Just got back from Paris!

This subreddit was invaluable in planning and research before and during my trip so I wanted to compile some of the most useful tips I had gathered from random posts here and there.

Some background: bought tickets about a month before going with a friend, we're in our late 30s, female, was there from Friday night to Friday morning.

Bought ahead of time:

  • Tickets for the Louvre (got there 40 minutes before our time slot and was not 1st in line, get there early!)
  • the Versailles (got there 40 minutes early for the 9am time slot, was glad of it as the line got VERY long to get in and we were able to get a pretty empty Hall of Mirrors)
  • a sunset cruise on the Seine from Vedettes de Pont Neuf (the one only on Saturdays, it includes a glass of champagne and was only about 20 people or so, found it worth it),
  • tickets for tastings at GH Mumm and Taittinger (had a good time at both) in Reims

Transit:

  • Citymapper!!!!!!! It was so great, I used it for all our wanderings
  • I downloaded the G7 app but ended up not using it at all, we just walked around
  • I ignored people offering taxis at the airport and went straight to the taxi line, it was 65 euros from the airport to our Airbnb in the 6th arr
  • We only bought the T+ cardboard tickets, most times we just walked home from wherever we were so sometimes it was just 1 ticket a day for each of us. We clocked about 70 miles (according to my Garmin) in the 6 full days we were there. I was mindful of the chance of demagnetization so kept it away from phone, etc.
  • I randomly saw one comment about buying Ile-de-France tickets for going to Versailles and back and thanks!!! I think we would have been able to figure it out but seeing that comment made buying tickets for that day much smoother
  • For our day trip to Reims, I downloaded the SNCF app and bought our round trip tickets day of the trip (which is kinda lucky I guess as I realized that morning I should get the tickets for the trip back)
    • on a side note, we didn't get seats in the spots that we purchased as the persons that were in our seats said the train was oversold, we just sat in random seats in the car
  • We took RER B to the airport, no issues there! we bought the specific airport tickets

Other random stuff:

  • Really, say all the bonjours and bonsoirs, there is no limit!
  • Le Grand Epicerie is super fun to walk around and grab food gifts! Also where my friend fell in love and discovered the black pig prosciutto from Rosa dell'Angelo (maiale nero)
  • I bought my mom a very nice silk scarf from Inoui Editions in Le Bon Marche (across the street from Le Grand Epicerie)
  • they're very strict about liquids in carry ons at CDG, I only had carry on but had to check in a bag for the flight back and I'm glad I chucked in all the sunscreens I bought into it from Citypharma before going through security
  • British Airways is at check in 9, downstairs of Terminal 2C (we had a few issues trying to find it lol)
  • one of my favorite activities was grabbing items from Monoprix and having a picnic at le Jardin du Luxembourg while people watching
  • we did a walking tour through Marais with Paris Walks and enjoyed it a lot! 25 euros
  • we walked up the side stairs for Sacré-Cœur and avoided issues and then realized it was the John Wick 4 stairs! which was a fun realization

There's probably more but this is a lot. Thanks all!