As a Parisian myself, great tips ! I always forget that people are not necessarily used to public transit, but our system is great compared to most US cities. So tourists, don't be afraid to use it (though the pricing is a bit confusing for tourists tbh). And please eat at bakeries if you can afford it, if you want the full "french experience". We depend on bakeries here, hence why we have so many everywhere.

It was dumb luck... but it was a rainy spring night and we went to the Eiffel Tower.....it was nearly empty; 30 minutes before closing, and absolutely magical!!! An unexpected delight❣️

I’ve been to Paris 5 times and I’d definitely recommend buying a guided tour of the Louvre (same for the Vatican Museum) online beforehand. You won’t waste your time in the lineup or wandering aimlessly in a huge place suffering from FOMO. You will get in quickly and see the most important works along with valuable information about each one.

I've visited Paris over 50 times and every tip he gave is right on. You should take each of those tips and expand on them because newbies need more explanation. The most significant tip was to not try to do to much! Make up your mind that you will be back. A corollary to this is to eliminate as much of the strictly tourist stuff as possible. Who cares if the people back home find out that you didn't go up the Eiffel Tower! Do you really want to lose 4-6 hours of precious time on that? See a video of it! Do'n't waste time at the Moulin Rouge. It's in the seediest part of Paris, it's been resting on its reputation for over 50 years and there are much better shows like the Lido or Paradis Latin. Do your homework in advance and narrow down your plans: 1) Things I must do in case I never come back; 2) Second tier things to do if my timing works out well. Don't even bother with anything less than these because you'll never get to them anyway. Also, don't just look at tourist guide books in your research. Ask people who are local or have spent a lot of time there. Learn where the Parisians go. Take in a show at l'Olympia or Opéra Garnier. A real gem is the Église St. Julian-le-Pauvre which has some extraordinary shows and almost no tourists. Another tip: get comfortable taking the bus during non rush hours. You see more of the city and they are often more direct than the métro. I could go on for pages and pages but mostly, do your research!!!!

I’ve been to Paris 8 times, including a trip with my wife just last week, and these tips are terrific. Enjoy some downtime-buy a bottle of champagne and find a park, sit for a few hours at a cafe, take a nap in the park. It’s one of my favorite places on earth. Safe travels!

For the Louvre, get to the mall entrance on Rue de Rivoli at the time it opens. You don't have to use the pyramid entrance. This take you underneath the small pyramids where the points meet (ala last scene in the Da Vinci Code). You skip the giant line outside. We walked briskly to Mona and were alone with her for at least 2 minutes. Also buy your museum pass online ahead of time so you don't have to stand in any museum line. Bon Chance!

I have been to Paris four times. The biggest mistake I made in Paris last time was leaving 💔 I can't wait to go back.

Honestly that's probably the best advice I ever got from you, and I've been using it for years.... Don't burn yourself out trying to see everything; pick two or three things you really want to do and focus on doing them right.

I agree with all of these. The biggest ones I agree with are to take the metro and walk as much as possible, and also to not be so concerned with seeing everything you think you are supposed to see. The best things about Paris are not the things that you see on a postcard. Walk the streets, sit at a cafe patio and sip some coffee, go into a bunch of bakeries, buy stuff for a picnic along the river or in a park, etc, etc. One big mistake that got left out is in regards to dining culture and general etiquette in any shop. Always say "bonjour" or "bonsoir" and don't expect to be pampered by your server. Also, don't be afraid to ask for your check when you're ready to leave.

Great timing, we are headed to France late Sept! Something we've found that's worked for us in many places is just to plan one activity a day and then just go with the flow! Thanks for all you do your videos are always such a great help

I literally just booked my Airbnb tonight for paris next year in March and your videos are awesome!! Thank you for all the tips!

I spent an hour on KZfaq learning how to use the Metro and it was a great decision. Took it everywhere, stayed in a cheaper area. Even rode the RER to Disneyland Paris for $7.

Great tips! As a Londoner who has visited Paris often, and being a very similar age to Mark and Jocelyn, I now have started staying more centrally in order to visit my favourite museums at opening time without having to deal with rush hour public transport. I’ve had the magical experience of Musee de L’Orangerie and Sainte Chappelle almost to myself as a result. Mercure often have great deals in quieter months. Expect small rooms but good standards and avoiding the crowds for a calmer time 😊 Also, as well as the Boulangerie, a cheap but nice picnic lunch can be got at supermarkets to enjoy in one of the many parks…

I went to Paris and I stayed at an apartment 20 minutes away from the main sights. I saved so much money and I had such a comfortable room. This also allowed me to get to the city easily since the metro was close to my apartment.

Proud to say that I think the only one of those mistakes we made in our first trip was trying to do too much in our time there. We were worn out, but we did see the things we most wanted to see. Thanks for all of your great advice leading up to the big trip

Very good advice. I spent my Christmas week in Paris and walked the city for hours. I became ill for two days but enjoyed Paris despite the cold. I plan to visit it again, my 4th visit, when Notre Dame is finished. Thanks for the tips.

My favorite part of Paris was just walking around and immersing myself in the city. We stayed at Noisy and we took the metro to the city which was very easy.

Yes, downtime is Paris is so nice! I have had some when traveling for work and I had great experiences that way.

Go to Paris often!! It's a wonderful place and they are much more welcoming now than they were 40 years ago. Ride the metro and the trains! It's so easy and you can get everywhere really fast. France is clean, modern and very well-organized, especially Paris! Wear a Rick Steve's money belt and the pick pockets will never get your money. Watch your purse when somebody wants to interview you. The purse snatchers are part of the team while the interviewer distracts you!

On point 👍 don’t overspend on hotels , our daughter stays at smaller budget boutique places eg ibis hotels maybe 30 mins away from Eiffel town etc by metro . She also likes to do picnics in the many beautiful parks to soak in all the scenery , and budget friendly for dinner etc 🇫🇷 just as you suggested / oh last one , get some falafels and middle eastern food ! Very good

Went 12 years ago. Going back in November. Glad you made this video. Following you for years. Over my travels your videos have helped alot.

I loved the bus in Paris. In London the bus is useless, so you HAVE to take the underground. But in Paris, when we visited, we hated the metro and tried the bus. Fantastic. It was on time, it took us where we wanted and we could see the sights going there.

Yes, i agree about the lodging, we actually did VRBO when we visited a few years. This worked out better and we stayed in the 10th which had 2 metro stations

I almost entirely agree with your list. My one disagreement, as an American yet someone who loves and works with trains, is that I'd recommend splurging for a cab or Uber at least once, if not a few times for your longer commutes. I love the Paris Metro and you should definitely take it - but there's something about being able to look out your window and see the liveliness of the streets, the shops, restaurants and unique buildings you might not see again, and peeks down random streets that simply appear spectacular. Line 6 of the Metro does have some pretty fantastic views of it's own, though! Enjoyed the video overall.

I currently live in France since seven years ago, and one of the biggest mistakes I have seen people make when visiting Paris is dinning at a restaurant on Champs Elysée. It is way overpriced, sometimes the food is awful and the best restaurants are not in that area. It amuses me when friends and relatives visit me an insist on dinning in this area. I try to convince them not to do that but people are very stubborn.

美しい街並みで旅行に行きたくなります🇫🇷

Absolutely love your content. So nice to hear that you hardly never use the word "like" in every sentence. Keep up with the great videos. 👍🏻

You are right about the hotel breakfast. The best Western had an option for breakfast, but expensive and I pastries didn't look fresh, more like packaged. I chose the boulangerie at the corner for a croissant and cafe au lait Their baguettes were excellent too.

One of the biggest tip after visiting Paris I can say to anyone is... don't wait at the main line for the Louvre. There are tons of people and the line can take 1-2 hours. Instead, take the entrance underground by the small arc. There is no line and you will get inside instantly. Besides that we broke many of these rules 😄, we stayed near eiffel tower, took uber all times and had breakfast at the hotel (though it was really good and well worth it).

Thank you for your travel insights...very helpful.

Excellent tips! Number one I find I especially have to explain to people, that there's not really "downtown" in Paris in the sense that you can stay almost anywhere in the city and still have plenty of interesting shops and places to go. (Of course, there are certain neighborhoods to avoid, but for reasons other than being far from the "center".) And like you said, you can still be in the "center" in 10 minutes.

I loved the Metro. Actually I take subways everywhere I go. One of my favorite things to do

Great tips! Making our first trip over in October, will keep these in mind. Thanks

On my recent stay, I stayed in an Ibis that did the job. They are like Starbucks or McDonald’s as in if you’ve stayed in one Ibis, you’ve stayed in them all. They’re pretty affordable hotels aimed at business travellers. Paris and similar cities have a ton of them, so definitely worth looking into if staying there on a budget as it takes the guessing game out of it.

I just got back from trip to Paris yesterday and you are absolutely right about these tips. As far as public transportation and getting around it is VERY easy to use there are maps all over the place and the ticket machines are in english also not to mention that Paris is very walkable also. When I got to Paris I didn't really have anything planned out I kind of just figured it out as time went on and like he said the best thing to do is just take your time and enjoy the city. Its amazing!

Very wonderful and great video cultural of the lovely city of Paris, très jolie et très splendide vidéo touristique et culturelle de la douce ville de Paris

Amazing video, and I live here !! Love the way you explain everything! Cheers!

These were great tips! We tried to save money by grabbing some groceries at the Franprix close to our Airbnb for breakfast, snacks etc. of course a boulangerie was right across the street also! 😃

My favorite experience was staying in one of the older apartments with exposed beam ceilings and original wood floors. It was a 4th floor walkup with a tremendous view. One mistake I did make was taking the metro to watch the fireworks on the 14th and dealing with huge crowds and poor views.

Thank you so much for sharing the greate La Vache et le Cuisinier. In 3 days we had dinner there twice. The poached eggs (and all the other food)! OMG!! DANKE und viele Grüße aus München!!

I’m going in a few months and decided to look up tips. As soon as I saw your video I knew it would be a good one! Great tips, thank you!

Congrats on the 1M followers! Going to Paris this May, can't wait!

Great tips!!! Your videos help me alot to travel

Thank you for useful tips❤

Don’t forget about the great day trips you can take by fast train from Paris! Reims, Strasbourg, Lille, etc.

When I was in Paris with my company the hotel we were at had three stars and the price for a room that was a little bit bigger than the bed was 450€. Luckily I didn’t had to pay for it. But it was relatively in the center of Paris. So even if you book a hotel in the outer ring of Paris, as long as you can reach the metro by foot, you have easy access to the whole city.

Great tips! Very well explained Thanks

I always enjoy your videos!! No nonsense and great info

such good advice, especially taking some time to chill

Great Video. Thank you for posting.

Thanks for the tips ! Cheers from Nantucket, Massachusetts ! ☀️😎

Great tips! We’re long overdue for a trip back to Paris. It’s been about 20 years.

Comme canadien j’ai visiter Paris souvent et je suis d’accord avec vos recommandations.

So true! Slow travel. Relax, enjoy 💙

Thanks for your tips Mr. Wolters, this summer I am intending to tour Europe via Eurostar from London onwards. Thanks for your honest advise. Love and respect.

Excellent tips. Thank you.

Thank you, that was very helpful!!

Good advice with having just a do nothing day. My family used to go on mini vacations for four or five days. When we'd ask to just stay in the hotel for a bit, they said we needed to be doing stuff all the time.

What a wonderful video! Thank you as it will be my first time.

As a native Parisian, this is what I would do as a priority for a stay in Paris. The Louvre is a must and preferably visited at night (Wednesday and Friday), fewer visitors and a special atmosphere. You won't be able to do everything, you need 4 or 5 days to visit it completely, focus on what you like (largest museum in the world). Then the Orsay Museum is more contemporary and the architecture is also very beautiful (old train station). The Opera Garnier, taking the interior tour you will be amazed, for me it is the most beautiful monument in Paris. (not too many tourists). If you want a beautiful view, prefer to go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe rather than the Effeil Tower, fewer people and the view is also impressive. Be careful, don't cross the Place de l'Etoile! you have a tunnel at the top of Av des Champs Elysées and Av de la Grande Armée which takes you directly to the foot of the Arc de Triomphe. Then go for a drink on the terrace in rue Montorgueil, Parisian atmosphere with very good food shops. Go to dinner in a restaurant along the St Martin canal...typical Parisian atmosphere, visit the 10th and 11th arrondissements, few tourists and that's mainly where the Parisians are. During your walks, for lunch go to a bakery and get "a tradition" same thing as the baguette but better, then in a store you get half-salted butter and a jar of gherkins and at the butcher's you get some ham bones in chiffonade...and you will have a super simple sandwich, good and inexpensive for midday snacks and best with a small glass of red wine. Avoid buying your wine in supermarkets (poorly stored and mediocre wine) favor small independent wine merchants, you will easily find it in the 10th and 11th and quality wine. If you want to change a little from the classic visits, visit the catacombs of Paris at Place Denfer Rochereau. In the evening, if you want a slightly more festive atmosphere, go for a drink on the banks of the Seine, Quai de la rapée or Quai François Mauriac in the 12th. Here are the essentials for me, then it's up to you to wander around and discover the city and its gems. You just have to avoid the north of Paris, nothing exceptional (except the Montmartre district) and poorly frequented (18, 19 and a little 20th). To summarize, the chic neighborhoods are the 17th, 16th, 8th and 7th, the more Parisian and trendy neighborhoods are the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th and 11th. Do not hesitate to use the "Raisin" application to find good restaurants at all prices with good wine, it is a reference and you will be sure to eat and drink well. And don't forget to use the words "Bonjour, Merci and Au revoir" for each exchange...otherwise we see it as a lack of respect and impoliteness and the person opposite risks getting offended and not receive you correctly. Have a good stay and enjoy

Thanks for pointing the facts out 🙏👍

I been to Paris 5 times and I love it ❤️🥰

Good tips thanks for posting.

You’re tips are always spot on.

Always call ahead to a restaurant even if it’s an hour before you want to eat dinner. Go to the Louvre on Thursday afternoon or evening and it’s open late. Pick out what you want to see beforehand. You could spend the rest of your life there. Don’t overlook smaller museums. Visit Malmaison and Vaux le Vicompte outside Paris. Versailles takes up a full day and the fountains only run at specified times on certain days.

We toured all of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...then took a high speed train to Paris...saw all the sites..walking around and found this great place for lunch.

Thank you for sharing this video…. Best regards!

I avoided all of these errors on my two trips to Paris (thankfully). The one mistake I made (and this could only be done by my fellow Canadians), is speaking to locals in the dialect of French spoken in Quebec. I swear some people looked at me as if I was rambling in Japanese.

October in Paris is fabulous

Really, those tips apply to any major city, although some big cities, their public transportation can be hit or miss. I have the same rules for when I travel and I use Google Maps so I know where the restaurants, pubs/bars, and food stores are in the area of where I plan on staying.

very helpful thank you!

Great post Walter. Fell in ❤with Paris in 2014 on an unexpected trip. Knowing basic French did go a long way, Bonjour, merci etc and often the French I met would switch to English! The bus was a great way to see the city and get around! I liked being above ground as the metro stairs can be killers, tho we used this too. Book tickets AHEAD!! For Louvre & museums I used a museum pass. At Versailles we booked a tour that morning and it was excellent! Small group in English extra rooms etc. Viva la France 🇫🇷😊

Great advise, thank you.

Will be celebrating our 31st anniversary there in June. Thank you for the great tips!

These tips are very helpful

Thank you immensely for the wonderful video about traveling to Paris! Your detailed tips are perfect for newcomers like me who want to plan their itinerary carefully which can help me avoid mistake! After Spain I'm going to take the train to Italy, But I find France is between two of them my friend said take train is very convenient. And she also taught me how to buy cheap tickets! I can't wait for my exciting trip to Europe after my final exam!

Hi! I love these tips. I just got back from Paris (and only discovered your channel a few days ago) and your advice is spot on! I'd like to add: Don't stay by the Eiffel Tower- there's not much over there and you'll have to take the metro, bus, or water taxi to get everywhere else, plus I found the food over there to be not as good as elsewhere. I 100% agree: Don't pay for you hotel breakfast- I went to the local cafe and got a "filter" coffee & 2-3 pastries for 10 Euros or so. (I wanted to eat everything... so I did). I'd get my coffee and pastries, I'd walk to the park nearby (I was next to the Luxembourg Gardens) and just sit for 30 minutes or an hour and take it all in. The buses, Metro and RER are fairly easy to use but prepare to walk a lot. The only trick is figuring out which direction things are going in. Other than that, I was hoping on and off all the time.

We are doing our research for our visit at the end of october, so thanks a lot for your quality tips!

Great advice! Made me subscribe!

Hi Mark - you’re not gonna believe this but I saw your Old Orchard Beach video pop up in my feed yesterday, didn’t think anything of it, and then literally about 12 hours later I did a random google search for “beaches accessible by public transport from Boston” (I live in Boston), and, having completely forgotten the name of OOB itself (despite watching your video), I decided that THAT was the beach I wanted to visit, and then all of a sudden it occurred to me “wait is this the beach that Wolters World just published on??” and sure enough it was! So thanks for your tips - can’t wait to check it out!

Really,really great advice and spot on.

Great advice. I managed to see most of what I wanted in 3 days. But it requires making choices - such as choosing the Musee D'Orsay instead of the Louvre (more to enjoy in less time).

The metro is indeed really great and easy.

That drawing of your son, was incredible

I just returned from 4 days in Paris- This is a really great video. Like he said, you can't do everything. So yes, take that time to relax and just sit at a cafe or walk the streets with no destination in mind. We did not use the Metro- probably could have spread out a bit more but honestly we saw plenty walking and taking taxis- which are kind of like little tours through the city streets- The Metro is underground. It is indeed a busy place year round but our "off peak" trip in September was great. As Notre Dame was closed -we wanted to see the stained glass at Sainte Chappelle. The lines for pre purchased set times were long- We just got in the line for "need tickets people" and passed all of those people up. Same with the Louvre and Eiffel Tower. It is totally fine to just do the touristy things-especially if you may never return. Have fun and bring some super comfy shoes (wife and I actually walked a bunch for months leading up to the trip to get ready- and boy did we walk our buts off! The Language barrier was also a pretty non issue- and plenty of food to choose from if your not up for French Cuisine. (actually had really good Mexican Food our first night) We really enjoyed our trip.

I avoided all mistakes pointed out in this video.....except for one! I tried to see everything in just a week! I estimate that I was walking about 12 klm per day (every day) for a full week just to have the chance to see "everything".....and still I didn't even scratch the surface of the city! Next year I will be visiting Paris again for the second time.....but now I intend to be much more relaxed and just enjoy this glorious city without specific plans

THANK YOU

Thank you!

Appreciate your comments. Planning to train from hamburg & stay in a hotel near the train station & metro to sights - after picking up a breakfast croissant for 2 euros. Then train to England. Believe those 2 stations are adjacent to each other. All in late October. Will keep researching till we go. Cheers

Great tips! I am a local and I would 100% recommend NOT to visit from mid July to last week of August: massive tourist invasions, most locals are out of town for vacation, basically 80-90% of the places locals go to for daily stuff are therefore closed...Streets desserted and so forth...

We LOVE your content! Thank you for putting so valuable information alsways in your videos. We're planning to visit Paris next year. Do you have any video about hotels there? Would be great to find a good Family friendly hotel Thanks in advance and sorry for my English; I'm still learning Have a Productive and Healthy Day!

I’m in Paris! Tired. Staying in Monmarte. It is cold. Loving my room views. Dress for the weather and take clothes for unexpected weather.

Mistake number one for me was booking a hotel around the back of the Gare Du Nord, very average area and a very average hotel. Easy to get to the Eurostar though, the reason I booked it. You are so right about the metro, so easy to use.

I traveled to Paris last October and one thing I agree with is I spent most of my time running from one attraction to another. By time I left I felt like I didn't get to fully experience the city and culture as much as I wanted to. I am going to Italy this October and I will slow it down this time and take it in

Paris Metro is an experience of itself. I normally bring some food from home, like sausages, breads, cheese etc. Then I don't need to worry about food for at least a week. Then in few days I spot some cheaper supermarkets and I go shop there if I am staying longer.

Thank you

Yes, yes, yes to lunch specials (plat de jour)!!!!

When we went to Rome we prepaid for tickets to the coliseum. Well worth it! Walked right past the lines. Thankfully being from NYC I think we are used to many of the tourist scams

Excellent tips in the video and in the comments. First time I visited was 2005. I didn't have a lot of time, but please sit and let the city come to you. One can properly research hotels, sites, and restaurants with technology. Go offseason if possible and always hit places early. Finally, dont forget pics with free sunrises and sunsets!

I actually syayed in Neuilly Sur Seine which is just outside the city limits but still feels like Paris. Alot of the suburbs of Paris like Clichy and Neully Sur Seine are really nice.