Paris Travel Guide

Practical Info

Culture and etiquette

Religion

Around 60% of the population is Christian.

Tipping

Do you need tip in Paris? Tipping in France is not generally expected, and most restaurants will add a service charge to the bill anyway. By all means tip if you think the service has been exceptional, but you don't need to feel compelled to do so. Similarly, tipping after a taxi journey isn't expected either although we would generally round up the fare to the nearest euro.

Smoking

Smoking is banned in all indoor public spaces including restaurants, bars and public transport.

Language 101

The official language is French. English is spoken at most tourist attractions and restaurants, however Parisians really appreciate it if you learn a few key phrases and words to help immerse yourself in the culture and authentically enjoy all the things to do in Paris.

Hello (informal) - Bonjour

How are you? - Ça va?

Yes - Oui

No - Non

What's your name? - Je m'appelle

My name is - Je m'appelle

Please - S'il vous plaît

Thank you - Merci

How much is it? - C'est combien

Where is? - où est?

Numbers:

• One - Une
• Two - Deux
• Three - Trois
• Four - Quatre
• Five - Cinq

Goodbye - Au revoir

Jabs, visas and other advice

For up-to-date advice on jabs, visas and other foreign advice, we recommend following the government's website

Emergency numbers

For any emergency you can call 112. Or call 17 for police, 15 for ambulance or 18 for the fire brigade.

Getting to Paris

One of the great things about Paris is how easy it is to reach from the UK, and there are plenty of options available when it comes to getting there.

Eurostar

It takes less time to get from London to Paris by train than London to Liverpool, clocking in at about two and a half hours on the Eurostar.

Trains depart from St Pancras International, with some stopping at Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International in Kent along the way. Trains start running at around 5.30am and run every 60 - 90 minutes until 8pm.

You'll need your passport and ticket ready to pass through airport-style security before you can board the train. The bonus of taking the Eurostar is that you can take two bags and there are no weight restrictions to worry about!

The Eurostar pulls in at Paris Gare du Nord station, which connects the rest of the city by a reliable metro system.

Flying

For those who prefer to take to the skies, there are plenty of aerial options when it comes to travelling to Paris. There are two major airports serving Paris - Charles de Gaulle to the north east and the smaller Paris Orly airport to the south. You'll find routes to Paris from most major and some regional UK airports and you can expect the flight to take 1-2 hours. Although this is a shorter journey as the crow flies, remember to factor in time to get through security and baggage claim.

Getting to Paris from Charles de Gaulle airport

To get into the centre of Paris from Charles de Gaulle airport you can take Line B of the RER (Paris' wider train network). It'll take about 35 minutes to reach Paris Gare du Nord where you'll find connections to the Metro and other public transport to whizz you about the city.

Getting to Paris from Orly airport

From Orly airport you can connect to Line B of the RER line too, although you'll need to take the Orlyval Shuttle Service from the airport to Antony train station first.

However, we think the best way to get to Paris from either airport is by Air France's airport bus transfers. There are two lines from Charles de Gaulle into the city, one from Orly Airport and one line between the two. The buses run frequently starting from 5am until around 11.30pm, with transfer times around an hour from Charles de Gaulle and around 30 minutes from Orly.

Getting around Paris

So you've dropped your bags off and with the bells of Montmatre ringing in your ears, it's time to start exploring all that Paris has to offer. Here are some of the best ways to get around the city:

Walking

As with most cities we think that the best way to get around and truly experience Paris is on foot. You'll get a proper feel for the city and it's eco-friendly too. Just bear in mind that Paris is big. Really big. A non-stop walk from the Eiffel Tower to Notre-Dame will take about an hour. Fortunately, if you're limited on time then there are lots of really good public transport options.

Public transport

If you need to get about Paris quickly, you can't go wrong with the city's extensive Metro system. The subway is split into the Metro and RER lines. Tickets will work across both so you can treat it as one big underground network. It's definitely the best way of getting around the city quickly and reliably.

The Metro has 16 lines, each with a different colour, while the five RER lines are assigned the letters A, B, C, D and E. RER and Metro trains run every day from 6am until half past midnight.

As for tickets, you buy them in euros and they cost around €1.80 (£1.60) with a book of 10 costing around €16 (£14). There are weekly and monthly passes available, but you'll need a passport photo for them and they're really designed for commuters rather than tourists. Instead we recommend picking up a Paris Visite card.

To help navigate Paris like a pro, keep an eye out for the maps at each Metro station or make sure you have an appropriate app on your phone. CityMapper, one of our favourites, is available in Paris - it'll show which Metro lines to use, how long your journey will take and can even integrate with Uber to book you a taxi. We used it a lot during our trip and it worked perfectly.

Taxi

Taxis in Paris work just like in any other major city, you can hail one in the street or take one from a taxi rank. Official taxis are easily to spot by a light up 'Taxi Parisien' sign on the roof, just remember that red means busy and green means the taxi is available. If a taxi does not have this and doesn't have a meter then don't use it. The minimum charge for a taxi is about £6, making it one of the pricer options for getting about Paris.

What to eat in Paris

Forget what you think you know about French food - it's much more than the cliches of frog legs, baguettes, cheese and fine wine (although you can find all of those if they take your fancy). For a voyage of culinary discovery and delight, we can't think of a better destination.

In Paris, food is a massive part of the culture. In fact, there's more Michelin star restaurants here than any other European city, so regardless of your tastes or dietary requirements, you're sure to find somewhere delicious to eat in Paris.

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