Paris Marathon

Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is the main hub. RER B train runs every 10–15 minutes to Gare du Nord (25 min, €12.10). From there, take Metro Line 4 or 9 toward central Paris or the 8th arrondissement. Orly (ORY) is smaller and closer to Paris — the Orlyval shuttle connects to RER B (Antony), then into central Paris in 35 minutes total.

💡 Buy a carnet of 10 metro tickets (€16.90) for the weekend — more economical than single tickets. Or use a rechargeable Navigo Easy card.

The 8th arrondissement (near the Champs-Élysées start and Arc de Triomphe finish) is the ideal base. The 1st arrondissement (near the Louvre and Tuileries) is slightly quieter and well-priced. Both are on Metro Line 1, which runs along the race route. Budget hotels on rue de Rivoli or near Madeleine give good value for central Paris.

💡 Paris marathon weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year in a city that is always busy. Book 6+ months ahead and confirm your room has a lift.

MANDATORY bib and chip collection — no race-morning pickup. The Expo is held at Parc Floral de Paris in the Bois de Vincennes, east of the city centre. Take Metro Line 1 to Château de Vincennes (end of the line), then a 10-minute walk to Parc Floral (follow signage). Bring your registration confirmation and photo ID. Collect bib, timing chip, race bag, and T-shirt. The Expo is enormous — allow 2 hours for bib collection and browsing. Official merchandise including the iconic Paris Marathon jacket is available.

💡 Friday or early Saturday is less crowded than the Sunday crush. If arriving Saturday, go straight to the Expo before checking in.

A gentle 30-minute walk through the Tuileries Garden (flat gravel paths) toward the Louvre's glass pyramid. The course passes very close to here — a useful preview. Sit on one of the green iron chairs by the central fountain, rest your legs, and absorb the Paris afternoon light.

💡 Do not attempt the Louvre today — 3+ hours of gallery walking is not compatible with a pre-race day. Save it for another trip.

The 1st arrondissement has several reliable Italian and French bistros perfect for pasta carb-loading. Café Marly (inside the Louvre) is atmospheric for a pasta dish. La Frégate on rue de Rivoli is reliable and unpretentious. Order spaghetti Bolognese, penne arrabbiata (mild spice), or a simple pasta au beurre with bread. Avoid moules, heavy cream sauces, and wine beyond one glass.

💡 Paris restaurants do not typically serve dinner before 19:30. Plan your evening accordingly — eat no later than 20:30 for a race morning wake-up at 06:00.

Wake by 05:30. Eat by 06:00: plain pasta with a drizzle of olive oil (if your hotel can arrange), white bread with jam and honey, or a plain croissant and banana. Most Paris hotels serve breakfast from 07:00 — you are too early. Buy food the evening before from a Monoprix or Franprix supermarket: plain biscuits, a banana, and a small bottle of orange juice.

💡 French boulangeries open at 06:00–06:30. A plain pain de campagne demi-baguette from the first open boulangerie on race morning is carb perfection.

The race starts on Avenue des Champs-Élysées near the Arc de Triomphe / Charles de Gaulle Étoile. Bag drop trucks are on Champs-Élysées near the start — closes at 08:00. Enter your colour-coded corral by 08:30 (corrals fill from the top of the Champs-Élysées). Take Metro Line 1 to Charles de Gaulle-Étoile. Security screening is in place from 06:00 near the start zone.

💡 Starting on the Champs-Élysées with 40,000 runners and Parisian crowds is one of running's great spectacles. Take a breath and look around before the gun fires.

Course departs the Champs-Élysées heading east, down through Place de la Concorde and along the Seine embankment, through the Bois de Boulogne (km 10–15 loop), back along the Seine past the Eiffel Tower (km 18), Notre-Dame (km 22), into the Marais (km 24–26), east to the Bois de Vincennes (km 30–35 loop), and returns west along the Bercy/Quai de Bercy embankment to finish on Avenue Foch near the Arc de Triomphe. Key challenge: the two large Bois loops (Boulogne and Vincennes) are psychologically tough as you run in circles. Keep your race plan. The embankment sections along the Seine are fast and flat.

💡 The Bois de Vincennes loop (km 30–35) is where many runners struggle — you are away from city crowds and spectators are sparse. Break it into 1 km mental segments. Know that returning to the Seine at km 36 brings renewed crowd energy.

Collect your finisher's medal (an elegant gold-and-enamel piece with Eiffel Tower motif), mylar blanket, and food pack. Bag retrieval trucks are along Avenue Foch near the finish. The Arc de Triomphe as your backdrop for the finish photo is magnificent. Be patient with the bag queue — 40,000 bags take time to distribute.

💡 The finish area on Avenue Foch is relatively narrow — exit toward the Bois de Boulogne side for more space to stretch and change.

Take a taxi to the Marais for a warm, restorative brasserie dinner. Bouillon Racine or Chez Janou are both within easy reach. Order a pot-au-feu (boiled beef with vegetables and broth — a classic French recovery dish), or confit de canard (duck confit) with roast potatoes. Skip the wine; drink water and a citron pressé (fresh lemon juice).

💡 Many Marais restaurants have late kitchens (until 22:30) — ideal given the late post-race timeline.

The Musée d'Orsay (Impressionist art: Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh) is flat throughout and requires only 2–3 km of gentle gallery walking. Book online to skip the queue (€16). Alternatively, Père-Lachaise Cemetery in the 20th is a sprawling, cobblestone-free garden cemetery — resting place of Chopin, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison — deeply atmospheric and low-effort.

💡 Musée d'Orsay is closed on Mondays. If your recovery day is a Monday, go to Père-Lachaise or the Palais de Tokyo (contemporary art, also open Mondays).

The Marais on a Sunday or Monday morning is Paris at its most relaxed. Brunch at Café de Flore (Saint-Germain), Café Pinson (Le Marais, excellent granola and eggs), or the famous Breizh Café (Breton crêperie) is a gentle recovery ritual. Buckwheat galettes (savoury crêpes) are a great post-race brunch: gluten-free option, easy to digest, and deeply satisfying.

💡 Paris brunches run from 10:00–14:00. Arrive at 10:00 to avoid the Sunday queue.

The Palais Royal gardens (flat, gravel, quiet arcades) are a perfect post-race recovery stroll — 15 minutes from the 1st arrondissement hotel. The Daniel Buren striped columns are photogenic. Place des Victoires is a peaceful 5-minute walk further. Total walking: under 2 km.

RER B from Châtelet-Les Halles to CDG runs every 10–15 min (35 min, €12.10). For Orly, take Metro Line 7 to Villejuif-Louis Aragon and Orlybus, or Orlyval from Antony (RER B). Allow 2 hours before international flight departure, 90 minutes domestic.

💡 RER B to CDG can be unreliable during strikes (grèves) — check for strike action the day before. Alternatively, a taxi from central Paris to CDG is a fixed €55.

Terminal 2E/2F at CDG has a wide choice of sit-down restaurants airside, including a Paul boulangerie and a decent brasserie. Terminal 2G (used by budget carriers) is sparse — eat before security if departing from 2G.