Paris Travel Guide: Airports, Transport and Museums

Charles de Gaulle (CDG): RER B serves terminals 1, 2 and 3, and the express bus line 9517 runs between Saint-Denis-Pleyel and RoissyPôle in about 30 minutes, per IDFM. IDFM discontinued its previous airport bus on 1 March 2026, so an older itinerary that names one is out of date. Orly: metro line 14 runs to the airport, and IDFM states the line is 100% accessible to people with reduced mobility, which makes it the accessibility line for this page; the mobility scenario page below covers what to request from the airline.

Airport fare: a single "Paris Region <> Airports" ticket covers a one-way journey between the network and either CDG or Orly. IDFM lists it at €14, €7 reduced, on rates it states apply from 1 January 2026; check IDFM for the current price rather than this page. It loads onto a Navigo Easy pass or a smartphone. It is included in Navigo monthly and annual all-zones passes.

Inside the city the Métro covers most of it and is the usual way around. Licensed taxis carry a roof sign and run on the regulated fares; ride-hailing apps also operate. Strikes and service changes are announced by the operators, so check before a journey that matters.

Entry requirements for France and the current safety advice are published by the Government of Canada in its travel advice for France, linked below; the French government's own entry rules are the source it points to.

Public-transport fares, passes and the cards or apps that carry them are set by Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the regional transport authority, and sold by the operators, RATP among them. Taxi fares are regulated by the Préfecture de Police. Each museum sets its own hours, closing days, entrances and ticket rules.

Museums: the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Château de Versailles and the Fondation Claude Monet at Giverny each publish their own hours, closing days, entrances and whether a timed ticket is required, and the large ones change these. This page states no hours and no prices; check each institution's site, linked below, for your date. Reserving a time helps organize the day; security and entry queues may still apply. The Louvre has more than one entrance; its site lists which are open.

Markets and food: open-air markets (marchés) run on set days in many neighborhoods; ask your accommodation which day is nearest, since the schedule is the city's to publish. Boulangeries have their own quiet etiquette: don't handle the bread yourself, and know your order before you reach the counter. Many restaurant kitchens keep set service hours for lunch and dinner and close between them; check the posted hours rather than assuming continuous service.

Tipping varies: restaurant bills in France generally show service as included, and rounding up is a courtesy people practise to different degrees. Whether service is on the bill is something to read on the bill itself rather than assume.

A few words go a long way; none are expected. A "bonjour" before a question in a shop is the custom, and skipping it is one of the more common things visitors notice changes an interaction. On the Métro and in shops, conversation volume tends to run quieter than many visitors expect.

Le Marais is a district of narrow medieval streets, independent boutiques and food shops, within walking distance of the Musée Picasso. Canal Saint-Martin, a little further out, is quieter: canal-side benches, secondhand bookshops, and less of the centre's tourist traffic. Belleville, historically one of the city's most multicultural neighborhoods, is known for its street art and its food.

Versailles is the usual pick. The château sets its own ticketing, including whether a timed ticket is needed and whether the gardens are ticketed separately on a given day, so check its site for your date. Giverny, Monet's house and garden, is another option reached by train and an onward transfer to the village; the foundation that runs it publishes its season and opening hours.

The Government of Canada's travel advice for France, linked below, is the primary source for safety and entry.