Blog - City Insight

If you’re an avid traveler, then you’ll know that there are few cities in the world as stunning as Paris. And if you’re a keen app user, you'll need to download a few of them to make your stay in Paris unique.With so many hidden gems, instagram spots and historic attractions making the city so unique; traveling to Paris can be both exciting and challenging. Whether it's your first or twentieth time visiting the city of love; here are some of our favorite apps to use when visiting Paris. 1- Travel and Navigation in Paris First things first, when visiting Paris you'll want to know how to navigate the city. To do this, our number one recommendation is to use Bonjour RATP app. It is the official Paris Metro app, and it allows you to view metro, bus and RER (regional train) maps, plan routes and get information about service disruptions, where to exit the metro, how crowded each carriage is, etc. The app also gives you the chance to upload metro tickets onto your Paris metro card (Navigo Easy) directly from your phone! It is so convenient and avoid you queuing for purchasing your tickets at the counter. Another great app for navigating Paris is CityMapper. It has similar feature as Bonjour RATP app (minus the ticket purchasing feature). It will give you options on how to navigate your way around the city by foot, metro, tram or bus. The app also includes information about nearby attractions, points of interest and more. If you prefer Google Maps, we recommend downloading the map of Paris in advance so you can browse it even offline! It is very useful, especially if you will have limited data when in France. And it will still allow you to navigate and see buildings, monuments, and other restaurants around you. 2- Food and Dining Apps When it comes to dining in Paris, you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting the best food and dining options. Luckily, there is an app for that. The Fork helps you find the best restaurants at the best prices in Paris. On top of that we have also pinned our favorite restaurants in mapstr. You can find all our recommandations by adding @we.are.alfred in your favourites! Each place is categorised by theme. You will find bars, cafés, restaurants, but also recommandations for romantic date nights, best deals, kid-friendly restaurants and much more. The app includes photos, information on the menus, and details on how to book tables. You can also use the app to create a city guide and share your favorite places with friends. And if you are not sure what to it when in a restaurant, check out our article here on French food! 3- Sightseeing and Culture When visiting Paris you should make sure that you get the most out of your trip and don’t miss anything. To do this, you can download Tripit app. It allows you to create your own itinerary, share it with friends and add specific travel plans (flight details hotel reservations, etc). Taking into account everything there is to see in Paris, Tripit is the perfect application to time all your activities. And to make sure you see all the monuments and landmarks that you want to visit! If you are visiting landmarks such as the Louvre, Versailles, Orsay Museum or others, we recommend downloading Rick Steve’s Audio Tours app. It provides free audio guides of many famous sites, and many interesting facts about each place. On top of the audio tours mentioned you may be interested in the Historic Walking Tour. The latest includes many sites on the Ile de la Cite and Latin Quarter! 4- Language If you’re traveling to Paris and want to try and speak a little French, then our recommendations are both the DuoLingo and Babbel app. The apps allow you to learn French with a daily short lessons. As well as complete exercises to help you improve your language skills. They use a unique method that makes learning easy and fun, allowing you to pick up French quickly. If you’re in need of a translation app while traveling in Paris, then our number one recommendation would be DeepL. The translation of sentences is remarkable and much more accurate than the Google Translate app. Last but not least, the Google Translate app can still be very useful. The app includes a visual feature that lets you point your phone’s camera at a sign or printed text and have it translated. It is very convenient especially for translation food menus, signs in the metro, or others. 6- Parisian Taxis Apps Visiting Paris can be tiring. Many sites can be visited by foot. But if you decide to book a taxi then these 4 apps can help you:G7: the official city taxi app. You can book a car, a van, or pre-book a taxi for the next day. For families with children G7 Family can be very useful. By pre-booking you have the choice to book a taxi with a baby seat or a booster seat. Alfred: for all premium transfer requests, book directly through this link! you will immediately receive the details of your driver, and you always know in advance what you pay! Uber: present in Paris, Uber is useful for unplanned reservations. Be careful though, prices do go up during peak hours. Bolt: Uber's competitor. Sometimes cheaper than its American cousin ; Bolt is a good alternative. It allows you to book a taxi when the price on Uber is too expensive. Free Now: Present throughout Europe, Free Now is increasingly used by locals. If you register for the first time you can get a good discount on your first ride! They also provide transfers by scooters which can be useful if you are a solo-traveler. 5- Other Random but Essentials Apps You now have all the necessary apps. Whether it's for eating, getting around, or ordering a taxi. But have you thought about your bathroom breaks?Once you're out and about you might need a toilet! And for that, there's Flush! Available on Google Play or the Apple store, Flush allows you to locate all the toilets near you! Simple, yet a life saver! Finally, if you are in Paris for the shopping and you plan to make purchases, and reclaim the VAT; you can download the WeVAT app. As a reminder, VAT can be reclaimed if the purchases represent more than 175€ in one shop. Having said that the app will not allow you to make the claim, but will allow you to track your forms. Conclusion If you’re traveling to Paris, then you should make sure that you don’t miss out on anything. To do this, you’ll want to download the best apps to use when visiting Paris. From travel and navigation to food and dining, sightseeing and much more; these apps will help you get the most out of your trip. So what are you waiting for? Dive in and explore these apps today and make the most out of your Paris trip!