How To Explore Paris's Greener Side - International Traveller

The French capital has made incredible progress towards reaching its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

The seeds for greening the City of Light were planted in 2007 when Le Plan Climat de Paris was adopted. The French capital has been actively reducing its carbon footprint ever since to be as sustainable a city as possible.

As mayor of the city that gave its name to the 2015 Paris Climate Accords, Anne Hidalgo has pledged that the French capital will be carbon neutral by 2050. Featured in TIME magazine in 2020 as one of the world’s 100 most influential people, Mayor Hidalgo has been described by Al Gore as “the kind of leader who demonstrates how local action can solve the climate crisis". Mayor Hidalgo has made it her mission to transform the City of Light into a cleaner and healthier place to live and visit since she came to office in 2014.

Almost a decade on, British group Essential Living published a report in June 2023 that named Paris ‘The Greenest City in Europe’ with a whopping 530 parks, gardens and squares. Around 30 urban farms provide food for Paris and there are at least 1500 beehives in the city.

Greening the City of Light

More than 300 new green spaces are planned for the French capital and Parisian lawmakers last year approved the planting of 170,000 trees by 2026. The creation of four new urban forests near landmarks such as the Hotel de Ville and Opera Garnier will also help combat air pollution and reduce the effects of rising temperatures. Mayor Hidalgo will also transform the Avenue des Champs-Élysées into an ‘extraordinary garden’ by 2030, reducing motor traffic to one lane each way.

view of the Eiffel Tower from a street in Paris — Paris lives up to its title as the greenest city in Europe. (Image: EoNaYa via Getty Images)

Hidalgo is passionate about making Paris more pedestrian and bike-friendly as well. The French politician closed the busy Rue de Rivoli to private car transport and has created some 1000 kilometres of cycling trails throughout the city. The Parc Rives de Seine offers 10 hectares of cycling and walking routes on the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) and Rive Droite (Right Bank).

the Parc Rives de Seine in Paris — Parc Rives de Seine promenade is a serene oasis.

Every first Sunday of the month is a car-free day in Paris, where cars are banned on the Champs-Élysées and in the first four arrondissements. In addition, the city has 435 electric car-charging stations and 1200 fountains and water-refilling spots.

Hidalgo has also spearheaded a new $2.2 billion sewerage infrastructure project to clean up the Seine in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics when triathletes and marathon swimmers will compete in the river. From 2025, people will be able to swim at three supervised riverside bathing spots: at Bras Marie near the 4th arrondissement; near the Parc de Bercy in the 12th; and Bras de Grenelle in the 15th.

a wide-angle view of Paris — Perspectives in Paris are shifting. (Image: Querbeet via Getty Images)

Eco-friendly ways to explore

Life in the slow lane

Turtle provides environmentally sustainable city transfers on enclosed electric tricycles, which are often cheaper and faster than taxis. It also offers fresh city perspectives on Emily in Paris, Napoleon and Left Bank-themed set-jetting tours.

the Turtle electric bike cab in Paris — Embrace slow living and use pedal power with Turtle. (Image: Antonin Weber)

Get on your bike

To rent your own bike, check out the Greater Paris Vélib’ Metropole bike-sharing service, which provides self-service mechanical (green) and electric (blue) bikes for hire at 24-hour stations dotted across Paris. Passes range from 45 minutes to three days.

A sense of the Seine

Green River Cruises offers private cruises along the Seine for six to 12 people on whisper-quiet electric pontoon boats.

friends enjoying Paris while dining onboard Green River Cruises — See Paris in a new light with Green River Cruises.

Green scene

Nothing says ‘green Paris’ more than its 200 remarkable trees, as classified for factors including age, uniqueness or social role. Take a self-guided walking tour to discover some beauties such as Paris’s oldest tree, a black locust, in the 5th’s Square René Viviani.

Sustainable stay

The small family-owned Nuage hotel, near the Champs-Élysées, has transformed into an eco-responsible establishment.

the hotel facade of Nuage in Paris — Step into the boutique hotel Nuage.

The timber-toned rooms are decked out with vintage furniture; the toiletries and drinks are made in France; market-fresh goodies adorn the breakfast table; and cleaning products are chemical-free. Owner Olivier Breuil has even penned Slow Paris, a guide to insider tips on how to savour Paris like a local.

the suite terrace at hotel Nuage, Paris — Each suite provides an inner-urban refuge.

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Healthy eating and drinking

In the spotlight

Chef Josselin Marie, who earned his stripes at Hôtel Plaza Athénée and Ritz Paris, now runs one of the most eco-responsible restaurants in the city: La Table de Colette is tucked away down a side street near the Panthéon in the 5th arrondissement.

the restaurant interior of La Table de Colette — The elegant eatery is tucked down a side street.

You’ll feel good about the fact his team hand-make every element of every dish with local seasonal produce, limit waste, use green electricity and plant trees to ensure the restaurant’s carbon neutrality; each dish carries information about its carbon footprint. But you’ll keep coming back for his exquisite umami-rich dishes where meat and fish are used to give flavour to vegetables rather than being the main attraction.

a carrot dish with lemon and garum condiments at La Table de Colette — Variation of carrots with lemon and garum condiments at La Table de Colette. (Image: Josselin Marie)

Democratic dining

Multi-Michelin-starred French-born chef Alain Ducasse may be better known for his luxe establishments. But the latest addition to his restaurant stable is Sapid, a 95 per cent vegetable-based restaurant in the edgy 10th arrondissement. This is the place to go for delicious and affordable refectory-style food where the seasonal ingredients are top notch, but costs are reduced with guests serving themselves and clearing their own dishes.

Lay of the land

The affordable Kitchen Ter(re), not far from the Sorbonne on Boulevard Saint-Germain, offers a remarkable selection of pasta dishes using flour from low-gluten, highly nutritious ancient grain varieties alongside deeply flavoured stocks made from Italian and Asian ingredients.

Maïs Crémeux Sorbet Coco Vanille Sarrasin at Kitchen Ter(re) — Fresh produce underpins the menu at Kitchen Ter(re). (Image: Pierre Lucet Penato)

All-organic markets

Shop at these all-organic markets for healthy picnic food or ingredients to cook at your Airbnb: the Saturday morning Marché Biologique des Batignolles in the 17th; La Halle Aubervilliers in the 19th; and the Sunday morning Marché Biologique Raspail in the 6th arrondissement.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

How to explore Paris’s greener side