France
Paris
Away-day guide
Paris is straightforward for an away weekend once you get your head around separate airport and city transport fares. Drink centrally, leave plenty of time for Parc des Princes security and follow the visiting club’s instructions rather than heading independently towards the Auteuil end.
Public transport
The Métro is the main tool for a weekend trip, backed by RER trains for longer cross-city journeys, trams around the outer districts and extensive buses. A standard Metro–Train–RER ticket covers an ordinary journey on those networks, while buses and trams use a separate Bus–Tram ticket. Load tickets or a Navigo Jour day pass onto a Navigo Easy card or compatible phone; do not rely on an unsupported foreign bank card as a London-style tap-in payment method. Keep the ticket or phone available until you have left the station because inspections are common. Navigo Jour can be worthwhile for a heavy sightseeing day, but airport journeys use special fares and are not necessarily included. Citymapper, Bonjour RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités are all useful for live routing. Night buses operate as Noctilien after the Métro closes, but groups may find a taxi competitive late at night.
Typical prices
- Beer (0.5L)
- EUR 8
- Coffee
- EUR 3
- Meal, mid-range
- EUR 20
- Taxi from airport
- EUR 56
- Single transit ticket
- EUR 2.5
✈ Airports & cheaper alternatives
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport CDG primary 25 km RER B runs directly to Gare du Nord, Châtelet–Les Halles and Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame, normally taking around 30–40 minutes. Check for engineering work before travelling. The main international airport and usually the simplest option, though queues and engineering work can make the RER journey less smooth late at night.
- Paris Orly Airport ORY alternative 14 km Metro line 14 runs directly between the airport and central stops including Châtelet and Gare de Lyon, taking roughly 25 minutes to Châtelet. Closer than Charles de Gaulle and used by several low-cost carriers; particularly handy for the south and centre of Paris.
- Paris Beauvais Airport BVA alternative 85 km Official airport coaches connect Beauvais with Paris. The journey is normally around 75–90 minutes but can be considerably longer in traffic; book against your flight and check the current Paris terminus. Often much cheaper with budget airlines, but it is nowhere near Paris. Allow plenty of time for the coach transfer, particularly after a late match.
🍺 Supporters' pubs
Paris Saint-Germain
Home fans: PSG supporters gather around the Porte de Saint-Cloud roundabout and streets beside Parc des Princes. Established home bars include Aux Trois Obus, 120 rue Michel-Ange, and Les Deux Stades between Parc des Princes and Stade Jean-Bouin. L’Initial, 194 rue de la Croix-Nivert, is another strongly PSG-oriented bar, particularly for televised games.
Away fans: There is no permanent official away pub. Neutral options include The Hideout, 8 boulevard de Denain; Belushi’s Gare du Nord; The Auld Alliance, 80 rue François-Miron; The French Flair, 75 bis boulevard de Clichy; and Frog XVI, 110 bis avenue Kléber. The Latin Quarter is also commonly used by visiting groups. Avoid treating Aux Trois Obus or Les Deux Stades as away pubs, and show discretion with colours around Porte d’Auteuil and the Virage Auteuil side of the ground. For higher-risk fixtures, drink centrally and follow any police-designated meeting arrangements.
PSG are Paris’s only senior club in a 2026–27 UEFA men’s competition, entering the Champions League league phase. Away tickets normally come through the visiting club. Match-specific police instructions can override the usual pub and transport advice.
Sourced from supporters' forums — always follow your club's and police advice for the fixture.
Nightlife
Oberkampf and the streets east of Place de la République have busy bars without central Paris’s worst prices. Bastille and rue de Lappe are convenient for large groups but can be noisy and touristy. The Latin Quarter mixes pubs, student bars and late food, while Pigalle and South Pigalle have bars and clubs around boulevard de Clichy. Canal Saint-Martin is good for a calmer evening, though drinks beside the canal are no longer especially cheap. Gare du Nord is practical for Eurostar groups and sports bars rather than a full night out. Avoid planning a budget crawl around the Champs-Élysées or Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Food & drink
Useful Paris staples include a jambon-beurre baguette, croque-monsieur, steak-frites, onion soup, crêpes and buckwheat galettes. The city also has excellent couscous, falafel and kebabs, often better value than brasseries in tourist areas. Order an espresso at the bar for the lowest coffee price; sitting on a terrace normally costs more. Wine is frequently better value than craft beer, and tap water is free if you ask for a carafe d’eau.
Cheap eats & beer
For a cheap sit-down feed, Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards, Bouillon Pigalle and Bouillon République serve traditional French dishes at canteen-style prices; expect queues at peak times. Urfa Dürüm on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis is a reliable stop for Kurdish wraps, while the kebab, falafel and North African restaurants around Strasbourg–Saint-Denis, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis and the northern Latin Quarter suit a quick group meal. Happy-hour beer is easiest to find around rue Mouffetard, Oberkampf and side streets near Place de la République; prices rise sharply around Saint-Germain, the Champs-Élysées and beside major sights. The Hideout by Gare du Nord, Belushi’s Gare du Nord, The Auld Alliance and The French Flair are central sports-bar options used by travelling supporters, though none is an official away pub. Near Parc des Princes, away fans are generally better drinking centrally: Aux Trois Obus and Les Deux Stades are firmly PSG territory, while Frog XVI is neutral but not especially cheap.
Staying safe
Pickpocketing is the main issue, especially on RER B, around Gare du Nord, Châtelet–Les Halles, major sights and crowded Métro platforms. Keep phones away from train doors and do not leave them on café tables. Ignore petition collectors, friendship-bracelet sellers and anyone offering to help at a ticket machine. Gare du Nord and parts of the northern inner suburbs can feel rough late at night; stick together and use an official taxi or app-booked car if the Métro has finished. Avoid displaying away colours around known PSG gathering points, particularly Porte d’Auteuil. Carry photo ID because police and stadium checks can be strict, but keep a separate digital copy. French emergency numbers are 112 for general emergencies and 17 for police.
On matchday
At Parc des Princes, the away section is segregated and visiting tickets are normally issued by the away club. Expect several ticket, ID, wristband and security checks, and arrive at least 60–90 minutes early; supporters found in home sections can be refused entry or removed, particularly if wearing away colours. Visiting clubs and police may impose a compulsory meeting point, escorted transport or restrictions on movement. Porte de Saint-Cloud on Metro line 9 is normally the better approach for away supporters; avoid Porte d’Auteuil, line 10 and the Virage Auteuil side unless official instructions say otherwise. Roads immediately around the stadium are closed or heavily controlled before and after matches, and station entrances can be temporarily shut to manage crowds.