Taxis & apps: our essentials for Paris

Vélib’ bike share (classic and e-bikes): a great way to see Paris street by street.

Why go: Fast, flexible and scenic, perfect for short hops.

Good to know: Use bike lanes and keep an eye on traffic at big junctions.

Restaurant delivery in Paris: very handy if you return late or prefer a quiet dinner at the hotel.

Why use it: Wide choice of cuisines, order tracking, and often late-night hours.

Good to know: Write “Hôtel R de Paris” + your name and specify reception pick-up vs phone call.

Meal delivery in Paris: convenient when you want to eat without going out (or when it's raining).

Why use it: Choose quickly from many local restaurants and cuisines.

Good to know: Delivery times vary; order a bit earlier at dinner peak.

Lime: dockless shared electric bikes. Pick one up in the street and leave it when you arrive: handy for a short hop when the metro means a detour.

Why use it: Cross Paris effortlessly with no waiting and no licence needed (18 and over). Around 1 € to unlock, then around 0.25 € per minute, with minute bundles if you plan several rides.

Good to know: Shared e-scooters have been banned in Paris since 2023, so Lime now offers bikes only. Always end your ride in a parking area shown in the app, otherwise the meter keeps running.

A historic Parisian tourism operator since 1929, ParisCityVision has created over 220 excursions to discover Paris and France: Seine cruises, cabaret evenings, dinner at the Eiffel Tower, guided Louvre tours, day trips to Versailles or Normandy. A team of 300 professional guides leads visits in your language, with turnkey logistics: transport, tickets and pick-up included depending on the package.

Why use it: Convenient for planning and booking must-do activities.

Good to know: Compare time slots and meeting points before confirming.

SNCF Connect: the official app to buy and change train tickets (TGV, TER, OUIGO) and keep everything on your phone.

Why use it: Convenient for travel planning and last-minute changes in France.

Good to know: Create an account to store passengers and preferences.

Left luggage at partner shops: more than 270 drop-off points across Paris, bookable by the hour or by the day.

Why use it: The answer to the black hole of the last day, when the room is vacated in the morning and the train or plane leaves in the evening. From around 2.50 € per bag per day, insurance included, often closer and cheaper than a station locker.

Good to know: Book in the app before you turn up: the drop-off point is an ordinary business, a café or a shop, and will not always take your bags without a booking. Do also think of the hotel reception, which can keep your luggage on the day you check out.

Bonjour RATP: the official app for routes, timetables and journey planning (metro, bus, tram, RER) in Île-de-France.

Why use it: Check next departures, service updates and the most reliable itineraries in Paris.

Good to know: Useful alongside a navigation app for real-time transport information.

Ride-hailing alternative to Uber in Paris, useful to compare prices and ETA, especially at peak hours.

Why use it: Handy when you need a fast VTC option in the city.

Good to know: Fares can surge; compare before you confirm.

St'art is a free, community-driven app that pinpoints street art around you: paste-ups, graffiti, stencils, mosaics, large-scale murals. The map is updated weekly and suggests the best walking routes to reach each piece. Users can flag newly discovered works, leave comments and share their finds.

Why go: Explore a more alternative Paris with a self-guided route.

Good to know: Street art changes often; treat it like a "treasure hunt".

The official transport app for the Paris region: it replaces the ticket office. You buy your tickets on your phone and validate by tapping it on the gate, with no Navigo card.

Why use it: Buy a Metro-Train-RER ticket (2.55 €), a Bus-Tram ticket (2.05 €), a Navigo Jour day pass, a Paris Visite pass or an airport ticket for Roissy and Orly, without queueing at the station. Foreign bank cards are accepted.

Good to know: On iPhone the ticket can also be added to Apple Wallet. On Android, validating with your phone uses NFC and does not work on every model: Huawei, Honor and several older Pixels are not compatible. In that case, get a Navigo Easy card at the ticket office.

The classic ride-hailing app in Paris: useful for getting home late, heading to an appointment or reaching a station/airport.

Why use it: See estimates, choose pickup points and pay easily.

Good to know: Prices can rise at peak hours; compare options when it's busy.