What is the best way to travel around Paris as a tourist?
The best way to get around Paris is on foot and by metro. The elegant arrondissements are practically made for pedestrians. Still, Paris is very big, so you should take the efficient metro to travel long distances.
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The best way to get around Paris is on foot and by metro. The elegant arrondissements are practically made for pedestrians. Still, Paris is very big, so you should take the efficient metro to travel long distances.
Tips to Getting Around ParisGoogle maps on your phone or a paper map from your hotel will lead you around the city to wherever you need to go. Take time to put down the map and get lost. A metro line is always nearby to get you back to your starting point. Explore the city on foot and see what you discover.
It's easy to get around Paris by yourself. It's a fairly walkable city and walking through it is a great way to take it all in. Public transportation is also convenient, easy and reliable. You can easily get around Paris by metro train or buses, and Google maps will show you the best routes to take.
While the metro subway system is extensive, it's generally safe and easy to use once you familiarize yourself with it a bit. Trains usually arrive on time; buses are well-appointed and spacious, and commuter express (RER) trains service the city's most important stops in record time.
Paris Metro tickets have no expiry; You can use them at any time in the future. Tickets can be purchased from ticket windows inside stations or through automated ticket vending machines accepting Euro coins and smart chip credit cards. The single ticket price as of Jan. 1, 2023 is 2.10€.
For longer journeys, you can pick up point-to-point tickets or set-fare one-way tickets to and from the airports. If you want unlimited travel, buy a Mobilis one-day ticket or a five-day Paris Visite pass. Rechargeable weekly, monthly or annual Navigo passes are only really worth it if you're here for the long haul.
Skip the baseball caps, white socks, sneakers, large colorful backpacks, and fanny packs. Instead, opt for dark skinny jeans, plain shirts without logos, and leather shoes. Use tote bags or earth-toned simplistic bags if you really want to dress in France to fit in with the locals.
Métro. The Metro is the easiest, least expensive and quickest way to go out and to get home. Fourteen lines crisscross Greater Paris, from east to west and north to south. Good to know: As part of certain celebrations and events (New Year's Eve, Fête de la Musique, etc.), the Metro is open—and free—most of the night.
In the RER, as long as you remain within the city limits, tickets and prices are identical to the metro (RER stations also have their own ticket offices and machines).
Yes, tap water in Paris is perfectly safe to drink and is readily available wherever you go, even at public water fountains. As long as taps aren't labeled eau non potable—meaning “not for drinking” in French—everything else is potable. In fact, drinking water from the fountains of Paris has been encouraged.
Tipping in France is not mandatory. Even though it is always appreciated, it's up to the customers to decide if they want to tip or not. Unlike other countries, the price of the service is included in the total cost of the bill. You will never be asked to tip, but it's common to leave one if the service was good.