Welcome to Paris!
This page has been specially prepared for you, perhaps coming to Paris for the first time. We wanted to give you some friendly advice to prepare for your arrival and some interesting ideas for walks during your stay in the City of Light. Happy reading!
Well prepare for your outing
Once rested from the stress of the journey and comfortably settled into your room, you are ready to embark on an adventure through the streets of the capital! But before stepping outside, make sure to dress comfortably for the occasion.
Les amants de Paris couchent sur ma chanson. A Paris, les amants s’aiment à leur façon. Les refrains que je leur dis, C’est plus beau que les beaux jours. Ça fait des tas d’printemps et l’printemps fait l’amour…
First and foremost, put on comfortable shoes. Prepare to walk a lot, as you’ll be stopping frequently to discover a host of interesting details. You know how a day of shopping in stores can tire out your legs… stopping, starting again, stopping once more… In short, if your feet aren’t well-shod, be prepared to suffer.
Visiting the Eiffel Tower, for example, means a 30-minute wait in line to buy the ticket, several more minutes of waiting for the elevator, about an hour of standing on the Tower’s floors, and again several minutes to come back down… So, equip yourself with a good pair of shoes, and too bad for fashion if you have to sacrifice beauty for comfort!
Restaurants start filling up around 12:15 pm and remain busy until 1:30 pm. In the evening, they start filling up from 7:30 pm and usually don’t empty out before 10:00 pm. If you don’t want to wait to eat, dine early, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Note: restaurants rarely serve between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm.
Having a drink on the terrace of a café and watching Parisian and foreign passersby: what a pleasant activity! But be aware that your consumption will generally be more expensive than inside the café.
The “Great Lady” of Paris was built for the 1889 Universal Exposition, commemorating the centenary of the Revolution. The Tower stands at around 350 meters! Entrance (elevator to the 2nd floor): €9 for adults, €5.30 for children under 12. Opening hours: Jan 1 – Jun 13: 9:30 am – 11:00 pm daily. (For the athletic, stair access is open from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm); Jun 14 – Aug 31: 9:00 am to midnight daily.
Construction work began in the year 1163 and was completed 200 years later, around 1345. The cathedral can accommodate more than 6000 worshippers. Entrance is, of course, free, but if you want to climb the towers, you’ll have to shell out about 6 euros. The architects didn’t plan for an elevator, sorry, so those with heart conditions should refrain from taking the path to the heavens…
Only the section of the Champs-Élysées from Place de la Concorde to the Grand Palais deserves the title of “the most beautiful avenue in the world.” The rest of the avenue is lined with shops and restaurants that are often too expensive. Try the side streets. Don’t forget to visit the Arc de Triomphe, at the top of the avenue, built in the mid-18th century to commemorate Napoleon’s victories.
The Invalides hospice began construction in 1671 by order of Louis XIV, who wanted to shelter indigent and seriously wounded soldiers from his multiple wars. The building was quickly completed, but a church was later added to it. The works took about thirty years in total. You can visit the church, several museums, and the tomb of Napoleon I, whose body was repatriated from St. Helena in 1830. The entrance fee is 6 euros but free for children under 12. Opening hours: from October to March, from 10:00 am to 4:45 pm, from April to September 30, from 10:00 am to 5:45 pm.
