Experiencing Paris on foot isn’t for the faint of heart.
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Many city streets are winding and uneven, with narrow sidewalks. On top of that, crowds and traffic can make a pleasant stroll feel more like a hike through an industrial wasteland.
On top of the lackluster infrastructure and hustle, Paris is also massive, stretching over 42 square miles and home to 20 unique arrondissements.
In short: you aren’t advised to tackle the city as a pedestrian, even if you prefer to get around on foot.
That being said, the City of Love is undergoing a bit of a green revolution. As with other cities around the world, locals have been pushing for more pedestrian-only streets.
The battle has been long, but successful—especially in Paris, which recently voted to make 500 streets open to foot traffic only. Though that mission will take a few years to be fully realized, visitors heading to Paris can (and should) enjoy the pedestrian-only streets that already exist.
Here’s how to explore Paris on foot—while avoiding all those honking cars and nauseating exhaust fumes. Keep in mind that some streets are only car-free during certain timeframes, which I’ve listed below.
Also, rue means street in French. Alright, allons-y!
Best pedestrian streets to explore Paris on foot
Rue Montorgueil
The permanent market street of Rue Montorgueil is lined with shops, cafes, bakeries, restaurants, fish stores, flower shops, and more. Fans of fine art might recognize the name from Claude Monet’s famous painting Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878.
Over a century later, the street remains a hotspot for shoppers and walkers alike.
Cour Saint-Emilion/Bercy Village
Above the metro station, you’ll find a gorgeous courtyard that marks the entrance to Bercy Village. Formerly an area used for storing wine, it’s now used as a popular dining area for those headed onward to Musée des Arts Forains.
Just make sure you come hungry and have plenty of time to spend—you’ll be following your nose from one delicious treat to the next when exploring Paris on foot.
Rue Daguerre
This lively street market is known as being one of Paris’s most colorful shopping areas—but there’s a lot more than what meets the eye.
Rue Daguerre is a melting pot where immigrants from around the country and beyond meet tete-a-tete to eat, shop, and listen to music. Artists have been drawn to the area for years, along with well-to-do businesspeople, backpackers, and more come to eat well and be merry.
Rue de la Huchette
Nestled in the Latin Quarter, Rue de la Huchette is one of the oldest streets in Paris—which you might be able to intuit based on its location.
Rue de la Huchette sits between Boulevard Saint-Michel and Notre-Dame. You can find late-night eats, souvenir shops, eateries, wineries, and more here. Just bring a little bit of hand sanitizer with you—Rue de la Huchette has been dubbed ‘bacteria alley’.
Avenue de Champs-Elysees: first Sunday of the month
If you’ve spent time in Paris before, you might already be familiar with the popular streets listed above—but don’t forget that the city is also seeking to pedestrianize its grandest avenues.
The Avenue de Champs-Elysees is a car-free haven every first Sunday of the month and has been for nearly a decade. It’s one of the best places to experience Paris on foot.
If you’re a true Paris-file, I highly recommend scheduling your next trip around the first Sunday. There’s nothing quite like joining hundreds of Parisians and visitors for a relaxing afternoon jaunt along one of the world’s most famous streets.
