Paris
First-hand Paris itineraries and practical advice for museums, neighbourhoods, food, transport and day trips.
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4 Days in Paris: A First-Time Itinerary with Room to Breathe
Read guide: 4 Days in Paris: A First-Time Itinerary with Room to BreatheA balanced four-day Paris route that combines the famous sights with neighbourhood time and sensible travel distances.
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Paris in the Rain: A Practical Rainy-Day Itinerary That Still Feels Like Paris
Read guide: Paris in the Rain: A Practical Rainy-Day Itinerary That Still Feels Like ParisRain changes Paris, but it does not have to ruin a day. The mistake is trying to follow a sunny-weather itinerary unchanged: long garden…
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Seine River Cruise in Paris: Best Times, Routes and What to Expect
Read guide: Seine River Cruise in Paris: Best Times, Routes and What to ExpectA Seine cruise is one of the most touristy things you can do in Paris and one of the few touristy things I would…
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Paris in Summer: Heat, Paris Plages, Festivals and a Smarter Daily Rhythm
Read guide: Paris in Summer: Heat, Paris Plages, Festivals and a Smarter Daily RhythmParis in summer gives you the city’s longest days, fullest terraces and most active outdoor calendar, but it also brings heat, crowds and a…
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Where to Stay in Paris: The Best Areas for Your First or Next Visit
Read guide: Where to Stay in Paris: The Best Areas for Your First or Next VisitAn honest Paris neighbourhood comparison based on daily logistics, atmosphere and the kind of trip you want to experience.
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Paris Airports to City Center: CDG, Orly and Beauvais Compared
Read guide: Paris Airports to City Center: CDG, Orly and Beauvais ComparedParis has three airports that matter to most international visitors, but they do not create the same arrival. Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly…
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3 Days in Paris: The Best First-Time Itinerary Without Overplanning
Read guide: 3 Days in Paris: The Best First-Time Itinerary Without OverplanningThree days in Paris is the point where a first trip starts to feel balanced. You can see the major landmarks, spend real time…
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Panthéon Paris Guide: Foucault’s Pendulum, Crypt, Tickets and Latin Quarter Plan
Read guide: Panthéon Paris Guide: Foucault’s Pendulum, Crypt, Tickets and Latin Quarter PlanThe Panthéon is one of the most rewarding historic interiors in the Latin Quarter because it combines architecture, science, political memory and the stories…
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Palais Garnier Guide: How to Visit the Paris Opera House Without Seeing a Show
Read guide: Palais Garnier Guide: How to Visit the Paris Opera House Without Seeing a ShowPalais Garnier is one of the most spectacular interiors in Paris, yet many visitors walk past it assuming they need an opera ticket to…
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Louvre Museum Guide: How to Plan a 3-Hour Visit Without Getting Lost
Read guide: Louvre Museum Guide: How to Plan a 3-Hour Visit Without Getting LostThe Louvre is not a museum you “finish”. It is a palace complex holding collections so large that trying to see everything usually produces…
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Paris in Winter: Weather, What to Do, What to Pack and a Better Cold-Weather Plan
Read guide: Paris in Winter: Weather, What to Do, What to Pack and a Better Cold-Weather PlanParis in winter is quieter, darker and more indoor-focused than the version most travel brochures sell, and that can be a major advantage. Museums…
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Paris Shopping Guide: Department Stores, Boutiques, Vintage and Souvenirs Worth Buying
Read guide: Paris Shopping Guide: Department Stores, Boutiques, Vintage and Souvenirs Worth BuyingShopping in Paris can mean haute couture, a €2 vintage postcard, a market basket, French skincare, independent design or simply browsing one of the…
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Best Views in Paris: Paid and Free Viewpoints for the Eiffel Tower and Skyline
Read guide: Best Views in Paris: Paid and Free Viewpoints for the Eiffel Tower and SkylineThe best view of Paris depends on what you want in the picture. From the Eiffel Tower you cannot see the Eiffel Tower. From…
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First Time in Paris: 28 Mistakes to Avoid for a Smoother Trip
Read guide: First Time in Paris: 28 Mistakes to Avoid for a Smoother TripA first trip to Paris usually goes wrong in small ways rather than dramatic ones. Visitors book attractions too close together, cross the city…
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Canal Saint-Martin Walking Guide: Bridges, Cafés and a Different Side of Paris
Read guide: Canal Saint-Martin Walking Guide: Bridges, Cafés and a Different Side of ParisCanal Saint-Martin shows a side of Paris that feels more residential, social and contemporary than the grand-monument core. Tree-lined quays, iron footbridges, locks, cafés…
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Paris at Night: Best Evening Walks, Views and Things to Do After Dark
Read guide: Paris at Night: Best Evening Walks, Views and Things to Do After DarkParis after dark is not simply daytime Paris with the lights switched on. The city becomes easier to read in some places and more…
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Notre-Dame de Paris Guide: Cathedral, Towers and a Smart Île de la Cité Visit
Read guide: Notre-Dame de Paris Guide: Cathedral, Towers and a Smart Île de la Cité VisitNotre-Dame is once again one of the most important stops in Paris, but the visit now has two very different parts: the cathedral itself…
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Paris Neighborhoods Guide: 8 Areas Worth Exploring Beyond the Main Monuments
Read guide: Paris Neighborhoods Guide: 8 Areas Worth Exploring Beyond the Main MonumentsParis becomes much more interesting when you stop organising every day around monuments. The Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre-Dame and Arc de Triomphe matter, but…
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Paris Food Guide: What to Eat, Where to Look and How to Avoid Tourist Traps
Read guide: Paris Food Guide: What to Eat, Where to Look and How to Avoid Tourist TrapsEating well in Paris is easier when you stop treating every meal as a search for the “best” croissant, steak-frites or hidden restaurant. The…
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Romantic Paris for Couples: Best Walks, Views, Restaurants and a 2-Day Plan
Read guide: Romantic Paris for Couples: Best Walks, Views, Restaurants and a 2-Day PlanParis is marketed so aggressively as the “City of Love” that romantic trips can easily become a checklist of clichés: Eiffel Tower photo, expensive…
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Free Things to Do in Paris: 15 Experiences That Are Actually Worth Your Time
Read guide: Free Things to Do in Paris: 15 Experiences That Are Actually Worth Your TimeParis is expensive, but a good day in the city does not have to be. Some of the strongest experiences cost nothing: walking the…
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Eiffel Tower Guide: Tickets, Best Levels, Views and How to Avoid Wasting Time
Read guide: Eiffel Tower Guide: Tickets, Best Levels, Views and How to Avoid Wasting TimeThe Eiffel Tower is easy to recognise and surprisingly easy to plan badly. The common mistake is to treat it as a single stop:…
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Latin Quarter Walking Guide: Roman Paris, the Panthéon and Streets Worth Slowing Down For
Read guide: Latin Quarter Walking Guide: Roman Paris, the Panthéon and Streets Worth Slowing Down ForThe Latin Quarter is one of the best areas in Paris for travellers who want several centuries of the city in a single walk.…
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7 Days in Paris: A One-Week Itinerary with Neighborhoods and a Day Trip
Read guide: 7 Days in Paris: A One-Week Itinerary with Neighborhoods and a Day TripSeven days in Paris changes the nature of the trip. You no longer need to choose between every major museum and every neighbourhood, and…
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Paris Markets Guide: Food Markets, Covered Markets and Flea Markets Worth Your Time
Read guide: Paris Markets Guide: Food Markets, Covered Markets and Flea Markets Worth Your TimeParis markets are not one attraction but an entire layer of city life. Some are classic open-air food markets where residents buy vegetables, cheese…
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Batignolles Paris Guide: Village Streets, Markets and a Relaxed Local Walk
Read guide: Batignolles Paris Guide: Village Streets, Markets and a Relaxed Local WalkBatignolles is a useful Paris neighbourhood for travellers who want a calm, attractive area that still feels connected to everyday city life. It sits…
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Butte-aux-Cailles Paris Walking Guide: Street Art, Village Streets and a 2-Hour Route
Read guide: Butte-aux-Cailles Paris Walking Guide: Street Art, Village Streets and a 2-Hour RouteButte-aux-Cailles is one of the best places in Paris for travellers who like neighbourhoods more than monuments. The 13th-arrondissement hill feels surprisingly small-scale: narrow…
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Le Marais Walking Guide: A Better Route Through Historic Paris
Read guide: Le Marais Walking Guide: A Better Route Through Historic ParisLe Marais is one of the easiest parts of Paris to underestimate. On a map it looks compact, and many first-time visitors reduce it…
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5 Days in Paris: A Balanced Itinerary for Sights, Neighbourhoods and One Day Trip
Read guide: 5 Days in Paris: A Balanced Itinerary for Sights, Neighbourhoods and One Day TripFive days in Paris gives you enough time to see the major first-time sights without treating every hour as a race. It also gives…
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Belleville Paris Walking Guide: Street Art, Parc de Belleville and a Local Route
Read guide: Belleville Paris Walking Guide: Street Art, Parc de Belleville and a Local RouteBelleville is one of the most useful places to visit when you want Paris to feel like a lived-in city rather than a sequence…
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Paris Museum Strategy: Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie and Smaller Museums Without Burnout
Read guide: Paris Museum Strategy: Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie and Smaller Museums Without BurnoutParis has enough museums to ruin a perfectly good trip. That sounds absurd until you schedule the Louvre in the morning, Musée d’Orsay after…
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2 Days in Paris: A Realistic First-Time Itinerary Without Racing Across the City
Read guide: 2 Days in Paris: A Realistic First-Time Itinerary Without Racing Across the CityTwo days in Paris is enough to understand why the city deserves a return trip, but it is not enough to see every famous…