While there are thousands of different ways to visit Paris, there are a few tips and tricks locals use to get around the city that are also incredibly helpful to tourists. From restaurant reviews written by Parisians to city maps and subway lines, here are some of the best apps to use on the go when exploring the City of Lights.
Image Credit: A glimpse inside the Miromesnil traversée Metro Station
1. Citymapper
Rated as one of the top navigation apps in the app store, and a favourite of Parisians, Citymapper shows users the easiest ways to get around any city by comparing all avenues of public transportation in real-time. In Paris, the app finds the fastest routes to get anywhere in the city by looking at the metro, bus, train, tram, cab, carshare, scooter, e-scooter, bike and walking routes. In addition, the map will display all bikes and scooters nearby with their battery percentage so if you are looking to scoot around the city, Citymapper makes it easy.
2. Visit A City
To give you more ideas for your trip, this “personal travel guide” app offers top attraction recommendations and planned itineraries for many cities, including Paris. If you are looking for the best plans near your hotel, the app populates recommendations at the push of a button curating a collection of the city’s finest sights and hotspots.
3. WhatsApp
If you are staying in Paris for even a few days, Whatsapp will come in handy to contact anyone with free texting and calling internationally. Used by locals and tourists alike, the app allows you to send pictures, voice messages and videos over text using Wifi or mobile data connection.
If you are planning to use public transport while travelling in Paris, the RATP app allows you to plan your routes ahead of time, find maps and train schedules and receive notifications due to delays. To keep travelers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the app also offers passenger density information so you can see how busy the trains are with a crowd level indicator. And for an added bonus, the app also you free access to the RATP stations Wifi network so you can connect on the go.
Image Credit: Outside the Saint-François-Xavier Metro line 13
Perfect for on the go translation, Google Translate allows users to translate any foreign words in a picture. Hold up your phone to street signs, restaurant menus and inside museums and the app will automatically translate the words into whatever language you need. Users can also speak into the phone directly to have the translation read aloud in a foreign language.
If language learning is not your thing, as long as you master this one French word and one French phrase, you’ll get along during your trip to Paris. Read more about it here: “How Rude Are the French? Use These 2 Simple Phrases to Find Out”
Photo by Lisa Rankin
6. Flush
Finding a public restroom anywhere can be stressful, especially in Paris. You can rely on Flush to find you over 200,000 bathrooms in their database. Their app showcases bathrooms with disability access, usage fees, and those that require keys. You can even add restrooms you discover on your own.
7. The Fork
For great restaurant recommendations in Paris, The Fork provides written reviews by Parisians and discounts at many local restaurants. Users can book reservations online through the app and take advantage of many exclusive offers and discounts across the city. Book ten reservations through the app and receive ten euros off your next meal at any of the restaurants in the app. You can even try our “Flavors of Paris Restaurant Guide” for some personal recommendations.
BONUS RECOMMENDATIONS:
Even if you’re not visiting Paris for the Olympics, the new Affluences app is great for planning! It provides real-time and forecasted wait times for over 700 sites in Paris, along with operating hours, maps, and contact information. Trusted by major tourist sites for their 99% accuracy in managing crowds, Affluences is your go-to planning tool!
Google Maps
Like Citymapper and other navigation apps, Google Maps is incredibly reliable when travelling by public transport. Plus, the app allows you to bookmark and organize places you plan to visit or have visited. You can also look at reviews to see how popular a place is. It’s like having a guide to the city’s finest restaurants, shops, and attractions nearby, but of course, nothing beats a local guide showing you the real Flavors of Paris!
As one of the most widely used rideshare and hail apps, Uber is safe and super easy to use, especially for those late nights when you're out after the metro closes. They're reliable and can get you where you want to go quickly and comfortably (unlike the night bus). And for ease of mind, you can also share your trip status with family and friends.
Doing Things the Old Way
Apps are convenient, but if you prefer having something physical you can hold, try using a Paris Pratique. Found in many bookstores and street stands throughout the city, this handy booklet is equipped with everything you need to navigate your stay in Paris—a metro map, street index, and places of interest including museums, monuments, parks, and cafes. The meat of the book is filled with puzzle-pieced enlarged sections of the maps for each arrondissement. And if you lose track of what you are looking at, there is a little birds-eye view diagram of Paris, pinpointing your location in the upper right-hand corner to help you figure out where you are.
FOR SOME TIPS ON HOW TO NOT STAND OUT AS A TOURIST IN FRENCH RESTAURANTS, TAKE A LOOK AT OUR POSTS:
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