If you would rather not spend your time in Paris standing outside for hours in lines then read my quick guide on how to avoid them. I visited Paris four times have a few French friends and picked up some tips on how to get more out of my time when exploring Paris.
Out walk
Walk a lot and walk past all the other tourists. That way you will exit the busy crowds. You will find yourself surrounded by locals. Wear comfortable shoes and enjoy a walk. And don’t just walk down the Champs Elysee it’s a popular tourist street. It’s not a calm walk. You will see I even had people in the background of this photo in April which is off season.
Go to nothing
If there’s nothing in the area beside a little coffee café’ you won’t find hoards of people. Go to these kinds of streets to beat the crowds. It will allow you to have some breathing time in between your trip. Getting a bit lost and stumbling across a bookstore or another unexpected find is always fantastic.
Go during the right season
April or September is good months to visit as its low tourist periods. I didn’t know this when I booked my first trip to Paris. I ended up visiting on the 30th of April in 2016. The weather was mostly miserable, and I still loved my trip. It was dirt cheap like 40 return bus fare, a postcard, a map with a guide, a snack and short bus tour in English. Plus I made friends with Cathy who’s from China. Paris in the rain is also beautiful as the grimmer parts of the city are washed clean. If you got to Paris between July till August its summer time and with it comes thousands of tourists.
Weekdays and the right day
Being a student made it harder for me to visit Paris on a weekday. I normally used my weekends traveling as I had a few classes in the week. Some museums and or palaces are closed on Mondays. The Palace of Versailles is closed every Monday, this means that Tuesdays are chaotic at the palace. Research the spots you want to visit. Use Google maps to find out what the busiest days are for the place you want to go see then plan around that.
Be early or late
Getting up super early is a massive advantage when you want to beat crowds. Paris only became busy around 9am when I visited on the first time on a Saturday. It’s also best to arrive at the last admittance time if you can that way you can do non-tourist things like watching a movie, have a picnic, go shopping then just before the Eiffel tower closes go up and enjoy the views.
Buy online tickets
Booking tickets online at least two months in advance is a great way to skip long time-consuming lines. You will be restricted to going on the specific days come rain or shine. But, in my opinion, it’s better than wasting 2 hours or more in a line when you could’ve enjoyed the city.
See touristy places from afar
From a few of the bridges, you can see the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame Cathedral. You don’t have to go up the tower or inside the Cathedral to see it. I did though and the experiences were breathtaking. If you are the kind of person that cannot bear a crowd at all then rather view from afar.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. Hopefully, these tips will help you. Please feel free to comment I love hearing from my readers.
Happy travels!
Nikki xx
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