Paris

Paris is a city to keep returning to. I was lucky enough to first go to Paris on a group trip in high school (thanks mom and dad) and have returned 2 times with my husband. I have experienced the city in the winter, spring and fall. I have enjoyed each season for various reasons. In the winter, you can enjoy the city with much fewer crowds but still relatively temperate weather. In the city, the spring is in bloom. With so much to do and see, Paris is a great option for travel with friends, family or a partner throughout the year.

Attractions:
Eiffel Tower- You should book tickets in advance and expect to have to wait for the elevator. There are a few ticket options available that vary in cost based on the floor that you visit and if you take the stairs or the elevators. We bought elevator tickets including the 2nd floor and the top. I personally enjoyed the view from the 2nd floor more. You can consider booking just before sunset so you can see the view but also see the Eiffel Tower lit up for night. The tower sparkles for a few minutes on the hour. I would watch the weather when you go. When my husband and I went, it was raining on and off throughout the day. It was uncomfortably windy at the top of the tower. With a packed travel schedule, we weren’t able to reschedule but it was pretty unpleasant.

Arc de Triomphe- The arc is located on the end of the champs de Ellyse. It is definitely worth viewing up close but I think it’s also worth climbing the stairs to the top if you have time. The view is unique and it’s a pretty quick stop.

Champs-Élysées- The avenue is the main high end shopping street in Paris, similar to New York’s 5th Avenue. The main area is between the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. That’s a nice walk even if you don’t want to go shopping. Along the way, there is the Petit and Grand Palais. The Petit Palais has a free museum inside. The grande seems to have rotating exhibits.

Louvre- From the Mona Lisa to the Winged Victory, the Louvre is definitely worth a visit. I think you can see a lot of key sights in about 4 hours. You can totally go for longer since there is so much to see. I would suggest getting advance tickets for opening so there’s less crowds and waiting to enter. I didn’t feel that a tour is necessary but it can be a great option if you are looking for more in depth information.

Musée d’Orsay- This museum is in an old train station. It has a large collection of impressionist art which is the main attraction. They also have other galleries throughout. I would suggest getting tickets in advance for this too.

Musée de l’Orangerie- This museum is small and located in the Tuileries gardens. It gets its name from it prior use as an orangerie under Napoleon III. Monet’s Water Lilies (Nymphéas) is the main permanent exhibit. The gallery with the lilies was purpose built to house the paintings which makes a special viewing experience. In addition to the Water Lilies, they usually have a visiting exhibit and there’s another small gallery.

Galeries Lafayette- This is one of the many high end department stores in Paris. Make sure to visit the Boulevard Haussmann location. This location has a beautiful stained glass dome. Since I was there, they built a viewing platform and I think you can get advance tickets for free. They also have a free rooftop which offers a different view of Paris including the opera house.

Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris- This famous cathedral is worth a visit. The restoration process from the 2019 fire is still in progress but you can hardly tell when you are inside. It’s probably one of the more crowded destinations that we experienced in our 2026 visit. You can reserve free tickets 48 hours in advance to skip the line. As an engineer, I was interested in the restoration process and all of the scaffolding.

Saint-Chapelle and Conciergerie- These two can be visited with a combined ticket and are a few blocks away from Notre-Dame. Saint-Chapelle is a chapel with stunning stained glass windows. Conciergerie is a former palace turned prison. The interior is architecturally interesting as is the history.

Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur- Montmartre is a hilltop neighborhood in the city where a lot of the famous impressionist artists lived. It’s a charming area to walk around. There are still many artists in the Place du Tertre. This is an opportunity to pick up a piece of art for a souvenir but expect to pay in cash. A focal point of the neighborhood is the basilica, Sacre-Coeur. The plaza in front of Sacre-Coeur has nice views of the city. The inside of the church is a much different style than other churches in Paris. We haven’t had the chance but you can walk up the dome to get a view of the city.

Seine River Cruise- I’d recommend going on some kind of cruise on the Seine for your first trip to Paris. The cruise offers an unique perspective of the city from the water and allows you to see many of the main attractions. You can do a lunch or dinner cruise or a sight seeing only cruise. The dinner cruise was very nice but a bit expensive.

Pantheon- This is an interesting stop if you have time but I wouldn’t prioritize it. It’s a building that served many purposes over the years but now houses a crypt with key French figures. There are many murals on the wall that depict key events in french history.

Gardens and Parks: There are many parks throughout the city. Some popular ones are Jardin du Luxembourg, Place des Vosges and Palais Royal. These are all free to enter. On a nice day, these are great options to have a coffee or picnic.

Day Trips from Paris:
Versailles- This is probably the most popular day trip from Paris. It’s only 45 minutes from Paris via train. The palace is very impressive. The gardens are also very impressive, especially in the spring. I would recommend a tour or audio guide of the palace. If it rains or you want to save your feet, you can rent a golf cart to explore the palace gardens and it includes an audio guide. The Grand Trianon is also worth visiting on the property.

Reims- Reims is one of the main cities in the champagne region. It’s about 45 mins via high speed train from Paris. You can visit several champagne houses that are within walking distance of the train station. For more information on the city, please see my blog post.

Brussels-
Brussels is only 1.25 hours on the Eurostar. You can taste local specialties like frites, mussels, waffles and chocolate. There are also many spots for Belgian beers. The Grande Place is nice to view and the neighbor around it was charming. There are also several museums.

Restaurants:
It can be hard to pick a restaurant in Paris as there are so many options. I included a few options which my husband and I enjoyed below. I have a few tips. It is best to make a reservation for dinner time. I found many restaurants that allow you to reserve ahead online which is ideal if you are like me and don’t speak French. Most servers will speak English and many restaurants have English menus. It is generally best to avoid restaurants immediately around major tourist hubs as they are often overpriced, poor service and unlikely to be your best meal in the city. Tipping isn’t expected but it definitely a nice gesture. There will rarely be an option to add tip via credit card. It is best to keep a few Euros on hand to tip.

Bouillon Republic- this restaurant should be within 20 mins of your hotel. It’s an affordable option to try French classics. It may not be the best of the best food but an opportunity to try a bunch of things without breaking the bank. It’s worth making a reservation as there’s usually a line.

Le train Bleu-
This is located in the Gare de Lyon train station. It’s a high end restaurant with beautiful murals on the ceiling.

Le Comptoir des Mers- This is a seafood in the Marais. Everything was very fresh. We also tried a few unique dishes.

Les Editers- This is a restaurant in the Saint Germain neighborhood. They offer a lot of French classics. The arc deco interior is unique and chic.

Le Deux Magot- This restaurant is a pretty touristy spot but it is fun to eat in a historic spot. It was known to be a hangout of artists and writers, including Ernest Hemingway. We went for lunch and enjoyed the food and service. Pricing might be on the higher end but we didn’t find it to be outrageous. Another popular option across the street is Cafe de Flores.

Les Antiquaries- This is a typical French brasserie style restaurant. We enjoyed our meal and it’s close to the Musee d’Orsay.

Mamma Primi- This is an italian restaurant which is part of the popular Big Mamma restaurant group which operates several restaurants in Paris. We enjoyed the pasta and pizza that we had there.

Cafes- It’s hard to go wrong with the Boulangeries for fresh croissants and other baked goods.

Bars:
The Cambridge Public House- This bar has a very inventive selection of cocktails that are always changing. They also have some bar bites. It is a nice stop for a drink before dinner.

Harry’s New York Bar-
Harry’s New York Bar is very famous for inventing many classic cocktails like the Sidecar and the Blood Mary. It is certainly worth stopping in for a drink. The wood panel bar was dismantled in New York and transported to Paris. It is clad with United States university pennants which gives you a taste of home.

Transportation:
The metro system is pretty reliable and easy to navigate. You can buy tickets in advance on the app. As always, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and belongings to avoid pickpockets. I also found that we did a lot of walking because it’s nice to do sightseeing as you walk. You can also Uber if it makes sense. Although it is more costly than the train, I have found that it is easiest to get to and from the airport via uber or car service. For our most recent trip, our hotel connected us to a reasonably priced car service. Our driver was waiting for us at the terminal exit. This eliminated the stress of finding our driver. We used him on our trip back to the airport as well!

Where to stay:
Choosing a neighborhood in Paris depends on your priorities. Le Marias is a good option on the right bank. In the neighborhood, there are many bars and restaurants. There are plenty of Metro lines that easily take you to the main sites and larger transportation hubs. In this area, we stayed at Le Petit Beaumarchais Hotel & Spa. This hotel was perfectly situated near a metro stop. Rooms were small but still plenty of room for us. The hotel gets extra points in my book because they allowed us to check in very early, approximately 8:00 A.M. We were so grateful for this after a long flight.

Saint-Germain is a popular option on the left bank. We stayed in a quaint boutique hotel called Hotel Bonsoir Madame. We generally experienced a more neighborhood feel. There are still plenty of transportation options. From this neighborhood, you can easily walk to Musee d’Orsay and Luxembourg Gardens.

Generally, it is recommended to avoid staying near the Eiffel Tower. Although it is a main tourist site, it isn’t very centrally located and you will likely find yourself spending a lot of time getting to other parts of the city.