What to Do On Your First Day In Paris
Many international flights land in Paris early in the morning, after a night where you probably slept 2 or 3 hours, if you slept at all. Your hotel or Airbnb, on the other hand, usually gives you the keys in the afternoon. So your first day starts with several hours to fill, a suitcase, jet lag, and a lot of excitement. Here is how I would organize it, so you enjoy it and still feel good on day two.
TL;DR
Take a taxi or an Uber from the airport rather than public transport.
If your room isn’t ready, leave your bags at the reception or with a luggage storage service.
Choose one or two gentle activities depending on your energy: breakfast in a cafe or a garden, a walk, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour…
Once you have your room, take a real break: shower, unpack, short nap.
Keep the evening simple and try to stay awake until about 10 pm.
Why Jet Lag Changes The Plan For Your First Day In Paris
The excitement helps, but it doesn’t last all day! Your body still lives on the time of the country you left, and it will remind you of that at some point. Some people feel great until the evening, others hit a wall at 2 pm, and you can’t really know in advance which one you’ll be. If you plan a full day of visits, you risk seeing your first museum half asleep, and starting day two already tired. That’s why I don’t give you a strict schedule here, but a few options you can pick from on the day, depending on how you feel. Be honest with yourself about your energy, it’s the best way to enjoy the rest of your stay.
Getting From The Airport To Central Paris: Taxi Or Uber?
After a long flight, I really recommend skipping the metro and the RER for this first ride, even if you’re watching your budget. The Paris metro has a lot of stairs, some stations have no escalator, and with a big suitcase it quickly becomes painful.
A taxi or an Uber is a much gentler start, and both work well from Charles de Gaulle and Orly airport. The main difference is the price. Official taxis have a fixed fare from the airports to central Paris (one fare for the Right Bank, one for the Left Bank), so you know in advance what you’ll pay, even if there’s traffic, and there’s no extra charge for luggage. With Uber, the price depends on traffic and demand when you book: it can be cheaper when the roads are clear, and more expensive at rush hour.
One important point: if you choose a taxi, only take one from the official taxi line outside the terminal. If someone comes to you inside the airport to offer a “taxi”, say no politely and keep walking. It’s annoying that this still happens, but once you know it, it’s easy to avoid.
If Your Room Isn’t Ready Yet: Drop Your Bags First
Of course, if your hotel or Airbnb lets you check in early, go straight there, because even one hour to take a shower changes everything. But most of the time, the room won’t be ready before the afternoon, so your first step is to free yourself from your suitcase. In a hotel, ask the reception to keep your bags, most hotels say yes, even long before check-in. With an Airbnb it’s often harder, so look for a luggage storage service near your accommodation or near the place where you want to spend the morning (apps like Nannybag list shops and hotels that keep bags for a few euros). Once your hands are free, the day becomes much easier.
What To Do Before Check-In, Depending On Your Energy
Pick one or two, not all of them ;)
Something to eat, slowly. Plane meals are rarely great, so you’ll probably be hungry. Sit in a café for a croissant and a coffee, or buy something at a bakery and eat it in a park nearby. If you’re in the center, the Tuileries and the Palais-Royal gardens have the famous green metal chairs, and it’s a lovely place for a first breakfast. It’s simple, it’s very Parisian, and it gives your body a moment to land. Sitting with a coffee and watching people walk by is one of the nicest ways to start in Paris!
A gentle walk. Walk around your neighborhood, or in one of the big gardens in the center, like the Tuileries or the Palais-Royal. They’re pretty in any weather, and they’re great for your first photos (the striped columns at the Palais-Royal look good even under a gray sky). If it rains, the covered passages are a good plan B. The Galerie Vivienne, near the Palais-Royal, is one of the prettiest: these 19th-century galleries have a glass roof, small shops and cafés, so you stay dry and you still feel in Paris.
The hop-on-hop-off bus. It’s my favorite option for a first day, and I know it’s not the coolest thing to say! But for a jet-lagged body, it’s ideal: you sit, you listen to the commentary, and you see the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and the Seine without any effort. You also get a feel for how the city is laid out, and that helps a lot for the rest of the trip. If you feel good, you can get off at one or two stops, and if not, you just stay on board. There are two main companies, Big Bus and Tootbus, with stops all over central Paris, so there’s probably one not far from where you are. You can buy your ticket at the stop or online. My tip: have a quick lunch before you get on, a sandwich from a bakery is enough (the jambon-beurre, ham and butter in a baguette, is the classic), and take a bottle of water with you.
A seated activity you booked in advance. If you like having one thing planned, choose something where you sit down, like a cheese tasting, a wine tasting or a short cruise on the Seine. Book it before you leave, especially tastings, which fill up fast. And put it in the afternoon rather than the morning, in case your flight lands late.
Once You Have Your Room: Take A Real Break
For me, this is the most important moment of the day, and it’s also the one people skip the most. Once you have your keys, don’t go straight back out. Take a shower, unpack your suitcase, put your things away, and take a short nap if you need it (set an alarm, 20 to 30 minutes is enough, otherwise you won’t sleep at night). I know the temptation: you’re in Paris, and staying in your room feels like a waste of time. But your trip lasts several days, and you want to enjoy each one of them. This pause is what lets you go out again in the evening with a clear head, and start day two in good shape.
Your First Evening In Paris: Keep It Simple
The evening depends on the energy you have left.
If you’re tired, the easiest option is to eat quietly in your room or apartment, and you have two simple ways to do it. You can buy dinner at a bakery or a supermarket near your place (Monoprix, Franprix and Carrefour City are everywhere), and it’s far from a sad option: French supermarkets have good cheese, good bread and decent wine for very little money, and a picnic dinner on your first night can become a sweet memory. Or you can order with a delivery app like Uber Eats or Deliveroo, which work very well in Paris and are really practical when you don’t want to go back out. I talk about these apps, and a few others that are useful during your trip, in my article The 6 Best Food Apps For Your Paris Trip.
If you still have energy, go out for dinner close to where you’re staying. Keep in mind that most restaurants in Paris start serving dinner around 7 pm, so don’t plan on eating at 5 or 6 pm. My advice: book in advance or look at 2 or 3 restaurants near your accommodation before you leave home, so you don’t have to search when you’re tired and hungry. Whatever you choose, try to stay awake until around 10 pm. It’s the simplest way to switch your body to Paris time.
Small Things That Make The First Day In Paris Easier
Pack a change of clothes, some toiletries and any medication you take in your carry-on. If your suitcase arrives late (it’s rare, but it happens), your first day stays the same.
If you can, take taxis between your activities today, even for short rides. The metro will feel easy from day two, but on day one, with jet lag and a new city, it’s an extra effort you don’t need.
Bring a reusable water bottle, because drinking water really helps with jet lag, and Paris has many public fountains where you can refill it.
Stay outside in daylight as much as you can, since light helps your body adjust.
Planning a trip to Paris? I made an app for that.
