Visit Paris on foot … or by boat: it’s not that unusual! Paris is vast, but not that vast.
The limited touristic area
The city of Paris is “hemmed in” by the “Périphérique” (a circular freeway only 35 km long, wrapped around a diameter of 10 km, i.e. a radius of 5 km from the historic center). What’s more, the historical and tourist highlights of Paris are located in the center, in a large north-western quarter and in the south-east. And the river Seine and its main canal, in its touristically interesting part, meander from east-south-east to north-west. An ideal combination for a pedestrian and river tour without getting tired!
The sheer density of all the sites to see means you can only do so on foot
If you choose not to limit your visit to Paris’ “must-sees”, which are only a few kilometers apart, there are some 2,200 points of interest to see and appreciate. Which means that there’s something to discover on almost every street corner. Difficult to appreciate from a car travelling at 30 km an hour, impossible to park, drowned in dense traffic with drivers expressing their discontent!
Some 150 m, average distance between points of interest
Of the 2,200 points of interest to see, we’ve chosen a few hundred for you to visit on our guided walks, which you can find on the Internet via your cell phone. We found that between points of interest worth commenting on, all you had to do was generally walk less than 150 m!
No alternative to walking : Visit Paris on foot … or by boat
Car traffic is becoming increasingly difficult, with more and more restrictions being imposed every day. This makes it difficult to use the RATP (Régie de transport de la ville) buses, which are also struggling in traffic, even with dedicated lanes. The same applies to cabs, apart from their price.
The Metro (Underground) is not the solution, as the panorama in the underground is not very varied and has nothing historic about it! But it is very practical, with stations every 500 m or so, for a quick trip back to your hotel at the end of the day.
Our walks to get around and see little-known points of interest
We’ve put together a series of walks not just for walking, but above all for visiting Paris “in detail”. These are short walks (usually 1.5 to 2.5 km) that can be done in around 2 hours, with your phone in hand to guide you through the streets and explain what Paris is all about, just like a human guide.
The articles in this section, in particular 3. Transportation and 7. Your daily life during your stay are a must.
