Trip to Paris

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• Traveling with kids? NoYes

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1. Check passport validity and visa rules

   France is in Schengen: your passport must be valid 3+ months beyond departure. Check visa requirements for your nationality early.

2. Buy travel medical insurance

   Schengen visas require €30,000+ coverage. An uninsured doctor visit in Paris is pricey.

3. Book the Louvre and Eiffel Tower ahead

   Both use timed slots that sell out weeks ahead in season. Buy on official sites only. Without a reservation the Louvre queue can eat hours and still turn you away.

4. Give Versailles its own day

   Palace, gardens and the Trianons fill a whole day with the RER C ride. Closed Mondays; tickets are timed and sell out too.

5. Sort out money: euro cash and cards

   Cards work almost everywhere; cash helps at flea markets and bakeries with card minimums. Skip airport exchange rates.

6. Make copies of your documents

   Photos of passport, visa and insurance in the cloud; paper copies separate from originals.

7. Plan against pickpockets

   The metro, Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower area are their turf. The petition clipboard, the found gold ring, the friendship bracelet — all distractions. Bag in front, phone out of back pockets.

8. Pick a pass: Navigo Easy or weekly Navigo

   Navigo Easy holds pay-per-ride fares; the weekly Navigo (bring a 3×2.5 cm photo) runs Monday–Sunday unlimited and wins from 3+ days. Single paper tickets are being phased out.

9. Broken-in walking shoes

   Paris is a walking city: 15–20k steps over cobblestones, metro stairs and the Montmartre climb is a normal day.

10. A compact umbrella or rain jacket

    Weather flips several times a day in any season. A light umbrella in the bag is the Parisian norm.

11. Remember: bonjour and merci open doors

    Say bonjour when entering any shop or cafe — greeting before asking transforms the service. Launching into English without it earns the famous Parisian chill.

12. Know: the counter is cheaper than the table

    The same espresso costs less standing at the counter than seated on the terrace — legally. Service is included in the bill; extra tipping is optional coins.

13. Bring a refillable bottle — Wallace fountains

    The green Wallace fountains dispense free drinking water city-wide since the 1870s. The Eau de Paris app maps them.

14. Pack a compact first aid kit

    Painkiller, blister plasters, your regular meds. Green-cross pharmacies are everywhere, but much needs a prescription.

15. Chargers and a power bank

    Type E sockets — standard EU plugs fit; US/UK need an adapter. A power bank is a must: navigation and photos drain phones by evening.

16. Set up an eSIM or local SIM

    An eSIM beats roaming; keep access to your bank's SMS codes from home.

17. Download offline maps and a translator

    Offline French helps with menus and markets. The Bonjour RATP app routes the metro without data.

18. Mind restaurant kitchen hours

    Kitchens run roughly 12–2 pm and 7:30–10 pm; in between it's cafes and bakeries. Book popular dinner spots ahead.

19. Kids' documents Yes

    Each child needs their own passport (and visa where required). Birth certificate if surnames differ; check single-parent travel rules.

20. Plan kid stops: Luxembourg Gardens and beyond Yes

    Toy sailboats at the Luxembourg Gardens fountain, carousels, Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne, the science city at La Villette — kids forgive every museum for these.

21. Disneyland — book ahead, plan a full day Yes

    Online tickets are much cheaper than the gate and priced by date. The RER A ride takes about 40 minutes from the center.

22. Kids' first aid kit Yes

    Child-dose fever reducer, thermometer, plasters. Familiar meds beat explaining symptoms at a pharmacie.

23. Baby carrier over stroller for the metro Yes

    The Paris metro has almost no elevators and plenty of stairs and turnstiles. Save the stroller for parks — underground it's a struggle.

24. Snacks and entertainment for transit Yes

    Offline cartoons and familiar snacks save flights and queues. A pâtisserie croissant is a bribe that never fails.