I love Paris but I don’t like spending a ton of money unless someone else is buying. And, I’ve seen most of the high-priced tourist sights on prior trips, so here’s my list of best free things to do in Paris. Hey, some of the activities cost a few bucks, but they are well worth the Euros.
Best Free Things to Do in Paris
I’m a wanderer. I hate schedules because I never know what I want to do until I want to do it, so all of the places on my list are always free, year round.
The best way to see Paris is to:
- Get a little bit lost.
- Always check out the architecture and statues.
- Never pass up any church or park, no matter how small.
Remember that, wherever you go, there will always be a small sidewalk café where you can relax, get some coffee, and figure out where you are.
Montmartre and Sacre Coeur Basilica
Anyone staying in a central neighborhood, like Rue Cler or the Marais will have to take the Metro subway out to Montmartre. A Metro ticket is about $1.70 if you buy a carnet. (Hey, nothing is totally free.) However, riding the Metro is almost as much fun as anything else in Paris. Check out the people.
Montmartre used to be outside the city. It was the cheap bohemian hilltop where artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso once lived. Well, the area is still lively and crowded, with cheapie shops, street performers, shell-games, and a few discreet hookers…and that’s during the daytime.
Now, climb the 200-plus steps up to the Sacre Coeur Basilica (say, "No," to all con artists) and see the cool mosaic-work on the inside walls and the interior of the dome. If you sit in the front of the church, you will notice that Jesus’ face looks a little flat compared to the rest of the elaborate scene, but it’s done as an optical illusion. Move further back or to the sides and you will see that Jesus seems to be looking right at you no matter where you sit. How cool is that?
As you come out of the basilica, all of Paris is laid out before you as if you were God and the city of lights is your present.
Hanging Out in the Tuileries
The Tuileries Garden, near the Louvre Museum, was created by Queen Catherine de Medicis, in 1564, to go with her new palace. I am of the opinion that Catherine, in trying to recreate some of her native Florence, is the mother of all Parisian good taste and ambience. Well, everyone learned from her and look at what they’ve built.
When I was 12, I went to Paris, and my fondest memory is of this dusty garden with its rows of manicured trees, ponds, flowers, statues, benches, and a lovely little café where I drank my first bottled water. To me, this garden is the heart and soul of Paris.
Hot Chocolate in Place des Vosges
The park at Place des Vosges is the exact opposite of the Tuileries. It is a tiny symmetrical gem in the Marais district, hidden away from the crowds, and surrounded by perfectly-executed red brick homes, fit for the upper classes. This park is cozy and sweet with fat pigeons, manicured greenery, gurgling fountains, and children on swings.
There’s a nice little outdoor café under the arcade where I like to get some steaming hot chocolate and do some serious people watching. Victor Hugo lived in one of the residences here and it’s now a free museum.
Carnavalet Museum
While you are wandering around the Marais, look for the Carnavalet Museum. It has pictures, paintings, drawings, and artifacts that tell the history of Paris. But, I like it because it is housed in two amazing mansions from the 1500s and has a fabulous courtyard garden.
Notre Dame and Other Favorite Churches
Churches are great places to hide out during rainstorms and heat waves because their high ceilings provide natural air conditioning. Most Parisian churches are free, so just push the door open. You don’t have to be a member but keep your voice down during services.
Parisian churches are free sanctuaries with marvelous paintings, delicate and powerful statues, beautiful glass, and inspiring architecture. Donate a Euro and light a candle if you find the space to be especially calming and enchanting. No one in the world can carve stone or wood like this anymore. It’s a lost art.
Of course, you will want to see the stunning and famous Notre Dame Cathedral, which is still used for mass, in the very heart of the city. But, here are other places I’ve stumbled across while slightly lost:
- St-Etienne-du-Mont: We almost went into the Pantheon, but after peeking in, I didn’t want to pay, so we found this church next door. It was free and better. Check out the staircases.
- Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis Church: Watch for it on the busy Rue Saint-Antoine or you’ll walk right past it.
- L'église Saint-Denys-du-Saint-Sacrement Church. We found this while lost in the Marais. It has a beautiful Delacroix and several other museum-quality paintings.
- Église Saint-Augustin de Paris: You might stumble across this if you go to the cool Jacquemart-Andre museum. (Museum's not free.)
Walk Along the Seine
This needs no explanation. Everything wonderful is along the river. I would like to mention that the hour-long boat ride along the Seine is really worth the money (12 Euros) if the weather is good. Everything looks different from the water. Don’t waste your money on the expensive dinner boat. Eat cheap crepes at a little hole-in-the-wall instead.
Further Tips:
- Wear black and promenade up and down the Champs-Élysées.
- Drink coffee at a sidewalk café on a busy street and watch the fashion show.
- Watch kids sail little boats in the Jardin du Luxembourg pond.
- Stroll the elevated park (Promenade Plantée) behind the Opéra Bastille.
- Explore Père Lachaise Cemetery: It’s the one thing on this list I’ve never done.
If you are staying in a central location, and you are young and fit, you can walk to most of these places. And, of course, everything is accessible by Metro. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a great time in Paris.
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Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
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