My Paris guide

because I am constantly being asked for one

This is not my typical kind of post. But I wanted to put the information below somewhere. And I figure it’s the kind of information some of you will come back to or pass around the place. It’s also something I’m able to pass to my own friends and acquaintances.

You can also check out this article about my life in Paris that appeared in The Australian Financial Review.

I will continue to add to the list over time. And I’m happy to answer questions in the comments!

Some fundamentals and top line tips!

In no particular order…

May, June and September are the best times to visit; try to be here for the La Fete de la Musique (June 21; the equinox) as it is seriously the best festival (free and all over Paris) that you can imagine.

If you arrive from an airport, the train is the best option into the city. They are fast, direct and cheap.

Once in Paris, enjoy the Metro system - it is clean, easy to navigate (so long as there are no strikes) and, I believe, the cheapest in Europe.

Although the best way to get around is by walking or by bike. You can try the very cheap bicycle-sharing system, Vélib’ or use electric bike schemes like Lime. A few years ago the mayor converted one-third of all roads into bike lanes; riding is the fastest way to get anywhere in the city now. Helmets are not compulsory here.

I’ll just point out I have never caught a cab or Uber in Paris. I’ve never needed to.

Eat and drink like a Parisian, in big part because it’s a lot cheaper. Bread and cheese are subsidised. Wine is not taxed like it is in the UK and Australia. Also, eating at lunchtime is a lot cheaper than eating the same thing in the evening - all to do with the way French employees’ lunch is paid for by their employers (yup!). Also, an espresso is often half the price if you drink it at the bar. Not an urban myth.

How to find somewhere to stay (and where to stay)

Short term rentals are expensive. Thus, I would not recommend trying to find a large, romantic place (they are rare in Paris anyway) and that you instead endure a typically small Parisian studio and put your money into being out and about all day. Opt for the top floor if you can. Be aware, that many places don’t have lifts, however, and barely anywhere has AC. The French hate AC, as do I.

As for location, you can’t really go wrong anywhere in Paris. There are very few “dead” zones, apart from the bourgeois 15e, 16e and 8e arrondissements (but even then, you’ll only be a 20 minutes walk, bike ride or Metro from everywhere else). If you want to save money, staying outside of central Paris would not be a disaster. The RER train system is cheap and fast (just make sure you’re near a station).

If you want to be out walking all day and don’t care about local neighbourhood vibes: Stay in the Marias (4e) or the 1e, 2e or 3e. This way you’ll be super central - close to the river and the main sites - and can walk most places. Although you’ll be surrounded by tourists.

If you want to be in an area where the locals live and where there will be cafe and bar life, 9e (where I live), 10e and 11e are great. Montmartre (18e) is fun, too, but is “up a hill” every time you want to walk home.

I’ve also heard that the People is a good budget-friendly option with dorm beds from €50 and private rooms also available.

If you’re staying longer than a week…and you’re an academic or a writer, Sabbatical Homes is a very affordable option. You will pay close to local rental rates.

If you’re staying longer than a month, French laws wipe out many of the extra taxes on Airbnb offerings if you’re staying medium-term (1-10 months; this is to not penalise students or someone here for a work secondment). You’ll wind up paying about half the normal amount. However, “theoretically” you have to be in Paris for work or study. It’s called a bail mobilitie. Not all places insist on seeing proof of your study/work. Another option is the Jinka app and the Gens de Confiance site (although you have to get recommended - it’s like a Facebook group based on trust).

There’s also Paris Perfect, a high-end apartment rental agency and Gites de France: Holiday rentals and B&Bs throughout France.

Restaurants, bars and cafes I like

I’m not necessarily listing The Best of Paris here… merely places I really like with consistently good food (often organic with natural wines) and a fun atmosphere.

For fun Paris vibes: Au Petit Fer a Cheval (Marais), Martin Bar (Republique), Vantre (11e), Le Chardon (10e), Cafe les Deux Gares (10e).

For super traditional: Chez Georges (the one in the 2e)…it’s where Anna Wintour and French politicians go to eat. It’s not super expensive although the serving sizes are massive. Note: Only open Monday to Friday.

Natural wine bars (with great food): Bililli (10e), 228 Litres (9e), L'Orillon (11e), Early June (10e), which has monthly rotating chefs from around the world (often from Australia).

Judy cafe near Jardin du Luxembourg

Sunny Australian coffee and brunch: My friend owns Judy over near Jardin du Luxembourg. I suggest having an Australian-style coffee and a gluten-free brunch and heading to the park to read afterwards.

Cheesy tourist things to do: Have a hot chocolate at Les Deux Magots. See if you can get the banquette in the back left-hand corner and sit where Simone de Beauvoir used to write (there’s a plaque above the banquette).

Other: This Lebanese restaurant - Kubri (11e) - is run by women and is super fun. Definitely try Marches des Enfants Rouges… there’s a place facing onto the courtyard that serves up a big roast on a platter that you can share with a group. I love the tagine joint, too.

My suggested museums/gallery approach

I prefer to avoid the blockbusters - the headache of getting tickets, joining queues and then shuffling with hoards is not worth it for me (I’m also a philistine), not when there are other more intimate, approachable and “French” options. There are a whole bunch of free or very cheap small museums and galleries in Paris, often housed in former homes of artists and writers with a cute garden and cafe. Try these ones:

The ​​Musée de la Vie Romantique (9e) is housed in a gorgeous house which you access via little path that opens onto a lush garden. It’s only a few rooms and is an homage to Paris’s Romantic-era artist salons, with a floor devoted to George Sand. There’s a Rose Bakery cafe in the garden. The museum is free to enter.

The Musée Delacroix (6e) and Musée National Gustave Moreau (9e), pictured above, have small entry fees. Ditto the Musee de Montmartre (18e), which is located just above the Montmartre vineyard (also with lovely garden and cafe). There’s also the Maison de Victor Hugo on Place des Vosges (free), and my favourite, the Musée Balzac (16e; free), which I’ve written about before. It’s over near the Eiffel Tower and, again, has the most beautiful garden and a Rose Bakery cafe.

How Balzac made me feel joyous (about being a neurotic + a high-chaser)

I also really enjoyed the very quirky Musee de la Liberation in the 14e (again, free). It’s opposite the atacombs. It tells the story of what happened during the occupation and there’s a fun virtual reality experience where you go down into the underground tunnels and experience life as a liberator!

I love the Petit Palais. It’s a massive domed “palace” that was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition and is now the official Museum of Fine Arts. The art work here is oversized (the ceilings are massive). It’s free and there is a gorgeous garden in the centre, a total sun trap, with a cafe.

My friend Anna throws in these suggestions: Druout auction house (a fascinating Ali Baba cavern of 16 huge auction rooms often rented out by smaller auction houses and the cookware shop E. DEHILLERIN…almost like a gallery! She also rates the Chateau de Malmaison, Josephine and Napoleon’s home, located a little out of central Paris.

Tip to know: A lot of the museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, but you will have to book a place in advance.

What I recommend instead of lining up for the Mona Lisa and climbing the Eiffel Tower

Walk. Just walk. As I say, there is barely a dead zone in the whole of Paris. And Paris is a city where everything happens on the street.

Be sure to wander over one of the bridges (Pont Neuf etc) at night and through the centre of the Louvre. It blows my mind every time I do. During the day, walk to one of the gardens and sit in one of the metal chairs facing a pond. Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries and Jardin des Plantes are the best ones.

There are also a series of “passages” - covered shopping arcades often featuring ornate stained-glass ceilings - that zig-zag across the city for kilometres, often linking up. I did a route that started up in the 10e and wound its way to the Gallerie Viviene - a magical way to spend a few hours, stopping off to look at antique map shops and drinking coffee along the way. Here’s a guide and another one here.

Work (or just hang) at one of the big libraries. The BnFs (there are several) are magnificent. I love the one in the 2e. And meditate in a church.

Health and wellness

If you want a massage, Kei does them from a little room in the 10e. Elaine does incredible acupuncture but gets booked out during the various fashion weeks.

If you’re a woman and want a sauna treatment - head to the Grand Mosque of Paris (5e). A session in the hammam is super cheap (€30) and there’s a beautiful tea garden, too, but it’s for women only,

The yoga schools are really great here now. Often they have English classes. I love Baba Yoga Club (10e), Mama Yoga (2e) and YUJ (2e and 9e).

Hikes and day trips around Paris

Here’s a hiking resource. And another. And here’s a list of the best train trips out of Paris. I highly recommend a trip down to Fontainebleau. It’s about 40 minutes by train and you can get off at Bois du Roi and hike through the forest to Fontainebleau. In my next book I’ll be detailing a hiking journey that takes you via Barbizon, an artist’s colony.

You can also check out #sarahwilsonhikes and the “Paris Hikes” highlight folder in my stories on my Instagram.

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If you’re a francophile, feel free to add your suggestions below in the comments. I’ll be adding to it myself as I discover more delights.

Sarah xx