Paris travel hacks – top tips for getting around the city

Exploring Paris? Arm yourself with our top Paris travel hacks before you go – and save time faffing while you’re there. From the quickest way to get from the airport to the city centre, to tips on seeing all the famous sights for less, we’ve pounded the pavements of the French capital so you don’t have to. Our top tip? Save some time in your itinerary to do absolutely nothing. And by nothing, we mean people-watching in a chic café doing your best Emily in Paris impression, of course. 

Take the RER from the airport 

If you’ve travelled light to the City of Light, you’re in luck. The trains into the city centre from the main airport – Charles de Gaulle – are decent, and cheaper than taking a taxi. Take the B train on the RER network and you can get to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame in about 40 minutes. A single ticket is about €11.40, but you can save money with a Paris Visite travel pass if you’ll be using public transport a lot. As well as the RER it gets you unlimited travel on the Metro and buses in zones 1-3, and costs €13.55 for the day. Of course, if you’ve packed less-than-light or just don’t fancy the train, you can pick a trip with transfers included. Show off. 

Sightseeing in rush hour? Use the Metro 

While it’s tempting to jump in a taxi to get from, say, the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe, rush-hour traffic in Paris is no joke. At peak times you’re better off heading underground and using the Metro or RER, to avoid any delays up top. The Metro lines are numbered 1-14 and are your best bet for short journeys around the city centre. It’s less than ten minutes on Metro Line 1 from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe, for example, versus about half an hour in a taxi or 50 minutes walking. The RER trains are regional – so they’re ideal if you’re exploring further out – and they’re the ones labelled A to E. The good news is the two lines link up, so you can use them interchangeably. 

Time to kill? Get on a bus – or a boat 

Not got rush hour to contend with? Think about hopping on a bus instead – that way you’ll get to see Paris out your window as you go. You can use your Paris Visite pass on these, too, and you might be surprised to find that sometimes the route is more direct than the Metro. Another good shout if you’ve got a bit more time on your hands is the Batobus, which lets you see Paris from the Seine. You can hop on and off this glass-sided water taxi as many times as you like in a day or two, and it ticks off all the big sights and neighbourhoods – from the Musee d’Orsay and Place de la Concorde to the Jardin des Plantes and Eiffel Tower. Get your ticket online before you go, or pick one up at any of the Batobus stations. It’ll cost you €23 for the day or €27 for two, which is way cheaper than a boat tour. 

Download the Accessible Paris Guide 

If you’re visiting Paris with specific accessibility needs, it’s worth downloading the Accessible Paris Guide before you come. While the city is working on making its public transport and facilities more accessible, it’s still got a way to go – some of the Metro stations are inaccessible if you’re in a wheelchair, for starters, and the top of the Eiffel Tower is off-limits for visitors with reduced mobility for security reasons. On the flip side, the buses are pretty well set up for wheelchairs and there’s work being done to improve things all round. 

Carry some cash with you 

At the risk of sounding like your mum, it’s always worth having some euros on hand in case the ticket office is shut, or the machine isn’t playing ball with your credit or debit card. You’ll also find the odd café or shop in Paris that will only take cash for smaller purchases, and market stalls and public toilets where you’ll need a bit of change. Our tip? If you’re bringing euros from home, ask the currency exchange to give you small notes if possible. Don’t be that person trying to pay for a coffee with a 50. 

Pack a brolly. Yes really. 

We’re not trying to rain on your parade, but showers are pretty common in Paris, especially outside summer. The city gets more annual rainfall than London. We’re not necessarily talking downpours here – just the kind of drizzle that leaves you soggy when you’re walking down the Champs-Elysees. Coming prepared with a compact umbrella might just be the difference between looking a bit limp in all your Paris selfies and looking like you just stepped out of the salon. Thank us later. 

Ready to go?  

Take a look at all our holidays to Paris. And for more ideas, read the shopping spots in Paris you need to know about. 

Looking for more articles? You’ll find them on the Inspire homepage.  

Author: Katie Gregory 
Last updated: 13/12/2023