Tips and good deals: Mobile apps for the tourist in Paris

We have tested the Android apps that are most likely to help a tourist staying in Paris. We have eliminated all paid applications and those that can damage your device (a shame for the Lonely Planet app).
In summary, there is no miracle or ideal product but there are still applications that we recommend you install.

Our recommandation

Welcome to Paris

Category: Tourist Guide.

The tourist office, who is the editor, forgot to publish a video demonstration of the app. We will therefore have to wait a bit with this product.
The app is bilingual, in French and English. The research choices are divided into 6 sections: monuments, exhibitions, walks, shops, restaurants, nightlife. Each has 3 sub-sections. It is quite synthetic: Geolocation, practical information, and although not systematically, online booking. An “Around me” option shows on a map all the spots linked to the sections we’ve just named. Very convenient, even when you know Paris.

Strengths:

The app is simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate. It identifies the major and unavoidable points of the capital and will definitely serve tourists who have little knowledge of the capital.

Inconveniences:

Online booking uses the same booking engine as that of the tourist office website (https://www.parisinfo.com/) and this is the big weak point of the application:

• It is not available on all sites
  Not all the rates are available. For example, the Musée d’Orsay does not offer discounted rates online.
• It is also a pity that the ticket is not sent electronically by telephone.

Some sections are too incomplete to merit being in the app:

• For example, the “Showing” section shows two events. The “Shopping” section was it necessary? It has 23 addresses.
• The section “Where to eat” has no legitimacy. Widely incomplete and why offer this service while TripAdvisor is by far the leader in listing 14,000 restaurants in Paris?

In summary, you will be able to install the app which will be of great service to you if you have a limited knowledge of Paris. It will be of use to you although restrictively if you visit the capital on a regular basis.

Our opinion in 1 word: download

Citymapper

Category: Map and Travel

In terms of transport and orientation, this application is much more powerful than Google Maps. Thanks to our guest Vincent for pointing it out. The application is very ergonomic and available in thirty cities including Paris, Bordeaux, and Lyon for France.

Disadvantage: The application does not include the delays and uncertainties of the RATP (Parisian metros) because the latter refuses to open its database to Citymapper for marketing reasons. RATP argues that Citymapper uses user data for marketing purposes and therefore does not want to naively feed free information to the editor of CityMapper. On the web, when a product is free, you are the product!

View demo:

Our opinion in 1 word: download

Not convinced

The PocketGuide, PocketFennec, and GuidiGO audio guides

Category: Tourist Guide
The principle is often the same: A guide on your shoulder to take you wherever you go. At first sight it seems like a great idea, no? But in the end, wouldn’t you risk isolating yourself, reducing moments to share, and enslaving yourself to the digital world? It’s up to you:

• PocketGuide: See the video
• PocketFennec: See the video
• GuidiGO: See the video

Our opinion in 1 word: Out!

Mtrip

Category: Tourist Guide.

Our test was quick. We selected the Louvre Museum for a visit on Sunday, October 1st (admission is free this day), the amount charged for an online reservation is 18.50€. Even if we compare this rate to a full price, there is still a 3.50€ difference. Multiply this commission by the number of visits and visitors, this is expensive for an application. The database is however very complete and has fluid navigation.

Our opinion in 1 word: Out!