Straight answers
The questions people actually arrive with.
The only verified figure on this page: €68 on the spot, up to €180 before a court, as a third-class contravention. The 2024 swimming sites are the exception, not the rule.
€68–€180Behaviour · Medium
Swimming in the Seine, the canals and the basins is banned except in the authorised bathing areas, and also wherever a red flag is flying. It is a third-class contravention: €68 paid on the spot, €180 if you let it go unpaid. The ban is about currents and river traffic, not water quality — the authorised stretches are supervised for a reason.
Use one of the supervised bathing areas and check the flag before you get in. A red flag means closed that day, not closed in principle.
The Seine river and all public fountains throughout Paris.
It arrives by post, so ordering it the day you drive in is too late. The low-emission zone reads plates automatically.
€68–€375Transport · Medium
All vehicles driving within Paris require a Crit'Air vignette (sticker). This applies to rental cars and foreign vehicles too. Order online at certificat-air.gouv.fr (the ONLY official site — beware of scams). Paris bans Crit'Air 3+ vehicles (diesel pre-2011, petrol pre-2006) Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00. Weekends and bank holidays exempt. Grace period extended through December 2026. Applies to the entire area inside the Boulevard Périphérique.
Order your Crit'Air sticker online at certificat-air.gouv.fr BEFORE your trip. Only use the official site — many scam sites charge 5–10x the real price. If your rental car is newer than 2011, you're likely fine.
All roads inside the Boulevard Périphérique (central Paris). Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00.
France has no national street-drinking ban. What bans it is a local arrêté covering particular streets at particular hours, so the answer changes by neighbourhood and by time of night.
€35–€150Alcohol · Info
France doesn't have a blanket public drinking ban. Drinking wine by the Seine is a Parisian tradition. HOWEVER: being visibly drunk and disorderly is an offense (up to €150). Some areas near schools and hospitals may prohibit alcohol. Paris is moving toward more restrictions — watch for local signage.
Picnicking with wine by the Seine is fine — being visibly drunk and disorderly is not. Check for local restriction signs near schools and hospitals.
Generally allowed, but restricted near schools, hospitals, and in designated areas. Drunk and disorderly behavior is fined everywhere.
This is not a fine in law. It is an indemnity under the operator’s conditions of carriage, which is why no penal class applies to it and no figure is published here.
WarningTransport · Warning
Travel without a validated ticket and RATP and SNCF bills you directly: the fare plus a penalty set in its own conditions of carriage, collected on the spot by inspectors. This is a contractual charge rather than a fine, which is why it does not appear on the French contravention scale — and why we state no figure until the tariff is read. Having a ticket is not enough; validate it before boarding.
Always keep your ticket until you EXIT the station. Use the Navigo Easy card or Île-de-France Mobilités app. Don't tailgate through turnstiles. Paper tickets are being phased out.
All Paris metro, RER, tram, and bus lines. Inspectors check inside vehicles and at station exits.
15 Paris rules
Highest risk first. Open any row for the detail. 3 more come from France law — listed below.
Nighttime noise (10 PM – 7 AM) is regulated. Loud music, shouting, or parties can result in police being called and fines up to €450. Airbnb hosts can be fined if their guests disturb neighbours.
All residential areas throughout Paris.
French noise pollution regulations; Paris municipal ordinances.
Keep noise down after 10 PM in your accommodation. Party at clubs, not in your Airbnb. Your host can lose their licence if neighbours complain.
All vehicles driving within Paris require a Crit'Air vignette (sticker). This applies to rental cars and foreign vehicles too. Order online at certificat-air.gouv.fr (the ONLY official site — beware of scams). Paris bans Crit'Air 3+ vehicles (diesel pre-2011, petrol pre-2006) Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00. Weekends and bank holidays exempt. Grace period extended through December 2026. Applies to the entire area inside the Boulevard Périphérique.
All roads inside the Boulevard Périphérique (central Paris). Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00.
French Low Emission Zone (ZFE) regulations; Crit'Air vignette system.
Order your Crit'Air sticker online at certificat-air.gouv.fr BEFORE your trip. Only use the official site — many scam sites charge 5–10x the real price. If your rental car is newer than 2011, you're likely fine.
Swimming in the Seine, the canals and the basins is banned except in the authorised bathing areas, and also wherever a red flag is flying. It is a third-class contravention: €68 paid on the spot, €180 if you let it go unpaid. The ban is about currents and river traffic, not water quality — the authorised stretches are supervised for a reason.
The Seine river and all public fountains throughout Paris.
Code de procédure pénale art. R49 (amende forfaitaire de 3e classe, €68; majorée €180). https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000041765693
Use one of the supervised bathing areas and check the flag before you get in. A red flag means closed that day, not closed in principle.
Dropping cigarette butts, leaving trash, or spitting on the street carries a €68 fine. Paris has increased enforcement with plainclothes officers in tourist areas.
All public spaces throughout Paris.
Paris municipal cleanliness regulations.
Use bins. Carry a portable ashtray for cigarette butts. Don't leave coffee cups or food wrappers on benches or walls.
Despite Paris's reputation, public urination carries a minimum €68 fine. The city has installed free public urinals ('uritrottoirs') in several nightlife areas. Use them or find a café.
All public areas throughout Paris.
Paris municipal public order regulations.
Use the free 'uritrottoirs' in nightlife areas, café restrooms, or public toilets. Many public toilets are free (Sanisettes on the street).
Travel without a validated ticket and RATP and SNCF bills you directly: the fare plus a penalty set in its own conditions of carriage, collected on the spot by inspectors. This is a contractual charge rather than a fine, which is why it does not appear on the French contravention scale — and why we state no figure until the tariff is read. Having a ticket is not enough; validate it before boarding.
All Paris metro, RER, tram, and bus lines. Inspectors check inside vehicles and at station exits.
RATP and SNCF fare conditions. Fare evasion is billed by the operator under its own tariff, not under the penal contravention scale, so the previously published figure could not be checked against Légifrance and the tariff itself has not been read.
Always keep your ticket until you EXIT the station. Use the Navigo Easy card or Île-de-France Mobilités app. Don't tailgate through turnstiles. Paper tickets are being phased out.
France doesn't have a blanket public drinking ban. Drinking wine by the Seine is a Parisian tradition. HOWEVER: being visibly drunk and disorderly is an offense (up to €150). Some areas near schools and hospitals may prohibit alcohol. Paris is moving toward more restrictions — watch for local signage.
Generally allowed, but restricted near schools, hospitals, and in designated areas. Drunk and disorderly behavior is fined everywhere.
French public order law; Paris municipal regulations.
Picnicking with wine by the Seine is fine — being visibly drunk and disorderly is not. Check for local restriction signs near schools and hospitals.
Paris banned rental e-scooters in September 2023, the first major European city to do so. You cannot rent a shared e-scooter anywhere in Paris. Private e-scooters are still legal but must stay off sidewalks, not exceed 25 km/h, riders must be 14+, and riding drunk is illegal.
All of Paris — no shared e-scooter rental services available.
Paris e-scooter rental ban; September 2023 referendum.
Use the metro, bus, Vélib' bike-share, or walk. If you bring a private e-scooter, stay on bike lanes and roads — never on sidewalks.
Cover shoulders and knees when visiting churches, cathedrals, and religious sites (Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur, Sainte-Chapelle, etc.). You will be turned away if dressed inappropriately. No monetary fine, but no entry.
Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur, Sainte-Chapelle, and all churches and cathedrals throughout Paris.
Standard dress code enforced at all French religious sites.
Carry a lightweight scarf or shawl for your shoulders. Wear trousers or a skirt covering knees. You won't be fined but you will be denied entry.
Selfie sticks are banned inside the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Palace of Versailles, and most major museums. You'll be asked to check them at the entrance or leave them in your bag.
The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Palace of Versailles, Centre Pompidou, and most major Parisian museums.
Individual museum policies; widely enforced since 2015.
Leave your selfie stick at the hotel or in your bag. Most museums will confiscate it at the entrance anyway.
The famous love locks on Pont des Arts were removed in 2015 due to structural damage (45 tonnes of locks). Placing new locks is discouraged and they are periodically removed. While there's no specific fine, it's considered vandalism of public property.
Pont des Arts, Pont de l'Archevêché, and all bridges and public structures in Paris.
Paris municipal public property protection; Pont des Arts lock removal 2015.
Take a photo together on the bridge instead. The locks caused 45 tonnes of damage to Pont des Arts — express your love in ways that don't damage infrastructure.
Photography of the Eiffel Tower at night (when lit) is technically restricted by copyright — the light design is protected. Using night photos commercially requires permission from SETE (the operating company). Casual tourist photos are practically never enforced, but good to know. Flash photography is banned in most museums.
The Eiffel Tower at night (when illuminated). Also: flash photography banned in most Parisian museums.
French intellectual property law; SETE Eiffel Tower lighting copyright.
Casual tourist photos of the lit Eiffel Tower are fine in practice. Just don't use them commercially without permission from SETE. Turn off flash in museums.
Paris is one of Europe's worst cities for pickpocketing. Hotspots: Metro Line 1, Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, Louvre area, Champs-Élysées, Gare du Nord. Common scams: petition signers, bracelet forcers, three-cup game. NEVER let anyone 'help' you at an ATM.
Metro Line 1, Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, Louvre area, Champs-Élysées, Gare du Nord, and all major tourist areas.
Paris police tourist safety advisories.
Keep bags front-facing and zipped in the metro. Don't sign petitions from strangers. Don't engage with bracelet sellers. Use contactless payment instead of carrying cash.
€0.25–€5 per person per night depending on accommodation type. 5-star hotels: ~€5. Budget hotels: ~€1. Airbnb: usually included in booking. Children under 18 exempt in some municipalities.
All accommodation in Paris and Île-de-France.
French taxe de séjour regulations.
This is mandatory. Budget €1–5 per person per night depending on your accommodation. Check if your booking platform includes it.
Aggressive begging is illegal in France. If someone aggressively demands money after an unsolicited 'service' (carrying your bags, giving directions, placing a bracelet on your wrist), you are NOT obligated to pay. Common at Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel Tower.
Sacré-Cœur steps, Eiffel Tower area, Champs-Élysées, major metro stations, and tourist areas.
French law on aggressive begging and harassment.
Firmly say 'non merci' and walk away. Don't engage. You owe nothing for unsolicited services. Walk toward police if someone is aggressive.
Also everywhere in France
National law, written once for France and inherited by every city page.