The guide to Paris for solo female travelers

Made by NomadHers with love💚

How much does NomadHer recommend Paris for solo female travelers? (😩 Bad, 😊 Fine, 😍 Amazing)

Our score is : 😊 Fine

The city can be quite tough for newbie solo female travellers, yet walking around in the beautiful Parisian night and finding unexpected jazz music is not to miss! Bon Voyage!

Paris is everyone’s dream destination. Especially for women. But is it safe to travel alone as a woman? For sure there are things you need to know before planning your travel. This is a guide for those brave women who want to explore Paris all by themselves.

Is Paris easy to travel solo for a woman? Yes🙆‍♀️ and No🙅‍♀️

🙆‍♀️ Yes, because you will see many people taking a seat in cafes and restaurants alone. (Currently they are closed for Covid restrictions.) Drinking coffee or having a chill lunch or dinner alone is somewhat common in Paris. You can try having a cup of espresso or a glass of wine on a Parisian terrace. Doing a little picnic in a park like ‘Jardin de Luxembourg’ or ‘Butte Chaumont’ is also safe and okay.

🙆‍♀️ Yes, because public Transportation is everywhere. You do not need a private car or taxi to move around. Not only metro, bus, tram and public bicycles, but also rentable electric scooters such as Lime, Bolts are everywhere.

🙅‍♀️ No, because pickpocketing and cat-calling might be something that you should be aware of. Cat-calling is quite common in Paris. Especially some men might try to just talk to you or see your eyes. Calling you “Bonjour (Hi)”, “Mademoiselle (Lady)”, “Ah t’es belle (Ah you are pretty)” is a typical cat-calling.  

🙅‍♀️ No, because some districts might be quite dangerous, full of drunk people and pickpockets depending on where you go at what time.

Paris can be your love and hate relationship city yet it is definitely worth to visit as the city itself is full of cultural heritage and museums. So, Here is a Travel Guide for Solo Female Travelers 101!

Accommodation

You’ll have every option for your accommodation in Paris; hotel, airbnb, couchsurfing and more. Even if you’re choosing a fancy hotel, keep this in mind: Some districts of Paris can be quite dangerous especially during the night!

Paris has 20 arrondissements. Here are short descriptions of them.

• 1st & 2nd arrondissements: Very historic. Full of must-see areas like the Louvre or Palais Royal. But accommodation can be highly expensive.

• 3rd & 4th arrondissements: Le Marais area has cool restaurants and bars. Different communities: Jewish, LGBTQ, Chinese, etc. Feel the vibe of diversity!
• 5th & 6th arrondissements: Lively neighborhood. The famous university La Sorbonne and Quartier Latin is located here.
• 7th & 8th arrondissements: The Eiffel Tower in the 7th, the Arc of Triomphe and the avenue of Champs-Elysees in the 8th! They are both highly touristic areas so beware of pickpockets.
• 9th & 10th arrondissements: the 9th district alone had 19 metro stations. If you ever find yourself in the 10th, Canal Saint-Martin is where to go, it is less touristy and offers a more intimate atmosphere than Quais de Seine. It is also also home to two big train stations: Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord where you can take a train to London.
• 11th & 12th arrondissements: The district of the youth & hipsters! You will see so many endless bars and the young people talking to each other especially near the metro station Line 3 "Parmentier".
• 13th & 14th arrondissements: The district of Chinese and Vietnamese communities! Well, you might feel like you are literally in Asia if you ever get a chance to visit this district. Feel the vibe of Asian street food, bubble tea and more to come!
• 15th & 16th arrondissements: They are residential districts. If you fancy calm strolls in parks, you can go to Parc André-Citroën. Tour de Montparnasse is located here, which is the highest skyscraper in Paris. The 16th is one of the most prestigious districts in Paris, home to a number of museums but also embassies.
• 17th & 18th arrondissements: 18th arrondissement is a home to the Montmartre. This highland provides a wonderful panorama of Paris. But be very careful when it’s dark!
• 19th & 20th arrondissements: the 19th is home to Paris’s artificial park, Parc des Buttes Chaumont. It was designed to imitate mountain landscapes it has: rocks, lake, waterfalls and cave. The 20th is known for its cemetery Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, where many international celebrities rest: Raymonde Delaroche, Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde.

✅ Hazardous areas that you should avoid during nighttime. If you have any more opinions, feel free to contribute as well!

• Les Halles - Châtelet: live commercial center but can get wilder at night.
• Gare du Nord: one of the 4 major stations in Paris but try not to visit when dark.
• Stalingrad and Jaurès: beware of pickpockets!
• Porte de la Chapelle: popular neighborhood but you might feel insecure
• Barbès Rochechouart and the Goutte d’Or: walking those colorful streets at night might be too risky

✅ Wanna know how to avoid PickPocket in Paris? Find out more on our previous blog article here:

https://nomadher.com/blog/how-to-avoid-a-pickpocket-in-paris-for-a-solo-traveller

‍

Things to do in Paris

Museum

• Louvre Museum
• Centre Georges-Pompidou
• Musée d’Orsay
• Rodin Museum
• Musée de l’Orangerie
• Musée Picasso Paris
• Grand Palais
• Petit Palais

Shopping

• Louvre and Tuileries District: The center of Parisian design and fashion.
• Galeries Lafayette and Printemps in Boulevard Haussman: You can enjoy the typical Belle Epoque mood.
• The Marais: Vintage, artisan, handcrafted, and antique!
• The Champs-Elysées: What more do I have to explain?
• Les Halles - Châtelet: Huge underground shopping center with a cinema.
• Flea markets: Those in Montreuil, St-Ouen, Porte de Vanves are the most popular.

✅ In France they usually have 2 big sale seasons called “Les Soldes”. One in winter and the other in Summer. Winter sale will begin shortly after Christmas. Summer sale begins just before the vacances season. You can have big opportunities finding fantastic deals on expensive clothes and other items.

Eat

Must-Eat foods in Paris! These can be clichés but they exist to be proven, right?

• Baguette, croissant, pain au chocolat and pâtisserie

Try to wake up around 7am in the early morning, and go to the nearest boulangerie of your accommodation. You can go and order the freshly baked, warm and crispy baguette, which will definitely blow your mind.

• Wine

The more expensive the better? Not really! Go visit the nearest local supermarkets like Carrefour, Monoprix, Auchan and dive into the different types of wine ranging from red, rose, white and champagne! You will be surprised to know that starting from 3 euros you can get quite decent wine in France!

• French Cheese

Local Markets are always the best place to try different types of cheese! For example, you can go to the local market in Bastille which is held every Sunday starting from 9am and find out over a hundred kinds of cheese! Blue cheese (Roquefort) is a must-try! It is always bringing lots of controversies.

• Macarons

‘La Duree’ and ‘Pierre Hermes’ are the two most famous and loved Macaron brands by Parisiens! You might say that this small macaron costs like 3 euros? But when you try one bite you will understand the complex sabor of it!

• Onion soup and Croque Monsieur (or Croque Madame)

If there are street foods in other countries, Onion soup and Croque Monsieur might be the finger snack food in Paris Brasserie! Enjoy these light meals for less than 10 euros.

Activities

• Baking class
• Diverse options are available from baguettes to macarons. The classes usually last about 3 hours and the price starts from 100 euros. Do not miss this chance of learning how to bake French macarons from a French chef!

• Bike tour
• There are many options for guided bike tours in Paris. For 3-4 hours, you’ll be exploring small allies of Paris with a local guide. If you’re new to Paris, a city highlights bike tour can be a good way to understand the city and get the sense of it. Not only the explanation, but the tips and recommendations from the local guide are also really helpful.

Close cities

If you’re in Paris for more than a week, why don’t you visit nearby cities? You’ll be able to discover more about France.

• Mont Saint-Michel
• A small island in Normandy. Famous for the medieval village and the monastery. The island and its bay are on the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage. It will take about 4 hours by train. People usually stay in a hotel along the bay and enjoy the beautiful sunset. Day tour programs by travel agencies can be an option too!
• Giverny
• Giverny is a village located on the right bank of the river Seine. It’s known for the home and garden of Claude Monet. It will take only 2 hours by train and bus from Paris. If you’re really impressed by Monet’s paintings during your museum tour, visiting Giverny can perfect your trip to Paris.
• Château de Versailles
• Home to the Sun King- Louis XIV and a symbol of the absolute Monarchy systemback then,Château de Versailles is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace is around one hour from Paris by train.

Good things about Paris

• Paris is a huge open museum itself. If you’re from a big modern city, every little Parisian ally will catch your eyes.  

• Boulangerie and pâtisserie! Do I need any further clarification? Enjoy your feast!
• The public transport network is well designed. You’ll be able to reach anywhere you want pretty easily.
• As Paris is an international city, you can find any food you want. It is also home to different cultures and languages, you can go around the streets guessing which language you just heard.

Bad things about Paris

• Paris is dirty and it’s true. Dog droppings are everywhere. Some metro lines smell horrible. Well, you’ll just have to deal with it.

• Homeless people everywhere. It’s a rather complicated issue resulting from expensive housing and lack of social safety net. Many organizations and people are working on it multilaterally.
• Lots of Parisians don’t speak English. It’d be better if you can understand and speak basic French. Or at least install a translator app in your phone!

Disclaimer

Our guide was made with care & love, but that doesn't mean that we always get everything right. Please know that the information above can be outdated and measures in countries may change overnight because of Covid-19. Don't hesitate to correct us with better recommendations or latest knowledge!