Hello my name is Esther and I am a Franco-American highschooler living in Paris who offers guided tours in Paris for free for families with a child with ASD. I am also happy to meet for tea and cakes and answer questions or just hang out. Or to go shopping together! As a person with autism, I look forward to meeting other autistic teenagers -whether they are older or younger than I am- to help them enjoy my city. Of course, I would be happy to know if they have a particular interest, too.

Paris & Me

As a Parisian, born and raised, I know every single crack and corner of Paris and have visited many of its iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Seine, Notre-Dame, and the Palace of Versailles. As an autistic person myself, I know from experience that the way that a visit is structured can either fascinate me or bore me, which is why I can help you to curate a visit to Paris specifically for young people with autism.

Paris THROUGH MY EYES

From now on, you can explore Paris in a way that is tailored for your needs and preferences. Whether you want to visit small neighboorhoods, museums, or simply learn more about French culture, I can help you to design a visit to ensure that everyone can enjoy their stay, with flexibility and clear communication.

If you would like to join me on a tour, I will only take one party at a time, which can consist of a maximum of five people. While I will take a group composed of both adults and kids, I will also take a maximum of two kids who are at least eight years old on a private tour, however I do wish to be told in advance if that is what will be the case.

If you are Autistic

My advice for autistic people coming to Paris differs based on what type of sensory issues you have:

  • If you dislike germs, make sure to bring some wipes or hydroalcolic gel with you.

  • If you are sensitive to loud noises, then my advice would be to bring noise-cancelling headphones when going to public places as thay tend to be quite loud.

  • If your sensory issues concern food touching each other, please ask waiters to put it seperately as they tend to be, just like cafe tables, close together.

  • If you dislike waiting in lines, then book in advance for almost any activity (and ONLY on their official website). You may also want to consider their extended hours, as the crowds are much smaller then.

  • If you cannot stand people chewing or slurping, then you can take your food to go and eat in a park as they usually have many benches.

Paris Attractions

Paris offers multiple attractions in order for every different type of person to have fun.

  • The Parc Asterix is extremely popular in France as it is based off the popular comic book series “Asterix and Obelix” and is a theme parc that you will not find anywhere else.

  • If you are brave, then I recommend visiting the catacombs, underneath Paris, but be careful: the ground is extremely slippery and the ceiling is quite low and the passageway is very narrow.

  • I would also like to recommend the beautiful Jardin d’Acclimatation as well as the Musée d’Orsay or the Musée du quai Branley.

  • If you wish to spend the day as a family, you could also see Paris on hop-on hop-off bus tours or have a picnic on the Champ de Mars or any other beautiful park here.

What I can tell you about PariS

Paris travel advice

While traveling in Paris can be exciting, it can also be quite difficult if you do not know these things:

  • Have a “Pass Navigo”, as it will make traveling by metro much easier, and this is one of the cheapest and fastest ways to get around the city. You can buy these from the metro help windows, and load them by using the “Bonjour RATP” app. Every traveller will need their own card (each card costs 2 euros). There are no senior discounts. Only children under age 4 are free, or half-priced until age 11.

  • You can also use the app “Bonjour RATP” on your phone, but every traveller will need their own app.

  • I also recommend that while walking or using the metro, to avoiding checking your valuables’ location often, as you might catch pickpockets’ attention. Another tip I would give you concerning thieves is to wear a crossbody bag or banana pouches, especially in the metro.

  • Get the G7 Taxi app in order to get around Paris. You can even request an English-speaking driver. However, if you plan to tip, it should be 2 euros at most.

  • In terms of flights, I recommend AirFrance, as it is the national French airline. This gives you the advantage of arriving in Terminal 2E in CDG (it is also quite easy to fill out the forms there if your luggage is lost, although please see below for my advice on placing an AirTag in your luggage). However, if you are coming from London via the Eurostar, I would recommend the Eurostar Plus.

Places to avoid in Paris

Paris, while having many attractions, does have some places where I would not recommend going.

  • I would avoid the big train stations or “Gares” in French, as they are usually riddled with pickpockets and scammers.

  • I would also avoid any restaurant with waiters waiving you in, as the food is usually bland and overpriced.

My advice about Paris

  • Do not forget to bring a plug adapter as it will be needed to charge your electronics if you do not already have the one most commonly used in France.

  • If you buy tickets then make sure to only purchase them on official websites and if you fail to get them for places such as the Eiffel Tower, then try to book a guided tour instead.

  • Make sure to check when French school holidays are as attractions will most likely be full on those days, making booking tickets for them much harder.

Food in Paris

Paris is known for good food, but it is not the same everywhere!

  • As for bakeries, I recommend those on big streets or in the center of town as the pastries are usually better.

  • If you want good food and are near the Eiffel Tower, then I can recommend you fancier places such as the restaurant called 6 New York, ordinary places such as le Picquet which is not far from Ecole Militaire, or intermediately fancy restaurants such as le Café du Commerce.

  • When going to Paris, keep in mind that tipping is not expected and smaller tips (a few euros) are the norm.

Parisian scams

Paris is a city that attracts many tourists, as well as pickpockets and scammers.

I would also like to warn you about common scams: people here usually do not do anything for free so if a stranger offers you a free gift, then they will usually expect you to pay for it.

I would also avoid buying gifts from street vendors, as their quality is usually quite cheap and other vendors will try to sell you something if you buy from one of them.

Special note

Do not forget to say “Bonjour Monsieur/Madame” when you enter ANY restaurant, boutique, hotel, even a doctor’s waiting room (you do not need to say this in a department store). It is rude not to, as if you entered someone’s home without acknowledging them.

S’il vous plaît, Merci, and Au revoir Monsieur/Madame are also important, as these words will help you sound more polite and will be very much appreciated by Parisians.

Contact Me

Please contact me at least one week in advance so that we can either coordinate a tour or a meeting to answer any questions. You can check out my instagram for more pictures of Paris at @autismfriendlyparis: