Paris

Currency

Euro is the currency. Avoid exchanging at airports or tourist traps near the Louvre. Cards are accepted almost everywhere.

ATMs & cards

Use ATMs from BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, or Société Générale. Decline dynamic currency conversion. Independent ATMs charge €3-5 per withdrawal.

Standalone machines in tourist areas charge €3-5 per withdrawal; French bank ATMs generally do not.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Serious crime is not the visitor’s problem here; organised theft is. Petition and bracelet crews work Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel Tower, and pickpockets work Line 1, Châtelet and the Gare du Nord. Keep bags closed and in front of you on the metro, and simply walk away from anyone who approaches you with a clipboard or a friendship bracelet.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Skip restaurants directly facing major landmarks. Walk one block away for better food at half the price. Never skip a fresh baguette from a boulangerie.

Getting around

• Metro — 16 lines, runs 5:30am–1:15am (2:15am Fri/Sat). Buy carnet of 10 tickets (Navigo Easy)
• RER — for airport (CDG) and Versailles
• Bus — scenic routes along the Seine
• Walking — Paris is very walkable, most arrondissements are compact
• Vélib’ bikes — cheap bike-share, stations everywhere

Must-see

Things to do

• Climb the Eiffel Tower
• Visit the Louvre and Musee d Orsay
• Walk through Montmartre
• Cruise the Seine at sunset
• Explore Le Marais district
• Visit Versailles

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

French

• HelloBonjourbon-ZHOOR
• PleaseS'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH
• Thank youMercimer-SEE
• Yes / NoOui / Nonwee / non
• Excuse meExcusez-moiex-koo-zay MWA
• How much is it?C'est combien ?say com-BYEN
• The bill, pleaseL'addition, s'il vous plaîtla-dee-SYON
• Cheers!Santé !son-TAY

Open with bonjour before anything else. Launching straight into a question without it reads as rude, and explains a lot of reputed French coldness.

Religion

Catholic, and strictly secular

Laïcité is a constitutional principle: religion is kept out of public institutions, and conspicuous religious symbols are banned in state schools. Cover shoulders in cathedrals.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say bonjour before anything else, every single time you enter a shop
• Keep your voice down in restaurants and on public transport
• Keep both hands visible on the table while eating, wrists on the edge
• Dress a notch smarter than you would at home — it changes how you are treated

Don't

• Do not ask for a doggy bag or substitutions; the dish arrives as the kitchen intends
• Do not start with English without at least attempting bonjour, parlez-vous anglais
• Do not tip more than rounding up — service is included by law
• Do not eat while walking; it reads as slightly uncivilised