I just visited Paris in late January 2024 with my family and I must say, I was quite impressed with the level of preparation underway for the upcoming Paris Olympics! This was my 4th time visiting (since I did a semester study-abroad program here during college, I have been lucky enough to periodically re-visit every 6 years or so) and the City of Lights has never looked better – all the historical monuments and buildings were being spiffed up, restored to its original glory. Even the Notre Dame Cathedral, which suffered a terrible fire in 2019 is slated to reopen later this year.

How to get around: First things first – master the subway system (called the “Metro”). I know it can look confusing at first, but once you figure it out, you will realize there’s no better way to zip around this city. If you have ridden the subway in any major metropolitan city in the world, it pretty much works the same way. The last stop on the subway line indicates which direction the subway car is going. Pay close attention and follow the signs. Also look at the line numbers instead of just the color of the subway line because some of the colors are very similar (like pink (line 7) and lavender (line 8), for example).

First, you have to buy single use, one way tickets at the automated ticket booth – nowadays each cost 2.10 Euros. You can also buy a reloadable Navigo Pass and load it up as you go. But if you’re planning to visit during the Olympics, I read that single use tickets will double in price to 4 Euros(!) and a block of 10 tickets will be sold for 32 Euros.

Once you get to the turnstile, feed the single use ticket into the machine and it will pop out at the top. Take the ticket with you and go through the turnstile. It’s very important to keep this used ticket with you because there are agents randomly checking to see if you have a validated ticket. There’s a hefty fine waiting for you if you don’t, so only throw away the used ticket once you have completely exited the metro station at street level (the agents could be right outside the turnstile as you exit, this happened to us on this trip!). If you have a Navigo Pass, simply scan it at the turnstile as you enter the station.

Another word of caution about the single use tickets! Don’t keep them near your cell phone because it will demagnetize them and render them useless. If the unused tickets do get demagnetized, just go to the station agent and explain your situation. This happened to me and the station agent told me he doesn’t speak English. So I had to flex my high school French skills and he gave me new tickets 🙂 But I’m sure Google Translate would work just fine in this situation. Despite what you may have heard about Parisians, this was the only time someone refused to speak English with me! And he was quite friendly and helpful once I started speaking French to him. Always smile and start your conversation with a polite ‘bonjour’ to start the conversation on the right foot and you will be fine!

Planning your itinerary: Paris is such a big city with many major attractions so you have to pace yourself, especially with kids. Just visiting the Louvre Museum can take up to half of your sightseeing day, so make sure to have built-in breaks in your itinerary. For example, before or after visiting the Louvre, you can picnic and rest at Tuileries Gardens nearby, and also see the impressive Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris. And consider dropping by the famed Angelina Patisserie at nearby Rue de Rivoli for a coffee/hot chocolate break with delectable French pastries! And indulge with no guilt, you will be walking so much around this magnificent city that you will be burning all those calories right off!

I also recommend visiting the Eiffel Tower at night – it glows warmly bathing in golden light and it even sparkles like fireworks at the top of each hour. It is indisputably THE most well-known symbol of Paris. Don’t miss it 🙂 We took the metro to the Trocadero station and it offers primo views of the Eiffel Tower at night. From there, we walked towards Champs de Mars, right underneath the Tower. Very nice evening stroll with views! Oh and a word about all these illegal street vendors selling souvenirs everywhere – bargain hard and if they don’t give in, simply walk away. They all sell the same things everywhere so you will definitely find a better deal elsewhere during your visit. My son wanted a mini Eiffel Tower with sparkling lights and a vendor wanted 5 Euros for it. We bargained and got a 1 Euro discount but I saw the same thing at a souvenir shop the next day at half the price we paid. Womp womp.

For a kid-friendly attraction, I highly recommend ChocoStory Chocolate Museum. I saw some negative reviews on it beforehand but I found it to be very educational and fun for the whole family. There were many informative displays on the origin of cocoa beans in Mesoamerica with an impressive array of Mesoamerican artifacts related to chocolate making (probably replicas but very well-made and looked authentic). It also details how chocolate made its way to Europe and the rest of the world. My son was really into the treasure hunt that was in the workbook given to kids at the beginning of the museum, and he loved the fact that there were all-you-can-eat chocolate dispensers throughout! At the end of the museum there was a virtual chocolate making session, which was basically just video recordings of chocolatiers (chocolate makers) doing their thing. That was a bit underwhelming but we really liked it overall. After the museum, consider a tea break at the whimsical Violetta & Alfredo Salon de Thé nearby. Great selection of tea and desserts with an opera inspired decor! They also have brunchy food if you’re feeling hungry. Reasonably priced and definitely not touristy. It was packed with local hipsters and Gen Z’ers.

Now to answer some very commonly asked questions!

Is it true Parisians refuse to speak English to you in Paris?

No, it’s not true – at least from my experience. As I mentioned above, I’ve only had it happen to me once and I have spent a significant amount of time in this city (6-month study abroad program plus 3 subsequent visits after). I do speak a bit of French so that may have helped me but most people will try to communicate with you in English. Sometimes I had the experience of trying to speak French to Parisians and they would respond in English! But definitely greet everyone with a smile and a polite ‘bonjour’ and your conversation will always start off on the right foot 🙂

How stroller friendly is Paris?

Unfortunately, Paris is not a very stroller friendly city especially if you’re planning to take the subway. There are so many steps going in and out of the metro stations and there’s hardly any elevators or even escalators. If you have a very small infant, it would be possible to carry him/her around in a baby carrier. But with a larger infant or a toddler, I would say save Paris for later when they can walk confidently on their own. My 5-year-old is a trooper when it comes to walking so we were fine but we have been training him to walk since he was 2 years old (we ditched the stroller when he was 2)!

How bad is the petty theft situation in Paris?

You always hear about the pick-pocketing problem in Paris on travel forums and there are so many horror stories! We felt very safe during our visit and didn’t witness anything concerning but it’s always best to use common sense and be on the cautious side. Don’t wear fancy jewelry or other flashy accoutrements that would attract the wrong kind of attention from thieves. Mind your belongings and try to wear a cross-body bag or a money belt underneath your clothes or jacket. If someone is being weirdly nice to you or trying to get your attention/distract you in some way, it’s a telltale sign of an upcoming scam. Trust your gut and walk away!

Are there diverse food options available in Paris?

Ah oui, absolument!! Paris is the culinary capital of the world and that doesn’t just pertain to French food. The French are super into diverse cuisines now, and you can find every cuisine on God’s green earth in Paris these days. We found EXCELLENT Sichuanese restaurants there, filled with nothing but Chinese customers. This is a good rule of thumb whether an ethnic restaurant is truly authentic or not. I have spent some time in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China and it warms my heart whenever I eat great Sichuanese food 🙂

I hope this article will help you get the ball rolling on planning your dream trip to Paris! Bon voyage 🙂