Planning a trip to Paris? Would you like to visit the city away from throngs of tourists? In this blog post I will tell you about 5 non touristy things you can do to help you skip the crowds.
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5 non touristy things to do in Paris
When you visit Paris, in addition to the traditional Paris sightseeings such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysées, a boat cruise on the Seine River and so forth…, there are non touristy things that you can do. You will then get to see another facet of the city and a side of Paris that is often times not advertised as much as the most popular destinations.
Street art
Do you know that losts of streets artists in Paris are changing the face of the city by creating some beautiful art wall around the city. Although the 13 th arrondissement is well-known for its streetarts, you can see lots of beautiful art work in the 20, 19 and 11 just to name a few. In the 19th arrondissement, check out:
- Rue de l’Ourq
- Quai de La Marne
- Quai de la Loire
You can get there via metro line 5 get off at Ourq to get to rue de l’Ourq. You can get to quai de La Marne and de la Loire by taking line 5 to Laumière or line 2 to Jaurès.
In the 20th arrondissement, check out:
- rue Denoyez via metro line 2 to Belleville
- rue des Cascades
Visit less known museums
I always recommend to people that ask me what to do in Paris to add less known museums to their Paris bucket list. Two of my favorites are:
- Musée Bourdelle
- Musée de la Vie Romantique
Dine at less popular eateries
Some cafes in Paris are a favorite among so many Instagrammers that it is hard to get in because there is always a line in front of them. Check out these 2 favorites of mines.
- Fitzroy located at 49 rue du Faubourg saint Antoine in the 11th arrondissement
- Pavillon des Canaux located at 39 quai de la Loire in the 19th arrondissement
Stay in non touristy neighborhoods
Why not book an hotel in a non touristy neighborhoods? In some arrondissments, locals are fed up with hordes of tourists taking over their neighborhoods, arriving at all kinds of hours, slamming tdoors and making lots of noise with their luggage. Avoid the:
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- 4th arrondissement
The 1, 2, 3 and 4 arrondissement are called central Paris. They are the most sought-after locations by locals, businesses as well as tourists. With lots of fancy and private hotels, famous Parisian monuments, beautiful Haussmanian style buildings, shops, Paris Fashion Week, Michelin star restaurants etc.. it is an ideal location to stay during a trip to Paris, however, if you want to skip the crowd and be around locals try the other arrondissements such as the:
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
Book a cruise down the Canal de L’Ourq
Skip popular destination such as the Canal Saint Martin and the Seine River for less known Canal de l’Ourq. In the summer, that is where I love to hang out because it is mostly an area where locals like myself hang out. Book a cruise or simply rent a small boat with friends for a little picnic. You don’t need to have a boat permit for it. Check out:
Here is a few blog posts that may help you plan your trip accordingly:
Final thoughts
In this blog post, I went over 5 non touristy things that you can do in Paris. Not everyone wants to be around crowds of tourists and want to do do popular attractions. If that is your case, I hope that you will enjoy this little quick look of what you can do solo or with friends.
Tell me about yourself. Have you been to Paris Before? Feel free to chime in the comment section.
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