Six floors of cream stone, and café chairs facing the street
The light sits low and flat most of the year, and the limestone takes it: six floors, iron balconies on the second and the fifth, street after street. A café terrace is a grandstand: the chairs face the pavement, not each other. Parisians walk fast and leave strangers alone, which visitors mistake for rudeness.
€48 for the first floor, 124 easels for one square
Madame Brasserie, on the tower's first floor, starts at €48 a head at lunch and €90 at dinner, drinks on top. The tower's own site says what that buys: no visit ticket, only the ride up, which at lunch is the €9.10 first-floor lift. The summit by lift is €36.70. I'd go to the top and eat later.
Place du Tertre runs on a city permit, and the paperwork gives away the day: 124 pitches, 45 for portraitists, each 1.40 m by 1.20 m, worked in turns by two licensed artists. Put that on one small square in August and the portrait gets drawn in a scrum, at a price you settle inside it. The square is the problem, not the artists; I walk people down the hill.
Aligre, where the hall reopens at four
Two markets share place d'Aligre in the 12th, on different clocks. The open stalls on the place and rue d'Aligre, fruit and veg plus a brocante, trade every day but Monday from 07:30, clearing at 13:30 on weekdays, 14:30 at weekends.
The covered hall behind them, Marché Beauvau, runs Tuesday to Friday 08:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:30, Saturday 08:00–19:30, Sunday 08:00–13:30, shut Monday. That four o'clock reopening is the quiet hour and the one I use: cheese, a real butcher's counter, an Italian stall. Small notes for the outside stalls.
Comptoir, salle, terrasse: three prices, one coffee
A French café must post its prices in the street, and the small print repays two minutes. The arrêté of 27 March 1987 sets the list: black coffee, a half of draught beer, bottled beer, fruit juice, soda, mineral water, aniseed apéritif, plat du jour, sandwich, each with the volume served and the price with service, in letters at least 1.5 cm high.
One price per line is allowed only when the price is the same all over the house. A board with three columns, comptoir, salle and terrasse, is telling you the tiers differ, and the counter is the cheap one. I drink mine standing.
Parking in Paris: Zone 1, zone 2 and field G
Low-emission zones in Europe: ZFE of the Métropole du Grand Paris
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- When
- Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00 for cars, vans and motorcycles; free at night, at weekends and on public holidays
- Fine
- €68 for a car, van or motorcycle
- EV
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
Until 31 December 2026 the métropole says checks are occasional and informational rather than fines (checked 18 September 2026)
Street parking is paid Monday to Saturday, 09:00–20:00, free after 20:00 and on Sundays and holidays. People ask me about August every summer: not free, and the city put that in writing.
- Zone 1, arrondissements 1–11: up to €6 an hour for the first two hours.
- Zone 2, arrondissements 12–20: up to €4 an hour.
Past that the price climbs, and a visitor may stay six hours maximum in one spot. Pay short and the notice, an FPS, costs six hours anyway: €75 in zone 1, €50 in zone 2, less 30% within nine days.
Combustion cars over 1,600 kg, and electric or low-emission cars over 2,000 kg, pay the "SUV" visitor rate. Field G on the registration document, and I'd read it before the meter. Unpaid, €225 in zone 1, €150 in zone 2. A big estate counts; the city didn't ask how it felt.
At the meter: bank card, PayByPhone, EasyPark or Indigo Neo. Two more zones:
- Low-emission zone (ZFE): everything inside the A86 ring road, not the A86 itself. A Crit'Air sticker is compulsory, foreign plates included; Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles are banned Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00. Fines are paused until 31 December 2026; the standard fine is €68. Order it only from certificat-air.gouv.fr, before you leave.
- Paris Centre limited traffic zone: no driving through arrondissements 1–4; a hotel, restaurant or car park inside is fine. The fine is €135.
The périphérique has been 50 km/h since October 2024.
Car parks worth knowing
| Car park | Price | EV |
|---|---|---|
| Saemes Quai Branly – Tour Eiffel25 Quai Jacques Chirac, 75007 · 543 spaces · height 1.90 m | €5.10 per hour · €39.20 for 24 h · €163 per week · open 24/7 | Yes |
| Saemes Louvre Pyramides15 rue des Pyramides, 75001 · height 1.90 m | €4.60 per hour · €41.40 for 24 h · open 24/7 | Yes |
| Saemes Lagrange-Maubert19 rue Lagrange, 75005 · by Notre-Dame · 368 spaces · height 1.85 m | €4.80 per hour · €43.20 for 24 h · open 24/7 | Yes |
| Saemes Madeleine-TronchetOpposite 21 place de la Madeleine, 75008 · 975 spaces · height 1.90 m | €5 per hour · €45 for 24 h · weekend (Fri 14:00–Mon 09:00) €73 | 505 |
The cheapest way to park, by how long you stay
| If you stay | Cheapest | Cost | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours in the centre | Saemes Louvre Pyramides | €9.20 | height 1.90 m |
| …and the kerb, for comparison | Kerb, zone 1 (arr. 1–11) | €12 | Up to €6 an hour for the first two hours in arrondissements 1–11, climbing after that, six hours maximum. Free after 20:00 and all day Sunday. The notice (FPS) is €75 in zone 1, €50 in zone 2, less 30% within nine days. A combustion car over 1,600 kg pays the SUV visitor rate — unpaid, €225. |
| A full day (10 h) | Saemes Quai Branly – Tour Eiffel | €39.20 | height 1.90 m · €163 a week, about €23 a day |
| 24 hours | Saemes Quai Branly – Tour Eiffel | €39.20 | height 1.90 m · €163 a week, about €23 a day |
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Towed in Paris: Towed? Try the Louvre, level -4
Paris tows to five holding pounds (préfourrières). Start with your plate at oemv-fourrieres.paris.fr. Try it with and without spaces.
The pounds have no phone line, and the city's 3975, with no international version, may not connect from a foreign SIM. I wouldn't burn roaming credit on it.
- Louvre-Samaritaine, level -4 of the Place du Louvre car park (1st). Mon–Sat 08:00–20:30.
- Foch, opposite 46–48 avenue Foch (16th). Mon–Sat 08:00–20:30.
- Pantin, 15 rue de la Marseillaise (19th). Mon–Sat 08:00–20:30.
- Charléty, rue Thomire (13th). Every day 06:30–22:30.
- Pouchet, 3 boulevard du Général Leclerc, Clichy. 24/7.
On a Sunday, the day I tell everyone to drive in, only Charléty and Pouchet open.
Uncollected cars move on to the main pounds: Chevaleret (13th), Bonneuil-sur-Marne, La Courneuve. Chevaleret shuts at weekends.
The bill is €179 for the first day, then €29 a day, Sundays included. Bring originals: ID or licence, registration certificate, insurance, plus the rental contract. Cash is capped at €300, so use the card. No pound has a charger.
If your car has disappeared
- Who took it
- Ville de Paris, which runs the city's préfourrières (holding pounds) and fourrières (main pounds)
- Phone
- Ville de Paris info line 3975 (local rate; French networks only; Paris publishes no international number, so use the online plate search from abroad): 3975
- Collect it at
- First type your plate into oemv-fourrieres.paris.fr: it tells you which pound has the car. Holding pounds (préfourrières): Louvre-Samaritaine, Place du Louvre car park level -4, 75001 (stairs facing 2 rue de l'Amiral de Coligny) · Foch, opposite 46–48 avenue Foch, Parc Étoile-Foch level -2, 75016 · Charléty, rue Thomire at rue Francis de Miomandre, 75013 · Pantin, 15 rue de la Marseillaise, 75019 · Pouchet, 3 boulevard du Général Leclerc, 92110 Clichy. Uncollected cars move on to the main pounds: Chevaleret, 99 boulevard Vincent Auriol, 75013 · Bonneuil, 11 rue des Champs / RN19, 94380 Bonneuil-sur-Marne · La Courneuve, 92 avenue Jean Mermoz, 93120.
- Hours
- Louvre-Samaritaine, Foch, Pantin: Mon–Sat 08:00–20:30, closed Sundays · Charléty: daily 06:30–22:30 · Pouchet: 24/7 · Chevaleret main pound: Mon–Thu 08:30–17:00, Fri 08:30–16:30, closed weekends
- What it costs
- Car or van under 3.5 t: €179 for the first day, then €29 per extra day, Sundays and holidays included. Card, cheque, or cash up to €300.
- Bring
- Originals only: ID or driving licence, the registration certificate, proof of insurance. Rental car: bring the rental contract. The pounds have no EV chargers.
EV charging in Paris: 505 plugs under the Madeleine
Belib', the city network, has more than 2,000 points and takes a bank card or the phone. At the time of writing, Flex costs €0.33 per kWh plus €0.57 per 15 minutes; Boost (22 kW) €2.30 per 15 minutes; Boost+ (50 kW) €0.42 a minute. Per-minute pricing punishes slow chargers, so keep a slow car off Boost+.
For a longer stop, my pick is Saemes Madeleine-Tronchet: 505 charge points at 7–22 kW, the biggest charging car park in France when it opened in 2022. Porte d'Auteuil has 241; Lagrange-Maubert by Notre-Dame also has chargers.
Where to charge
- Belib' — Street chargers across the city. 2,000+ points. Pay by bank card: Flex €0.33/kWh + €0.57 per 15 min; Boost (22 kW) €2.30 per 15 min; Boost+ (50 kW) €0.42 per min
- Saemes Madeleine-Tronchet — Opposite 21 place de la Madeleine, 75008. 505 charge points at 7–22 kW, the biggest charging car park in France when it opened in 2022
- Saemes Porte d'Auteuil — Porte d'Auteuil, 75016. 241 charge points, right off the périphérique
- Saemes Lagrange-Maubert — 19 rue Lagrange, 75005. Chargers on site, a short walk to Notre-Dame
Free parking in Paris: Sunday on the kerb, weekdays in the Bois
Come on a Sunday or a public holiday: the kerb is free. Park after 20:00 on Saturday and set an alarm for Monday 09:00.
On weekdays, go to the woods. In the Bois de Vincennes a "Promenade Bois" ticket is €3 for three hours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, app only, zone 75022. Metro line 1 from Château de Vincennes runs straight to the Louvre: my pick for a museum day. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, in Vincennes and the Bois de Boulogne, a normal car pays €0.80 an hour, €5.40 for four, up to 11 hours. Heavy cars pay more there too.
Staying a week? Quai Branly – Tour Eiffel is €163, about €23 a day against €39.20 for 24 hours.
Free or nearly-free spots
Sundays and public holidays
Street parking is paid Mon–Sat 09:00–20:00 only. Sundays and French public holidays are free all day, in every arrondissement. Evenings after 20:00 are free too; be back before 09:00.
Bois de Vincennes: €3 for 3 hours
The 'Promenade Bois' ticket costs €3 for three hours on Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri (not holidays). App payment only, zone code 75022. Metro line 1 from Château de Vincennes runs straight to the Louvre.
Wednesdays and Saturdays in the Bois
In both Bois de Boulogne (zone 75021) and Bois de Vincennes, a normal car pays €0.80 for one hour and €5.40 for four hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays, up to 11 hours.
Weekly garage pass
Not free, but at Quai Branly – Tour Eiffel a week costs €163, about €23 a day, against €39.20 for a single 24 hours.
Hotels with free parking
- Fun Hotel Paris — Montmartre, 18th arrondissement Map. The hotel's own site advertises a free place in a secure car park. Confirm when you book, because spaces in Paris are never unlimited.
- B&B HOTEL Paris Porte des Lilas — 23 avenue René Fonck, 75019 · 400 m from metro Porte des Lilas Map. Not free: the underground car park is paid, limited and 1.90 m high. Call ahead. Listed because it sits at the edge of the city, before the traffic starts.
- Most central hotels — Inside the périphérique. We found very few that say 'free parking' on their own website. Expect a public garage at around €40 a night and budget for it.
⚠ The small print on 'free' parking
- The 6-hour rule. Visitors may park a maximum of six consecutive hours on the same spot. Pay for less than you stay and the FPS notice equals six hours anyway: €75 in zone 1, €50 in zone 2.
- Heavy car, triple bill. Combustion cars over 1,600 kg and electric or low-emission cars over 2,000 kg pay the 'SUV' visitor rate. Unpaid, that's €225 in zone 1 and €150 in zone 2.
- 'Paris is free in August' is a myth. The city says parking is paid Mon–Sat 09:00–20:00, August included. Only Sundays and public holidays are free.
- Crit'Air inside the A86. The sticker is compulsory in the Grand Paris low-emission zone. Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles are banned Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00. Fines were paused until 31 December 2026; the standard fine is €68.
- Paris Centre limited traffic zone. Driving through the 1st to 4th arrondissements without a destination there is banned 24/7. Going to a hotel, restaurant or car park inside is allowed. The fine is €135.
Take these places with you
Every place on this page as a file you can keep — car parks with their prices, the free and park-and-ride spots, the chargers and the pound.
