mamc

Walking is much of the delight of being in Paris. While we have been known to use the Metro or a cab to get somewhere in a hurry, we walk everywhere. And we are twice your age. We walk all day and then walk to and from dinner sometimes a considerable distance. In addition to all of the wonderful things you'll see, you can eat all you want and still lose weight. And that is a definite benefit in Paris.

Christina

YOU can just walk around those parts easily enough. I think Paris as a whole is roughly 4-5 miles across in each direction (N-W and E-W). So, the entire area you may be interested in is probably only 2 miles from end to end, at most.

WillTravel

Paris is 41 square miles, so if perfectly square, it would be about 6.5 miles on each side. For reference, San Francisco is 49 square miles, Vancouver is 44, and the island of Manhattan is 23.

sandi_travelnut

Easy to walk it. Just be a little organized in what you'd like to see in each area to not backtrack or waste too much time. Even if you're just wanting to wander, make sure you have an idea of where you're starting from and where you'd like to end.

kerouac

It is very common to walk the distance of 15 or 20 metro stations -- and then take the metro back. Just look at a metro map to see how much that means.

nytraveler

You can easily walk all over central Paris - where most of the tourist attractions are - as long as you are reasonably fit - the beau and I do it and we've both hit 50.

Just make sure you have really comfy shoes (2 pairs in case it rains) and make sufficient cafe stops (which are a lot of the fun anyway).

suze

Another vote for yes, Paris can be done only on foot. My friend convinced me to use the Metro a few times for longer distances, if I'd been on my own I would have stayed above ground and just walked. Or maybe taken a taxi home at the end of the day if I'd gone to far afield from my hotel.

wanderful

Three years ago I went to Paris. I was 51. I was leery of taking the metro, a wariness I overcame the next year. But that first year I stayed in the 7th and walked over the city, from Quai Voltaire all the way to Musee Picasso one day and back, and from the same stop the next day to the Eiffel Tower. (Okay, I took a cab back.) The point is, at your age (31, 28), you should easily be able to traverse the city by foot, and you’ll be happy for it.

BostonGal

I only read the first couple of answers, but I completely agree.

My husband and I were there last year (we're the same ages as you) and walked everywhere. I'll note that our weather did NOT cooperate, yet we still walked! It rained on us the entire time, except for maybe 10mins.

It was still spectacular!
Have a great time!

cchottel

I'm 55 with a slight heart problem and I can walk central Paris(I wouldn't go to Montmarte). I also believe to really see a city and get the feel, you need to walk.

But I also love the Metro. And it, too, is part of the "flavor" of Paris. I usually hop on it at the beginning of the day to get me to the area I want to visit. Then I start walking. Sometimes I find myself almost back at my hotel, because the streets have carried me away.

Don't let the Metro scare you. It is really very easy to navigate. I would advise you to try it first when you are starting out, not when you are tired. You will see it makes a lot of sense.

When I get tired, usually around 4-5 p.m., after walking around for 8 hours, I like to hop on to get back to my hotel and put up my feet until time to leave for dinner. Sometimes it might only be a stop or two, but when I'm ready to get off my feet, I'm ready. And then the Metro is a God's send.

I usually buy a carnet. So I always have a ticket handy.

Robespierre

<b><i>M&eacute;trophobique</i>?</b>

Try this: http://nanika.net/Metro

AnthonyGA

Not only is it possible to see Paris on foot, but that is the best way to see the city.

How much is walkable depends on your condition. Visitors from cities ruled by cars or from climates so severe that walking is not possible tend to be in poor shape and cannot walk very far; people from places like Manhattan or anywhere else where they walk a lot have no trouble with Paris. The biggest mistake people make is not wearing proper shoes for walking. Shoes that feel comfortable after 10 minutes of walking may still leave you in agony after three hours.

If you do not walk in Paris, you always miss important parts of the city.

Robespierre

twk said:

&quot;Why walk the same streets near your lodging 10 times or more? ... Public transport is not a subsitute for walking in Paris--it is a means for getting to different starting points for your walking.&quot;

And I think that says all that needs to be said.

Neopolitan

Anyone who can walk the same 5 blocks in Paris 10 times and not see something different each time must have his/her eyes closed. I never get tired of walking the same areas -- sure I like to do others as well.

I do recall taking the metro from our hotel in the 5th to Defense and walking, thinking we'd take a metro or bus back at some point, but we didn't; we just kept walking until we were &quot;home&quot;.

MaureenB

In Paris, we walked from morning till night, and loved it. Definitely the way to see that city. We'd eat dinner, but then usually afterwards we were happy to have a lift home via cab, metro or boat.
I always recommend the hop-on-hop-off Batobus, because it's a fun, easy and relatively inexpensive way to see Paris from the Seine. Definitely a must-do in Paris for us is to see the city at night, all lit up from the river. That's my idea of Paris! The Batobus also came in handy one day when it was raining. It stops at the 8 major tourist sites, but stops running around 10:00 p.m. A two-day unlimited use pass was only about 12 or 13EU per person, I think.

Robespierre

&quot;...must have his/her eyes closed.&quot;

Or maybe not very observant?