Paris

By air

Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

CDG to the Marais or Latin Quarter: RER B every few minutes for about 40 minutes; the risk is not the ride but strikes and late-night gaps — keep the taxi flat fare as a fallback.

Paris Orly Airport (ORY)

ORY to the Marais or Latin Quarter: metro line 14 to Châtelet in about 30 minutes; the risk is a disruption or the last train, so keep the taxi flat fare in mind.

Passes

Single tickets or a Navigo Easy card are simplest for two or three days; a Navigo Découverte weekly pass (Monday to Sunday) only pays back if you arrive early in the week and ride a lot. Check current prices on the IDFM or RATP site.

Late at night

Metro and RER run until roughly 01:00–02:00 (later on some weekend nights); night buses (Noctilien) run after that. Check the last train on the app before you leave a late dinner.

L'As du Fallafel

Falafel sandwiches to take away on Rue des Rosiers; expect a queue at peak lunchtimes and eat on the pavement.

Café Marly

A café under the Louvre arcades overlooking the pyramid: coffee or lunch after a morning inside the museum.

Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain

Walk to Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle and the Luxembourg Gardens; the RER B stops here, so the airport ride from CDG needs no change.

Le Marais

First visit: walk to Place des Vosges and the Seine; choose a hotel with a lift and a desk staffed at night, as many are small buildings with steep stairs.

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

Red lines

• Notre-Dame and other churches are places of worship: cover shoulders, keep voices low and skip photos during services.
• The Catacombs and some monuments require timed tickets and reject large bags.
• Do not buy 'skip-the-line' tickets from people outside the queue; buy on the official site.

Scams and watch-outs

• Petition, 'found gold ring' and friendship-bracelet tricks near the Louvre, Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel Tower: keep walking and say non.
• 'Skip-the-line' sellers outside the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower: buy the timed ticket on the official site.
• Unmarked or unlicensed taxis at the airports: use the taxi rank, where the flat fare to central Paris is posted.
• Restaurants near major sights that push fixed menus at inflated prices: check the menu board and prices before you sit.