Plan Your Trip to Paris in an Easiest Way : A Must-to-do Things

Last Updated : Sept. 30, 2016, 9:27 a.m.

Even if all roads do not submerge, getting to Paris proves to be a simple straightforward affair. But once you land up there, you'll need to be aware of how to get around and which practical matters to take care of. Here we furnish all the quintessential things for you to have a safe, comfortable and affordable stay in Paris:

1. Decide your perfect time to go : Paris is vibrant with tourists in July and August—in fact, it accompanies 27 million visitors, making it to be the most top-notch hot and happening city of the world. Actual residents show up during this time, meaning you can get a company of other tourists as well. If you are looking for weather conditions, then consider April through June or September through November as ideal months to visit. No doubt, you can visit from November through February, the cold and rainy season. What else? When Christmas is out there, making the city beautiful with all lit up.

Oh no! The sad part is if you reach Paris between September and October, then keep praying to get a hotel, simply because this is the time when fashion shows are going round the clock. Your bet to grab your hotel fits perfectly during an off-season where price stands to be slightly lower than normal. Or check out the spring time, having a reason to perfectly accomodate your schedule.

2. Decide which date to arrive : Although your early-in-the-week flights prove to be low, there are    a few things to muster upon:

• Target to land up in Paris on a Sunday or Monday, if you consider travelling by Metro a lot. This way you will get a chance to ride a metro by buying a Metro (Paris metropolitan subway) Navigo Découverte pass – your reloadable "smart card” to be used as a weekly pass. The Navigo Week pass price if you purchase, stands valid only from  Monday at 00:00 to Sunday 23:59:59, does not go on-sale until Monday and is not sold during the weekend. It's better if you purchase it on Thursday, otherwise your half-of the week is already gone.

Metro Fares

It's best to consider Paris Visite Card, one of the cheapest methods of travelling overseas. If you are purchasing it from your source destination, contact travel agents and tour operators. Else look for purchasing it through RER stations, sales agencies, bus terminal booths, SNCF Transilien station.

Carnet of 10 tickets reduced fare (children under 10) may cost you Rs. 534.48.

• If you have a love for museums or are keen to visit, drop by on any Saturday, a day before the first Sunday of the month. You can cover up most of the Paris museums( there are total of over 3,800 museums in Paris)which are free on the first Sunday of the month.

3. Pick up your airline and book a flight : Its' always the best to prepare for your journey well in advance. Book your flight accordingly before 2-3 months. This is the time where you can avail the flights comparatively at lower costs. Still you need to know certain other details :

• Almost all international flights from the United States to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport have their landing at Terminal 1. For more information, visit the CDG website.
• If you are suffering from any injury or need assistance in any way, call your airline in advance and ask for assistance from the airport. You don't need to worry as airports have a team of handlers who whisk you away to bypass long queues, making a way through secret passageways and straight away to the gate. As a traveller, you may also be getting red-carpet, first-class treatment from them. Ah, what a relief? Now you can surely plan to travel for long.

4. Book your lodging well in advance: Several things may come up your mind when you look for alternatives to decide for your lodging. Don't rush for booking until you haven't outweighed some of the factors as discussed:

1. Consider Check-in time: A common problem is being clearly seen now-a-days that many hotels will not allow you check-in until after 3.30 pm when many of your international flights are scheduled to arrive in the early morning. So how does one pass their six hours time, with all of luggage in-tow? And also, after an international flight people feel the need to take shower and relax. Assess this situation beforehand and request early check-in at the hotel or apartment.
2. Prefer an apartment in order to have a kitchen/kitchenette and cook meals . Restaurants in Paris are very costly and a week of three meals per day could easily go running around a thousand dollars or more per person. Choose a regular hotel, if you are looking for a shorter stay of three days or less that might stand a good choice for you to consider. Rent an appartment –especially when you wish to have a midnight snack, keep a bottle of cold wine or keep your restaurant’s to-go box refrigerated to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning only when you are considering for your longer stay.
3. Prefer a place that is near a Metro station . Accommodations on or around Rue Cler are in a very eccentric location. Remaining parts of Paris have their own savor. If you want to move out and go to nightclubs, then the Marais area might be a better choice for you.

5. Find out how you're getting from the airport: Do your homework first before you are about to see off from your airport? Find out whether you need a shuttle service. Most probably not. You can choose the RER service, the most economical one(and the fastest) at 10 Euros per person i.e. it will cost you for Rs. 758.12. Wise decision reaching Paris would be taking the RER Blue Line B to Chatelet/Les Halles station. Its upto you to decide.

• Air France also runs a couple of buses out of the airport and into the city center. Each way it will cost you 15 Euros a person i.e. Rs. 1137.18 per person. They take about an hour to reach there, and leave every 30 minutes.
• You could opt for a taxi, but it's a pretty costly affair. It'll be at least 50 Euros i.e. Rs. 3790.61 and there's also a luggage fee.

6. Get your Credit Cards ready

About 95% of all businesses, restaurants and sightseeing companies accept standard credit cards. In order to carry out smooth course of transactions, check out the credit cards without international transaction fees that can offer you a reasonable and admissible conversion rate in US dollars without bearing any international transaction fees or costs in any manner. This is far most the best foreign exchange currency rate, which also happens to be the most safest and convenient option for you. Every place also involves taxicabs which accepts credit cards—except the Metro subway station, machines can be changeable. In this context, a bit of Euro currency can be of your help:

• Keep 100 Euros in cash before a trip to Paris (about $150 USD or Rs. 11371.83), especially if you are looking to stay for a week or more. Stay away from the touristy bureaux de change. In most instances, your local bank branch will have to procure the funds from one of their main banks to be sent to your bank branch, and it can take 3-5 business days. So do not  secure your foreign currency at the last minute; try to avail it 2-4 weeks before your trip.

7. Inform Your Bank in Advance

Inform your bank about your travel atleast two months before your trip. Let them be aware of your traveling plans and submit your travel dates to them for fraud purposes—-you don't wish blocking your card by them, not knowing you're in Paris. Just Call! Call again a week before you leave for your journey.

8. Check your passport and visa situation.

No need for you to be on a visa, if you are on a short trip to Paris for lesiure. A passport can only do, if you are from the US or Canada and are on a job assignment. Without encountering any problems, you can easily transit into France through a number of other countries as well.

In case, if you are on a job assignment and doesn't belong from any nation in EU, the US, or Canada, you may require a visa. Log in to the French Consular website for more details. This will work for you.

9. Make your mobile phone plans in working order: Mobile phones can be your great companion to serve you throughout your journey. Inform your mobile phone carrier and discuss your plans before traveling to Paris. Make sure that you have your SIM card compatible on a European network  wherever you go. Ofcourse, there's no denial in looking for alternatives such as buying a European disposable phone, Viber, a SIM card, WhatsApp, Skype and other online alternatives.

10.  Find smartful ways to protect your money. Travelling to a new destination doesn't gurantee you safe unless you have prepared for yourself. Losing your wallet, cash, passport and having your credit cards maxed-out proves to be time-consuming and expensive mess, leaving you in despair and can spoil your vacation. You may end up spending your time at the US Consult for obtaining a replacement passport—–where at that time you could have enjoyed visiting locations and relaxing yourself.  Ideas to consider here can be looked at :

• Buy a money belt.  Well, this could be of your some help. You can assemble your arm wallets,eg wallets, belt wallets,chest wallets,sock and underwear wallets available online at one place.
• A very good alternative remedy is available to help you skip from electronic theft. Yes, you can buy an RFID protective sleeve for your passport and any chipped-credit cards— having the potential to do wonders for you.
• Re-use your security wallets for future trips or share with your family and friends on their trips. This is certainly not nearly-impossible to do, provided it gives some peace of mind to you after knowing that it would be tedious, to lose something in the hands of a pick-pocketer, if you had your things stashed to for not becoming visible or accessible except by you.
• Safety comes as a priority when on visit to a new place. Try not to visit these areas in Paris after dark : Les Halles, Bois de Boulogne, Gare du Nord, Vincennes,Barbes Rochechouart, Chatelet-Les Halles,Strasbourg St.-Denis.