Looking for some ways to feel authentically French while you’re on vacation? Here’s our big list of things to do in Paris when you want to feel like a local. Most of it is cheap or free… and all of it looks great in photographs!

1. Have a picnic, in one of Paris’s many parks, by the Seine, or for something a little different, in the ruins of an ancient Roman Colosseum (in the Arènes de Lutece).
2. Walk around the city. Some beautiful places for walks include around Abesses and Montmartre, the Marais and the Left Bank.
3. Take a pony ride or see a puppet show in the Luxembourg Gardens or the Champ de Mars (check first for specific show times or pony availability)
4. Have a play or see the animals at the Jardin d’Acclimatation or the Jardin des Plantes Menagerie.
5. Go ice-skating at the Champs Elysées (winter only)
6. Take in the view of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
7. Stroll along the Canal Saint-Martin.
8. Ride the Bateau Mouche for a view of the city from the Seine.
9. Smell the roses and take a walk along La Coulee Verte.
10. Put an engraved padlock on the Pont des Arts, then throw the key into the Seine.
11. Kiss at the Love Wall at Abbesses.
12. Take a romantic horse and carriage ride around the Champ de Mars.
13. Hire a vespa to ride around Paris.
14. Dance in one of the free dance lessons by the Seine (summer only).
15. See a show at the Opera.
16. Shopping at les Passages Couverts.
17. Enjoy a falafel or Jewish treat while wandering the Marais.
18. Browse the book stalls along the Left Bank (from midday).
19. Explore the flea markets (Les Puces) in the north of Paris.
20. Play petanque (boules) at Place Dauphine (Pont Neuf) or Square Suzanne Buisson (Abesses).
21. Play chess in the Luxembourg Gardens.
22. Explore some of Paris’s many beautiful churches.
23. Share a mint tea at the Paris Mosque.
24. Picnic or walk in the Bois de Boulogne.
25. Feed the ducks at Luxembourg Gardens.
26. Stroll around the Luxembourg Gardens, Tuileries, or the Champ de Mars.
27. At the Eiffel Tower skip-the-line and get a behind-the-scenes original theatrical tour.
28. Climb the Notre Dame.
29. Hire a Velib bicycle and ride around Paris.
30. Go ice-skating at the Hotel de Ville (middle of winter only)
31. Rollerskate by night (from 10pm, weather permitting) with Pari Roller.
32. Play ping-pong by the Canal de l’Ourcq.
33. Take in the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.
34. Visit the Catacombs (note no flash photography here)
35. Be photographed with famous tombs in the Pere Lachaise or Montmartre cemetery.
36. Catch some rays while sunbaking on the banks of the Seine for Paris Plage (summer only).
37. Take a stroll around the neighbourhood of Belleville, famous for its grungy and arty feel.
38. Meander one of the many fresh-food markets around Paris (days differ between locations).
39. Have a high tea at a beautiful cafe.
40. Enjoy an amazing meal in an authentic Paris bistro or restaurant.