes walk away. We are not vegan and yet we liked it very much.
More tips on where to eat in Paris
Try the street food. Pancakes are a French speciality and it doesn’t matter whether you have them sweet or savoury. Or try the panninis (French sandwiches).
If you love coffee, have it at the bar in cafés or bistros, where it will cost you several times cheaper than in cafés without a bar.
Build your menu and eat in the grass. A warm baguette or croissant from a local bakery, accompanied by French cheese or salami. You can picnic under the Eiffel Tower or at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica.
Try the pre-fixe or two to three course menu during lunch, which costs about €10-15. You’ll get the same food as dinner, but at half the price.
What are the prices for a meal in a restaurant in Paris
A meal in a cheap restaurant costs 15 € per person. A 3-course menu costs an average of €30. Water (0,33 l) is in the restaurant for 2,40 € and cappuccino for 3,62 €.
Supermarkets and shops in Paris
Shops in the centre of Paris
The shops in central Paris are fine if you need to do a little shopping. Whether it’s vegetables, fruit, frozen products or even a drugstore – you’ll find it all here. In the centre you will most often see Monoprix, Franprix, Marché U.
These are chain stores, so they are scattered all over Paris. Most of these shops open at 9am and close between 9-10pm. The smaller ones are only open until 1 pm on Sundays.
Will you have a kitchen in your accommodation and don’t feel like cooking? Alternatively, Picard frozen food stores are an alternative. It offers everything from appetizers, main courses, fish to desserts. Their food is renowned. They have several branches in the centre.
Supermarkets in Paris
You won’t find any bigger supermarkets in central Paris. You must make your way to the outskirts of Paris. Leclers, Carrefour, Intermarché, these are some of the most common supermarkets in Paris. Lidl and Aldi can also be found in the outskirts of Paris.
Prices in Paris
Prices of basic foodstuffs in Paris are as follows:
- Milk 1 l – 1,21 €
- White bread 500 g – 1,78 €
- Eggs 12 pcs – 3,57 €
- Cheese 1 kg – 17,35 €
- Chicken breast 1 kg – 13,27 €
- Bananas 1 kg – 2,21 €
- Potatoes 1 kg – 2,18 €
- Water 1,5 l – 0,84 €
When to visit Paris?
Paris is beautiful all year round and has its own charm in every season. In spring, the temperatures in Paris are pleasant and the Tuileries or Luxembourg Gardens begin to bloom.
Summer in Paris is sunny and warm with average daily temperatures around 24°C. Temperatures are more bearable than in Rome, for example, but Paris is full of tourists at this time of year.
Autumn has pleasant temperatures that are ideal for exploring Paris. With winter approaching, autumn in Paris is getting rainier and rainier.
Christmas in Paris is like a fairy tale. Everything is beautifully decorated and illuminated. Even Disneyland is getting into the Christmas spirit. Winters tend to be milder, with occasional snowfalls, but the snow soon melts.
How to enjoy Paris
Use public toilets for free. These are small stainless steel houses that you will find mainly in the city centre.
Fountains with free drinking water. There are plenty of dark green drinking fountains around Paris where you can refill your bottle for free. They’re called Wallace Fountains, but you’ll find other fountains as well. You can see what they look like online, including an interactive map.
Visit Paris in the off-season – temperatures are pleasant in spring and autumn and there are noticeably fewer tourists. If you’d like to save money on your trip to Paris, head to Paris in the winter when flights and accommodation are at their cheapest.
Claim free entry – most of the sights are free for children and young people under 26.
Get Paris Pass – Are you over 26 years old? Here, too, there is a way to save money on admission to the sights. The Paris Pass includes access to more than 60 monuments and museums or a cruise on the Seine.
Or choose a second Paris Explorer Pass, where you choose the number of attractions you plan to visit at a discounted price(Disneyland, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, gourmet lunch and more).
Paris practical information
Currency: euro (EUR)
Payment: For small purchases and payments, it is smaller to have cash with you, but otherwise you will pay by card in most places. Take a look at what fees your bank charges and what exchange rates are in order not to overdo it. We can recommend the World card from mBank for us. There are also plenty of ATMs in the city where you can withdraw cash if needed.
Electrical socket: In France, type E sockets are used. French sockets that are compatible with most sockets in Europe. They have 2 cavities and a ground pin on top.
Safety: Paris is generally a safe city. Keep your belongings safe from pickpockets in frequented areas (monuments, subways, etc.). Also beware of scams if someone tries to extort money from you on the street under some pretext. It happened to us twice on the Champs-Élysées and near the Eiffel Tower.
Ticket booking: Paris is famous for its queues, which are almost all year round in some places. Places with the longest queues include the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe and the Orsay Museum. Detailed information on admission and booking can be found in a separate article on Sights in Paris .
How to get along in Paris
The official language is French. In tourist areas (monuments, hotels, restaurants) you can usually speak English with the staff or there are brochures in other languages. You can also choose guided tours, which are usually in English, German or Spanish.
Generally speaking, older people or those on the outskirts of Paris may find it difficult to communicate in a language other than French. Plus, the locals may not be friendly if you start speaking to them in another language straight away.
For advice, it is better to reach out to younger grades who have a better command of English.
I also recommend learning a few French phrases. The locals will see that you are trying and will be more accommodating.
Basic French phrases:
- Hello – Bonjour
- Thank you – Merci
- Please – S’il vous plaît
- Goodbye – Au revoir
- Yes – Oui
- No – Non
- I’m looking for… – Is cherche…
- I’d like a subway ticket. – Je voudrais un ticket de métro.
- I booked a room in the name of… – J’ai réservé une chambre au nom de…
- Where’s…? – Où est… ?
- Can I pay by card? – Puis-je payer par carte?
- I’d like a table. – Je voudrais une table.
- How much does it cost? – Combien ça coûte?
Map of Paris
HOW TO USE THIS MAP: Above you will find a detailed map of Paris. Click at the top left of the map to see separate layers with highlighted locations. You can hide and show the different layers or click on the icons on the map to see the names of the places I mention in the Paris guide. If you want to save the map, star it. For a larger version, click on the icon in the upper right corner.
The best booking resources for visiting Paris
Via Booking.com we search for all accommodation. It is the largest accommodation portal in the world and you will find everything from modern hotels, cosy guesthouses to seaside villas.
Get Your Guide is a huge booking system for buying tickets, guided tours and all sorts of activities. In one place you can read other travellers’ experiences and book tickets to the Vatican Museums, a cruise on the Danube or a desert safari in Dubai.
This was our guide with useful tips for visiting Paris. If you have a question, we’ll be happy to answer it in the comments below. Have a safe journey!
More information about Paris
PARIS ITINERARY: Check out our tips on what to see in Paris. To help you plan, we’ve created an itinerary for 3 days in Paris. For a complete overview of admission fees to monuments, see the article Overview of admission fees and opening times to monuments in Paris.
THINGS TO DO IN PARIS: If you are an art lover, we have prepared a detailed guide to the Louvre (things to do, prices, admission, etc.). In the next article you will learn everything you need to know before visiting Versailes.
Are you planning to visit Disneyland? Read our detailed guide to Disneyland.
PARIS GUIDE: In a separate article you can find out everything about transport in Paris (airport, public transport, metro, bicycle).
HOW TO SAVE IN PARIS: Read our tips on how to visit Paris cheaply. The Paris Pass is a popular way to save money in Paris – find out more about the Paris Pass.
PROVENCE: How about discovering more beautiful places in France? Provence is one of them. The Provence guide tells you everything you need to know before your trip.
