Repeat Paris Travelers: What They Prioritize

People who keep returning to Paris travel differently. They stop chasing the big landmarks and start chasing the things that make the city feel alive. This list runs through the habits, routines, and small choices they repeat on every trip. These are the parts of Paris they protect in their schedules.

1. Long Wandering Days With No Fixed Plan

Repeat visitors rely on walking more than anything else. They cross half the city on foot without trying. Five-hour walks are normal.

Pick a neighborhood, drift into side streets, follow whatever catches the eye, and change direction whenever the mood shifts.

Many walk up to Montmartre even if the top gets crowded because the climb through back streets still feels worth it.

Some keep a classic loop they enjoy every trip, like crossing from Notre-Dame to the Louvre and then heading up the Champs-Élysées until the Arc de Triomphe appears.

2. Eating like it’s the main event

Food sits at the center of many return trip. People plan days around restaurants, bakeries, and markets.

They rotate good spots, avoid tourist traps, and slip in at least one ambitious meal per day. They eat croissants for breakfast on autopilot. They check out patisseries for afternoon snacks. Some make specific detours for places like Cédric Grolet’s shop.

Wine also plays a role: half carafes at lunch, glasses on café terraces, and casual drinks before evening music sets.

3. Markets, picnics, cooking at “home”

Fresh markets: they pick up cheese, fruit, jams, charcuterie, mustards, and small jars of seasonings. They shop often and in small quantities.

Many rent apartments partly to cook simple meals with market ingredients. Others use markets to build impromptu picnics – baguette, cheese, sausage – then find steps or a park bench with a view.

Jardin du Luxembourg is a favorite slow afternoon stop with a bottle of wine and a book.

4. Jazz nights & small cultural spots

Paris’s jazz scene is a major anchor for frequent visitors. The city’s younger musicians are reshaping the scene with less snobbery and more experimentation. Move between classic jazz, gypsy jazz, New Orleans-style sets, afro jazz, and fusion nights.

La Gare in the 19th is set in a former station and runs late sessions. People also follow one-off events in unexpected venues like courtyards, old halls, or seasonal pop-ups.

Cabaret shows, small operatic performances, and quirky productions like “Titanique” at the Lido fill the rest of the evenings.

5. Pharmacies, tea shops, tiny stores

Visitors stock up on French pharmacy staples because prices and availability beat what they find at home. A313, Biafine, Laluset, classic moisturizers, and haircare lines fill suitcases.

They also stop at places like G. Detou for baking goods, chocolate, spices, and pastry supplies. Art shops such as Sennelier, Mélodies Graphiques, and Charvin get mentioned a lot for pens, inks, and notebooks.

Specialty grocery stores like La Grande Épicerie stay on the list even for people who think they’ve seen everything.

6. Obscure museums and odd exhibition picks

Rather than revisiting the big museums, people look for side-door choices. The Rodin Museum, Orsay, and Orangerie still draw repeat visits.

Les Pavillons de Bercy for circus and fairground history, small art museums scattered through neighborhoods, or temporary “blockbuster” exhibits.

The Michael Jackson show at Grand Palais, a surrealism mega-exhibit at Pompidou (before the closure), the Aura light show at Les Invalides, and an Escher show they track down as soon as dates drop.

7. Temporary cultural spaces

Some travelers love the short-life cultural venues that appear in vacant buildings awaiting renovation. These places can host workshops, canteens, studios, community events, or small performances.

They are usually cheap, informal, and filled with students, artists, and families. They change all the time, and part of the fun is never knowing what you’ll find. These spaces feel like a slice of daily Paris that most travelers never see.

8. Shopping other than souvenirs

They skip the Eiffel Tower keychains and head to flea markets instead, especially Porte de Vanves, to hunt for old prints, silverware, ceramics, and small antiques.

They also drift into department stores to compare products. Some bring home things that make sense in daily life: Veja sneakers, cashmere sweaters, spices, notebooks, teas, and chocolate bars from grocery shelves. Everyday shopping, not tourist shopping.

9. Neighborhood Rituals

Repeat visitors like feeling oriented. They enjoy recognizing corners, remembering shortcuts, and having go-to cafés and restaurants.

Saint-Germain is appreciated for lunches and wine. Some stick to a handful of loved restaurants and try to revisit them each time so they can talk to the same chefs or servers again.

Others choose a new arrondissement to explore every trip until they’ve covered all twenty.

10. Beyond French Food

While French food dominates, people also make time for standout international restaurants. Vietnamese food gets a lot of praise, especially at places with serious culinary reputations like Mắm From Hanoi in the Sentier.

Lebanese restaurants are also favorites. These meals help break up a week that might otherwise be heavy on bread, cheese, and butter.