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Voykit pocket guide · France
Boulogne-Billancourt
Skip as a base: sleep in Paris and ride metro line 9 or 10 out for one half-day of 1930s architecture and the Albert Kahn gardens.
Boulogne-Billancourt is the biggest Paris suburb after the city itself, wrapped by the Seine and the Bois de Boulogne, and it sits in metro fare zone 2. Its pull is narrow and specific: an unusual run of 1930s Art Deco blocks, the Albert Kahn museum and gardens, and a concert hall on the Île Seguin. Two or three hours on foot covers the core; there is no reason to move your bags here.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat, locals away), mid-August closures
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–120 excl. bed · High €120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar | €1.50–3 |
| Sandwich or crêpe | €5–9 |
| Lunch menu (formule) at a neighbourhood restaurant | €15–22 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a supermarket | €5–8 / €1–2 |
| Metro ride within zone 1–2 | €2.50 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–25 |
| Museum entry | €6–12 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- RER B to central Paris, then metro line 9 or 10; about 1 h 15 min door to door
- ORY · Paris Orly
- Orlyval plus RER B, or tram T3a and metro; about 1 h
Typical fares
- Metro, central Paris → Marcel Sembat
- about €2.50, about 25 min
- Taxi, central Paris → Boulogne-Billancourt
- €25–40
- CDG → central Paris, RER B
- about €11–12, about 35 min
Get around
Metro line 9 (Pont de Sèvres, Billancourt, Marcel Sembat) and line 10 (Pont de Saint-Cloud, Jean Jaurès) do the work; the commune is in fare zone 2, so a Paris metro ticket covers it. Tram T2 stops at Parc de Saint-Cloud and Brimborion, a short walk across the river. Two free SUBB shuttle routes loop the commune and are step-free; check the current map and timetable on the council site. Walking between the museums and the riverfront is realistic; the Île Seguin is a longer haul on foot.
See and do
Known for
- 1930s Art Deco architecture
- Musée Albert-Kahn and its gardens
- La Seine Musicale on the Île Seguin
- Le Corbusier's Immeuble Molitor
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Cloud | Metro line 10 to Pont de Saint-Cloud, then walk across the river | About 20 min |
| Paris 16th arrondissement and the Bois de Boulogne | Metro line 10 towards the city, or walk north from Porte de Saint-Cloud | 15–25 min |
| Versailles | Metro to a connecting line, then RER C from central Paris | About 1 h 15 min |
| Rueil-Malmaison | Metro and RER A west, then bus or a long walk | About 1 h |
| Sceaux | Metro to a connecting line, then RER B south | About 1 h |
| Levallois-Perret | Metro line 9 or 10 into Paris, then line 3 | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Marcel Sembat / Pont de Sèvres
- Metro line 9, the densest cluster of restaurants and shops, and the easiest place to leave from.
- Pont de Saint-Cloud / Jean Jaurès
- Metro line 10, quieter streets, closest to the Albert Kahn museum and the river.
- Paris 16th arrondissement
- Across the Bois de Boulogne; more beds, more choice, 15–25 min by metro to the sights here.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good evening | Bonjour / Bonsoirbon-zhoor / bon-swahr |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo pleh |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-byen |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the metro? | Où est le métro ?oo ay luh may-tro |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- This is a residential, well-off suburb, not a sightseeing district: most museums close one day a week and some shut in August.
- The Albert Kahn museum has had long renovation closures; confirm the museum and garden opening times before you cross town.
- Metro line 10 is short and slow and ends at Pont de Saint-Cloud: check the last train if you are returning late.
- The Bois de Boulogne after dark is not a place to wander; stay on lit paths or take the metro.
A calm, well-off suburb; the real risks are pickpockets on metro line 9 into Paris, the Bois de Boulogne after dark, and August closures that empty the museums.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Boulogne-Billancourt yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 1930s Art Deco architecture
- Musée Albert-Kahn and its gardens
- La Seine Musicale on the Île Seguin
- Le Corbusier's Immeuble Molitor
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Boulogne-Billancourt official site: www.boulognebillancourt.com/
- Musée Albert-Kahn (Hauts-de-Seine): albert-kahn.hauts-de-seine.fr/
- Île-de-France Mobilités: www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Boulogne-Billancourt, revision 5313904 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5313904
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Boulogne-Billancourt
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies and consulates-general are in central Paris; check your country's listing before you travel.
Service is included by law in French restaurants; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/boulogne-billancourt). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.