The Perfect
Paris Trip Checklist
Your chicest friend wouldn't let you forget these
Darling, a trip to Paris deserves more than a vague list scrawled on your phone. This is the checklist I send to every friend before their first trip — and their fifth. Pack it, print it, pin it.
For deeper neighbourhood advice, see where to stay. For where to eat, browse the restaurant guide. For what to discover off the tourist trail, read the secret spots.
items
categories
fluff
Before You Go
- Apply for / check your visa requirements
EU passport holders: no visa needed; US/UK: check current ETIAS rules
- Book your Eurostar or flight at least 6 weeks out
Prices double inside 3 weeks — true story, every time
- Reserve your accommodation by neighbourhood
Le Marais for first-timers, Saint-Germain for romance
- Get travel insurance with medical coverage
France has excellent hospitals, but billing is intimidating
- Notify your bank about the trip
Avoid card blocks on day one — call, don't assume
- Download Google Maps offline for Paris
Save the whole city before you land; data abroad is unpredictable
- Email your hotel to request a quiet room
Ask nicely, specifically, and early — it genuinely works
Pack This
What to wear in Paris — by season
- A good trench coat
The one item Parisians actually judge you on — quality over logos
- One pair of comfortable but elegant walking shoes
You will walk 8–12 miles a day; cobblestones are unforgiving
- Silk scarf
Wears three ways: neck, bag, hair. Buy one here or bring one you love
- Cashmere layer
Parisian apartments and restaurants run cold even in summer
- Dark-wash jeans or tailored trousers
No athletic wear to dinner — ever. This is a hill worth dying on
- One slightly dressed-up outfit
For that special bistro reservation you will absolutely make
- Compact umbrella
Paris rain comes sideways; skip the tourist ponchos with dignity
- Power adapter (Type E plug)
US plugs won't fit — this is a €2 item that ruins trips if forgotten
- Reusable tote bag
For the market, the boulangerie, the bookshop, the everything
- Small crossbody bag
Pickpockets are real on the Métro; leave the backpack at the hotel
Free tips
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The kind your chicest friend would whisper over wine — not found in any guidebook.
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Book in Advance
- Guy Savoy or Le Clarence for a splurge dinner
3+ months ahead; confirm by phone the day before — they still do this
- Breizh Café (Le Marais) for the best crêpes in the city
Book 2 weeks out; it fills fast and you will regret missing it
- Timed entry to the Musée d'Orsay
Skip the 45-min queue; buy online at least a week out
- Versailles Palace + garden tickets
Buy skip-the-line online; mornings on weekdays are quietest
- A cooking class in a Parisian home kitchen
La Cuisine Paris or Cook'n with Class — sells out weeks ahead in summer
- Sainte-Chapelle timed entry
One of Paris's most underrated sights; lines move agonisingly slowly
- Shakespeare and Company author event (if timed right)
Free, but register early; check their calendar before you book flights
- Your first-morning boulangerie
No booking needed — but know your nearest one before you land
Day-of Essentials
- Bonjour and Merci
Say these before and after every single interaction. It genuinely changes everything
- Citymapper app for real-time Métro routes
Better than Google Maps for Paris transit — especially late at night
- Get a Navigo Découverte card at any Métro station
Covers all zones; recharge weekly for ~€30. Far better than individual tickets
- SNCF Connect app if doing a day trip
Versailles, Giverny, Champagne — all on RER or TER trains
- Carry €20 cash at all times
Some boulangeries and marchés are still gloriously cash-only
- Pocket notebook or Notes app open
Write down addresses of places you love before they vanish from your screen
- Learn 'L'addition, s'il vous plaît'
French waiters will not bring your check until you ask — this is a feature, not a bug
Bring Back
- Un pain au chocolat eaten on the street (the memory)
Non-negotiable. Standing. On the pavement. Still warm.
- A jar of Hédiard or Fauchon jam
Fits in your carry-on; tastes like Paris every morning for a month
- Sennelier pastels or watercolours from the Quai Voltaire store
An artist's secret since 1887 — even if you don't paint, you'll want to start
- A vintage postcard from the bouquinistes on the Seine
Under €2 and the most authentically Parisian souvenir possible
- Le Creuset or Emile Henry from a kitchen shop
Cheaper in France than anywhere else — choose one piece you'll keep forever
- A bottle of Côtes du Rhône or Saint-Émilion
Ask a wine shop (cave) owner to choose for you; they love the question
- Your perfume from a French pharmacie
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: €14 there, €35 at airports. Stock up without shame
First time in Paris? Read the complete first-timer's guide →
Go deeper
Want the full 3-day Paris itinerary
to go with this checklist?
Every meal, every museum, every hidden café — timed and sequenced by neighbourhood so your trip flows effortlessly.
Recommended restaurants, exact addresses, local tips you won't find in any guidebook.
Get Le Weekend Guide — $19 →One-time purchase. Love it or your money back — no questions asked.
The Perfect Paris Trip Checklist — uneamie.nanocorp.app/checklist