How to Spend Two Sporty Days in Paris
The City of Lights is also a city full of hoops, stadiums, and sneakers
Paris might not be the first city that springs to mind when you’re looking for a sports-friendly vacation, but the capital of romance is teeming with things to do and see for athletes and sports fans alike.
Paris Saint-Germain is the most famous team that calls the city home, but sports experiences in Paris aren’t limited to football (or soccer). The city is packed with stadiums, venues, and places to get out and play, both for weekend warriors joining the action and for fans who want to watch the best professionals do their thing. Whether you’re looking for a running tour, pickup hoops, Olympic-size pools, or a sports bar, Paris is an incredible weekend destination for a sports fan.
Who I am: I’m Stephanie Kaloi, a WNBA reporter who covers both pro and collegiate women’s basketball. I travel to Paris several times a year for European games and NCAA matches in the city, and always feel at home. My French could still use some work, but the city is easy to navigate and you’re never too far away from a ridiculously gorgeous park or an arcade bar .
Before you go
Weather: Temperatures in Paris are famously irregular — it could be 70 degrees for three straight weeks in July and then blazing in August, and November could be bone-dry or filled with rain.
Getting there: Both Charles de Gaulle and Orly are equally accessible, connected to the city’s train system and public transit, and there are also plenty of taxis to hail.
Vibes: Paris has a reputation for being a little stuffy, and you may hear stories about Parisians seeming rude, but honestly, a lot of that comes down to how visitors move through the city. Don’t be too loud, don’t be too pushy, and don’t expect an average citizen to go out of their way to accommodate you. Paris is a gorgeous, vibrant city that can offer anything and everything, as long as you’re conscientious and respectful.
Where to stay
Elysées Hôtel
What this budget-friendly hotel might lack in high-end amenities, it more than makes up for in terms of location and budget. It’s an exceedingly walkable area, even by Parisian standards — the Arc de Triomphe can be reached on foot in 17 minutes flat. Rooms are small but manageable for two, and the hotel staff is beyond gracious and accommodating.
Crowne Plaza Paris Republique
The Crowne Plaza is located immediately on the Place de la République, which makes catching Ubers, taxis, the train, or any other form of transportation easy; restaurants and theatres abound, and it’s just about as centrally located as you can get.
Saint James Paris
The Saint James is a little outside of the heart of Paris, but it’s well worth the tradeoff for travelers who want the ultimate in comfort and service, and who aren’t necessarily spending a lot of time surrounded by tourist attractions in the first place. The luxury hotel is also just down the street from the Stade Roland Garros — the home of the French Open tennis tournament.
Two sporty days in Paris, France
Day 1: From croissants to sneakers
Morning
- Open yourself up to all that Paris can offer for breakfast. Any brasserie you pass will have coffee and croissants that are better than anything stateside (the setting helps), and Paris, of course, boasts countless sit-down options. Nectar, 46 & 3rd, and Happy Caffe are some of my favorite brunch spots in the city.
- If the day is beautiful (and in Paris, they so often are), it’s almost criminal to not walk or run the banks of the Seine. The jaunt will take you through parts of the city that can only be described as iconic, including through Tuilleries, Champs-Elysees, Jardins de Trocadero, Champs de Mars, and Invalides, and quite a few stretches have been converted to pedestrian-only paths in recent years.
Midday
- The unmatched shopping scene in Paris extends to sports gear and sneakers. While the city boasts a handful of Foot Lockers that always seem to have limited-release kicks, there are plenty of other spots that are worth your time, and the Forum des Halles mall on 101 Porte Berger is an excellent place to start. Inside the mall proper you can find any big box store you might expect, but the area immediately surrounding the mall is full of local shops.
- Size? is a great spot for sneakers, and you can also walk onwards to Shinzo, which boasts two floors of sneakers, jerseys, basketballs, footballs (soccer balls), and more. Basketball fans should make sure to stop in at Basket4Baller, another multi-level shopping hub packed with NBA and WNBA gear.
- It’s also worth it for sports gearheads to brave the Champs-Élysées and visit the Nike House of Innovation, where you can peruse several floors of t-shirts, athletic gear, and, of course, sneakers — and even design your own footwear in-house.
Nighttime
- A two-day sports trip to Paris means there’s at least one night free for a game. Basketball fans (especially those who like the San Antonio Spurs) might be interested in checking out a game at the Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan, where a young Victor Wembanyama once played for Metropolitans 92 before he was drafted into the NBA.
- Paris is also home to some of the most famous sports events in the world: the French Open, of course, and also the Tour de France (which winds its way through the heart of the city every July and is easy to watch from the streetside), the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, as well as NBA Paris games (held each year in January) and also esports events like the Street Fighter tournament Red Bull Kumite.
- On top of those events, there are plenty of local clubs and professional teams in Paris playing games, like Paris Saint-Germain.
Day 2: Streetball and the Palais
Morning
- If you’re looking for an American-style hearty breakfast, the aptly named Breakfast in America offers all the diner classics: omelets, scrambled eggs, bacon on bacon, and unlimited coffee. Each outpost (there are now three in the city) is decorated with posters and framed photos of American singers, performers, actors, and heroes. While it might seem silly to travel all the way to Paris just to eat American diner food, this is a great version, and sometimes it just hits the spot.
- The grounds of the Patinoire de Boulogne-Billancourt ice skating rink were used for ice skating from the time of Emperor Napoleon III in the mid-1800s. In late 2024, the rink closed and was replaced this year by the opening of a facility for a growing sport — padel. There are now seven padel courts available to rent at Boulogne-Billancourt, within a luxurious new club.
Midday
- Running the Seine is one way to see a lot of the city, but if you want to expand your range while staying active, renting a bicycle is a great option, and it’s a lot of fun. Like many major cities, Paris makes it easy with several apps available that offer electric bike rentals as well as local services like Vélib' Métropole. The city is covered in bike lanes that traverse all the major roadways, and while the Seine is an ideal spot for such a trip, alternate routes include Montemarte to St. Denis and throughout central Paris, which will conveniently take you by theaters, bookstores, and plenty of places to shop.
- There are also a few amazing gyms in the city that are open to anyone who wants to shoot hoops, like OneBall and Hoops Factory, and the legendary Pigalle court and Jemappes street court are both worth visiting. The city is also covered with outdoor parks, some of which are already stocked with balls, including Duperré Playground and the Jardin du Luxembourg Playground.
- The legendary art museums in Paris are all worth visiting, especially because there are often sports-themed exhibits at each of them. The Palais de Tokyo is a wonderful museum to swing by and support (and it’s easy to check ahead of time and see what’s on display), and the nearby Palais Galleria has hosted sports history, fashion, and design exhibits.
Nighttime
- The phrases “Paris, France,” and “sports bar” might not feel intuitively connected to every mind, but Parisians love to gather in pubs with TVs blasting sports just like the rest of us. Of those, Le New Players might be the best: 30 TVs, plenty of comfy couches, and, of course, a slightly overpriced drink menu — but there’s no shortage of sports coverage from open to close.
If you have three days
All of the above, but add...
- Check out Le Cardinal, a local French restaurant with a delicious menu. It’s also conveniently located near the Galleries Lafayette, in case you’re looking for gifts for friends back home.
- Take a minute to be a corny tourist: Bite the bullet and take one of the river boat tours down the Seine. It’s obvious, it’s a little goofy, but it really is a lovely experience that will show you the city from a unique angle.