I am a firm believer that Paris will always be one of my favourite cities in the world. While people might try to convince you that it’s overrated, for a young girl especially, or anyone who truly appreciates architecture, art, culture and beauty, will be sure to fall in love with it as thoroughly as I have. Having been to Paris over fourteen times, it is the one spot I can visit over and over again and never get tired of. There is always a new corner to explore, different boutiques to shop at or historical sites to uncover.
Things to Know
Language: French. Although most people across Europe speak English, the French are proud of their language and much prefer to use it. Try to brush up on at least the basics before you visit, the effort will go a long way with the locals!
Currency: Euro €
Outlet Type: Type E & C (bring an adaptor if visiting from outside Europe). Find an adaptor here.
Dinner Times: Paris differs from the rest of France solely due to it being the capital city, which hosts so many visitors, but traditionally, restaurants in France will open for Lunch from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, close for a break and to prep dinner, and reopen for dinner from 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm. It can be difficult to find a place that serves dinner before 7:00 pm, so be sure to plan accordingly.
Coffee Order: For breakfast, it is traditional to order a Cappuccino, but if you prefer to order a latte, in French order a ‘Café au lait’… Iced coffees are unfortunately not very popular amongst the French.
Must-Try French Cuisine: Escargots de Bourgogne, Pain au Chocolat, Steak Frites, Baguette, Moules, French Onion Soup, Raclette, French Cheese (Comté, Camembert, or Brie), Paris-Brest, Macarons.
Dress Code: As one could probably guess, the French love their fashion; the Lululemon pants and Birkenstocks won’t be well received here. Even for simple runs to the grocery store, the French like to present themselves well, so however that looks like for you, regardless of your style, give it your best effort, as almost anything goes in the fashion capital.
Getting to Paris
Flying internationally: You will likely be landing at the Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
To then get to the city centre, you have a few options:
- CDG to City Centre
Flying within Europe: Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Orly Airport (ORY) or Beauvais Airport (BVA). CDG and ORY are the most conveniently located as you are able to take the metro lines directly into the city. BVA usually hosts the cheaper Ryanair flights which can be convenient for the bank account, however BVA is located about an hour outside of Paris (there is no metro line or train) so you must take a shuttle bus to one of two stops on the outskirts of the city and then transfer onto a metro line to get to your destination.
- ORY to City Centre:
- BVA to City Centre: Pre-book the shuttle bus ticket in advance if possible as time slots will fill up. Take the Shuttle from BVA to Paris La Villette. Walk to metro station Porte Maillot, take M1 (yellow line) towards Chateau de Vincennes, depending on your destination you will need to adjust the route accordingly but M1 will take you to the city centre passed Champs-Elysees, Palais Royal, the Louvre and Hotel de Ville (which is a major metro connector hub).
Pro Tip: To find the cheapest flights, use Skyscanner [INSERT AFFILIATE LINK] to browse multiple airlines and see which days of the month are cheapest to fly.
