The guide to Paris for solo female travelers

Made by NomadHer with Love 💚

‍

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

Paris is the kind of city where you can find something different to do every day. This Guidebook is written by a Parisian from the suburbs. This means that whenever I am in the city center, I live my best life, relieved to not have to deal with transport complications. Paris is a metropole, but it still seems tiny: you can cross it on foot in about two hours, which is one of the reasons it is so enjoyable!

It is also a very recognizable city, with its pigeons, dirty streets, angry Parisians (we will come back to that one) and expensive cafes, but it also has a romantic atmosphere, beautiful architecture and culture, and typical cafés and brasseries!

How safe is it to roam the streets of Paris alone as a woman? To be honest, I first wanted to score it as Amazing, because I enjoy this city so much. However, even if I’m used to walking alone at night or taking the metro to go back home, there are too many times when I don’t feel safe enough to say it is an “Amazing” city for female solo travellers. That being said, it is not more dangerous than other capital cities and I still encourage you to go there!

‍

Here are some things to bear in mind, both good and bad.

🙂 The good:

• You will see many people eating alone in cafés and restaurants, or even having a little picnic at the many parks around the city. It is all safe and okay.
• Public transport is everywhere and the transport network is well designed, so it’s easy to get around, and you will be able to reach anywhere you want pretty easily.

🙁 The bad:

• You will probably experience catcalling and sexist remarks at some point.

• Pick-pocketing is quite common:
• 👉 Take care of your belongings in public spaces
• 👉 Make sure to avoid some districts, especially at night
• ⛔️ Hazardous areas that you should avoid during nighttime. If you have any more opinions, feel free to contribute as well!
• Les Halles - Châtelet: lively commercial center but it 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

Paris is worth its reputation, on different levels, but you can for sure have the best possible experience, even if you are by yourself. We are here to help!

‍

Do’s

Rent a bike or a scooter.
It rains a lot in Paris, but the advantage is that we really learn to enjoy blue sky, so whenever you can take a bike or a scooter, do not hesitate! It may be faster than a car and even the Metro sometimes. You will find bicycles and scooters from different companies (like Lime) all over Paris, or you can try a Vélib bicycle if you are staying a long time. Vélib is the bike-sharing service par excellence in Paris, and they offer from daily to annual plans.

Go near the Seine on the quays.
It is the best. Bars, cafés and nightclubs are good, but also simply taking some snacks or drinks, a speaker with good music and sit down near the Seine is a wonderful experience: it's cheap and beautiful, and there's always a good atmosphere! My favorite spots are in front of Notre Dame, but from Gare de Lyon to Bastille there is always some place to enjoy!

Grab a coffee in random brasseries or cafés
Oh, this I love. Who doesn't know Parisian cafés? They are so typical. Just go anywhere you find cute and live like a local by ordering an expensive black coffee (without sugar for a more intense experience).

Use Paris as a base to explore France
This is a bit off-topic, but I guess you already know about the biggest museums in the world and the Eiffel tower. From Paris, you can basically go anywhere in France by train with the national railway company SNCF. It can be expensive if you go to the South, for example, but you can go to Normandy (Cabourg, Honfleur, Dieppe) and see the sea for 1 day!

‍

Don’ts

Don't get lost in the city without a charged phone.
You will discover really fast that Parisians are always looking at Google Maps because even the locals don’t know their city that well. There are a few apps that will always help you get back home safely:
- Bonjour RATP! or City Mapper to check the transport system
- Uber / Free Now / My Mouv to order a taxi/car
- Lime for bikes and scooters

Don't (or try to avoid) take Ubers and cars.
Traffic is awful.

(but) Don't use public transport if you are going from a suburb to another suburb.
It might sound really specific, but trust me, I live in the western suburbs and I virtually always need to take a car if I don't go to Paris Intramuros (i.e. within the city itself). During the summer, the public transport options are greatly affected by railroad work: don't rely on it too much!

Don't be surprised by the French English accent.
Yes, some Parisians make no effort.

Don't be surprised by Parisians’ character.
And don't take it personally: in this city, everyone is overwhelmed by life, stressed out, or late for something. And if some are annoying, ask French people to teach you French slang ;)

‍

NomadHer Recommendations

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.

‍

Places to eat

• Savory pleasures

Brooklyn Pizzas
33 bd Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, France
I love Italian food. And there is some very tasty Italian food here. The atmosphere is nice and it’s next to Bastille, which makes it even nicer. The menu is very funny, which just adds something to the 7€ Margherita !

La Felicitá
5 Rue Eugène Freyssinet, 75013 Paris, France
La Felicitá features several restaurants in one. Whether you like pizzas, salads, pastas, just coffee, or tasty cocktails: you will find what you are looking for here. It’s very crowded (for a reason) at both lunch and dinner time, so make sure you arrive early ;)

Rue Sainte-Anne
Between the Opéra Garnier and the Louvre, this street is very famous for being THE place of all good East-Asian food. For me, there’s one place that stands out:
- Naniwa-Ya 11 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris, France
Tasty Japanese food: I always go there and get more or less the same thing, and I’m never disappointed or bored!

• For more sweetness in your life

Glaces Bachir… ice cream lovers?
58 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, France
If you like pistachios and orange blossom water, this is your place. Right in front of the Centre Pompidou, in the very center of Paris, enjoy some very instagramable Lebanese ice creams. A bit expensive, but totally worth it!

Glaces Berthillon
31 rue saint louis en l'ile, 75004 Paris, France
My mom used to tell me these were the best ice creams in Paris :) Still expensive, but the place is super nice.

Season
1 Rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003 Paris, France
Fans of brunch and pancakes, I’m talking to you! They make fat tough pancakes. It’s delicious. That’s it. The location is also quite nice and the restaurant itself is quite comfy, located between République and the Marais.

Holybelly 5
5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris, France
Another one for brunch lovers, quite different but a good pancake-maple syrup combination to start the day on a good note. The queue on the weekends is quite long, so I recommend going on working days if possible!

‍

Cafés

La Cité Audacieuse
9 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris, France
Very near the Luxembourg Gardens (Latin Quarter, student district, best district), you have this peaceful place with the Café Mona, which is located in an old primary school. You can take your coffee or something to eat in the schoolyard. Plus, it is very cheap (especially for Paris). To make it even better, the place is dedicated to Feminism: there are feminist bookshelves so that you can read something while enjoying your drink. Everything is thought to be in line with the place’s values: for example, the beer comes from a female-directed brewery. I’m gonna stop there but you should definitely try it!

Café Tabac
1bis Rue Ravignan, 75018 Paris, France
This café is located in Montmartre, which is also a district you should visit for sure. It might be the most Frenchy/cliché Parisian experience you can have. Here are some pictures for you to form your own opinion haha!

Brasserie Dubillot
222 Rue Saint-Denis, 75002 Paris, France
I couldn’t make this list without a brasserie! This brasserie is very typical of Paris, and at the same time really fancy! Near Châtelet, you can take a café allongé in this beautiful place. A bit expensive, like real Parisian brasseries!

‍

Museums and Art

You may already know the Louvre, the Orsay Museum and the Orangerie Museum, and please go and visit because they are totally worth it. In this section, I just want to add a more original touch to your tour!

59 rue Rivoli
On one of the biggest streets of Paris, a building is only dedicated to the arts. Some artists just stay a few weeks to present their work, exhibit it and sell it. I love the fact that you can interact with the artists, and the building in itself is beautiful.

Centre Pompidou
Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France
A basic, but you will surely be surprised by its different temporary exhibitions which rarely disappoint me! The permanent exhibition is also very interesting, and you can visit it more than once if you have a long stay here :)

La Gaité Lyrique
3bis Rue Papin, 75003 Paris, France
A place that I know from the Paris Podcast Festival, which takes place in October, this place welcomes different types of artists, performances, and experiences: check it out!

La Cité Fertile
14 Av. Edouard Vaillant, 93500 Pantin, France
Same spirit for this place that I know from the female-entrepreneurial festival EmpowHer. It’s a bit outside of Paris itself, but check their programs, there are a lot of good events and good tips!  

‍

Night Life 💃

La Mutinerie
176-178 Rue Saint-Martin, 75003 Paris, France
LGBTQIA+ bar! Safe and inclusive place (a bit expensive but we forgive them).

Le Nouvel Institut
1 Bd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris, France
Happy Hour from 4pm to 2am.
Beer for 3€. What else do we need?

Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris, France
Street with lots of dancing bars, things to eat, and a festive atmosphere!

- Café de Paris V 14 Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris, France: the liter of beer is 9€ until 9pm, it’s a piano-bar, the mood is incredible.

- Georges Café 4 Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris, France: to dance all night long!

3615 Croisette
Boat party on the Seine anyone? It takes place every summer; the ticket is from €10 to 20, so make sure you book it in advance :) The drinks are a bit expensive, but the experience is amazing. The boat tour is 3 hours long, and then you can stay until 5am for the nightclub!

Jazz concert at Châtelet?
Another experience for the music fans (and the ones who want to discover something new! Listen to jazz for few hours while enjoying a glass of wine.
- Sunset Sunside
60 Rue des Lombards, 75001 Paris, France
- Duc des Lombards
42 Rue des Lombards, 75001 Paris, France

‍

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: Do I need 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.

‍

Accommodation

In Paris, there are options for every taste; hotel, airbnb, couchsurfing and more. Even if you’re choosing a fancy hotel, make sure you check the area in which is located and how safe it is.

Paris has 20 arrondissements:

• 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.

‍

‼️ Emergency Numbers

17 for Police
15 for an Ambulance
18 for Firemen

112 is the European emergency number. If you don’t know what to call, remember this one.
NB: everything is free so don’t hesitate!

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!

‍