Welcome to Paris

Paris City Guide

Welcome to Paris, the iconic capital city of France! Paris is situated in the north of the country on the River Seine, and with a population of more than 2.5 million, it is the the largest city in France. Paris is a fascinating city, rich in culture and history, and is home to the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame and the Champs-Élysées.

GETTING TO PARIS
Paris has three airports in total with Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) being the busiest. Charles de Gaulle is located 16 miles north-east of the city centre, and there are daily domestic, European and international flights. There are frequent buses and trains connecting the airport with central Paris (RER B train line, RATP and Air France buses). If you are travelling to Paris by bus or train, all major bus and train stations are located in the city centre. (TIP: Paris-Orly (ORY) and Paris Beauvais (BVA) are both used by a number of low-cost flight providers with flights from from destinations throughout Europe.)

GETTING AROUND PARIS
Public transport in Paris is excellent and is operated by RATP. There is an extensive bus network, overground trains and a metro system. The metro is the most popular mode of transport and has 16 different lines accessing the whole city. Another popular form of public transport is the RER train network.Tickets are inexpensive and there are a number of ticket options available depending on zones travelled and length of stay. (TIP: Paris is divided into 5 Zones with central Paris being Zone 1.) Paris also has the Vélib' bike service, which is a bike hire system with thousands of bikes and over a thousand bike stations throughout the city. Central Paris is one of the most walkable and cycle-friendly cities in France, so many students walk or cycle.

STAYING IN PARIS
For short term accommodation, use one of the city's quality hostels. We recommend the St Christopher's Inn Hostel, where you will receive a warm welcome and find a friendly atmosphere. For longer term student accommodation, please check out the accommodation section of the website for Paris.

EATING OUT IN PARIS
Eating out in Paris. Coming soon.

GOING OUT IN PARIS
If you are a planning a night out in Paris we highly recommend The Bombardier English pub. They serve great food and show all of the live sport with other entertainment throughout the week.

THINGS TO DO IN PARIS
Paris is the second most visited city in the world and has a large variety of attractions. Spend a few hours at Les Invalides, Notre Dame or the Musée d'Orsay, visit the Palace of Versailles, spend an entire day at the Louvre, or enjoy a show at one of Paris's many theatres. If you are a sports fan, there is 'Ligue 1' football at the Parc des Princes and 'Top 14' Rugby at the Stade Charléty. For the more energetic, enjoy a run or a cycle along the River Seine or through the famous streets and parks in the city. For a more relaxing experience, we highly recommend taking the Paris City Bus Tour. Great deals on Visiting Paris Attractions!

SHOPPING IN PARIS
Paris is world renowned for excellent shopping and there is a shopping hub in every district of the city. Popular areas for shopping include Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Avenue Montaigne, Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the Louvre-Tuileries neighbourhood. For more exclusive shops, visit the Saint-Honoré fashion district, and if you prefer department stores, there are plenty in Paris including, Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marché. Paris is home to a number of fun and exciting street markets including the St. Ouen Flea Market in the 18th arrondissement. We highly recommend window shopping in Rue Saint-Honoré and Place Vendôme, home to some of the world's best jewellery stores.

STUDYING IN PARIS
Paris has a huge student population and is home to a large number of universities, business schools and colleges. Some of these include, Paris-Nanterre, the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Université Paris Descartes. For more info. on studying at any of these, please visit the university section of the website.