Essential Paris Itinerary with Day Trips!

Tips before you go..

1. Most places in Paris accept credit card but I would recommend carrying about 50 euros worth of cash just in case. This is helpful when going to smaller markets or when you are purchasing low cost items. 

2. When you arrive at the Paris airport, follow the marked signs to the official Taxi stand. Do NOT take a ride from someone soliciting rides or Uber. Official Taxis have set prices from CDG to the Right and Left Bank. Right Bank = 56 euro. Left Bank = 65 euro. 

3. Paris is a pretty walkable city but in cases where you are not able to walk somewhere, the most efficient and cheap way to get around is the metro. You can buy individual metro tickets at the station or purchase a Navigo pass and load trips onto it (this is a bit cheaper than buying individual tickets but you need to purchase at least 10 trips at a time). The metro in Paris does NOT take tap aka you must have a ticket or pass. 

4. Purchase all entry tickets to main attractions ahead of time. This includes Musee d'Orsay, Louvre, Sainte-Chappelle, Palace of Versailles, etc..

5. Make restaurant/bar reservations if you know you want to go to a specific place. I found that the people in Paris ate fairly late so it was much easier to get reservations before 8 pm.

6. Before you finalize your itinerary, be sure to check opening times of museums, restaurants, and other attractions you plan to visit. Some things are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays, for example, so you will want to be sure you account for this in your plan. 

Day 1: Paris