Paris has a reputation for being a hard city to make friends in, and the numbers back it up. Yet it's full of ways to meet people, many of them free or close to it. The real challenge isn't meeting someone once: it's seeing the same people again often enough for an acquaintance to become a friend. This guide covers the options by type (language exchanges, running clubs, city activities, volunteering, apps, expat networks), what actually creates regular contact, and what we see at our own tables.
Why it's hard to make friends in Paris
- Expats have said it for years. In InterNations' 2023 Expat City Ranking, 56% of expats in Paris found it hard to make local friends, against 36% worldwide, and 66% said it's hard to live there without speaking French.
- Surrounded, but lonely. According to the Fondation de France's Solitudes 2025 study, 28% of people in French cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants feel lonely, against 21% in rural areas, even though they're less isolated.
- Circles are already formed. Many Parisians have their school or university friends, and busy schedules leave little room for chance meetings.
The good news: the same study describes associations and regular activities as "pivots of sociability". What works isn't one big party, it's regularity.
Your options, by type
| Type | Examples in Paris | Price | What creates regular contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language exchanges | Furamori (ours), Polyglot Club (Tuesdays and Saturdays at Le Baratin, 13th) | Free to paid depending on the format | Coming back to the same group every week |
| Running clubs | Paris 11 Running Club (free run on Wednesdays at 7:30pm, 11th), Paname Run Club | Often free | A fixed weekly run, a drink afterwards |
| City activities | Paris Anim' centres (49 centres, 400+ activities), Cours d'Adultes de Paris | Means-tested / up to €350 a year | Same room, same people, all year |
| Volunteering | JeVeuxAider.gouv.fr (5,000+ missions in and around Paris), France Bénévolat Paris | Free | A regular mission with the same team |
| Apps and dinners | Timeleft (dinners with strangers), Meetup, OnVaSortir | See their sites | Low at first: it's up to you to meet again |
| Expat networks | InterNations, WICE (English-speaking, founded in 1978) | Membership: see their sites | Recurring clubs and groups |
From meeting to friendship: what we see at our tables
We run language exchange tables every week, and the step from first meeting to friendship is what interests us most. Here's what we actually see.
- People swap Instagram at the end. It's often the first thread connecting a table to what comes next.
- They meet up again. Staying in touch with participants, we regularly see stories of people who met at a Furamori table going out together.
- Tips become an excuse. People share a lot of restaurant recommendations at the table. "You told me about that place, shall we go?" is the most natural way to suggest a second meeting.
- A concrete plan does the rest. Recently, a Japanese teacher who comes to our tables went to visit the Catacombs with one of her students.
The lesson: the second time matters more than the first. Suggest something specific (a restaurant, an exhibition, the next table) rather than a vague "let's meet again".
5 tips that actually work
- Pick one regular activity over one-off events. You become friends with people you see again, not people you meet once.
- Become a regular. Same café, same market, same club: the Fondation de France found that almost one in four people in big cities talk about personal matters with local shopkeepers.
- Make the second invitation yourself. Everyone is waiting for someone else to suggest it.
- Mix worlds. Language exchanges put Parisians and newcomers at the same table, all keen to get to know each other.
- Give it three months. Friendship builds over several meetings: don't judge an activity on one evening.
A table to come back to every week
Furamori runs tables of 4 to 8 people every week, put together in advance so each language has native speakers: a regular meeting with no host, where you come alone and see familiar faces again. See our language exchange in Paris or all Furamori cities. Nervous about it? Read how a language exchange works, or our guide to French conversation groups in Paris.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it hard to make friends in Paris?
Where can I meet people in Paris if I don't know anyone?
How do I turn a new acquaintance into a friend?
Are there free ways to make friends in Paris?
Sources: Fondation de France, Solitudes 2025 study (January 2026); InterNations, Expat City Ranking 2023 (official press release); City of Paris, Paris Anim' centres; Cours d'Adultes de Paris; JeVeuxAider.gouv.fr; Paris 11 Running Club; Polyglot Club; Timeleft. Checked on October 21, 2026; times and prices can change.
