Where to Picnic in Paris
As soon as the weather warms up in Paris, picnic season has begun. It is easy to do, and there are many places all over the city to picnic. Grab takeaway food from a nearby restaurant, or a sandwich from a boulangerie, or create your picnic spread from the local market or grocery store. It is a fun and affordable activity to do with friends. Everyone can bring one or two items along with a baguette and put everything in the middle to share. I have done this with friends who live in Paris, and since we didn’t all live in the same area, it was fun to try patisseries and boulangeries from across Paris and cuisines from different cultures.
Where to Picnic in Paris
Where to Picnic in Paris: Parc Monceau
Parc Monceau is a walk or metro ride from the center of Paris, located in the 8th arrondissement. Don’t worry about breaking out of Postcard Paris. This is worth the trip! Surround yourself with locals and people-watching. You can get food to picnic with on Rue de Levi or Eric Kayser down the street before heading into the park. You will find a good amount of locals enjoying lunch or enjoying with a picnic blanket in the grass under the trees. It is the ideal place if you are looking for something a little less touristy and more of a local experience. Parc Monceau is not far from the Arc de Triomphe and is beautiful in different seasons.
Place Dauphine
Place Dauphine is one of my favorite squares in Paris. It is a hidden spot behind Notre Dame on île de la cité and easy to miss if you don’t know it is there. The chestnut blossoms are in bloom here in late April, which provide shade from the summer heat. Inside the square, you will find restaurants, cafés, and benches to enjoy a sandwich or book. There isn’t grass like you would expect, but it still makes for a perfect picnic spot in the middle of Paris. Enjoy a game of bocce ball here after your picnic with other Parisians.
Champ de Mars
At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, you will find the large grass-filled space of Champ de Mars. This is a great place to enjoy a view of the Eiffel Tower. You can watch the sunset here with a bottle of champagne or enjoy an afternoon in the sun. The Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour after sunset, so it is the perfect place to picnic towards the end of the day, the last sparkle is at midnight. Champs de Mars is a popular Parisian picnic spot and fills up on the weekends and holidays. The ideal spot for Bastille Day and the fireworks show in Paris.
Palais Royal
Palais Royal has become a favorite place of mine after living just around the corner. I walked through here every chance I had and always found something so peaceful about Palais Royal. There isn’t much grass, so pack a picnic for the benches or chairs surrounding the fountain. You will find Parisians enjoying the French gardens in the summer on their lunch break, lined up enjoying a sunny day along the building of Palais Royal. Palais Royal is filled with trees and is a great spot to escape the hot Parisian sun during a heat wave.
Tuileries Gardens
The Tuileries Gardens in front of the Louvre. This is a popular park for both Parisians and tourists. It is one of the best picnic spots in Paris due to its large green space and gardens. This is a pretty classic Paris picnic spot. You can sit on the grass before the Louvre and watch the sunset behind the Eiffel Tower. Other options include inside the gardens on a bench or one of the many green chairs. Close by, you can grab a baguette sandwich at a local boulangerie, a cup of coffee from Café Kitsuné, or a pastry at the Ritz Comptoir that sells pastries.
Parc de Sceaux
Parc de Sceau is located south of Paris, just outside the city lines. To get here, you must make a day trip out of this and head on the RER B. If you make it for cherry blossom season, you will be rewarded with an area covered in cherry blossom trees. It is one of the best picnic areas in Paris and a favorite spot of mine, especially during cherry blossom season. You can picnic under the pink blossoms. It is rare (unless it is raining, like my visit) to find this place empty.
This is a destination for tourists and locals and an experience to picnic under the cherry blossoms. The town of Sceaux is adorable and you will find cute streets and houses around the large park worth exploring.
Place des Vosges
Place des Vosges is a beautiful square in the heart of the Marais on the right bank. I have always been drawn to this area of Paris. There are official picnic dates when the green grass is opened for the season, starting in April and ending in October. The grass will be filled with Parisians on a warm weather day. People of all ages enjoy this beautiful park in the city’s center. You will find a space for little ones to run around and a sandbox to keep them busy.
For food options nearby. Carette is in the square, so you can easily pick up sandwiches here. The Bastille Market is also open on Thursdays and Sundays, and you can pick up picnic foods here. I will typically pick up food at the Bastille Market or the Boulangerie 28 Beaumarchais, just 5 minutes walking from here. They offer baguette sandwiches, quiche, and pastries for lunch or afternoon snacks.
Jardin des Plantes
Jardin des Plantes is a destination in Paris. The gardens are in the 5th arrondissement, near Strada café, one of my favorite coffee shops. I recently discovered Atelier Huré, a nearby bakery perfect for picking up baguette sandwiches for an afternoon at the park. In the spring, you will find some of the most giant blooming cherry blossom trees. It is a must-visit if you are in the area during the weeks of blossom season. If you have kids, this option is excellent because you will be right by the Zoo and The Natural History Museum.
Jardin du Luxembourg
Luxembourg Gardens is a classic picnic spot on the left bank of Paris. The park is large, so there are plenty of places to play and picnic for kids and adults. For kids, you can push the boats around on the water in the gardens. Bring a book and enjoy reading in one of the green chairs. Arrive early, as they fill up quickly on a warm day. You can pack a picnic basket or bag filled with your favorite items for a picnic in Luxembourg Gardens. Explore the local markets nearby to pick up picnic supplies.
Where to Picnic in Paris along the Banks of the Seine
I hope this inspired you to create your own picnic in Paris, solo or with your best friends, or a loved one. You can’t go wrong in any of these locations.
Do you have a favorite place to picnic in Paris? Comment below and share!
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