Paris Travel Guide
Paris is one of the few cities on earth that actually lives up to its reputation. It moves slowly by design — breakfast is an event, lunch is two hours, dinner doesn't start before 8pm. The French relationship with beauty is not a cliché: it is present in the architecture of every arrondissement, in the food on every table, in the clothing people wear on a Tuesday morning. Beneath the sophistication is a city that is also deeply lived-in, argumentative, philosophical, and fiercely proud of everything it has produced. You will feel the weight of history in the cafés where Sartre wrote, in the brasseries that opened during the Belle Époque, in the covered markets that have operated on the same streets for centuries. Paris does not perform for visitors. It simply exists, and invites you to keep up.
Where to stay in Paris
- Le Marais
- The most complete neighborhood in Paris. Beautiful architecture, great restaurants, excellent nightlife, walkable everywhere. The Jewish quarter on Rue des Rosiers and the Place des Vosges are both here.
- Montmartre
- Where the artists lived. Sacré-Cœur is at the top. The streets below it are charming and residential. Avoid the immediate square around Sacré-Cœur (tourist traps and scammers).
- Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- Where Hemingway, Sartre, and de Beauvoir sat and wrote. Still has excellent cafés (Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots) and boutiques. The 6th arrondissement is pricier but beautiful.
- Oberkampf / République
- Where young Parisians actually go out. Great bars, diverse restaurants, zero tourist tax. Less polished than central Paris but more alive.
- Bastille / Nation
- Good balance between location and authenticity. Excellent wine bars and bistros. Less touristy than the Marais but nearby.
What to see in Paris
- Eiffel Tower
- Book online exactly 60 days ahead at 9am — sells out instantly. Visit at sunset. The stairs up to floor 2 are free and less crowded.
- Louvre Museum
- Enter via the Richelieu wing, not the pyramid. Free on first Friday evening of the month (book ahead). Skip the Mona Lisa — it's tiny and packed. The Vermeer room upstairs is extraordinary.
- Musée d'Orsay
- Best impressionist collection in the world. Thursday evenings are much less crowded.
- Sainte-Chapelle
- One of the most stunning buildings in Europe. Stained glass from 1248. Almost no tourists compared to Notre-Dame. Only go on a sunny day.
- Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, and Proust are buried here. It's genuinely beautiful and peaceful. Grab a free map at the entrance.
- Day Trip: Versailles
- Take RER C from Champ de Mars (45 min). Arrive at 9am when it opens. Skip the main château queue — book online. The gardens are free.
- Promenade Plantée
- The world's original elevated railway park, built 10 years before NYC's High Line. Eastern Paris, almost no tourists.
- Day Trip: Giverny
- Monet's house and water lily gardens (the paintings are from here). April–October only. Train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon, then bus.