If you haven’t been to Paris yet, GO! Okay, maybe wait until after the 2024 Olympic craziness is over but then just do it. I’m lucky enough to have been there many times, both for work and vacation. It never gets old or boring as you wander around and perhaps discover people dancing on a Sunday morning by the outdoor market or wander into a church where a harp concert is going on-some of my favorite Paris memories. Every time of year I’ve visited Paris from February to May to September has been lovely, though the summer can get hot and air conditioning is not guaranteed in older buildings. We are hoping to get back to Paris again soon so we can enjoy one of our favorite cities in the world. Below is my travel guide for Paris to help you plan your Parisian adventure. Bon Voyage!

WHAT TO SEE:

MONUMENTS AND SITES:

• Eiffel Tower https://www.toureiffel.paris/en buy tickets in advance!
• Arc de Triumphe https://www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en
• Pantheon https://www.paris-pantheon.fr/en
• Notre Dame-walk by because it is undergoing renovation after the fire
• St. Chappelle Sainte-Chapelle (7 minute walk from Notre Dame)
• Sacre Coeur (day and night) (in Montmarte)
• Montmarte (go up the stairs or take the finicular) walk the neighborhood and enjoy a cafe
• Opera Garnier Opéra national de Paris (operadeparis.fr)
• Parc de la Villette (open air cinema in the summer)
• Butte Chaumont is a huge public park in the 19th arrondissement
• Maison de Victor Hugo is the writer’s house museum located where Victor Hugo lived for 16 years between 1832–1848.
• The Paris Catacombs if you are into historical skeletons-I would book a tour so you can hear the stories/history: Paris Catacombs Special Access Tour 2023 (viator.com)
• Père Lachaise Cemetery is a walking history tour with interesting burial sites including Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison

MUSEUMS (so many to see, so little time)

• Picasso Museum https://www.museepicassoparis.fr/en/
• Rodin museum https://www.musee-rodin.fr/en go on a nice day to walk the garden filled with sculptures
• Monet museum https://www.marmottan.fr/en/ lovely mansion filled with Monet art
• Louvre https://www.louvre.fr/en Tip-at opening time, enter through Port de Lions entrance and go directly to the Mona Lisa to get up close and personal before the crowds appear
• Musee l’Orangerie https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en huge museum-wear your walking shoes!
• Musee d’Orsay https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en (see the clock in the cafe!)
• Dali Museum https://www.daliparis.com/en/
• Montmartre Museum Organisation d’évènement au Musée de Montmartre à Paris (museedemontmartre.fr)
• Dior museum for fashionistas La Galerie Dior (Watch the movie “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” to prepare)
• Musée de Cluny (Musée national du Moyen Âge): https://www.musee-moyenage.fr/en/ Discover medieval art and artifacts. See the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.

DAY TRIPS (use the trains to get there!)

Versailles https://en.chateauversailles.fr/

Disneyland Paris: https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-usd/

Dijon https://www.france.fr/en/article/dijon

PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION (I haven’t done this but many people seem to do it and it’s a highlight of their trip to capture the moment professionally-sites below sourced off Facebook/Instagram)

• PHOTOGRAPHER IN PARIS (@yuliia_dutchak) • Instagram photos and videos
• https://www.facebook.com/floraandrianyphotography?mibextid=ZbWKwLApproximately 200 euros an hour
• https://instagram.com/agatha.photography?igshid=NmE0MzVhZDY=mE0MzVhZDY=
• https://www.floraandrianyphotography.com/?fbclid=IwAR0oj_z3lrDAoYabXLzigYiH4-0ttDRJyy8A02rdW-tuudd77FqgG1hgB7g

WALKS (the best way to experience Paris is to get lost and wander, stop at a cafe to rest and then wander some more)

• Canal St. Martin-watch boats go through the locks/cool neighborhood for a stroll
• Latin Quarter-swing by the Pantheon (watch Midnight in Paris movie to get ready)
• Luxembourg gardens-bring a picnic sail a boat. Beautiful in the fall! My favorite place in Paris.
• Pere Lachaise cemetery has many famous figures in the arts buried there. It is a beautiful place to spend a few hours walking around-maps are provided at the gate to visit gravesites of Frederic Chopin, Edith Piaf, Marcel Marceau, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Jim Morrison, etc. My husband loves to walk cemetaries so we spent quality time here.
• Paris catacombs: https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en labyrinth in the heart of underground Paris
• La Promenade Plantee is a public park built on a historical rail line in eastern Paris-very similar to the High Line in NYC and nice place to soak up Paris nature while in the city.

• Walking tours: (1) Emmanuel’s hidden gems | Paris | Facebook
• Tours by locals: Paris Tours with Local Private Tour Guides (toursbylocals.com);
• https://goaskalocal.com/pascal
• Find street art: Find the best street art in the World (streetartmap.com)

CLASSIC COBBLESTONE STREETS TO WALK:

• Rue Mouffetard
• Rue Cremieux
• Rue des Barres
• Rue de l’Abreuvoir
• Cour du Commerce-Saint-Andre
• Rue Montorgueil
• Rue Cremieux
• Rue des Rosiers
• Rue Lepic
• Rue Saint-Antoine
• Avenue Winston Churchill
• Quai de Jemmages

VIEWS

Rooftop at Galleries Lafayette-also a great place to shop! Haussmann location. Enter the “la coupole” building with red awnings and take elevator to the top floor. Near the Opera House so visit there too while in the neighborhood.

​Montparnasse Tower Panoramic Observation Deck:  https://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/en/

Printemps shopping store-go to the store at 64 Boulevard Haussmann and straight up to the rooftop cafe called Deli-Cieux, where there is an outdoor terrace with views of the Eiffel Tower. Another place to stop to use the bathrooms too when you are out and about.

SEINE RIVER TOURS

• Batobus boat tour-hop on hop off on the Seine: www.batobus.com/ Just buy tickets at the dock when you are ready to go or online. Great way to see the city from the water.
• Evening dinner cruise on the Seine: Calife

FOOD TOUR

• https://abnb.me/JdFEtVI6Gwb Amelie is the guide taking you through the Marais. Book a private tour with her.

COOKING CLASSES

• Le Cordon Bleu – Macaroon cookery class:  Macaron Workshop – Pastry class with a Chef | Le Cordon Bleu Paris
• Pastry cooking class: Maison Fleuret x Ateliers Parisiens
• Bread and other baking classes https://www.lefoodist.com/

PERFUME MAKING CLASS

• Perfume making: www.parfumsurmesure.com

CAR/BIKE TOURS

• Bike and Side Car Tour: www.retro-tour.com/en/
• Antique car tour: https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g187147-d16722639-Paris_Private_Tour_in_Vintage_Car_2_hours-Paris_Ile_de_France.html OR 2CVParisTour.com : Sightseeing tours of Paris by 2CV car!
• Eat and ride: Concept | Bustronome | Restaurant gastronomique original à Paris & Londres

WHERE TO EAT:

People ask on the Paris Facebook groups all the time, “where should we eat in Paris?”.  Easy answer-on most corners you will find a café. Eat there. They are all good. Look for a crowd of locals and you can really count on it. I enjoy my favorites, croque monsieur (ham and cheese melted sandwich), warm lentil salad, onion soup or omelets, and Thom has his big juicy cheeseburgers and fries. Yum! At the cafes, you will be surrounded by neighborhood locals enjoying family dinners. Dinner is usually around 8-9 pm with the cafes staying busy up until midnight even during the week.

FOOD (restaurants recommended by people I follow in Facebook Paris group because we just always eat randomly at any café in Paris and they are all good)

• Marais: Café du Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris – Restaurant reviews (restaurantguru.com)
• REFUGE DES FONDUES – 176 Photos & 216 Reviews – 17 rue des Trois Frères, Paris, France – Yelp wine in a baby bottle and be prepared to climb over the table to get a seat on the bench. We did eat here and it was super fun. Make reservations-it is super popular with Instagrammers.
• Café Procope- oldest café in Paris: www.procope.com/en/
• Ciel de Paris: www.cieldeparis.com/en/ 
• Absinthe bar: La Fee Verte: 108 rue de la Roquette 75011 Paris
• CHEZ DENISE, Paris – Les Halles – Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews – Tripadvisor
• http://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/montparnasse/
• Le Train Bleu https://www.le-train-bleu.com/en/
• Restaurant Christine https://lechristine.becsparisiens.fr/
• https://www.leptittroquet.fr/en/
• http://maisonbes.fr/
• In the Marais https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d714966-Reviews-Chez_Janou-Paris_Ile_de_France.html?m=19905
• In the Marais https://www.lange20.com/en/
• https://www.bigmammagroup.com/en/trattorias/pink-mamma?utm_campaign=mybusiness-website&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google
• In the Marais: https://www.bouillon-julien.com
• Near Eiffel tower https://m.yelp.com/biz/les-cocottes-paris-4
• http://lesancerreparis.com/ in Montmatre
• https://cafelemontecarlo.fr/en/1497-2/ in the 8th

Michelin restaurants

https://guide.michelin.com/ca/en

Wine tasting https://www.cavesdulouvre.com/en/ (or at any wine shop-they are on every block!)

HOT CHOCOLATE (a big deal in Paris)

• Angelina Rivoli | Angelina (angelina-paris.fr)
• LE CAFE CARROUSEL – Paris | French cuisine near me | Book now (eatbu.com)

NIGHTLIFE/CONCERTS

• Moulin Rouge show: Féerie revue show – Moulin Rouge (Site Officiel) Very expensive and worth every penny. Go! It is unlike anything you have ever seen.
• Jazz Clubs:
  •  Home | The Duke of the Lombards (ducdeslombards.com);
  • CAVEAU DE LA HUCHETTE | EN
  • 38 Riv’ – Jazz Club & Bar in the heart of the Marais in Paris
  • http://www.papajazzclub-paris.fr/
• Opera and ballet – Palais Garnier: Opéra national de Paris (operadeparis.fr)
• Live music in Montmarte: The Best Cocktails in Montmartre – LuluWhite

WHERE TO SHOP:

MARKETS

The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, a sprawling network of warehouses, stands and alleyways on the northern edge of Paris and is the largest antiques and second-hand market in the world and the fourth most visited attraction in France. The Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen, since 1870 – Official website of the Puces (pucesdeparissaintouen.com)

SHOPPING – COVERED PASSAGES

• Passage des Panoramas at 11 boulevard Montmartre
• Galerie Vivienne The gallery – The Vivienne gallery (galerie-vivienne.com)
• Passage du Grand Cerf at 145 rue Saint-Denis
• Passage Verdeau at 6 rue de la Grange-Batelière
• Vanves flea market https://en.parisinfo.com/shopping-paris/73777/paris-puces-de-vanves

SHOPPING – DEPARTMENT STORES

• Galleries Lafayette Haussmann, your fashion department store in Paris (check out the view from the rooftop terrace and eat in the café) My go-to place to shop in Paris. There is a huge selection of nice souvenirs you can afford.
• Samaritaine | Parisian Department Store | DFS Paris (recently renovated and reopened)
• Le Bon Marche https://www.lvmh.com/houses/selective-retailing/le-bon-marche/

AIRPORT TO/FROM

You’ll probably be flying into Charles De Gaulle (CDG) or Orly (ORY). Paris traffic is terrible like most busy cities, so I recommend public transportation that is not only cheaper but faster than taxis or Ubers. Check out all your options here for both airports: Access, maps, routes – Paris Aéroport (parisaeroport.fr). If you want to go bougie, then hire a private car service. Expect to pay about 150 euros for a one-way trip from CDG to the center of Paris. I would allow an hour for the trip due to traffic being hellish almost any day/time.

Arriving by train to Paris? Then just use the Metro (subway) system or a bus to get to where you are going. You can also stand in a taxi line at the station.

GETTING AROUND

Paris is a walking city but there will be times when you need to get somewhere far away or it’s raining and then you should take the Metro. Info here: Metro map of Paris and the île-de-France region | RATP. You need to buy a ticket or a Navigo card from a machine at the station. Unfortunately, it’s not “tap to pay” using your phone or credit card like it is now in the UK or US.

Caution: you must validate your ticket for subway and RER trains in Paris. We saw a couple sitting next to us get 35 Euro fine a piece because their tickets weren’t validated when security walked through and checked everyone. Being validated means you put in your ticket at stations to open gates and go to your platform. Leaving Versailles, I checked my ticket after I went thru the gate, and it didn’t show validated, so I went back to the service desk, and they had to do it for me manually and then they let me back through. Avoid fines. Check.

G7 are the “official” taxis in Paris so look for the G7 placard before you get in. Don’t think you can just wave down a taxi on the street. Either get your hotel doorman to get you one or use the G7 app, which hasn’t worked well for me. The train station will have a taxi stand so get in line and wait your turn.

TRAVEL APPS

Transportation apps to use in Paris:

• G7 for taxis
• Uber
• Paris Metro for subway
• Citymapper to get around walking
• Rome2Rio for transportation to show your options to get from Point A to Point B
• FLUSH or Toilettes Paris for map to public bathroom access

Food apps

• Paris foodlovers
• The fork

WHERE TO STAY

HOTELS (these were recommended by folks on a Paris travel group I belong to. I’ve only stayed in Airbnbs in Paris because we stay for 1+ weeks usually)

• https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/paroa-paris-marriott-opera-ambassador-hotel/overview/
• Le Temple de Jeanne Paris – Charming hotel in the Marais – Official Website
• Novotel Paris centre Tour Eiffel – Your hotel in Paris (novotel-paris-toureiffel.com)
• http://www.l-hotel.com/
• https://balmoral-paris-hotel.com/en/map.html
• https://www.cadranhotel.com/
• https://www.carondebeaumarchais.com/en/hotel-marais-paris/
• https://hotel-paris-bosquet.com/
• https://www.academiehotel.com/m/en/
• https://www.hoteltrianonrivegauche.com/en/
• https://www.lepradey.com/en/
• https://www.jeudepaumehotel.com/en/
• https://hotelleftbank.com/en/
• https://www.hoteldavinciparis.com/en/

ARBNB (where we have stayed in the past that I would recommend)

https://abnb.me/N42jnAkyhvb A one bedroom near Montmartre. Must be able do steps-few apartments in Europe have elevators. Right above a boulangerie and across the street from a lovely café.

https://abnb.me/DFDgqDF8pvb A one bedroom in Montmartre with an elevator. Great neighborhood with all the shops. The kitchen is well equipped and it’s quiet.

Enjoy your Paris journey!