“Paris, I love you” is something a lot of people will say after visiting. It´s not so much because of all the sights and museums, but more because of the atmosphere. Don´t get me wrong Paris has a lot to offer when it comes to magnificent sights, but for me Paris is more a city you experience stroll down the boulevards designed by Haussmann (Boulevard Haussmann being the most impressive) or sitting in a café in Montmartre enjoying the savoir vivre. This city will leave a mark and I enjoy coming back over and over again.

Travelling to Paris

Being the capital of France, Paris is easy to reach by plane, train and car.

Paris has two major airports servicing domestic, international, and intercontinental flights. Paris Charles de Gaulle is the bigger of the two and one of the busiest airports in Europe. It serves all major international carriers and is the home to Air France, the national carrier of France. Getting from here to the city is fairly straight forward take line RER B to the centre and then connect there to the different metro lines. RER B is also the line that connects the two airports in case you need to switch airports during your stop-over. Paris Orly is the second airport for the city. It doesn´t has as many intercontinental flights, but serves mostly domestic and international routes. To get to the city from any of the two airports I would recommend the RER (suburban train), rather than taxi, unless you´re not in a rush. Traffic is a nightmare. Some low-cost airlines (mainly Ryanair and easyJet) fly to Paris Beauvais Airport. This airport even though it has Paris in it´s name is 80km from the city and require a bus transfer.

If you´re already in one of the neighbouring countries I highly recommend taking the train. From England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, or Spain there are plenty of options. I took various times the train from Belgium and from Switzerland. Depending on from where you come you arrive in a different train station. Trains from England, Belgium and the Netherlands arrive in Gare du Nord. Trains from Germany arrive in Gare de l´Est. If you come from Switzerland, Italy, or Spain (Barcelona) you arrive in Gare du Lyon. The domestic trains follow a similar logic. Trains from the north of France (Lille) arrive in Gare du Nord. From the East (Strasbourg) you’ll arrive in Gare de l´Est. From the South (Lyon, Marseille, Nice) you´ll arrive in Gare du Lyon. From the West (Toulous, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes) you´ll arrive in Gare Montparnasse. Most of the domestic trains are these days high-speed TGV and a double-decker. There are few night trains left and especially if you come from Nice, the night train is great option (it arrives in Gare d´Austerlitz). A good guide on how to travel by train in France is the website “The man in seat 61”. The national railway company SNCF manages the schedules and that´s also where you can buy tickets.

What to do

When in Paris you can´t miss the Eiffel Tower, it´s visible from almost every part of the city. In the centre of Paris there is only the Montparnasse Tower (from there you have an amazing view over the city, incl. the Eiffel Tower) that can compete. Most of the skyrises are in an area outside the city called La Défense. Personally, I never been on top of the Eiffel tower, but I heard you have a magnificent view over the city. Locals divide the city along the river Seine, “Rive Gauche” (left riverbank or south-side) and “Rive Droite” (right riverbank or north-side), looking downstream. The Eiffel Tower is on the Rive Gauche. If you stay on the left side of the river and walking south you pass some more sights, like the square in front of the Hotel des Invalides, the Musee d´Orsay, the parliament (Assemblee Nationale), the Institut de France and close to Notre Dame the English bookstore “Shakespeare and Company”. Behind the Assemble National (parliament) you have the Jardin de Luxembourg, one of the nicest parks in town and one where you can relax and enjoy some people watching. A must-see on the Rive Gauche is the Panthéon which houses the remains of famous notable French citizens (like Marie Curie, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, etc).

The iconic Notre Dame is located on one of the islands in the Seine called Île de la Cité. It was closed after the fire in 2019 that destroyed the roof, but the restauration makes some great progress and I hope it will open soon again. I had the opportunity to visit before the fire and especially from the towers you have a great view over the city.

On Rive Droite you have the most popular sights in Paris. Close to the Île de la Cité you have the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) and the Centre Pompidou which is very modern and at opening time cause quite some controversy. Walking e along the river north you´ll reach the Louvre. It is one of the biggest and most fascinating museums in the world. To visit all parts, you need multiple day as not all sections are open every day. I highly recommend verifying that the section you want to see is actually open on the day of your visit. Walking through the park linked to the Louvre you come to the Place de la Concorde with the Obelisk which is also the starting point of the Champs-Élysées which ends at the Arc de Triomphe. This is one of the most scenic walks I know in a city as big as Paris. The Arc de Triomphe itself is an architectural masterpiece, but for me the best is the view from the top.

Close to the Louvre you have plenty of boulevards for shopping and one of the biggest department stores behind the Opera (Palais Garnier): Galerie Lafayette Haussmann. Definitely a must if you want to do some shopping.

Sacre-Coeur is not close to the river, but the centre of the artists neighbourhood Montmartre. A friend of mine used to live in this area and was so kind to host me during my first stay. It was around the time when the movie “Amélie” came out, which perfectly depicts Montmartre. The park and the small streets are very relaxing and offer some of the best photo opportunities in the city. If you don´t want to walk up the hill through the park, you can also take the funicular up to Sacre-Coeur. From the platform in front of the church you have a spectacular view over the city and around the church you´ll find plenty of small romantic restaurants. Close by you also have the Boulevard de Clichy with the different cabarets including the Moulin Rouge.

Paris has plenty to offer when you´re looking for some culture. A must is the Louvre, you´ll find something for everybody. At night it´s well light up and perfect for a photo shot at night. The Musee d´Orsay has more modern art and is in an old train station. If you like 19th and 20th century art, you must visit it. Centre Pompidou has contemporary art, and the rooftop is perfect to have a break with a view.

As mentioned before, La Défense is the newest neighbourhood with many skyscrapers, shopping malls and the Grand Arche.

If you´re sick of the city take the RER C out to Versailles. Beside the castle rent a bike and cycle through the castle park. It´s great for a day trip.

Where to stay

There are plenty of hotels spread all over the city. Personally, I prefer to stay close to Place de Clichy (walking distance for Montmartre and easy access to the metro). Another are I recommend is Gare du Lyon. If you want to stay on the Rive Gauche check the Latin Quarter. The two airports have also quite some good hotels, in case you come to Paris for a long stopover on a connecting flight.

Food & Drinks

As mentioned I like to stay around Place de Clichy as it offers plenty of great restaurants close by. One of my favourites is Jey´s, a great wine bar with some good snacks. Close by is Afghan restaurant (Buzkashi Restaurant) if you want something more exotic. In Montmartre I would recommend Alcoryllis Ristorante Italiona. La Recyclerie is a concept restaurant in a nighborhood a bit further out. It’s great for kids and healthy food. If you like Japanese or Korean food check Sainte-Anne district close to the Louvre.

Other areas with great restaurants and nightlife are Le Marais and the Latin Quarter-Sorbonne.

Travelling around Paris

Traffic in Paris is a nightmare. The easiest way to get around is the Metro or the suburban trains called RER (especially to the airport). There are also plenty of buses and they´re very convenient in case a metro is not close by.

Best Photography Spots in Paris

Some of most scenic spots are actually very close to the Eiffel Tower. In the morning before the tourists arrive you have a great view from Trocadero, which is just opposite the Eiffel tower. A bit more unique and also beautiful at night is Ponte de Bir Hakim. From these two you have definitely the best views on the Eiffel tower. Walking along the river (on the right-hand side) you see all the main sites. Taking a boat tour is fun as well. In Montmartre definitely make sure you visit the platform in front of Sacre Coeur. If you want a view with all the famous buildings, take the elevator up the Montparnasse Tower. At night there is no better place to see Paris.

I hope with all the above, I could help with planning your next trip to Paris.

Here a link to my Paris site which hopefully gives you some ideas what to expect.

Paris – je t´aime