City guide · Paris · 5 min read

How to make friends in Paris as a newcomer or visitor

Parisians have a reputation for reserve, but the city's social life is built around long, small gatherings — apéro, dinner, walks.

Top 3 things to do — and how to turn them into plans

1
Picnic on the Seine banks
Cheese, bread and a riverside spot — the Parisian group plan. On Sidecar, you can post exactly this as a plan — or join someone else's.
2
Free first-Sunday museums
Many major museums are free on the first Sunday of the month. On Sidecar, you can post exactly this as a plan — or join someone else's.
3
Pétanque in a square
Watch, then join — locals are happy to explain the rules. On Sidecar, you can post exactly this as a plan — or join someone else's.

Sidecar is for locals meeting locals, travellers meeting locals, and fellow travellers meeting each other. Friends only.

Inviting people for an early-evening drink on a terrace or by the Canal Saint-Martin is the classic low-pressure Paris plan.

A picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens or a walk along the quays at sunset makes an easy group plan, especially in warmer months.

Ciné-clubs, bouquinistes, small galleries and the endless exhibition calendar mean there is always something to do together.

Sidecar shows small, platonic plans in Paris in time order — host introduction, public meeting place, open spots. Request to join, or post your own.