The first two days in Paris, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For Paris
How long you are staying
Must do
Free, Orange, SFR and Bouygues sell SIM-only plans with no contract, in shops or online; bring your passport. Many forms and every bank want a French number.
The free state rent guarantee, applied for online at visale.fr. The certificate takes a few working days and has to be in hand before you sign, so do it now.
Load a Navigo Easy with tickets for the first days, or buy a Navigo Découverte (€5, with a photo) to carry the weekly or monthly pass. The Navigo Mois runs on the calendar month, so buy from the 20th for the next.
An attestation d'assurance habitation is compulsory at signing. Online insurers and banks issue one in minutes.
Walk the flat with the landlord or agent, photograph every mark and have each one written into the move-in inventory. It is what your deposit is judged against.
Should do
SAMU, police, fire and the European number. 114 works by text for anyone who cannot speak.
Bring ID, the lease or an attestation d'hébergement, and your contract. The RIB goes to your landlord, employer and the CPAM.
Give the supplier the meter reading from the état des lieux so the bill starts the day you move in.
School and crèche registration, and many local services, go through the town hall of the arrondissement you live in. Look up its address and opening hours.
Try the journey at 08:30 before choosing a flat. Line 13 and RER B are crowded, and many RER stations are skipped by fast trains.
Non-EU visa holders validate online on the ANEF portal within three months and pay the tax. Doing it in the first week means you can travel in and out of Schengen freely.
Paris caps rents by area, size and building age. The lease must state the reference rent and any complément de loyer, which you can challenge within three months.
Nice to do
In a shop, a café or an office, greet first and then ask. It changes the service you get.
Most embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals living abroad, useful in an emergency.
Every quarter has a street market two or three mornings a week. Learn which days, and which baker's queue is worth joining.
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