Almost 3 years into my time in Paris, my iPhone’s home screen has seen quite a few new additions. Note that some of these apps are only available in the France app store. Without further ado, let’s dive into the top apps that I recommend for life in France.
Top apps for life in France
If you’re not fluent yet in French, download the Google app. In it, you can use the Google Lens feature, which can be used to translate text captured with your camera. Very useful for everyday life!
10. Airline apps
With most airline apps, you can purchase tickets, receive your digital boarding pass, get flight status updates, and earn member points. Even if you don’t fly enough to achieve special status, it is still a better experience than having to keep track of receipts and boarding passes in your email inbox.
Carrefour is probably the most recognizably French supermarket chain in the world. Getting the app and scanning your code during checkout will allow you to receive cashback, member prices, and digital receipts. That said, Carrefour is not necessarily the best or the cheapest for everything. Franprix, Monoprix, Auchan, and Lidl are popular too and they might have their own loyalty programs.
Leboncoin is a popular online marketplace for various products. If you have the patience to scroll a bit, you might be able to find some good deals. Anyone can list items (even housing) on the platform, so do your research before giving money over to a seller.
Booking.com is a third party platform for booking accommodations, flights, and transportation. Many hotels and hostels are exclusively on booking.com if they don’t have their own booking system. If you prefer to take weekend trips or short trips to other cities, this option makes more sense than Airbnb, which charges a flat cleaning fee regardless of duration of stay.
A long time favourite app for those who are looking to make new friends who share common interests or backgrounds. With Meetup, you can find expat groups, hobby groups, language groups, and more. Anyone can join a Meetup group of course, but anyone can also create their own if they don’t find what they’re looking for.
TheFork, formerly known as LaFourchette, is the easiest way to discover restaurants and make reservations. You accumulate points that can be redeemed for rewards. Many restaurants on the platform also offer promotions, some for up to 50% off the menu price.
Omio is the app for your if you plan on travelling elsewhere in Europe by train. It is easy to use and covers many European countries. You might be able to find slightly cheaper prices by going to the native website of the a country’s rail company, but sometimes those sites are confusing or not available in English. However, for train journeys that originate and/or end in France, you should use the SNCF Connect.
SNCF Connect is the app to use for journeys that have France as the starting point, destination, or both. Some trains even go directly to other countries, including to Belgium, Switzerland, and England. In the app you can check prices, buy tickets, and get special offers. Book ahead, because prices follow demand and supply.
Wise is an app that offers multi-currency financial services. Users of Wise receive a physical debit card can that can hold balances in more than 40+ currencies. Each account also has routing and account numbers, so you can even set up autopay, direct deposits, or transfer money to recipients, such as a friend or your landlord. You can register in your home country or in France.
Before moving to France, I made a
Wise account in Canada. I loaded some dollars into my account and converted them into euros. The physical card was then mailed to my address and so I had a euro debit card ready before ever stepping foot on European soil. Use the
pvtistes promo link to make a first international transfer for free.
The king of apps, Whatsapp is absolutely essential for communication in France and Europe. Communication via Facebook Messenger, iMessage, and SMS texts is much rarer than you might be used to. If someone gives their phone number to you, there is a good chance they expect you to add them on Whatsapp, not to text them directly.
Apps that are specific to the Paris region (Île-de-France)
Paris is not France and France is not Paris. But for those who do choose to live in Paris or its surrounding communes, here are a few of the must-haves to make your life easier.
RATP is the organization responsible for all public transportation within the Paris region. The app is great for seeing the status of metros and trains. Delays and disturbances to service are indicated in real time. You can buy tickets directly in the app. There are also detailed maps of routes for all lines of transport.
The Île-de-France Mobilités app allows users to reload their monthly Navigo commuter card, saving them a visit to the ticket window at a metro station. It’s also possible to do so in the RATP app, but the advantage of IDF Mobilités is that the purchase of the pass is accompanied by a receipt that has the pass holder’s name on it. This feature is thereful useful for anyone who needs to present a valid receipt to be reimbursed for a percentage of their monthly pass.
Vélib is a portmanteau of the words vélo (bike) and libre (free). As you might guess, it is a bikeshare service. They have electric and normal bikes throughout the city. You can select from a number of plans depending on your planned usage. I’m not a frequent user so I chose the $0/month plan and simply pay by distance. The rates are very reasonable; the last time I rode, I took a normal bike for 1h9m and paid only 3 euros.
Many Franciliens (aka residents of the Paris region) swear by Citymapper, they say it is more accurate than Google Maps with regards to public transportation routes. Even though I haven’t developed the habit of using it regularly yet, it’s certainly worth giving it a shot. Citymapper specializes in only a few major cities around the world, so it is very possible that their targeted service is highly reliable.
Some websites, such as Google Flights, don’t have an app. Remember, however, that those URLs can still be bookmarked to your home screen as icons for easy access.
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