27 Essential Paris Travel Tips: Things to Know Before Traveling to Paris

We’ve visited Paris now two different times and we’ve learned a few things both times we’ve visited. Our first visit was a family trip to Paris with a toddler and a baby and our second visit was a weekend getaway sans kids. I’m pretty sure I put together the best itinerary for two days in Paris – check it out.

As you can imagine both visits were very different experiences (Paris tends to feel a little more romantic when it’s just you and your partner 🤪) but we did have a great time both times.

But from these two different visits to Paris (traveling in different very different ways each time) I’ve come up with these essential Paris travel tips that I wish I had known before our first visit to Paris.

These are general overall Paris tips, however, if you’re thinking of visiting Paris with the kiddos, be sure to check out my full guide to visiting Paris with young kids for things to do that both you and your kids will love. Plus it includes my top tips for visiting Paris for the first time as a young family (you’ll thank me later).

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Is Paris worth visiting?

Yes, definitely yes. However, you need to make sure you go into your visit with the proper expectations. Paris is a huge city which means it can be extremely romantic and lovely in one area and filled with insane crowds and stinky smells in another area.

If you only spend time waiting in line to go up the Eiffel Tower, or for entrance to the Louvre, you’re not going to have a very nice impression of Paris. However, if you take time to sit down at a cafe on the street and people-watch while listening to people beautifully speaking French- you may just love it.

One of the first things I did in Paris was head to Champ de Mars at the base of the Eiffel Tower and I was extremely disappointed in the crowds, dirt, and scams.

However, once I got a bit further from the Eiffel Tower, wandered some quiet streets, and enjoyed Eiffel Tower views from a distance (while eating a pain au chocolate) I was smitten.

So I’ve gathered up this list of things you need to know before visiting Paris for you to really fall in love with the city as well.

27 Paris Tips You Need to Know

1. Spring and Fall are the best times to visit Paris to avoid crowds

I know you can’t always be flexible with your travel dates, however, if you can steer clear of visiting Paris in July and August I highly recommend it. Ideally, try visiting Paris in April-May or September-October. The weather is still usually warm but the crowds and lodging prices haven’t peaked yet.

Our first trip to Paris was in mid-September and I never really noticed long lines or crowds of people (or the crowds I did see I soon realized were nothing compared to our trip in August).

On our first trip to Paris in September, there was no queue for the Eiffel Tower, our Seine River Cruise had many empty seats and there were places to sit and take in the view from Sacre Coeur.

However, on our second trip to Paris in mid-August (literally, one of the worst times to go) the crowds were INSANE.

The standby line for the Eiffel Tower was THREE hours long, the area around Sacre Coeur was basically unnavigable because of the crowds of people and the Seine River cruises looked like they were going to bust at the seam.

We’ve lived in Europe for 4 years now, and each year we are blown away by the crowds that July and August bring. Not only is it when European kids are out of school, but it’s common practice in many European countries to use multiple weeks of PTO in July and August.

So you end up competing for space with travelers from both Europe and the US (not to mention the rest of the world) everywhere you go. Just steer clear if at all possible.

2. You’re going to see the word ‘arrondissement’ a lot when planning your trip to Paris

Paris is comprised of 20 arrondissements or sections of the city. They start in the center and spiral outwards like a snail. Because of this spiral shape, arrondissements 2 and 9 happen to be right next to each other (which can be confusing when you first start looking into things… like shouldn’t arrondissement 2 only be by 1 and 3?).

But if someone ever starts spouting off different arrondissement numbers and you get a little overwhelmed, just quickly Google ‘Paris arrondissements’ and you’ll find plenty of maps showing you where they all are. No need to memorize them all, but it definitely can be helpful to understand the general idea.

3. Keep in mind that Paris is a Big City

Maybe this is the most obvious statement of the century, but keep in mind that Paris is quite large. I was shocked when I started mapping things out for our first trip to Paris and realized that some destinations can be quite a jaunt from one to the next.

For example, if you want to head from the Eiffel Tower area up to the Montmartre area, you can expect about 30+ minutes on the metro or bus.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t areas of Paris that are walkable-there totally are. But you’ll want to plan a pretty good itinerary to save you from adding extra, unnecessary miles on foot and wasting your precious time in the city.

Check out my two days in Paris itinerary for some ideas.

4. The Eiffel Tower is not in the center of Paris

I know, I know, the way the Eiffel Tower is talked about makes it seem like it’s going to be right front and center in Paris. In reality, the Louvre is more front and center with the Eiffel Tower being on the west end of the city.

This means that if you want a hotel with Eiffel Tower views (which, honestly, the rooftop views from Rayz Eiffel Hotel was a huuuge highlight of our most recent getaway) you’ll just need a bit more time to get to some of the more central Parisian sites.

Also keep in mind that if you want to go from the Montmartre area to the Eiffel Tower, it’s going to be about 40 minutes on transit. Not a huge deal, but something good to be aware of.

5. Choose your Accommodations wisely

When you first start looking for accommodations in Paris you’ll quickly realize the options are absolutely overwhelming. Searching through the vast number of hotels and vacation rentals in the city is really quite exhausting.

But if you have a few must-have features in mind, it’ll make the process a bit easier. As a starter, I’d generally recommend staying in Arrondissements 1-5. And, of course, Arrondissement 7 if you want to be close to the Eiffel Tower.

In addition to the area you stay in, here are a few other things to think about to help narrow your search results:

• What is your budget? Are you willing to spend a little more to be in a specific area or to have a place with better reviews?
• Do you want A/C? It’s not a given that any certain place will have A/C in Paris (and it may not seem like a big deal when you’re booking). However, coming back to a place with A/C after walking around for hours on a hot day in the city feels like a godsend.
• Do you want Eiffel Tower views from your hotel? Keep in mind that many hotel rooms with Eiffel Tower views are going to cost you a pretty penny (or 5 pretty pennies 🙈). However, we stayed at an absolute gem of a small, boutique hotel called Rayz Eiffel. It had a super cozy rooftop with amazing Eiffel Tower views and the rates were extremelyyy reasonable. I still daydream about cuddling on the rooftop couch, eating treats from the boulangerie, and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle.
• Is an apartment with a full kitchen important to you? This was very important to us on our first trip to Paris with kids. We ate all of our breakfasts and most dinners at our Airbnb plus we loved having two bedrooms and a living room. But if you plan on eating out as much as possible, a kitchen maybe isn’t for you.
• Do you need your hotel to have a complimentary breakfast? Keep in mind that complimentary breakfast can range from a full breakfast buffet to a coffee/juice with a croissant and fruit. Which, btw, if you are looking for a delicious, cozy breakfast spot try out Kozy they serve brunch all day and have three locations throughout Paris.

I still daydream about the hotel that we stayed at last time we were in Paris. I spent hours and hours researching hotels in Paris with Eiffel Tower views. I wanted to find a beautiful hotel with Eiffel Tower views that was clean, had great reviews and didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

And I am proud to say that my insane research paid off. I feel like our hotel in Paris was a real hidden gem. We stayed at a small, boutique hotel called Rayz Eiffel and it was amazing. The rooms had real ’boutique hotel vibes’ with dark colors, beautiful wallpaper and unique lights.

Some rooms have Eiffel Tower views, however, the real highlight of Rayz Eiffel Hotel is the cozy, rooftop with stunning Eiffel Tower views (and even views of Sacré-Cœur). It’s a small rooftop with two tables and a large couch and it was the highlight of our trip.

Because it’s such a small boutique hotel, we only encountered a couple other people on the rooftop and most times had it all to ourselves. It was seriously so great.

You’re allowed to bring food up to the roof so we ordered dinner via Uber Eats one night and ate it up top and we also hung out later that night to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle.

From my research, Paris hotel rooms with Eiffel Tower views seemed to run €400+ per night. However, Rayz Eiffel Hotel with an amazing rooftop with Eiffel Tower views was only €230 per night (which is not a bad hotel price in general in Paris).

I’m going to be singing Rayz Eiffel Hotel praises to anyone who will listen for as long as I can.

6. Consider using Wanderlog to plan out your itinerary

I don’t know how we functioned before planning our trips with Wanderlog. But a friend introduced Wanderlog to me about a year ago and it has been a total game changer.

Wanderlog is basically the collaborative trip-planning app that you’ve always needed but didn’t know you did. It has a general overview section where you can save any and all ideas for your trip and organize them into ‘things to do’ or ‘places to eat’ etc.

All of the items are then pinned on a map so that you can easily choose central lodging and create an itinerary that makes sense.

The itinerary section lets you plan out a detailed itinerary for each day of your trip with photos and websites automatically linked for easy access to more information (it really is amazing).

Plus (as if it already didn’t have enough features) it will tell you the distance/time between each stop AND you can upload your flights, lodging, rental cars, etc. to have all of your important info in one place.

I always invite my husband to our Wanderlog trips so that we can collaborate together and be on the same page with what’s happening. I can’t believe I used to save a bunch of links in a note on my phone or make an itinerary in a Google Doc. I will never go back to that.

7. Purchase a transit pass for easy public transit use

Chances are high that you’ll want to take public transit while you are in Paris (it’s WAY too big to navigate on foot and taxi/Uber rides would quickly add up). The good news is that the public transit routes are great and can get you anywhere you need to go (both underground metro and busses).

No matter where we travel, I ALWAYS purchase some sort of transit pass. It’s such a pain to purchase individual tickets each time you want to take a bus or metro. Sometimes there’s not a ticket machine, or maybe there is a large crowd you’re holding up on the bus… you get the idea.

So one of the best Paris tips & tricks to take advantage of is purchasing a transit pass.

Here are the two different transit passes I recommend in Paris:

• Paris Visite Travel Pass: Unlimited daily travel on all public transit networks (the metro, tramway, bus, RER, and SNCF Transilien networks). Can be purchased in 1,2,3 or 5-day increments. It also includes a few discounts like 25% off entrance to the Arc de Triomphe. Purchase online or at a ticket booth. Each day starts in the morning and ends at night (not 24 hours from when you buy it).
• Navigo Easy Travel Card: Must first purchase the card from a station ticket office but then you can add individual tickets to the card via a ticket machine or mobile app. A bundle of 10 tickets is €14.90 (so €1.49 per trip).

We opted for the Navigo Easy card on our most recent Paris getaway. we were going to be in Paris for 2 days but we didn’t think we’d ride transit more than 10 times. So we purchased this card and loaded 10 tickets on instead of paying for the two whole days on the Paris Visite Travel pass.

In our situation, the Navigo Easy ended up being about half the price of the Paris Visite Travel card. However, depending on your days and transit use, the Paris Visite Travel Pass may be a better option. Both are super easy to use and great options.

8. Remember that buses exist (It’s not just the underground metro)

One of the top things to know before going to Paris is that *in my opinion* taking the bus is just as good or sometimes better than taking the underground Metro.

I know I know… everyone’s always talking about navigating the Metro in big European cities like Paris and London and that it’s so fast and convenient. Which it’s true! The metro system is quite fast and convenient and can get you pretty much anywhere.

But so can the buses…

If you use Google Maps to help plan your public transit routes, you’ll see that many different public transit options are available. Just scroll down because there are usually multiple, different good options from where you’re at and it’s. up to you to decide if you want to take a metro and walk, or take two different metros or take a bus, etc.

The bus and metro options are usually very similar in duration. However, if you choose to take the bus you get to look out the window and see the city pass you by.

Plus, with the bus, you just stop on the side of the road at a bus stop and wait for it to pick you up instead of having to navigate stairs on stairs on stairs multiple levels underground.

I’m not saying the bus is ALWAYS the best choice, but I highly recommend it (and if you’re visiting Paris with a stroller, just take the bus- trust me it’s SO much easier).

Let’s stop the notion that the metro is the ONLY way to navigate big cities.

9. A taxi/Uber may be just as cost-effective as the RER Train to the AIrport

Sometimes I just get tired of taking my luggage on public transit. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done it plenty of times and continue to do it frequently. However, sometimes it’s just nice to have a taxi or Uber meet you at your door, and off you go.

Usually, public transit is the most cost-effective way to go. However, if you are traveling with a few different people, the split cost of a taxi could end up being similar to an RER train ticket.

A taxi/Uber from Paris to Charles de Gaulle is usually between 50 and 60 euros and an RER Train ticket to CDG Airport is 12 euros. So if there are four of you traveling together, you’re getting close to the price of an Uber or Taxi and the comfort and convenience may just be worth it.

If you are traveling in Paris with car seat-aged kids, we’ve used Baby Cabs multiple times and I highly recommend them.

Just book your ride 24 hours in advance and they’ll meet you at the airport or your accommodations with the perfect car seats already installed and away you go (and make sure you have cash on hand to pay them).

Nobody wants to be navigating public transit with young kids, a stroller, and luggage… we’ve done it and it’s a bit miserable.

10. Be polite and greet everyone with ‘bonjour’ when you Visit Paris

From what I had read online, I was really nervous that French people were going to be so mean. So many places you’ll read that you need to say ‘bonjour’ whenever entering an establishment and that if you don’t the workers will be so rude.

After spending time in Paris, I’ve realized that saying bonjour is just the polite, nice thing to do (just as we often greet store workers with ‘hello’ in the US). And since you are in Paris, it makes sense to say it in French. And if you don’t greet someone (just like in the US) they might be a little annoyed with you.

And if you ever come across someone who seems to refuse to speak in English to you… that may just be because they don’t know English or they are very insecure about their English. The English literacy rate in France is quite low compared. to other European countries.

We have had so many lovely, friendly encounters in Paris and were absolutely are delighted to be greeted with ‘bonjour’ by so many passersby. I guess living in Denmark where it’s much more uncommon to greet strangers it feels a bit like a breath of fresh air.

Some other good phrases to learn are how to say goodbye, please, thank you, and excuse me (and of course any other phrases you’d like to throw in the mix). But picking up a few, easy French phrases really is one of the best things to know before visiting Paris.

11. Purchase entrance tickets in advance for EVERYTHING (or You’ll regret it)

Make sure to book entrance tickets for pretty much anything you want to do way, way in advance. For some attractions, once the tickets are gone online they have no more available and you are just out of luck.

For other attractions (like the Eiffel Tower) they may still have stand tickets available the day of, but you have the potential to wait in a loooong line.

For example, when we visited Paris in August, the standby line for the Eiffel Tower was THREE hours long. In no way did we wait in that line, but the worker let us know that’s how long it’d take to get through… the line was so long it was literally wrapping around the base of the tower.

We were able to get time-slotted tickets for Musée d’Orsay as late as the day before our visit, however, I’d recommend checking weeks in advance for everything. Some attractions (like the Catacombs) you can only purchase starting one week in advance and they go FAST.

So just be sure to look into everything with enough time so that you aren’t disappointed.

12. Google Maps will be your friend

One of the most important ‘first time in Paris tips’ is to make sure you have data available on your phone so that you can use Google Maps or Apple Maps to help you navigate (read my point about e-sims if you have questions about how to get data in Paris). But never has navigating public transit in large cities been so easy as it is with Google Maps.

All you have to do is put your destination into Google Maps, choose ‘transit’ instead of ‘drive’ and it will pull up the top 5+ public transit options with detailed instructions. You can even indicate if you prefer busses or metro etc.

Google Maps will tell you where to walk to catch the bus/metro, which platform to wait at, when the next one is coming, and which stop to take. It really is SO easy and a total game-changer. I can’t imagine having to navigate public transit in new cities without Google Maps.

You can also use Google Maps to find walking directions and of course, driving directions.

13. Be sure to try some PIstachio Flavored things in Paris

Something I noticed during our time in Paris is that Parisians seem to really love pistachio. You know how Americans are obsessed with peanuts/peanut butter.. well in Paris, you can find pistachios in everything.

For example, we picked up delicious cream puffs from Odette (which I highly recommend) and the worker said her favorite flavor was pistachio (which we obviously tried) and I can confirm is delicious.

When we picked up some madeleines to take home to our daughter, we could choose from vanilla, lemon and pistachio (plus a couple of other flavors). And there is even a bakery that has become a bit Insta-famous for their pistachio chocolate bread (or pistachio escargot as they call it).

We saw pistachio macaroons, pistachio ice cream, and even an entire shop dedicated to pistachios called La Pistacherie.

All of this is to say that if you ever have a pistachio item on your menu, maybe give it a go!

14. Bring comfortable shoes for walking

Maybe this is obvious, but just be sure to pack shoes that are comfortable for walking. Paris is large and even with using public transit, you’ll probably still be walking miles (and miles) each day. You may want to throw in an extra pair of shoes just in case your first pair hurts your feet unexpectedly.

If you only have room for one pair, be sure to walk extensively in them before your trip to Paris to ensure that they will be comfortable and not give you blisters in any weird places. I personally like to bring Birkenstocks and Sperry’s when I’m traveling.

15. Be Aware of scammers in high touristy areas

Something that I really don’t love is scammers and people illegally selling things (who does? ). I was so unprepared for this on our first visit to Paris that it was very off-putting.

The areas around the base of the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur are filled with people illegally selling little trinkets and people trying to scam people by participating in their rigged games.

There is also a common scam where people walk around with a paper asking for signatures for some ‘worthwhile cause’ (the one we saw had an image of a wheelchair at the top of the page) and then they demand money from you saying you have to give money if you sign the paper.

Needless to say, the cause is not real and they are just forcing people to give them money. It’s such a bummer this exists, but knowing beforehand will help you feel more confident in just walking away and not engaging with these people.

Also, pickpockets are real. My friend caught a guy with his hand in her husband’s backpack on the Metro. So keep your money/phone and other important docs close at hand and in front of you.

Thankfully crossbody bags are super in style right now which makes it easy to fit in and keep your important things close. I have a crossbody bag like this that I love and I definitely recommend getting something similar.

16. Paris is doable with young kids (if you come prepared)

Visiting Paris with kids is definitely doable, but not for the faint of heart. As I’ve mentioned, our first-ever trip to Paris was with a toddler and a baby. We spent 2 days at Disneyland Paris and 4 days in Paris.

For your Paris itinerary with young kids, I recommend choosing 1-2 top sites to visit a day with plenty of playground stops along the way (and treats, so many treats).

I’ve written a whole guide about visiting Paris with young kids along with a comprehensive guide to playgrounds in Paris near all the top attractions (trust me, you want this).

17. The Champ De Mars by the Eiffel Tower is the Last Place I’d want to picnic

I had such a fairytale image of the Champ de Mars (aka the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower) in my mind before visiting Paris for the first time. Turns out, it’s a very crowded area where the grass has turned to dirt from all of the people walking through (at least in the summer months).

You see plenty of people valiantly trying to have their picture-perfect picnic on the “lawn” aka the few patches of grass left, but it looks like a pretty sad place for a picnic to me (at least compared to what I had imagined).

A picnic at Luxembourg Gardens sounds much nicer than a Champ de Mars picnic any day.

18. Find a place to enjoy quiet views of the Eiffel Tower

As I’ve mentioned, I’m really not a fan of the area around the Eiffel Tower. You really don’t need to visit it unless you are headed up the tower. The trocadero is okay, but my favorite experiences with the Eiffel Tower are seeing it from further away.

By far, my favorite view was from our rooftop at Rayz Eiffel Hotel (you can only use it if you are a guest at the hotel but the rooms are beautiful and the prices are quite reasonable). However, I also loved the view from the Arc de Triomphe and I always enjoyed any other sneak peeks we’d get of the tower as we walked around the city.

You may also consider taking in the views from Montparnasse Tower or the 7th floor of the Women’s building at Printemps Haussmannor.

19. Visit as many boulangeries and Patisseries as possible

I never understood the people raving about French baguettes until I picked up a fresh baguette from a boulangerie in Paris and it all came together. Fresh baguettes in Paris really are amazing. They are soo good and so inexpensive! It’s crazy.

Along with baguettes, you need to try all the croissants, pain au chocolat, chouquettes, lemon tarts, and macarons, (the list goes on and on). Just try it all! You really can’t miss the boulangeries-most of them have large signs with their name and ‘boulangerie’ written in large letters.

20. There are loads of unique, local tours you can Book on Your Trip to Paris

If you’re someone who loves a good tour (I know I sometimes do) then be sure to spend some time looking into the loads of unique tours you can find in Paris.

Viator is my favorite site to search for tours on. It’s basically a search engine for tours run by various companies but you can see them all in one place and read reviews. It’s pretty great. you can see Viator’s options for tours in Paris here.

Some of the tours I was eyeing included a Paris walking food tour, a macaron cooking class, and these tours of Paris from a vintage car.

21. Purchase an E-Sim to have Quick, Inexpensive data on your Phone

Gone are the days of paying high rates to your cell phone provider to have international data. You also no longer need to even pick up a physical, pay-as-you-go sim card when you land in a new country-it’s gotten even easier.

You can purchase an e-sim card online from companies like Airalo for 200+ countries or even entire regions if you’ll be country hopping (think France vs. Europe).

It’s a crazy good deal like $10 for 3 gbs of data and 30 days of use and you can top up when you need. Plus, you can have the e-sim card while still using your normal sim for receiving Wi-Fi messages and calls from your contacts.

It’s important to note that you must have an unlocked phone in order to install an e-sim. If you are not sure if your phone is unlocked or if you need it to be unlocked, you can contact your carrier and let them know you will be traveling internationally and would like to use an e-sim. I’ve heard they will unlock it for you (my phone is unlocked. so I’ve never had that issue).

22. Don’t add things to your itinerary just because someone says ‘You have to do it’

I think there can be a lot of pressure when we travel around HAVING to see and do certain things. But if you’re not a museum person, don’t feel pressured to visit museums! If you’re not into food, don’t feel pressured into trying escargot!

You’ll enjoy your time in Paris so much more if you focus on the activities that interest YOU not the activities that interest everyone else.

We still haven’t visited the Louvre (besides walking around outside, which is a lovely area btw). But we have visited Musée d’Orsay for the Monet and Van Gogh paintings and the huge clock that looks out over the city.

Plus we’ve also visited the Musée de l’Orangerie which has two circular, white rooms that feature multiple panels of Monet’s water lilies. And we are totally content with that decision.

Along those same lines, I’d say if you aren’t interested in going up the Eiffel Tower, then just steer clear of that area. It’s more fun seeing the Eiffel Tower from a distance anyway.

That being said, some people LOVE the Louvre, and some people LOVE trying every new food that comes their way. You do you.

23. A Seine River Cruise is a great way to get an overview of the city (and to get off your feet)

I always love a good river or harbor cruise. We’ve done them all over Europe including in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bruges etc. So, of course, we also took a Seine River cruise in Paris. Hopping on a Seine River cruise is one of my best tips for Paris to get some time off your feet.

There are all kinds of Seine River cruises to choose from- a 1-hour river cruise with guided commentary, champagne tastings on the Seine, a Seine Cruise with a crepe tasting before or after, or even combo tickets with museum entrances + a Seine River Cruise.

However, if you really want to slow down and have a memorable experience, then check out this 2.5-hour Seine River Dinner Cruise. It includes a gourmet, 3-course dinner and even live entertainment! The reviews are fabulous and it sounds like a really nice experience.

If you’re interested in the dinner cruise but are looking for a less expensive option, then check out the Seine River lunch cruise– it sounds very similar!

We’ve taken the basic Seine River Cruise which had live guides onboard. It was a relaxing boat trip where we got to see some iconic sights from the water like the Eiffel Tower, Musee d’ Orsay. and Notre Dame while learning a bit of history along the way. If you have time, I do recommend booking some sort of Seine River Cruise.

24. Come prepared for rain (even in the summer)

It rains in Paris 171 days a year and (from what I understand) the rainfall is pretty evenly distributed throughout all seasons.

We visited Paris in both August and September and experienced both super hot sunny days along with days requiring jackets with a bit of rain.

So, even if the weather is looking pretty good pre-trip, you may want to throw in an umbrella or a light rain jacket in your luggage just in case.

25. Gallettes and quiches are great, inexpensive meal options

If you’re looking for quick, inexpensive food then galettes and quiche are great options. If you’re unsure, galettes are basically savory crepes but folded a little differently and made with buckwheat.

You can find them at creperies throughout the city, however, there is one street in Paris known for its creperies called Rue de Montparnasse. We’re talking 10+ creperies on one street.

We walked Rue de Montparnasse one morning hoping to pick up some crepes/galettes but learned the hard way that the creperies on this road don’t open until 11:30 a.m. or 12 p.m. so plan accordingly.

We also ate a lot of quiches (think delicious egg pie) that you can find at most boulangeries along with classic French baguette sandwiches.

26. Take advantage of the public water fountains

Coming from the US, we are used to finding public drinking fountains and water-filling stations all over the place. It can get a little tricky to find free water in Europe, but Paris thankfully has 1200 drinking fountains throughout the city!

The fountains range from beautiful, ornate structures to sleek, modern fountains. The best part is that the city of Paris has integrated all of the drinking fountains into Google Maps. All you have to do is search ‘fountain’ when you are out and about and you’ll find the closest one!

If that doesn’t work, you can see a map of the Paris drinking fountains here.

27. Consider taking a day trip from Paris

We are a Disney-loving family so we’ve visited Disneyland Paris on each of our trips to Paris. The park is just a 45-minute RER train ride from Paris city center making it pretty easy to get to. I even have a great guide on everything you need to know to take a day trip to Paris Disneyland. Be sure to check it out!

If you are visiting with kids I’d recommend spending a night or two in Serris (the neighborhood just outside of the park). But if you are traveling sans kids and really don’t want to switch accommodations, you could make a day trip work.

Be sure to check out my guide to visiting Disneyland Paris if you decide to head that way.

Besides Disneyland Paris, there are quite a few guided day trip options from Paris which would be super nice and convenient. You can find day trips to the Palace of Versailles, Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, or even guided day trips to Bruges Belgium!

Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:

• The Only Itinerary You Need to Spend Two Days in Paris
• How to Plan a Day Trip to Disneyland Paris + 2 Example Itineraries
• The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Paris with a Toddler: Things to do + Top Tips
• 10 Fun Playgrounds in Paris Near Top Paris Attractions
• 15 Essential Tips for Disneyland Paris Planning

And those are all of the things I think you need to know before traveling to Paris for the first time. I hope these tips make your first time visiting Paris absolutely dreamy. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below- I’ll be sure to get back to you!

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