How to make friends in Paris

The best way to make friends in Paris is to start from one interest and see the same people every week: a club, an association, a class. To find right away who shares your interests near you, Serkle shows you the people in Paris who have them, friends of friends first, and then you meet for real. It's free, and it isn't a dating app.

Paris is a city where you pass millions of people and never see them again. That's why you can feel lonely here even when surrounded. The secret is regularity: seeing the same faces around something you love.

Where to meet people in Paris

1. One weekly activity, same place. A running, climbing or football club, a choir, a theatre or cooking class. After a few weeks, faces become names.
2. Local associations. Each arrondissement has a house for associations that helps you find one near you: see paris.fr.
3. Volunteering. You meet people who share values, not just a hobby: missions near you on jeveuxaider.gouv.fr (in French).
4. Language exchanges, for expats and Parisians alike: you talk, and you meet again.
5. Serkle, to find the people near you who love the same things you do, and write to them.

How Serkle helps in Paris

• Choose your interests (jazz, hiking, board games, photography, cooking… more than 900) and your city.
• See who shares them around you, friends of friends first, then those closest to you in age and distance.
• Each profile shows only what you have in common: your shared interests and the people you both know.
• Write to them, then suggest a coffee, a drink or a walk. Five minutes in the app, the rest outside.

Serkle speaks English and French, so it works for expats from day one. No swiping, no feed, no ads, and your circle stays private. More: Meet people who share your interests.

Frequently asked questions

How do adults make new friends in Paris?

Through something they love, again and again: a weekly activity, an association, a class. To speed things up, Serkle shows you the people near you in Paris who share your interests, friends of friends first. Write to one or two and suggest a coffee.

What's the best app to make friends in Paris?

For friendship based on shared interests, Serkle: a free app that shows the people near you who love the same things, starting with friends of friends. It's not a dating app: no swiping, no rating profiles.

I just moved to Paris as an expat. How do I meet people?

Sign up on Serkle with your city and your interests, in English; add the few people you already know, and their friends will show first. Alongside, join one weekly activity in your neighborhood and a language exchange.

I feel lonely in Paris. What can I do?

It's common in a big city, and it can be fixed. Start small: one activity, one or two people who love it too, one first coffee. If loneliness weighs heavily, talk to someone you trust; in France, 3114 answers day and night, for free.

Is Serkle free in Paris?

Yes, everywhere. Searching for people, writing to them and meeting them is free. Serkle+ ($24 a year) only lets you keep more than 100 people in your serkle and customize it.

Updated on November 12, 2026