Paris is known worldwide for its beautiful landmarks, cuisine, culture and lively ambience.
The capital of France and home to around 10,5 million people.
It’s ranked at the top of tourist charts as being one of the most visited places in the world, and if you haven’t been here, it is a destination that most certainly should be on your bucket list.
Getting Around
Paris Metro Once you’ve arrived, you’ll probably use the Metro to get around most of the city.
Its pervasive system was first opened in 1900 and covered 214 kilometres (133 miles), most underground.
There are 303 stations in total and 16 lines, and you will always know where a station is thanks to the brightly coloured Metro signs with their Art Nouveau styling.
But this is such a beautiful city that it seems a shame to be stuck underground not seeing it!
Walking is very popular and the best way to experience Paris.
It is a very walkable city, after all. If you weren’t stopping everywhere, you could walk from one end to the other in a couple of hours!
Cycling is another good way to get around, and many miles of dedicated bicycling paths exist.
The good thing is that these are safe, with barriers preventing vehicle traffic from entering the bike lanes.
An easy way to discover Paris is to use the Velib bike-sharing system.
When to Visit
The problem with being such a famous city is that it’s also busy.
Over ten million people live in the city itself, and hundreds of thousands of people in the suburbs commute to work every day; add the millions of tourists, and there’s never really a quiet time of year to visit Paris.
Lines for attractions can be extremely long during the summer, so if you want to achieve anything in a day, you must start very early.
Summers are the best time to visit for the best weather, though. July and August have the most sunshine, and the average high temperature in both these months is around 25C.
Occasionally, the city experiences intense heat waves that can become very unpleasant.
An umbrella or rain jacket would be best, so summer showers don’t spoil your fun.
Paris will be a little quieter in spring and autumn.
The weather can be delightful at this time of year with mild daytime temperatures and cooler nights, and while winters are not harsh, it will be cold and damp for sightseeing.
Attractions in Paris
One thing not to miss …
I must mention one of the most fun things to see when you’re here.
Moulin Rouge is the number-one show in France and maybe even Europe!
It has been running for over 110 years and is so popular that tickets sell out months in advance.
Don’t miss your chance to see this historic show!
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Hotels and Where to Stay
Paris is a large city with many popular areas and attractions spread all over its reaches.
There are twenty ‘arrondissement’ in total with the 1st being right in the heart of the city and the others spiraling out from there in a clockwise direction.
So technically if you want to be in the center of the city look for a hotel in the 1st arrondissement, though many others will be great places to stay too.
For example Champs-Elysees runs through the 8th arrondissement, so it’s a good idea to use the Metro, which is an excellent way to get around the city, so you can stay a little further out if preferred.
Over 2000 places to stay in this big city. An overview here >>.
If you want a luxurious and beautiful property, then you won’t be disappointed, there are many to choose from;
The 5 star Hotel du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe is a magnificent property in an art deco style, ten minutes walk from the famous Arc de Triomphe.
The elegant and classy Hotel du Louvre which, as the name suggests, overlooks the spectacular Louvre Museum.
Worth to mention is also the amazing and pure luxury hotels Fouquet’s Barrière and Le Royal Monceau Raffles
In the center the majority of hotels will be set within historic buildings and while the exteriors may all have similarities you’ll find very different interiors, from modern and cosmopolitan, to ethnic, and everything in between!
Paris attractions
When we think of Paris attractions, the Eiffel Tower is the first attraction that comes to mind!
But there’s so much more to the City of Light than this historic landmark.
The Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Palace of Versailles, the Pantheon, and the Sacre Coeur are just a few examples.
Then there are the museums and galleries, the first and foremost of which is The Louvre, but if you have the time, there are many others to visit, too.
For some visitors, Paris is just a wonderful place to soak in the Parisian atmosphere.
Sacre-Coeur and Montmarte
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Paris, more commonly known as Sacre-Coeur, is probably Paris’s second most famous church.
This church is stunningly beautiful from the outside and has a fantastic interior.
The striking white façade and the fact that this church stands on the city’s highest point make it a significant landmark worth visiting.
Perched high on Montmarte, the climb up to Sacre-Coeur can be a little challenging, but the views from here are well worth it.
Thus Roman Catholic minor basilica was built between 1875 and 1914 and was consecrated following the war in 1919.
Montmartre is a picturesque place to stroll along the winding cobbled streets.
There are often artists and markets here, and in October, you can enjoy the yearly wine harvest festival Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre.
Notre Dame de Paris
It may not be the prettiest cathedral in the world, but after a second glance, this church, completed in 1345, actually holds a great deal of beauty.
It is one of the world’s most famous cathedrals for sure, thanks in large part to the efforts of author Victor Hugo and his novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Because Hugo’s novel was a success, a significant restoration project was started, which gave the cathedral much of its present appearance.
The novel is said to have led to the popularity of Gothic Revival architecture in France, so the book is an integral part of the city’s culture.
When visiting Notre Dame, go inside to see the beautiful stained glass and other architectural elements.
It would be best if you also ventured down into the crypts, where you can see snapshots of Paris’s long history.
Historical ruins were discovered that date back to the city’s founding in Roman times and are fascinating to see.
Website: notredamedeparis.fr
The Catacombs of Paris
This attraction is not for anyone afraid of dark and confined spaces.
It’s also a little creepy, so it may not be suitable for younger children.
The Catacombs attract thousands of visitors every year, though, and have been a tourist attraction since the late 18th century.
Once stone mines were under the streets of Paris, the abandoned tunnels were seen as an excellent place to keep the remains of several million skeletons when the city’s cemeteries became overcrowded.
Moving remains to crypts underground sounds terrible, but the tunnels were officially consecrated, and the remains were neatly stacked, as you’ll see from the rows and rows of skulls and other bones.
The tunnels stretch for miles, but as is often the case, only a small portion is open to the public due to safety concerns.
Still, the open sections are supposedly perfectly safe, and although this is a macabre attraction, it’s popular nonetheless.
Website: catacombes.paris.fr
The Palace of Versailles
From one beautiful piece of architecture to another – The Palace of Versailles is a fantastic place, and although it’s not within the city centre, you should try to find time to visit it.
When the palace was built, Versailles was just a tiny country village set some distance from the heart of Paris.
After years of growth, Versailles is now a suburb about 20 kilometres from the city centre.
This vast palace has a floor area of 67,000 square metres and 2,300 rooms.
It was the centre of political power between 1682 and 1789 when Louis XIV decided to move out of the city.
The Royal Family lived there for just over one hundred years until the beginning of the French Revolution when they had to return to Paris.
Today, although it is a significant tourist attraction, the palace is still used for official events. It’s also a major museum with a collection of over 6,000 paintings, 5,000+ objets d’art and furniture, more than 2,000 sculptures, and over 15,000 engravings.
Website: chateauversailles.fr
The Louvre
The Musee du Louvre is the foremost museum in Paris.
The Louvre is one of the world’s largest and best-known and most visited museums.
It takes up a floor area almost as big as the Palace of Versailles.
It started as a fortress that was built in the late 12th century.
Only little remains of that original building, and numerous additions have been made over the years.
It was extended to serve as the Louvre Palace, but when Louis XIV decided to move to Versailles, the Louvre began its longstanding job as a place to house and display the royal collection.
It officially became a museum during the French Revolution and opened in 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings.
The collection has grown since then and now has over 380,000 objects and 35,000 works of art, all set over eight different departments.
Because The Louvre is so large, you cannot hope to see it all in one day. So either plan to visit on several different days or plan which sections of the museum you’d most like to see.
They include antiquities from Egypt, the Near East, Greece, Etruscan, Roman, Islamic, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, Painting, and Prints and Drawings.
Website: louvre.fr
Arc de Triomphe is also among the most famous landmarks
It honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, and underneath is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.
It isn’t easy to conceive this triumphal arch’s size until you stand close to it.
There’s a viewing deck inside, and the arch is so broad that a biplane was famously flown through it shortly after the end of World War I.
Arc de Triomphe is at one end of Paris’s most famous street, the Champs-Elysees, which also is one of Paris’s attractions.
It stretches 2 kilometres through the 8th arrondissement and is the city’s most exclusive and expensive part.
Website: paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr
The Eiffel Tower
Named after its engineer, Gustav Eiffel, the tower was built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair.
It was only intended as a temporary structure and almost faced demolition in the years after the World’s Fair because, ironically, it wasn’t very popular!
Only its usefulness as a communications tower saved it from destruction. Today, it is one of the most iconic landmarks and the most visited paid-for attraction in the world, with over 7 million visitors per year.
Every visitor to Paris must climb or ride the elevator to the top, but be prepared for a long wait.
Queues can be several hours long during the busiest times, but they are worth the wait!
The tower stands 324 metres high and has three levels – the highest can only be reached by elevator, but you can get to the other two by stairs.
There are restaurants on both the second and third levels, and they are memorable places to enjoy a meal while visiting the city.
Website: toureiffel.paris
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