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LIVING IN FRANCE

Sex, stairs and the Metro: How Parisians really stay in shape

If you want to get in shape but you don't want to do anything ridiculous like giving up cheese - you could just follow the daily fitness example of Parisians.

Sex, stairs and the Metro: How Parisians really stay in shape
Photo by Martin BUREAU / AFP

A question asked by many is how come residents of the French capital are so famously trim and toned – despite their love of food.

The popular myth that ‘French women don’t get fat’ isn’t really borne out by statistics – just as in most of the western world, obesity levels in France are rising fast and around half of adults are now classed as overweight or obese.

But if inhabitants of Paris do appear trim, it’s thanks, in part, to their way of incorporating exercise into everyday life. As well as knowing when to stop eating the cheese.

Here a few tips to get in shape the Parisian way.

1. Take the stairs

Paris is a city in which you may not have much choice in the matter.

Only 50 out of 303 Metro stations have an elevator, and they are about as rare in old apartment buildings (if a hotel or apartment in Paris doesn’t mention an ascenseur then it’s a safe bet that it doesn’t have one), so whether it’s negotiating six flights of stairs up to your chambre de bonne or the 104 steps to street level at Abbesses next time the lift decides to take a break, a workout is inevitable on any given day.

And if you really like stairs you could of course climb up some of the city’s most famous tourist attractions (although Parisians themselves are unlikely to do this).

Why not mount the Iron Lady or even better just pop up to Montmartre, perched as it is on the city’s highest hill?

2. Run for the Metro

Parisian commuters seem to love sprint training. And most of them do it every morning on the way to work when they hurtle down the last few steps and across the platform to catch the Metro before it departs – think of it as subterranean interval training. They also give their arm muscles a workout as they force the closing Metro doors back open.

Or you could just take the safe option and jog on the spot until the next one turns up two minutes later.

3. Just forget the Metro altogether

Alternatively, ask yourself if you need to take the Metro at all. 

With stops an average of only 500 metres apart, sometimes you’re just as quick – or even quicker – walking. As the map below shows.

Paris Metro map shows it may be quicker to walk

Paris is a compact city, only six miles across, and you can walk from one end to the other in less than two hours. Add this to the fact that driving, never mind parking, isn’t exactly the most relaxing activity the capital has to offer, and you’ll see why Paris is a city of walkers – so make like the locals and put your best foot forward.

4. Get on your bike

And when you don’t want to walk, skip the Uber and jump on a Vélib or one of other bikes that you’ll see parked around the city.

A hit with Parisians, Vélib has been going for more than ten years now and has the highest market penetration of any bike-sharing scheme globally, with one bike per 97 inhabitants. Add to this the city’s large and ever-expanding network of cycle paths and you have an increasingly cycle-friendly city.

Bikes are a great way to beat the traffic getting from A to B, as well as a workout – think of it as a spin class with a view.

5. Have sex like as a Parisian

There’s no doubt that a little bedroom activity is a great way of burning some calories.

In fact it’s probably Parisians’ favourite way of keeping fit. A study revealed the average resident of the French capital has had 19 lovers, eight more than the national average.

6. Head to the park for a walk, jog or gym session

Paris parks are not reserved for the poseurs’ promenade – from local games of pétanque to pitching up at the ping pong tables, making use of the basketball hoops (or the Instagrammers’ favourite, the technicolour court at Pigalle) to climbing at Buttes Chaumont (19th Arrondissement), horse riding on 28km of trails or rowing on the Lac Inférieur at the Bois de Boulogne, there are outdoor activities galore on offer, all of which feel a lot more like fun than keeping fit.

The most popular is of course just going for a run and the paths of parks such as Butte Chaumont, Monceau and Montsouris are packed with Parisian joggers.

The city also has dozens of outdoor gyms, many in parks, so keeping fit doesn’t have to involve expensive gym fees. The particularly well-honed people that you see hanging out at these outdoor gyms are often personal trainers, so if you lack motivation arrange for a few sessions – they are often surprisingly affordable.

(This is, in fact, the real secret of those Parisians who do look trim – they eat in moderation and take lots of exercise. But that’s no fun!)

7. Buy fresh fruit and veg from the market

The lack of large supermarkets due to the city’s limited space is no bad thing – because in Paris you can buy quality fresh fruit and veg at the numerous markets and stalls known as “primeurs“. These markets are popular with the locals and great places to get produce.

Not only will you be eating fresh, natural, seasonal produce, but you’re getting a walk while you’re buying it too – and a workout carrying it all up the stairs when you get home. 

If shopping for shoes is more your bag (or indeed for said bag/Breton top/cashmere sweater), bear in mind that the fashionable Parisians’ favourite leisure activity counts as cardio too.

8. Throw a party and dance till dawn 

Given that Parisians aren’t exactly prone to rolling out of pubs and into clubs, it’s no surprise that the house party (or tiny flat party) is considered the chic option among the city’s hot young things.

A browse of the Instagram It Girls’ accounts also demonstrates that the private soirée is the fashionable way to work out, with (semi-ironic) Johnny Hallyday dance marathons among the trends. Surrendering to the beat behind closed doors is the perfect way to get the heart rate going while preserving the legendary Parisian public dignity.

9. Eat Parisian portions

Of course there isn’t much point in all this exercise if you’re going to lose it in the local patisserie and undo all your good work (however seemingly effortlessly it’s incorporated into everyday activities) with a baked goods binge.

Follow the Parisian example and don’t deprive yourself, but stick to small portions – the city could have invented the concept that a little of what you fancy does you good.

10. Sign up for the most picturesque personal endurance tests. 

There are multiple running events in Paris, which take full advantage of the city’s views. As well as the Paris marathon and half-marathon there are also 10km races in almost every arrondissement (check with the Town Hall when your next one takes place).

These races are really good ways of discovering parts of Paris you’d never normally go to. And you get to run on the city’s famous cobbles without the fear of being knocked over by a car.

You can also sign up to one of the regular roller-blading tours of the city if you prefer wheels on your feet, or take part in the regular workout sessions that Paris City Hall provides on the banks of the Seine.

Or if long runs are not your thing you could just join Parisians in running across pedestrian crossings in the knowledge that the cars are unlikely to stop. 

These multiple daily dashes and sprint finishes will keep you in shape.

by Lindsey Johnstone

For members

PARIS

Travel deals to take advantage of as prices drop ahead of Paris Olympics

After many warnings about expensive travel and booked-up hotels in France this summer during the Olympic Games, prices have begun to drop as the event nears, with some bargains to be had.

Travel deals to take advantage of as prices drop ahead of Paris Olympics

After some soaring prices earlier in the year, costs for both accommodation and travel are now back to roughly seasonal norms.

In certain cases, train and plane tickets have fallen well below their summer averages.

As for lodging, the French press has reported that occupancy rates at Paris hotels are “gradually falling” as the event approaches, with many hotels and Airbnbs available. 

What’s going on?

Around 15 million people are expected to visit Paris between late July and early September – considerably more than the 6.2 to 6.4 million visitors who came between July and August in 2023 or the roughly 10 million summer visitors Paris saw in pre-pandemic days.

As such, many predicted that prices would skyrocket ahead of the Olympic Games, but there are a few other factors to consider aside from large volumes of tourists.

A survey in March 2024 found that almost half of Parisians planned on leaving the city during the Games period. On top of that, over half (64 percent) of Olympics tickets were sold to French people, many of whom are planning to stay with friends and relatives in the capital and thus have not booked accommodation.

As of late May, almost half of the French ticket holders had not reserved any hotels or Airbnbs during the Olympic period.

Many property owners in the capital also listed their homes on Airbnb with the hopes of earning some extra money during the Games. However, this led to an over-saturation of the market. 

French daily Le Monde reported that there were more than 145,000 properties on offer on Airbnb during the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, compared with 65,000 in normal times.

When it comes to hotels, UK online newspaper The Independent reported that hotel occupancy rates are expected to be “between 60 and 70 percent during the Games.”

The deals to look out for

Eurostar

According to reporting by The Independent, Eurostar tickets during the Olympics have declined by 11 percent in the last two weeks alone. The UK online newspaper found that the average Eurostar ticket price had dropped by €30 (or £26).

At the time of writing, The Local found that the cheapest one-way tickets on the day of the Opening Ceremony (July 26th) were €126, dropped to €112 the following day. 

For a round trip ticket from July 26th to August 2nd, the lowest price was €169 – around average for the summer holiday period.

Flights

If you are flying from the UK, as of mid-June, Google Flights placed London-Paris flights in the ‘Typical’ price range. The cheapest round-trip tickets were with budget airline Vueling, at €139 for one week (July 26th to August 2nd).

However, flights from other cities in the UK were significantly cheaper, particularly if you are willing to change the dates slightly. 

For example, five-day (July 29th to August 2nd) round-trip tickets from Bristol from cost €99 with Easyjet, and one-week (July 27 to August 3) round-trip tickets with Ryanair from Belfast cost €59.

For those flying from the US, prices had dropped significantly for a 10-day trip (July 26th to August 5th) from NYC to Paris, when compared with December 2023.

At the time, tickets were in Google Flights’ seasonal norms with average prices around €821. However, as of mid-June the same round-trip tickets were available for as low as €523. 

The flight planning tool also ranked tickets during the Olympic period between LA and Paris as ‘low’ compared to seasonal norms.

Hotels and accommodation

As mentioned above, there were still many hotel options still available in and around Paris as of mid-June. 

At the time of writing, Airbnb offered over 1,000 options for the first week of the Games, with options around €150 for an entire apartment for two people in central Paris, and possibilities closer to €230 for a family of four. 

When it comes to hotels, many were still above seasonal norms, but prices were lower than initial estimates.

For example, in December the Paris deputy mayor in charge of tourism Frédéric Hocquard had estimated that the average price of one night in a hotel in Paris would be €699 during the Olympic Games, compared with €169 in July 2023, an increase of 314 percent. 

At the time of writing websites such as Booking.com and Kayak still had several rooms available for around €200 per night. 

Other costs

Those visiting during the Games will also pay a higher price for public transport.

Between July 20th and September 8th, the price of a single ticket – which can be used on the Metro, buses, RER trains or trams – will go up to €4, in contrast to the €2.10 it costs currently, and purchasing a 10 tickets at once (a carnet) will increase from €16.90 to €32 during the Games.

This does not affect residents with a travel pass or monthly card, or people who buy tickets in advance.

READ MORE: How to avoid public transport price hikes during Olympics

Are Olympics tickets still available?

Yes. While many have already secured tickets, there are still opportunities on the official resale platform – full details HERE. Games organisers are also releasing a limited number of new tickets every Thursday on the official ticket platform here.

Meanwhile there are ticket available for the Paralympics via the ticketing website here.

The Olympics/Paralympics website is the only official channel for ticket sales, so you should be extremely cautious about any tickets offered for sale on any other websites or forums. 

But should I visit Paris during the Olympics?

If you were hoping for a last-minute Olympics trip then this is very much still on the table.

But if you want to enjoy a more typical tourist visit, you should expect larger than normal crowds and you should be prepared to reserve early. You should also keep in mind that there will be security zones across the city, as many of the matches and events are taking place in central Paris.

READ MORE: Paris Olympics QR codes – your questions answered

Eiffel tower – Be aware that the Tower is close to a Games venue. It will remain open during the Olympics period apart from the day of the Opening Ceremony (July 26th). However between July 18th and July 25th the Tower is in a security zone so you will require a QR code to enter – more info here. From July 27th onwards no QR code will be required for visitors – the Tower will be in a red zone, which has restrictions on vehicles, but which pedestrians can enter freely.

Louvre – During the Olympic Games, the Louvre will remain open to visitors, except for July 25th and 26th. However, all visitors from July 1st to September 8th must book a ticket ahead of time. As for the Tuileries Garden, it will be closed on August 28th and throughout the Games it will be in a security zone, meaning vehicular traffic will be severely limited – although pedestrians can still access it.

You can find more info about Olympics related disruption/changes for the Louvre HERE.

Versailles – The château, as well as the gardens will remain open to the public throughout the Games, with normal visiting hours.

The rest of France

Just because you’re taking a train or a plane to Paris, it doesn’t mean that you have to stay there – the capital is connected to all of France’s major cities – Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon and more – by high-speed TGV trains, as well as many smaller cities and towns. 

Of the millions of people who visit France each year, 80 percent of them visit sites within just 20 percent of the country; largely Paris, the Riviera and certain well-known Alpine towns.

However, there are many other options – here is our guide to off-the-beaten-track places.

READ MORE: 19 alternative places to visit in France to avoid the crowds

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