First trip to France from India? Below is everything we wish someone had told us — Schengen paperwork, why France is one of the easier Schengen consulates for Indians, which apps actually make Paris navigable, and how to survive as a vegetarian in a country whose national identity is wrapped in butter and meat. Read it end-to-end before you book flights.
Prices in INR/EUR are 2022–2025-era estimates. Schengen rules change — verify at france-visas.gouv.fr before applying.
⚠️ Things to Take Care Of
Paris is safe by European standards, but pickpocketing on the metro and around tourist sites is real — front-pocket wallets, zipped bags, and no phone in your back pocket on Line 1 or 4. Our 2022 tour guide had warnings galore, but luck (and basic awareness) kept us out of trouble. Strikes can disrupt rail and metro at short notice — check sncf-connect.com and ratp.fr the morning of any travel. August in Paris is genuinely hot now (40°C in 2022); aim for May–early Jun or Sep–early Oct if you can choose. Sunday closures are real for smaller shops; boulangeries usually open. Tap water is excellent — say "une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît" at restaurants for free water. Smile, say "bonjour" before launching into English; the difference in service is dramatic.
🛂 Visa Process (Indian Passport)
France is a Schengen visa country and one of the more Indian-friendly consulates — apply through VFS Global (france-visas.gouv.fr is the official portal). Tourist visa fee is €80 (~₹7,300) + VFS service fee ~₹2,200. Processing officially takes 15 working days but Paris is the most common Indian Schengen application and the queues build up — apply at least 6–8 weeks out, longer for the May–Sep window. You'll need: passport with at least 3 months validity beyond return + 2 blank pages, two recent biometric photos (35×45mm, white background, no smile), bank statements for the last 3 months (rule of thumb ~₹1 lakh per traveler per week), ITR for the last 2 years, confirmed flight reservation (NOT a paid ticket — use a hold service), all hotel/Airbnb bookings, day-by-day itinerary, travel insurance covering at least €30,000 medical, leave letter from your employer, and a cover letter. If France is your main destination (the country you spend most nights in), apply through France even if you fly into a different Schengen country.
🛫 Before You Land
Buy an Airalo or Holafly Europe eSIM (5GB ~₹1,400, works across all Schengen) before you fly. Install these apps before takeoff: Bonjour RATP (Paris metro/bus/tram — the official app, much better than Google for live disruption), SNCF Connect for trains across France (book TGV Prem'fares 3+ months ahead for €30–70 fares that walk-up would be €120+), Citymapper Paris, Google Maps with the France offline pack, Google Translate with French offline (point the camera at restaurant menus — it works surprisingly well), and FlixBus for cheap intercity if you're not on rail. Carry around ₹10,000 worth of EUR cash for emergencies, but France is properly card-friendly — contactless Visa and Mastercard work nearly everywhere. Book Eiffel Tower and Louvre timed-entry tickets weeks in advance directly on their official sites; same-day queues in summer can hit three hours.
🛬 After You Land
From Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG): the RER B direct to Gare du Nord, Châtelet or Saint-Michel runs every 10–15 min, ~35 min, €11.80. The new CDG Express (when it opens) will be faster but pricier; for now, RER B is the right answer. From Paris Orly (ORY): the Orlyval light rail to RER B Antony in 8 min, then RER B into central Paris, ~50 min total for €13.25. Avoid airport taxis without a fixed-rate flag — official Paris taxi rate from CDG to central Paris is €56 right bank / €65 left bank, flat. Validate every metro ticket; inspectors are constant and €50+ fines instant. Withdraw your first EUR from a bank-branded ATM (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole) and decline the dynamic currency conversion — always pay in EUR.
🚄 Transport
French rail is the gold standard. TGV high-speed trains: Paris → Strasbourg ~1h 50m (€25–80 advance), Paris → Lyon ~2h (€30–90), Paris → Bordeaux ~2h 15m, Paris → Marseille ~3h 15m. Book via SNCF Connect — Prem'fares (advance) and Ouigo (low-cost TGV) can be a third of the walk-up price. The same TGV from Stuttgart to Strasbourg we took is ~50 minutes; cross-border European rail is properly seamless. Within Paris: the metro is the right answer 95% of the time — a single ticket is €2.15, a 10-pack (carnet) €17.35, a Navigo Easy day pass €8.45. Don't bother with the Hop-on Hop-off bus in Paris — it's slow (we learned this the hard way) and the metro is faster and cheaper. The Vélib' bike-share is brilliant for the Canal Saint-Martin and Seine quais — €5 for a day pass, dedicated lanes most of the centre.
🏨 Accommodation
Paris is expensive — central 3-star hotels run €150–280, even hostels charge €40–60 for a dorm bed. Airbnb studios remain the sweet spot for couples; our 43 Rue Spontini studio in the 16th was small, smart and worth every penny. Look at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 19th arrondissements for cheaper, better-character stays with easy metro into the centre. Strasbourg runs noticeably cheaper — €70–140 for hotels, plenty of Airbnbs in the old town. Best months: late April through June, and September; February (our 2025 trip) is cold and quiet but bookings are easy and the city is yours. Avoid mid-July to mid-August unless that's the only window — the city empties of Parisians, prices stay up, and the heat is brutal.
🍽️ Food in a Nutshell
France is a paradise for cheese, bread, dessert and seafood — and a survival exercise for strict vegetarians. Vegetarian survival: croque-monsieur (without ham — most cafés will accommodate), quiche (egg-and-cheese variants), ratatouille (the vegetable stew is properly vegetarian), salade niçoise sans thon, tartines, every kind of bread from every kind of boulangerie, and the entire pâtisserie counter. Crêpes can be sweet (Nutella, sugar, butter — all safe) or savoury (ham/egg/cheese — ask carefully). Macarons from Pierre Hermé, Ladurée or any neighbourhood bakery; the macaron shop we got drenched walking to in Montmartre is the kind of memory worth wet shoes. In Alsace, vegetarian options widen: tarte flambée can be ordered without lardons (just crème fraîche and onion), kugelhopf is naturally vegetarian, and Alsatian wines (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris) are extraordinary. Indian restaurants in Paris are surprisingly excellent — concentrated in La Chapelle/Gare du Nord — for when the cheese fatigue hits. Tap water is free; bottled water is one of the easier French scams to avoid.