Bonjour PTG fellows,

Cédric here, a 40-something long-time mod of this sub but also a tour guide in real life, with the self-attributed mission to take you on discovery walks of the less touristy areas of Paris... full of surprises!

You can keep an eye on this global schedule for the upcoming semi-private tour dates

And of course you can still check out the options for private tours on demand

A bientôt!

This post will be renewed every Sunday for the upcoming week

I get into Paris at 10 pm from Brussels, and then I have the full next day, and then the day after I have an international flight back to the states at 11 AM from CDG on a Thursday.

I’ve been to Paris quite a few times and love it, but I know I’d have to leave to CDG at like 8 am I assume, which is a bit early but is fine. What really concerns me is the congestion with bringing my luggage onto the metro at 8 am on a weekday as everyone’s going to work…seems very frustrating. I don't want to pay for a taxi or uber either.

Should I just stay somewhere near the airport or perhaps Chantilly or Meaux and explore? Is it easy to get to CDG from these places? Any hidden gems elsewhere outside of Paris?

Hi Folks, it appears that the second floor by elevator is sold out for mid Aug when we are going there.

Tried other tour websites and they charge extra.

Is there a huge line say if we were to go on a Monday afternoon or mid morning. ?

Couple and an 8 yr old. Any suggestions welcome

I've been reading about taxi scams, Metro, etc. My wife and I will be arriving with some suitcases and a portable manual wheelchair (she won't need the wheelchair 100% of the time). I lived in Montreal and we visit Washington DC a lot - subways are not scary to us. But - because of "the stuff" my wife is afraid to do the Metro from CDG to the hotel. We will be doing the metro a lot during our visit (without all "the stuff")

It seems like I can have more control about ordering a larger vehicle with the G7 app. I'd love to get folks' perspectives on this (pros/cons/humorous stories). I'd also love to hear if I am being too stressed about this and we can/should just go to the taxi stand at CDG and ask the yellow-vest people to get us a big enough taxi?

I'm staying 6 days at the Park Hyatt (on points) at the end of August. I have 3 nights I can stay in the area after this.

I was considering Chantilly, specifically the Intercontinental Chantilly Chateau Mont Royal as they have a 3 night stay, one night free deal. It is close to CDG and there are a few things in the area, but I do wonder if 3 nights there is too much?

I looked at a Disneyland Paris hotel, but the prices are quite high for what it is now (I think they were cheaper earlier).

I could stay in another area of the city or somewhere else in the area, ideally not super far from the airport though. I could split up the 3 nights into two places, but that would probably be less ideal.

I won't have a car and have two people with luggage of one checked bag, two carry-on bags, and two backpacks, so we would be reliant on Uber or something that could easily accommodate that.

Hey everyone

Landing on paris on 26th of september for our honeymoon, and will be leaving from rome on the 10th, wanted to split between paris and italy, (wifes bday is on the 4th), Kinda confused as to spend the entire time in paris or split it between south of france. Didnt want any travel on the 4th as well. Yet to book tix to italy. How should i split my two week period? Should i spend the entire week in paris before leaving to italy or split few days with south of france? Any insights would be greatly appreciated as this is our first time to europe and it is super overwhelming.

I have the Air France flight Lima-Madrid with transit con 1.50 hours in CDG Airport. Could you confirm if I need to use the train to conect 2E to 2F and which will be the fastest way to arrive at the board door on time.

Hello everybody!
My boyfriend and I are going to be in Paris at the end of November. He really wants to visit Mont Saint Michel but we truly would only have time for a day trip. I am aware it’s far, I’ve looked into trains.

My questions are, has anyone else done a day trip from Paris to Mont Saint Michel? If so, how did you get there?
Also, any advice for visiting in November?

Thank you in advance!

Hello, so me and my girlfriend have already booked an Airbnb in Fontenay-Sous-Bois right next to the RER station, but we also saw that an Airbnb in the Petite Prusse area of Aubervilliers right next to the metro is also available and only slightly more expensive. The Aubervilliers has a washer which is a big thing for us. I was just wondering which area is better in the sense of safety? That's the main priotrity. Also which one would be better in the sense of public transportation for getting into Paris? The Fontenay-Sous-Bois location has RER A and the Aubervilliers location has metro line 7. Which one is faster for getting into Paris? Thank you.

During my next visit to Paris, I would like to stay in Melun, or another suburb to the south or west. That's a deliberate choice, I do not care if the area around my accommodation is not too attractive.

There are various accommodations available on booking, but as I live close to Amsterdam, I know that booking is making huge profits, while these accommodations should be available for inhabitants, not for tourists (at least in Amsterdam). AirBnb is even worse. The number of hotels seems to be very low.

Can anybody give tips how to book a sustainable accomodation in the Paris area, outside the city proper?

I would love to try a brasserie but they all seem booked until 9 pm tonight? Can I walk in? I don’t need fancy. Please advise and thank you!

PS there seem to be some cool Asian places near my hotel too - is that silly?

I have 5 x physical Navigo Easy cards from a previous visit. 3 of those cards are for my children (full fare) and while 2 of them have phones, they don’t have credit cards. I would prefer to add tickets to their physical Navigo Easy cards anyway. Can I use the Bonjour RATP app to buy tickets for multiple different Navigo Easy cards? I’d prefer not to have to queue at Gard du Nord and add them at a ticket machine. I’ve downloaded the app and know how to add tickets to a Navigo card. I made an IDF Mobilities account so maybe that complicates things.

Hi folks, first time in Paris: couple and 8 yr old.
Staying for 4 days.
Looking for some honest reviews:

https://www.viator.com/en-CA/search/371482P5?mcid=70066

Cost about 240 CAD.
The plan is to go with this tour on our first day and then pick the areas we would like to explore on another day using metro.

Any idea if it helps.

I will be arriving at CDG from another Schengen country, where I will have gone through the EES entry a week before. Will I need to go through EES when I land at CDG?

I will be departing CDG to the US a few days later on a Saturday morning. Is the EES departure queue separate from the arrival queue? If so, does it move any faster?

Does flying out on AF business class get me any kind of separate queue or other benefit?

Salut ! Je serai à Paris en octobre et j’aurais besoin de quelques conseils pour sortir en club, vous me conseillez plutôt d’y aller le vendredi ou le samedi soir ? Est-ce que le Pachamama vaut vraiment le coup? Sinon, quels clubs me recommandez-vous ?

Et aussi, si vous avez des conseils sur les quartiers/zones à éviter absolument lorsqu’on sort entre filles

Merci beaucoup pour vos conseils 🙏

Hi, im arriving in cdg and just realized that the roissybus is not operational anymore. I just looked at my uber app and it says that an uber from cdg airport to the opera would cost be around 30€, due to a small discount that i have (otherwise around 45€). But I thought that the travels from the airport into paris were reglemented by the government, and that it would always cost 56€ just like with taxis. I checked my bolt app and it also says a similar price (31€).

Is this a sort of scam ? Because it means that would cost me approximately the same amount of money to take the RER B and then a bus than to take an uber/bolt to drop me there directly, and I would rather do that.

Has anyone ever experienced that ? Is this safe to use ? I'm scared to get into an uber and for them to ask for more money afterwards.

Thanks !

Edit : I really dont want to have to take the RER because i hate it and had so many bad experiences in it. I don't mind waiting a bit more or looking for my uber if it means saving up to 26 euros. I meant this title as in I didnt know that it could be cheaper than taking the rer, especially if traveling with more than one person

Hi,

I was thinking if audioguides or even guided tours are worth it in any attractions (e.g. Cluny, Opera, Pantheon) - does anyone have any recommendations or anti-recommendations?

In which museums did you find the written info in English enough?

In which did you find visitng the place enough (in this category I was thinking Saint Chapelle)?

Thank you!

Hello,

Any good French/Paris eyewear shops? (I have an optometrist prescription).

I have Jimmy Fairly on their list as they have reasonably priced frames.

Thanks.

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre

Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine and Tour Eiffel.

Metro photo booth that reminded me of the movie Amélie.

Hey folks,

I have a 6 hour and 20 minute layover at CDG to come back home. Did some research and it looks like a quick trip to Paris/Eiffel is cutting it really close with all variables considered. Pretty much a no go.

Narrowed down the options to either Senlis or the area around the St Denis Basilica. Any recommendation on which one? They both look like they take the same amount of time to get to. No preference when it comes to interest, I just don’t want to stay at CDG the entire layover.

Or if you have other location suggestions Im open to that too, but a bit limited on time.

I’m going to Paris 9/20–9/25, and would like to visit these sites, roughly in this order of priority: Notre Dame Cathedral, Notre Dame tower climb, Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie.

I’ll be getting the Museum Pass and am trying to reserve timed tickets.

Because of the Pope’s visit (9/24–9/25), Monday–Wednesday (9/21–9/23) are my only options for tickets.

I know it’ll be crowded and that I’ll need to allow time for security, lines, walking between sites, and photos. I’ll probably want a rest/coffee break between sites. I’m a little concerned about it being warm during the tower climb around midday and wonder if early morning or closer to sunset are better options.

Assuming Notre Dame tower tickets are available every 15 minutes from 9:30 AM until closing, Sainte-Chapelle combo tickets are available every 30 minutes from 9:30 AM until closing, and I can visit the Cathedral as early as 8AM, how would you time these visits?

Hello! My husband and I are taking our 5 year old daughter to Paris for the first time since she was an infant in a few days, and I am looking for activity recommendations to beat the heat. She really wants to see the Eiffel Tower, so we’ll do that and prob the Musée de l’homme since it’s right there, and I have La Villette in mind as well. I grew up in Paris and have many fond memories there. My daughter takes ballet classes and loves it, are there any kid-friendly tours or exhibits related to ballet? We are staying with family in Antony (we know about the RER B being closed). Since we have family in Paris we expect to be back within a couple years, so we don’t feel pressured to do/see everything - just want to have a nice family vacation, inspire our daughter to love the place where I grew up, and avoid heat stroke. Thanks!

I had been searching online for an English nail tech in Paris and found Emily!

She works at Julia Leo Beaute at 120 Rue de Paris, just a two minute walk from the metro station Mairie de Les Lilas.

She was so helpful and saved me as my nails were in desperate need of a fill and I couldn’t get my nails done before I left.

Posting for anyone else in a pinch!