Paris is a dream city to visit. With so many wonderful places, rich scientific and cultural history, spectacular architecture, and some of the most famous art pieces in the world, it could be challenging to plan your itinerary. We gathered some useful resources to help you find your way through the city, inspiring places, free activities, and transportation and accommodation options to enjoy Paris in an affordable way.
Welcome to The City of Lights
Planning your sight-seeing in Paris
With a 38 seconds lift, you can visit the tower and its glass panoramic roof to discover the remarkable view of Paris and its monuments.
Transport: From PORTE DE VERSAILLES, take metro line 12 to MONTPARNASSE station.
The most luxurious department store of PARIS, this Art DECO building is also an art gallery with exhibitions of contemporary artists.
Build in 1923, la Grande Epicerie de Paris is a huge indoor food market with restaurants and wine-bars.
Transport: From PORTE DE VERSAILLES, take metro line 12 to SÈVRES-BABYLONE station.
A legendary place in Paris, specialised in taxidermy and entomology since 1831.
An iconic English-language bookstore in the heart of Paris, which became a Left Bank literary institution since its opening in 1951.
With a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, photography from 1848 to 1914, and great masters of impressionism (Cézanne, Degas, Monet, Renoir) it is one of the most iconic museums of PARIS.
Landscaped by André Lenôtre, the gardener of LOUIS XIV, this huge garden offers you an amazing view of the LOUVRE PALACE and a big range of trees and flowers. This is an example of the typical “Jardin a la Francaise“.
This is one of the most prestigious squares of PARIS surrounded by sumptuous buildings and fountains.
Located on the lower half of the Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe is surrounded by many pleasant and peaceful green spaces embellished by colourful flower beds.
PETIT PALAIS – MUSEE DES BEAUX ARTS DE LA VILLE DE PARIS
This architectural jewel built in 1900 for the Universal Exposition is now a museum, which offers a large artistic overview from antiquity to the early 20th century.
Transport: From PORTE DE VERSAILLES, take metro line 12 to SOLFERINO station.
Benefit from the city guides and city maps for all FENS delegates. The maps are available in 9 languages* and the city guide available either in French or English.
Orders must be done through an online form, no less than 5 days before the collection date.
Up to 500 copies, order has to be collected at the Paris City Hall, 27 rue de Rivoli 75004 PARIS. For more than 500 copies, order has to be collected at Morangis (20mn from Paris City Centre). Please note that we are not able to send or deliver brochures.
City guide:
The city guide for the website or App can be downloaded.
*English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese
Getting around Paris
The city’s self-service bikes to hire : Vélib’ Métropole. 17,500 bicycles (mechanical – green – and electric – blue -) are available, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and can be borrowed from and returned to any one of the 1,400 automatic service points across the city.
Several types of passes for occasional users – from 3€ for a one-way trip on the bike of your choice to 20€ for a 3-day pass
Paris Travel Pass for 5 days (38.35 euros)
Navigo Easy is a contactless anonymous card that does not required photo ID or name. The 10 trips included in the pass can be used at your convenience no matter when the first one is activated. Suitable for occasional travels in Paris.
Navigo travel pass can be purchased:
Directly online at the website: Navigo.fr
At all ticket desks from an RATP agent, at automatic vending machines, and in more than 1,500 local retailers authorised by RATP
At more than 200 automatic teller machines (ATMs)
It gives access to the metro, the Region bus lines (except Orlybus and Roissybus), tramways, the Montmartre funicular and Regional train circulating in Central Paris
Airports connections are not included in the card offer. The airports connections (Roissybus or Orlybus) are optional and purchasable at the airports or any train station machine
Activation of the card: it will be automatically activated by the first touch-in at the ticket gate or validation machine. The card must be validated when entering the metro, bus, tram or Regional train, and each time you pass a ticket gate or validation machine while travelling on the network
The card is rechargeable and valid for 10 years
Price of the card including 10 travels: €19,90 incl. tax (rate 2021)
Benefit from the online or in person ticketing service, of the Paris Convention Bureau to book cruises, shows, visits to museums and monuments and transport tickets.
Experience parts of an amazingly beautiful 115 km hiking trail.
Choose the attractions or activities that interest you and build your own sightseeing programme in Paris.
Travel through mazes of stones and verdancy and see where some of the world’s brightest minds rest in peace.
An extraordinary journey along 4.5 km planted with many types of lime and hazelnut trees, climbing plants, rosebushes and other plants.
One of Paris’ lesser-known neighbourhoods that is beloved by locals but overlooked by tourists, the Butte aux Cailles district is a village-like oasis in Paris’ otherwise ultracontemporary, stark 13th arrondissement.
The Petite Ceinture is a former double-track railway line that used to run around Paris within the boulevards des Maréchaux.
Paris’s oldest food market is situated in the Haut Marais, close to rue de Bretagne.
The main artery, Rue Montorgueil, is lined with local food shops, bars and restaurants as well as trendy clothing shops.
Places to eat
Creperies
Places to find drinks, food, occasional concerts or dancing
Boulangeries
Patisseries
Soufflés
Ice Cream
More places to eat
10 free things to do in Paris
The top 10 essential, offbeat and entertaining activities in Paris that will cost you nothing at all.
Calendar of free events in Paris
Fêtes, and festivals: Paris hosts a wide range of free events all year round. Find out more!
Free exhibitions in Paris
You don’t need to go to a museum to enjoy art in Paris. Artworks can be admired everywhere.
Free cultural outings in Paris
Check out where to enjoy free films in the city, where movies originate from.
Free guided tours and walks in Paris
A tour is one of the best ways to discover the treasures, the secrets and the legends of Paris.
Free museums and monuments in Paris
List of cultural sites with free admission for the public. Don’t miss them out.
Paris in the Summer
Bastille Day
Don’t miss out an amazing show! On 14 July, the legendary fireworks display to mark Bastille Day is set off from the ponds at Trocadéro. The festivities get underway at 11pm.
More info about Bastille Day in our dossier Bastille Day in Paris
Sunbathing in Paris
Ever thought about soaking up some sun in Paris?
From mid-July to end-August, artificial beaches are installed on the banks of the Seine and the Bassin de la the Villette during Paris Plages. Sun loungers, palm trees, refreshment kiosks … and swimming set the scene for summer! A number of entertainment options and sporting activities are available too.
Stage under the stars
Summer is also the perfect time to see open-air movies on giant screens in the gardens of the Villette during the Cinéma en plein air festival. Paris also hosts other outdoor cinema festivals: La Chaise et l’écran, Silhouette …
More info about Movies outdoors in Paris
Music Festivals
The music festival Les Pestacles is held each year in the Parc Floral at the Bois de Vincennes. The concerts are free, but the park charges an entrance fee. Some of the concerts and shows at the Paris l’été festival festival are also free of charge.
More info about Outdoor festivals in Paris
Source: Official website of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Paris