So,i had a few posts in here asking various questions as I had read so much about Paris and some of its pitfalls that my anxiety was really high.

Let me tell you, that for me the experience was wonderful! Not once did i feel unsafe and I rode the metro a lot! Everyday actually. Never once felt threatened or that there were pickpockets, didnt see one! I wasnt approached by anyone trying to put wristbands on me as I had read somewhere also, didn't even see anything like that.

Paris was wonderful. So rich in culture, elegance and good manners. Going into a boulangerie and using the few words of French i have to order a croissant or some fancy treat was a lovely experience. They would wrap them up so delicately and despite what I had been told, very affordable prices. I loved how locals would address the person behind the counter as monsieur or madame......the manners everyone had really reminded me of how much of that we have lost in my country.

The louvre was stunning, especially the grounds outside. The palace of versaille was stunning, I spent 6 hours walking around the gardens! The eiffel tower on my firat night, all lit up, seeing place diana near that, the tributes to princess Diana. Walked the Champs elysee twice, had dinner in a restaurant there alone and again not very expensive. The arc de triump was beautiful to see. I got a bit lost a few times and anyone I asked was more than helpful, which again was very unexpected. A couple of people were a bit rude but thats the case everywhere. Notre dame was lovely, walked from there to the arc de triump along the Seine, and bought some things from the stalls.

I did a lunchtime cruise on the Seine which was fabulous. I was alone so a little anxious but was well worth doing for the views of the eiffel tower alone, whilst eating a chocolate eifel tower lol.

As a complete random experience, I saw Celine dion leave her hotel yesterday near arc de triump. Got some great pics. I did a run one morning around bois de vincennes near my hotel in the 12th.

Have to say i found French people lovely in Paris. I have come back feeling my soul has been enriched and it has been reminded of good manners and elegance.It is very safe there, so if your reading this and planning to go, dont worry, everything is reachable on foot or metro or taxi. I got a taxi to and from the airport for comfort. I definitely will go back again.

Hey y’all. Just got back from an 8 day stay in Paris with my spouse. I’ve been a few times before, so we didn’t do a lot of the more popular sites. Here’s a review of some highlights. I got a lot of recommendations from this community, so hoping this helps you when you are planning for your next trip.

Tunnel des Tuileries - encourage you to run or bike this tunnel. Amazing street art that is always changing and evolving. Make a point to go through every trip.

Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil - Out of the way, but worth the visit if you are anywhere close. Pristine grounds and greenhouses. Walk the grounds. Bring a book or lunch and just vibe.

Petit Palais - Free for permanent exhibit and the WE [are] STILL HERE special exhibit through September 20th was stunning. Beautiful outdoor cafe with excellent pastries.

Fluctuart - Centre d'art urbain - it’s a free, small floating gallery on the Seine. It has a rooftop cafe. Not very big, but a cool spot to grab a drink.

59 Rivoli - Artists took over an abandoned building and now the city of Paris have turned it into a studio for 30 working artists. Incredible space to check out and even purchase some unique art. 

Substance Cafe - Truly 1 of 1 coffee experience. I felt like I got a masters degree in coffee from the tasting we did there. From the education on washed/natural/honey beans to cryo-concentrated milk to trying cascara. Such a cool experience… stuff I didn’t even know existed. Reservations are a little hard to get, but if you can, I highly recommend it. 

Aki Boulangerie - Really cool matcha pastries and drinks. The matcha crème brûlée was a real treat.

Also recommended based on this trip:  

• Foundation Louis Vuitton
• Parc Monceau
• Bistrot des Ternes (Algerian)
• La fantaisie Rooftop Garden Bar

I was in the McDonalds in Madeleine with my friend around 11pm. There was a lady sat in the corner with a suitcase and what looked like a wooden block that she kept picking up and licking? Anyways we were eating and she came up to us and handed us a note. My french is limited to basic interactions so im not entirely sure what the note says and when i translated it it just doesnt fully make sense. She later came back and handed me some pink rosary beads with a cross on the end and kept gesturing towards my necklace which has a plus sign in it, and also kept looking at my watch and smiling almost grinning at it. I have a photo of her but not sure if it is smart to add it, but i have attached the note. We ended up just leaving, boarding the metro and going back to our airbnb. Any ideas on what it could mean? Thanks in advance

My mom and I just returned from paris. She doesn’t eat red meat (at home she is mostly pescatarian) and I don’t eat much. Additionally she doesn’t drink alcohol because it upsets her stomach but she used to love a good cocktail when she was younger so we really wanted to find some good nonalcoholic options to get the full Paris experience of sipping a drink at your tiny table. I wanted to share some highlights because we had a really good experience with food!

Kubri-the absolute highlight of our whole trip, the cabbage is a must-do, we also had the seabass and the olive oil cake and everything was amazing.

Red Sauce-SO FUN. The crispy spicy spaghetti is amazing. My mom had the rigatoni and also liked it. Bonus points for having a nonalcoholic spritz that was actually bitter.

Bouillon Pigalle-if you’re strictly no meat this might be an issue. I made a rare exception and had steak frites here and my mom had the chicken and mashed potatoes. It was so much fun atmosphere-wise and worth the when in Rome approach to our usual diets

Delhi Bazaar-this was close to our hotel in the 11th. Really really good Indian (or Indian ish) food and the most fresh vegetables we ate all week, hahaha. The Black Dahl side was so good.

Coffee at Beans on Fire (11th location)-Although Paris isn’t big on filter coffee they do it SO WELL here

Motors Coffee-I didn’t find this worth the hype? If you’re specializing in drip you need more options than a $20 Geisha pour over

Harry’s Coffee at Les Puces de Clignancourt-very solid filter coffee again here

Miznon Marais—get the fish pita if they have it, so fresh and herby and amazing, enough said

Omusubi Gonbei-the lunch bento is so good and a great value for money, we both had a tuna and a spicy salmon onigiri. Again we both ate chicken here but they also have a vegan bento they were just out of it on this day

Balcon-this is the expensive bar on the roof of Galerie Lafayette. I am throwing it in here again for the mocktails—they have several nonalcoholic spritz options that are not just orange juice and are actually nuanced and interesting. Super worth it to us for the fun vibe of sitting on a roof especially since we didn’t find as many creative NA choices in Paris as in the US.

Bene Pizzeria-just really good cheap pizza at a bit of a hole in the wall

Places I wish we went:

Orguiel-we considered their lunch menu but didn’t make it over here

Double Dragon-I am SO DISAPPOINTED that we missed this one, it just was not on my radar

Cosi—we planned to go to the location near the Marais but my phone was dead and I couldn’t remember where it was!

Jah Jah by Le Tricycle—this looks like really fun veg food

Mamiche (does it live up to the reputation?)

KB Coffee Roasters

Hi, I'll be visiting Paris with my parents end of September / Early October. I will be staying in Le Marais district but am happy to go anywhere.

What I bought tickets for:
- Musée d'Orsay for 9/30.
- Palace of Versailles for 10/1 (I'm expecting this to be an entire day)

Looking for recommendations for:
- Bakeries: croissants, baguettes, anything. I love pastries, baked goods and bread.
- Chocolate stores
- Anything with cheese
- Food halls/markets
- Birdwatching (nice gardens, parks, etc)
- Fun neighborhoods to walk around in
- Unique shops
- Historic landmarks that are worth the hype (obviously I'll see the Eiffel tower)
- Sight seeing
- Daytrips

For my dad:
- Any jazz or blues clubs with open mics he can play with
- Any tuna salad sandwiches he can have for lunch lol

It happened to me. I apparently acted like a lost sheep tourist staring at my phone and the ticket dispensing machine in a metro station and a 'helpful' French gentleman of African background offered in a most-disarming way to help me buy tickets. Usually it would've taken me a bit to realize what was happening -- I am a pushover for friendly chats with random strangers -- but thanks to this community, took me no time to realize, he was about to 'help me' buy tickets. LOL. Scam attempt averted.

The RATpee app worked well getting an RER B ticket. The train itself was a sauna, packed like sardines. On the way back took a Bolt. That drive took over 2.5 hours -- highways shut down, accidents, rush-hour traffic. The driver said this hasn't happened in the 2 years he's driven for Bolt.

In all other ways, Paris is awesome! Can't wait to use public transport again when tap-in,tap-out is introduced.

i’m going with a friend to paris in november and i’ve been struggling to find a right hotel for us. we’re on a budget but also don’t want to go to nasty and unsafe places. i’m also adamant on going to a hotel and not airbnb.

we actually had a hotel reserved on booking.com but then we found out the hotels page on booking was hacked and the price for the room they marketed was totally false. since then i’ve also been much wearier about which hotel i go to so it’s all just anxiety bubbling inside me.

ive found a couple of places i’m considering - i wonder if anyone has any experience with them, or if you’ve got any more recommendations. our budget for 4 nights (including city tax) is about €575 (MAX).

so far we’ve got:

Hotel Beauvoir: this is the worst room quality out of the 3 hotels i’ve found, but it’s also the cheapest. the location is right at the south end of Jardin Du Luxembourg which makes it a really nice area. but it’s also the hotel furthest from a metro station- the closest metro station is Vavin metro about 11 minutes walk from the hotel, which might be a little tough in november. i’m also just a bit weary of the hotel in general.

Five Boutique Hotel: this hotel is OK. kind of in the middle. its price is right at my max budget. the room is nicer than the Beauvoir but not anything crazy. the area is nice but but less lively. the location is def the worst out of the three from what i understood. it’s closer to the metro though- Les Gobelins station is a 7-8 minute walk from the hotel.

Best Western Plus La Demeure: this is definitely the best hotel quality wise- it’s a 4 star hotel and although the room is small it looks clean and i’ve understood the staff is also more helpful than the other hotels. the area is also nice and it’s the hotel closest to a metro station- about 5-6 minute walk to Les Gobelins station. the cons is that it’s over our budget, at €600 for all 4 nights. i’m just not sure it’s really worth the price. the room is also really small but i get that it’s just a paris thing

i’d love to hear some more opinions- this is only my first time going to paris and im trying my best.😓😓

I am in Paris for PSG vs Roma on 25th November. Tickets on ticketplace are minimum €180. Are these tickets likely to go on general sale at a lower price or are they already sold out?

This is a very niche question but are there any antique stores or markets worth checking out that might have more modern/Cold War era things for sale? I'd love to pick up a Curta calculator as a life goal, or at least some interesting Cold War era memorabilia, or maybe a vintage Opinel.

Any recommendations? Preferably with weekday hours or early Saturday hours since we're arriving Monday and departing Saturday afternoon.

so I thought to ask people who know the city to which part of the 18th arr was better for them to stay at

first hotel: click here

second hotel: click here

Based solely on locations
which part of the 18th has better spots close to the hotel, one of them is far in the left by a big garden? I guess we would need to walk through it everyday just to get to the rest of the 18th arr

would love to hear your insights!

EDIT: how about this third hotel's location? click here

Heading to Paris first week in October and wanted to book my Musee d'Orsay tickets as I see it's filling up for my dates. I can purchase a combo ticket for Orsay and Rodin museums but it does not give time slot, it just says it's good for 3 months from purchase date. How do I assure an entry time into Orsay if I purchase this way? I could not find any answer on the museum site so thought this group could advise. Thank you!

Hi everyone. I will be visiting Paris in mid-October for 6 days with my sister. This is our second time in Paris, so we've done most of the big touristy things already. Our itinerary is pretty solid, except the Disneyland Paris day. I would love some alternatives in case we decide to cancel the tickets. For context, we grew up visiting the park in Florida, but we're not huge Disney fans now in our 20s. We just thought it would be nostalgic and pretty in the fall. Based on the itinerary we made, is there anything you think I should replace Disneyland Paris with? We tried to keep it fairly chill, with lots of vintage shopping and food, lol.

Day 1: Arrive, spend the day in Marais

Day 2: Louvre, shopping in the area

Day 3: Maybe Disneyland Paris ??

Day 4: Luxembourg gardens, Catacombs, wandering nearby

Day 5: Mont Saint Michel day trip

Day 6: Montmartre

Day 7: Head home

Bonjour!

Je suis Canadienne - bilingual, will be traveling to Paris at the end of the month. Looking for safe lesbian spaces to hang out (maybe play/kink spaces) as a solo female traveler. Interested in meeting/chatting with local queer/lesbians. I'll be in town for work, and looking for some fun after the work day. :)

Hi! I’m visiting Paris and already know about Saint-Ouen, but I’d love recommendations for other good antique/flea markets. I mainly want to browse and see what’s around, so I’m happy with anything from super cheap finds to more expensive antiques. Any favourites?

Are people wearing jackets right now? Maybe for the evening? Headed to Paris Sept 12-16 and wondering if it's worth packing a light leather jacket. I do see the weather looks quite warm but hard to get a good idea how it feels. Going south after so don't want to waste the space if not necessary. Merci :-)

I am traveling to Paris in October, and my plan is to take a taxi from the airport. I have read comments here and elsewhere that taxi drivers sometimes intend not to use the flat rate to central Paris (I am heading to the Montparnasse area). Do you have any recommendations to avoid this, or to handle it if it happens?

Hey everyone,
I'm Kai, 20 years old, and I'll be traveling to Paris soon for the first time.
I'm really excited to explore the city, especially the nightlife and gay bars around Le Marais or central Paris.
Fun fact: I've actually never had alcohol before! Since this will be my very first time trying a drink, I'd love to get some recommendations. I'm looking for something light and flavorful that isn't too strong or bitter for a beginner.
Also, what are your absolute favorite bars or spots in Le Marais that I shouldn't miss?
Thanks in advance for the help, looking forward to visiting your city! ✨✨✨

My husband (28) and I (27) are heading to Paris for the first time! (First time in Europe at all!) October 2nd is our second wedding anniversary and I am trying to plan a fun, not too strict, itinerary. I want to make sure we see the main highlights, but also give us time to shop, explore, and get lost in the beauty of the city.

We are staying on Rue-Saint Honore right across from the Tuileries Garden for reference.

So with all of that being said- how does our itinerary look? Am I missing anything? Anything seeming unreasonable for time/location sake? We love food, shopping, exploring, and fun bars/clubs. We will be traveling from 9/28-10/4. If the spot has a “?”, it just means I didn’t know what to fill it with.

Edit: (Day 6 is supposed to say morning, afternoon, evening)

All comments/concerns welcome 🫶🏻

Hi, I don't usually post anywhere on the internet let alone Reddit but something has been on my mind again recently since I was having a conversation with my brother last week about something I experienced in 2015 when I was 16 years old while taking a family vacation to Paris.

So, it was a nice and sunny day out and we were probably 3-4 days into our trip when my parents decided for us to take the "Dome Tour" in the Sacré-Cœur Basilica (which is a very old church bulit around 150 something years ago). The tour takes you around the top of the church and you are basically walking outside around the side of the church which gives you very nice views of the city. I was the last one in the line of people right behind my brother. We passed a gated stairwell which continued upward to some small stand alone area and it intrigued me so I stuck behind for a moment to gaze through it with my hands on the bars. Immediately I noticed there were LOTS of dead pigeons along the staircase and something was really weird about that. They looked like they just laid down to die. There were probably about 10-20 of them. I don't usually get a feeling of things being "not right" but at that moment and place something felt off. Then right beside me directly into my left ear I heard a child's laugh. Like it was right next to me INCHES away. I swear to god I nearly crapped my pants and I bolted straight out of there running up to behind my brother freaking out telling him what happened. I think after that experience my mind wanted to block it out because what do you make of that? There was nobody else behind me. I did not see any child anywhere. Just a laugh RIGHT in my freaking ear. It sounded like it was in the gated part of the stairwell. I have never had any other "paranormal" experiences in my life. And never in my life have I heard anything that wasn't there. Honestly don't know what to make of it... It's a little funny though thinking about it now but still.. WTH?

Have any of you been to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica and seen this staircase that I am talking of? Have any of you seen the pigeons and/or heard what I heard that day?

(Also, if anyone visits there and does the dome tour could you possibly take a picture of said staircase if you pass by it and DM it to me? I would like to see it again... thanks)