Paris Secret Infos

PARISFLALTIST has created this section to give you all its personal advices/tricks you should know to live like a Parisian and avoid some “touristic trap” to get the most of Paris during your stay!

  • MUSEUMS:the right way to visit them

  

The City of Lights counts numerous museums and for some of them, you really have to be patient as queues are huge.

Therefore, the Paris Museum Card is very interesting as it offers you a free and direct access to more than 60 museums and is valid for 2 ,3, 4 or 6 consecutives days at a very competitive price.

Most part of museums are FREE the first Sunday of the month. Nevertheless, we highly advice us to be there very early and avoid long queues.

THE LOUVRES

It remains the MOST VISITED museum in the world and the biggest museum in Paris and the queue is sometimes so huge that one has to renounce.

To avoid any frustration and be sure you will visit the Louvres, PARISFLATLIST strongly advise you to purchase your eticket before your stay.

Also, few tourists also know that LOUVRES has many entrances... not only the main one in front of the Pyramid, so if you have already your eticket, the entrance Richélieu under the archs inbetween metro exit Palais Royal and the pyramid is for your reserved.

If you have not bought your e-ticket neither a Museum Card, you have to be patient :

-avoid the PEAK HOURS: prefer lunch time between 12H00 and 13H30 and the early moring at 09H30 as soon as the Museum opens.

–ENTRANCE :prefer to go through the Galerie du Caroussel du Louvres=the shopping mall entrance (at 99 rue de Rivoli)-an other entrance for the louvres. It will lead you directly under the Pyramid so will make you save some time if there is a queue on the Pyramid entrance side.

VISIT LOUVRES BY NIGHT: the museum is open until 21h45 all wednesday and friday and is much more quiet.

PLEASE NOTE: 

-THE LOUVRES is closed on TUESDAY and public holiday:1st January, 1st May and 25th December.

-Every sunday of each month, from October to March, the entrance is FREE for ALL VISITORS.

-young people from Europe aged 18 to 25 do NOT pay but have to show their ID and proof of residence.

–disabled and their accompagnying do not pay

EIFFEL TOWER

If you are coming to Paris, you might surely admire the stunning Dame de Fer!! You can choose to buy your tickets directly on the counter under the Eiffel Tower. It is opened 24/24 from 09H30 to 23H00 and even to midnight during summer. Though, you might be very suprised to see the huge waiting queue (from 45 to more than 1 hour!)…so PARISFLALTIST advices you different options:

-the best one is to BOOK YOUR TICKET ON LINE at least ONE month in advance (or even TWO if you have planned to come for the Xmas Time)=you can select a date of your choice and timing and reach directly the counter for those who alreday have a ticket!Be careful to strongly respect the timing as those tickets are NOT refundable.

–Visit it BY NIGHT: as written up, Eiffel Tower is opened until 23H00 and midnight, so if you go there towards 19H00, you will benefit from the stunning night atmosfere as it sparkles during 5 minutes lights up every hour!

–USE THE STAIRS instead of the LIFT (only up to the second level) as you will save money, time and preserve your body!!

 

  • WHERE TO GET THE BEST FREE PANORAMICAL VIEW OF PARIS?

  

Parc de Belleville 

If you are coming to Paris for a very short stay and do not have time to do queue either on Eiffel Tower or Montparnasse Tower, PARISFLALTIST advises you alternativers:

–Printemps Haussman nine and last floor terrace: you can whether eat there or have a coffee or simply profit of the amazing breathlesse 360 degrees view of Paris on its opened terrace: Opera district, Madeleine Church, the Sacred-Heart and the Eiffel Tower….

–Hyatt Regency: it is actually the highest sky scratch Paris’ and  it offers a without breath view at its 34h floor where you have a bar at 120 meters with a view of Paris at 360 degrees!

–Park of Belleville on Rue Piat: this park, often unknow by tourist but very appreciated by Parisians, situated up to Belleville  offers an original, and quiet unknown, view of Paris

 

http://parisflatlist.rgi.ticketbar.eu/en/ticketbar-paris/#TopProd

 

  • TRAVEL BY CAR: if you are travelling by car or have rented a car during your stay and want to park it outside; the are 3 ways of paying your parking ticket at the timestamp:

– by credit  card.

– by « Paris Carte » that has replaced the former «Carte Monéo ». It is a prepaid smart card that allows you to pay your parking directly on the ticket machine and most of tabac offices sell them.

-P phone= since July 2015, the new apply for phones

Now, Paris’ Commune has limited the parking for visitors at 2 hours. Please avoir the MARAIS district as it is quite impossible to park

  • TAXIS

Parisian taxi are easily  recognizable thanks to their «hat» on their roof.

When the light is red, it means it is occupied.

When the light is green, it means it is available.

Please note that “normal taxis cars” can charge a maximum of 3 people for security reasons as they are not authorized to let a passenger sit in front (=next to the driver)

Therefore, if you are travelling with more than 3 people and/or with many lugages, we recommend you to prebook a taxi that will give you a proper car model

There are many different taxis compagnies, but be careful of the FAKE ones, especially  on airports and stations site!!