First time in the french capital ? After years working in the tourism sector, I know how stressfull organizing a trip to Paris can be… From choosing activities that all members of the group will like to navigating the booking process for each one of them, the task is by no means easy. I know you’re wondering « What should I book in advance in Paris ?« and « how to do it ? ». That’s why I’ve gathered for you all the booking tips for a hassle-free trip to the City of Lights 😉 You’ll thank me later !
Sommaire
How far in advance should I book a hotel in Paris ?
After your transportation ticket, accomodation is probably the second thing that comes to your mind while organizing your trip to Paris ! To give you a rough idea of the visitors affluence in Paris throughout the year, I made this little graph of the tourist arrivals in the French capital in 2022 (numbers probably differ a bit now, but the monthly variations not so much !) :
As you can see, Spring and especially Summer are the most popular times of the year for tourists to visit the city of love. If you’re planning to come during this period, you could start looking for your accomodation around 4 months in advance. In general, I do recommend you book your hotel in Paris as soon as you know the dates of your trip. Also, keep in mind that the more central you want to stay, the harder it will be to find an accomodation that fits your needs !
As I am writing this article in 2024, I also have to mention the Olympic Games that will take place in Paris this year ! As you can imagine, finding an accomodation during this period will be a giant hustle, so if you’re attending the games, book your place NOW ! And if you don’t know where to go, do have a look at the studio I’m renting located at the very center of Paris
Top activities to book in advance in Paris
Let’s find out now what to plan before going to Paris. If you’ve ever wondered what the most popular tourist attractions in Paris are, have a look at this great graph made by Luggagehero :
Like we have just said, the city of love gets absolutely packed during the high tourist seasonthat extends roughly from early June to October. And even on a « normal » period of the year, you should keep in mind that France is the number 1 most touristic country in the world – yes, we’re quite proud of it 😎. So overall, if you don’t want to end up spending half of your days waiting in line, booking your activities in advance in Paris is the wisest thing to do to fully enjoy your trip.
👉 Then of course, don’t overplan the whole thing; leave a few days to just wander randomly around the streets of the city. In my opinion, that’s actually the best way to experience Paris !
Anyways, here are the top activities you should book in advance in Paris :
1. The Eiffel tower
I could have started this list with the number 1 most popular attraction in Paris, Notre-Dame Cathedral, but since the tragic fire that happened in 2019, the monument is still closed to the public to undergo renovation works… So let’s skip directly to this other monument that we all know !
If this is your first time in Paris, it goes without saying that you’ll want to visit our dear iron lady : the Eiffel Tower. Now you might be wondering : how long will I wait there and is skip the line worth it for the Eiffel tower in Paris ? Let me tell you directly that the line to go up Paris’ main attraction is one of the worst in the world and during the high season, you might have to wait up to 2h in the heat… To avoid that, you could either come very early (the counter opens at 9am)…
...or go with the safe option :
Purchase your skip-the-line ticket for the Eiffel tower now :
2. The Arc de triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe, standing tall and proud at the top of the famous (and always crowded) Champs-Élysées, celebrates France’s victories and honors those who fought for the nation. The arch is definitely worth the visit, not only because it’s one of Paris’ main historical landmarks but also because the view up there is really stunning ! For a stress-free visit in the middle of your shopping session on of the world’s most famous avenues, book your ticket now for the Arc de Triomphe.
3. The cruise on the Seine river
Going on a cruise on the Seine river on board an iconic bateau mouche is another great attraction to do if you’d like to discover the city from a unique point of view ! Even as a local, I quite enjoy doing this activity when my friends are visiting from abroad. There’s something quite magical in admiring the Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Orsay museum (and so much more) while slowing drifting on the Seine… especially when the sun starts to set. It is definitely an activity you should book in advance for your Paris trip. Here’s the link to book it now.
👉 If you’d like a more exclusive experience, you can also have a look at this Panoramic dinner cruise !
4. Paris’ main museums
If you’re a fan of art, history or culture, there’s no way you can come to Paris without visiting at least one or two of our gorgeous museums ! Whether you want to immerse yourself in the French history, modern art, sciences, ancient Egypt, impressionism… (the list is just too long !) there’s a museum for you. If you’re wondering « do I need to book Paris museums in advance ?« , I’d say you don’t necessarily have to but I still highly recommend it, especially if you’re going :
- to one of the most famous ones
- on a rainy day
- during the week-ends (Parisians will be there too !)
- during the tourist high season
I gathered for you a few links to get your tickets for the most popular museums in Paris :
- Guided tour of the Louvre (enter the code « AyoJalan » for a 5% discount !) or Skip-the-line ticket for the Louvre Museum
- Guided tour of the Musée d’Orsay (enter the code « AyoJalan » for a 5% discount !) or Tickets to go on your own
- Skip-the-line ticket for the Louis Vuitton Foundation
- Tickets for the Pompidou center (not skip-the-line, but there will be a shorter queue for visitors who already have a ticket)
👉 Keep in mind that all the national museums (owned by the State, see the full list here) are closed on Tuesdays !
My advice
And if one or two museums isn’t enough to quench your thirst for culture, you might consider booking the Paris museum pass that guarantees the admission to over 60 museums and monuments in and around Paris !
5. The Sainte Chapelle
The Sainte Chapelle is one of Paris’ most impressive churches, located near Notre-Dame cathedral on the île de la cité, the island on the Seine river. The queue to enter the chapel usually takes the whole street… so it’s safe to say that you’d better get your tickets to the Sainte Chapelle in advance !
If you want to unravel all the secrets of this epic church, you can choose this guided tour that also includes the visit of the Conciergerie and Notre Dame. But if you’re short on time, you can obviously just get the entry ticket for the Sainte Chapelle.
6. Guided tours of Paris
Whether it’s a tip-based tour or a more traditional one, you will find one that perfectly fits your needs ! Let me tell you now about some of the best walking tours in Paris :
Free walking tour of Paris
I was never a big enthusiast of guided tours until I got my first job as guide manager in 2019. Working for the biggest « free tour » company taught me something : touristic guides can do an incredible job at sharing their passion for a city. Especially when their service is tip-based (obviously it’s not actually free… they do have to make a living !), because it means they must give you the best performance to make good money at the end of the day. Those tours are popular and can get quickly full, so it’s definitely an activity you must book in advance in Paris.
Other walking tours of Paris that you can’t miss
If you’re interested in specific neighborhoods or experiences in Paris, you should definitely take a look at these walking tours in Paris.
- Paris city center – perfect for all Paris first-timers
- Montmartre – the emblematic artists neighborhood
- The Latin Quarter – aka the Roman, Medieval & Intellectual realm of Paris
- A Wine or Champagne Tasting Experience
- …or even a custom tour !
who would say no to a discount ? 😉
👉 If you book one of these tours, don’t forget to enter the code « AyoJalan » on the checkout page to get a 5% discount !
Bus tours of Paris
For those of you who’d rather seat back and relax, there’s always the option of booking a bus tour of Paris ! For this, the safest option is to go through the famous company “Big Bus” – I’m sure you’ve seen their double deck red buses before ! Don’t waste any time and book your pass now :
7. The main cabarets
Spending your evening in a cabaret is another unique activity you should do during your trip ! Attending a cabaret show in Paris is a once in a lifetime experience : you’ll enjoy a great dinner and drinks while watching the performance of exceptional artists in jaw dropping outfits… And let’s not forget about the historical monuments where the whole shows take place ! Quite frankly, I’ve never had the budget or opportunity to experience this myself, but it’s definitely on my bucket list 🤩 Book your ticket now for one of the most famous cabaret shows in Paris :
8. The Château de Versailles
Most foreign tourists rush to the Palace of Versailles (or if you want to sound French, the Château de Versailles) during their trip to the French capital. And you can’t blame them ! Versailles is within an hour’s reach by train from Paris and spending a day here is like diving deep into the epitome of French elegance and style…
Now the best way to discover the residence of the kings of France is definitely through a guided tour like this one, which will give you a real insight into the history of this emblematic site ! Versailles gets quickly full and tickets should be purchased at least 2 weeks in advance.Book your guided tour of the Château de Versailles now by filling this form (mention that you’re a reader of the Ayo Jalan Jalan blog for a 5% discount !)
👉 Good to know : if you want to go Versailles on your own, hop on the RER C train (there are several stations in Paris) and stop at Versailles Château – Rive gauche. Tickets cost 7€ round trip and can be purchased directly at the train stations.
9. Disneyland Paris
I’ll be honest here. I’m personnally not a big fan of Disneyland; I don’t really see why foreigners coming to France would be so interested in a temple of American culture… 🫢 With that being said, I am of course aware that there’s just a small number of those theme parks in the world, which is why it attracts so many tourists visiting Paris. As this is an extremely popular activity to do in Paris – both for foreigners and locals – you do need to book your ticket to Disneyland in advance. And as a friendly tip, avoid this place during the summer week-ends, as you will spend much more time queueing under the burning sun than enjoying the rides.
Making a restaurant reservation in Paris
As a tourist exploring Paris, making restaurant reservations can seriously make your trip easier. It’s not always a must-do, but making a restaurant reservation in advance in Pariscan be necessary for those hotspots everyone’s raving about. Parisians take their food seriously and a little prep ensures you’ll feast on the city’s best without the hassle of long waits or letdowns. Generally speaking, if there’s a place you really want to try and you don’t have much time in the city, I highly recommend you book a table (especially for dinner or weekend bites !).
Lots of places have online booking options like OpenTable, theFork (if you can read some French) or their own websites. Or you can always give them a ring !
👉 Good to know : some restaurants in Paris are so popular they don’t accept reservations. In that case, you either have to be patient and wait in line, or they will give you a number and text you when a table’s ready for you.
Do I need to plan in advance the transportation in Paris ?
That’s an easy one : no you don’t ! Getting around the city with the public transports is actually very easy and in case you were wondering, no, you don’t need to rent a car in Paris. Driving a car in the french capital is even a pretty bad idea, considering the facts that :
- finding a parking spot is a nightmare
- driving in tha parisian traffic is a real hassle and finally
- it’s much cheaper to use the well developed métro, the parisian subway.
When it comes to the public transportation in Paris, whether it’s the métro, the buses, the tramway or even the bicycles, you don’t need to book anything in advance. All tickets can be bought at the counters and machines inside each metro station – except for the bicycle for which you must get a Navigo card (the official pass for public transportation in Paris and its suburbs), also available at those counters.
👉 Good to know : if you’re staying at least a week in Paris, purchasing a Navigo card is probably worth it ! You’ll find more details on the Navigo right here.
That’s it for this post about the top things to book in advance in Paris ! I hope this will be helpful for your next trip to the City of Lights ✨ Do feel free to leave a comment below if you think I forgot something. See you next time for new adventures around the globe !
Pingback: Is Bali overrated ? The truth about the paradise island