France vs Italy

Most long-haul and European flights use Charles de Gaulle (CDG). The RER B train from CDG runs every 10–15 minutes directly to central Paris (Châtelet Les Halles, Gare du Nord) in 35 minutes for €11.80. Orly is smaller and served by the Orlyval shuttle connecting to the RER B. Both are efficient.

💡 Buy your RER ticket at the airport before descending to the platform. Ticket inspectors board at Gare du Nord so don't try to fare-dodge.

The Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe down to Place de la Concorde is one of the world's great boulevards. On Six Nations match weekends you'll see fans from across Europe mingling, open-air cafés running at full capacity, and the French national mood palpably lifted by the approaching match.

💡 A coffee on the Champs-Élysées costs €5–7 — it's a tourist premium, but once is worth it for the theatre of the boulevard.

Housed in a converted Beaux-Arts railway station on the Left Bank, the Musée d'Orsay holds the world's greatest collection of Impressionist painting — Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh. Book tickets online. Even a 90-minute visit leaves you with a profound sense of having seen something irreplaceable.

💡 The museum café on the upper floor has a spectacular painted ceiling and Impressionist canvases everywhere. Stop for a coffee even if you're museumed-out.

Walk east from the Musée d'Orsay through Saint-Germain — the neighbourhood of Sartre, Picasso and the French literary tradition. The Boulevard Saint-Germain is lined with historic cafés: Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots are both literary institutions and reliably excellent for a mid-afternoon drink. Browse the bookshops and galleries along the side streets.

💡 Rue de Buci market is a 10-minute walk south of Saint-Germain church and has excellent cheese, charcuterie and pastry stalls.

A Parisian brasserie on a Six Nations eve is the perfect setting: zinc bar, red leather banquettes, a carafe of Côtes du Rhône, steak frites cooked à point. La Rotonde in Montparnasse, Brasserie Lipp on Boulevard Saint-Germain, or Chez Paul in the 11th arrondissement are all excellent and genuinely French rather than tourist-oriented.

💡 French dining starts late — tables are rarely ready before 7:30pm and the room fills from 8pm. A reservation at 8pm is right in the heart of the evening.

Begin the day at a local café. On Six Nations Saturdays, Paris feels alive from early morning — fans arriving on Eurostar from London, coach trips from across France. Walk along the Seine from Notre-Dame (still being restored, but beautiful again from the outside) towards the Île de la Cité.

The Stade de France is in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb. Take the RER D from Gare du Nord (or Châtelet) directly to Stade de France–Saint-Denis station — the stadium is a 5-minute walk. The RER D is packed on match days; expect standing room only from Gare du Nord northwards. Allow 90 minutes before kick-off.

💡 Validate your Métro/RER ticket for the return journey before you enter the stadium. You won't be able to buy one in the post-match crowd crush.

The open plazas around the stadium fill with food stalls, merchandise vendors and a dense mix of blue shirts and the visiting nation's colours. The French rugby fan base mixes Parisians, fans from the southwest (Toulouse, Bordeaux rugby heartlands) and the Basque country — it's a diverse, passionate crowd. Get there 90 minutes early.

💡 Merguez sausage baguettes from the outside vendors are the correct pre-match food. Wine and beer are sold by the can near the stadium approaches.

81,000 people singing La Marseillaise before kick-off is one of sport's great audio experiences — visceral, full-throated and genuinely intimidating. France play an expansive, attacking game and the crowd responds to every break with a roar that fills the vast bowl. The stadium is modern and well-designed; visibility is good from all sectors.

💡 Tickets via Fédération Française de Rugby (ffr.fr). Face value €80–€160. The stadium's south and north curves (virages) are the most vocal and cheapest sectors.

After the match, return to Paris proper and head to the 11th (Oberkampf, Parmentier area) — the city's best neighbourhood for wine bars and bistros. Le Servan, Septime, or the simpler wine bars on Rue Oberkampf are perfect for a celebration or commiseration. The French take their post-match analysis seriously over a good bottle.

💡 Natural wine bars are everywhere in the 11th. Ask for a verre de rouge (glass of red) to get recommendations from the barman — they're always enthusiastic about their list.

The Louvre is the world's largest art museum and genuinely overwhelming. The key is to focus: the Winged Victory, Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa form the essential triangle. Buy timed entry online (opens 9am). Three hours gives you these highlights without museum fatigue.

💡 Enter via the Richelieu wing entrance (less crowded than the main pyramid) and pick up a map at the coat check. The Mona Lisa room is always busy; go early.

The Palais-Royal gardens immediately north of the Louvre are one of Paris's secret quiet spots — arcaded walks, a central fountain, Daniel Buren's striped columns in the courtyard. A perfect decompression stop after the museum crowds.

Le Marais (3rd and 4th arrondissements) is Paris's best neighbourhood for an afternoon wander: medieval streets, the Place des Vosges (Paris's oldest square), galleries, falafel on Rue des Rosiers and concept stores. Walk from the Louvre east across the Pont Neuf and up through Île de la Cité.

💡 L'As du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers is a Paris institution — the best falafel sandwich in the city, always with a queue, always worth it.

Allow 90 minutes from the city centre for international check-in. RER B from Châtelet (or Saint-Michel Notre-Dame) to CDG Terminal 2 takes 35 minutes with trains every 10–15 minutes. If flying from Orly, the Orlybus or Orlyval connects from Denfert-Rochereau.

💡 CDG Terminal 2 is subdivided into 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F and 2G — they are not connected internally. Check your terminal carefully before boarding the train.

CDG has a strong range of duty-free and restaurants airside in Terminal 2E (the main international terminal). Paul Boulangerie is a reliable choice for a last café crème and croissant before boarding.