Paris in 2022: What to Expect

If you are planning on traveling to Paris in 2022, there are a few things you should know. As the city prepares for the 2024 Olympics and coming out of the 2-year travel freeze we all experienced, many changes are taking place that may impact your trip. For example, there will be new transportation options available and several major landmarks will be under construction. The good news and there are a lot of new things to visit and see, and several significant re-opening of old favorites.

Sure. Paris is always a good idea. But maybe some times are better than others! I know that we have been stuck at home the past two years and we are all a bit antsy to get back out there. Paris is a dream destination for many. A bucket list trip they no longer want to hold off on, years have been stolen from our lives and we have time to make up for. If Paris is where you want to go, I say go for it. BUT I do want to provide some information that will help set expectations as to what it will be like to visit Paris in 2022.

I have been to Paris more than 50 times. During every month and every season. My last big trip was a 2-week stay in the 15th and 11th Arrondissements in September/October 2021 which was part of a larger 5-week trip in France. My most recent trip was a weekend in January of 2022. All that to say I have some experience.

Also, I love all my expat friends that live in Paris, living the day-to-day in the city of light, but there is a different experience when you are visiting as a tourist than living as an expat or a local. Every time I return it is as a visitor, fresh eyes, new experiences, and lots of snags. Hopefully, you will avoid some disappointment by reading this post.

My intent isn't to discourage you from visiting Paris. I just want you to take off the rose-colored glasses for a moment, reset your expectations, then you can quickly shove them back on! I am providing an overview of what to expect in Paris in 2022 (not an update to the usual information about Paris). I hope this information helps make your trip planning easier!

D'accord? Bon ! On y va ! (Okay? Good! Let's go!)

Here is what you need to know about visiting Paris in 2022!

Construction everywhere!

There are over 70 construction projects going on right now in Paris leading up to the 2024 Olympics and it impacts a lot of major sites. Things will be closed, views will be blocked, it’s a real mess, so be prepared for that!

Here is an absolutely essential resource from the Paris.fr website. you will need if want to know where major construction is taking place by arrondissement. It is in French, but there is still information you can gather even if you don't speak English. And you can use an online translation tool to get you a little further.

Probably most painful for first-time visitors to Paris will be the construction of the garden between Trocadero and the Eiffel Tower. If you are someone who looks at Google Street View, which the Misadventures family does a lot, the images are outdated, so you would never suspect that anything was amiss.

If you are dreaming about all those awesome Instagram-worthy photos of the Eiffel Tower from the Palais De Chaillot sorry to disappoint you, but there is only one teeny slice of the area where you can still take photos and you will have to fight to get a good spot!

This is an enormous project (you can get more info, in French, here and here) that is going to take a while to complete.

As I mentioned this is happening throughout Paris at all the major sites, like the Louvre:

This post is about preparing you for the current situation so you will not be surprised! The bright side? There are literally thousands of places to visit in Paris. There is no shortage of awesome things to see. And if you want to see some of the major sites, you just need to get a little creative and maybe brush up on your yoga, as you may have to twist your body in some unnatural ways to get that shot!

If you decide to go the Airbnb route ask if there is any major construction on the street. One of the 2 apartments we stayed in last October was completely blocked by construction and we could never get a taxi to take us home! On top of that they were expanding the metro station and light rail so accessing the metro turned out to be a real pain. Read all the reviews for the apartment!

If you are staying in a hotel, call or email them to ask the same question about construction. The last thing you want is to spend money on a nice hotel and then not get the view you want (or worse). Mr. Misadventures and I splurged on a hotel for 24 hours so we could get their rooftop terrace view of the Eiffel Tower only to arrive at the hotel and learn it was closed for construction…le sigh…

Taxi drama at CDG Airport

Because of all the construction and street closures traffic is absolutely horrific so that severely impacts travel times in taxis when going from here to there in the city. PLUS there is a new phenomenon at the airport that I witnessed. Depending on the time of day I saw taxi drivers at the airport rejecting people going to the city (mind blown) because there is a set fare from CDG to Paris and depending on traffic taxi drivers lose money.

• Flat rate to the left bank: €58. The left bank is these arrondissements: 5th, 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, and 15th.
• Flat rate to the right bank: €53. The right bank is these arrondissements: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th.

Start off by making sure to get in an official taxi queue/line. (NOTE: licensed “Taxis Parisiens” (Parisian taxis) park outside the baggage claim areas in each terminal). Only get into a taxi that has an illuminated rooftop sign (it's a green light). And make sure it has a meter!

Also when you do get in the cab, confirm the 50 Euro tariff, don’t get scammed!

Bikes

If it is the first time you are visiting Paris or if it has been a while you need to be aware that there are a lot more bikes than there used to be. More bike lanes too. They can be a real hazard in overcrowded areas, so please be aware of them. You may not realize you are walking on a bike path and could potentially cause an accident. Be on the lookout for them at all times!

Restaurant closures

This is a global phenomenon due to the pandemic. Many restaurants around the world have closed including probably some of your favorites in Paris. Make sure you double-check online to ensure that business is still open.

One of my favorite pastry shops, Café Pouchkine Paris, which made Le Médovic, is permanently closed and I am sad.

The Good News: What to do in Paris in 2022

On a positive note, there are new attractions and museums that have opened or reopened since 2020.

Here are just some of the things you can look forward to:

• The Musée Carnavalet has reopened after five years or renovation and restoration. This museum housed in 2 hôtel particulier (mansions) is in the Marais in the 3rd Arrondissement (23 Rue de Sévigné) is dedicated to the history of Paris.
• Bourse de Commerce is now open! Do not miss this transformation of the former Paris Stock Exchange in the 1st Arrondissement (2 Rue de Viarmes) into a contemporary art museum including an outstanding museum cafe called Halle aux Grains.
• La Samaritaine also the 1st Arrondissement (9 Rue de la Monnaie) is also opened. For years, I would look up at that building hoping that I would someday see it restored and et voilà, it is done! Along with the department store is a new luxury hotel with spectacular views, Cheval Blanc (8 Quai du Louvre).
• Who doesn't love Banksy? Well, the Parisians certainly do! And to show their love there is an exposition lasting the entire year (until Dec 31, 2022) dedicated to his work presented by the Espace Lafayette Drouot in the 9th Arrondissement (44 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre).

Don’t miss the opportunity to explore Paris in 2022! To ensure a smooth trip, be sure you know where construction is happening and plan accordingly.

Here is more information to help you plan your trip.

Here is additional information for Paris for every month of the year:

PARIS IN:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec

And here are guides to the individual Paris Arrondissements:

Paris Arrondissement Guide | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th 

And if you are looking for packing advice, I've got you covered!

• Spring in Paris
• Summer in Paris
• Fall/Autumn in Paris
• Winter in Paris

With a little planning, your trip to Paris is sure to be a success!

How about you? Are you planning a trip to Paris in 2022? How can I help?

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