Paris, my first love. Paris was my first international city. How could it not mean the world to me? Plus, you know, it’s Paris.
I’ve always said you need 10 days to really see Paris. A week, at the absolute minimum. Paris is no place for drive-by sightseeing.
How to enter France with a US passport
France is in the Schengen Area. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure date from the Schengen Area. No visa required for normal tourist stays under 90 days. (Always have at least 6 months of remaining validity on your passport before traveling overseas.)
How to get into Paris from the airport
Paris has 2 major airports. Plus there’s one other one you’ve probably never heard of. I sure haven’t. Here are the best ways to get into Paris at a reasonable price:
Charles de Gaulle 6 options:
- RER commuter rail B to Paris via Gare du Nord.
- Roissybus coach to Opéra.
- Bus 350 or Noctilien (night bus) N140 or N143 to Gare de l’Est via Gare du Nord.
- Bus 351 to Nation.
- Le Bus Direct 2 to Etoile/Champs Elysées and Tour Eiffel or 4 to Gare Montparnasse via Gare de Lyon.
- easyBus to Palais Royale/Louvre.
Orly 5 options:
- Orlyval to Antony, switch to RER commuter rail B for Paris and Gare du Nord.
- Orlybus coach to Denfert-Rochereau.
- Bus 183 to Porte de Choisy.
- Le Bus Direct 1 to Tour Eiffel and Etoile/Champs Elysées via Gare Montparnasse.
- Tram T7 to Villejuif-Louis Aragon, switch to Metro 7 to get around Paris.
Beauvais Shuttle bus to Porte Maillot.
Where to stay in Paris
Hotel de la Bretonnerie Very conveniently located in the 4th arrondisement in the fabulous Le Marais neighborhood. I had a reservation here a while back, but I had to cancel my trip to Paris. More recently, I recommended it to a friend who ended up loving it. I was so happy it worked out.
Where to eat in Paris
I love the outdoor dining at the many establishments on the Place du Trocadéro with views of the Eiffel Tower. Maybe a little overpriced. But with views of the Eiffel Tower, it might be worth it at least once on your trip. There are no shortage of great restaurants in Le Marais. Just pick one. I also had a very special Christmas Eve dinner at a restaurant on the exceedingly charming Île Saint-Louis. I don’t remember which restaurant, but I think you’d have a hard time going wrong with just about any place on Rue Saint-Louis en Île. Just avoid restaurants on the Champs-Élysées, just like you would avoid restaurants in Times Square or on Trafalgar Square.
Hit up at least one crepe stand. You might end up making it at least two. Ice cream sundaes are also really good in Paris. And please, when in Paris, have a chocolate croissant for me. I had my first one in Paris in 1980, and I haven’t stopped eating them since!
Café de la Paix Historic café in the shadow of the Opéra Garnier.
Joe Allen My mother and I ate here on our first night in Paris when I brought her there for Christmas. We loved it so much, we went back again on the last night of our trip.
Must-Sees in Paris
[Long lines in Paris can be frustrating. Check out the websites for any of the attractions below to see if advance tickets are available.]
Here are 10 absolute must-sees:
The Arc de Triomphe Situated at the center of the world’s most notorious traffic circle and at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. There’s an underground tunnel to get to the monument, so you don’t have to brave the insane traffic, as my oblivious classmates and I did in 1980. Pay your respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located at the base.
The Eiffel Tower It appears that this structure has become a sort of symbol of Paris as of late. I don’t care what the travel “experts” say. You have to reach the top, no matter the lines.
The Louvre and the Tuileries Garden You can easily spend a whole day (or more) here at the world’s largest museum. Or you can make a quick trip by following the recommended museum trails on the museum’s website. You can even just hit up the Louvre’s 3 leading ladies: the Venus de Milo; Winged Victory of Samothrace; and of course, Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, or La Gioconda, for short, but better known as the Mona Lisa. When you need to get some fresh air, amble through the Tuileries Garden, just outside to the west.
The Musée d’Orsay The home in Paris for the most Parisian of art–impressionism. People are shocked when I tell them I’ve never been. It didn’t exist when I came to Paris in 1980. And I hadn’t heard of it when I returned in 1997. My last 2 visits were too brief for museum-going. I’ll get there yet.
The Musée National d’Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou I toured this high-tech palace of modern art when I was in high school. They were having a special exhibit of works by Salvador Dalí. I had never heard of the the guy, and I didn’t get what was up with the melting watches. (Don’t miss the nearby Stravinsky Fountain.)
Notre-Dame de Paris The rose windows. The gargoyles. The flying buttresses. It doesn’t get much more classic.
The Palace of Versailles Calling it opulent may be a vast understatement. (Just outside Paris and an easy ride away on the RER.)
Place de la Concorde and the Luxor Obelisk A personal favorite. Paris’s largest square. At the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées, on the Seine, with the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre further to the east. And it just happens to have a 3,000-year-old Egyptian monument rising above it all.
The Sainte-Chapelle Hands down, the most spectacular stained glass windows in the world. I first visited here when I was 17, so it’s always been an integral part of Paris to me. I’m always so surprised that most people haven’t heard of it.
Sacré-Cœur Ostentaciously sitting atop Montmartre, the highest point in Paris. Taking the Funiculaire to the top of the hill is half the fun!
But for Paris, these 10 are just a start. After all, you’ve got 10 days’ worth of sights to see, right? Here is a sampling of 15 more to add to your agenda:
The Bois de Boulogne 2 1/2 times larger than Central Park. I’ve only passed through here by car. Someday I need to take a leisurely stroll.
The Bois de Vincennes The Bois de Boulogne isn’t big enough for you? There’s always the Bois de Vincennes, Paris’s biggest park.
The Catacombs This is one spooky place in Paris I still need to get to.
Les Invalides and the École Miliataire France’s military heart and the home of Napoleon’s elaborate sarcophagus.
The Left Bank, the Latin Quarter, and the Sorbonne Be a French intellectual for the day!
The Luxembourg Garden A lovely garden on the Left Bank. Well, I’ve never been, but I’m quite certain I’l find it lovely when I eventually get there.
The Musée national du Moyen Âge It was known as the Musée de Cluny when I visited it. It houses the world’s most renown medieval tapestries, The Lady and the Unicorn, as well as other treasures from the Middle Ages.
The Musée Picasso You’re going to be hanging out in Le Marais, so you might as well check it out while you’re there. (I have yet to make it there.)
The Musée Rodin I think you should go here. (Get it?)
The Opéra Garnier Look for the Phantom and watch out for the falling chandelier!
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont I would love to explore this park created out of a former quarry. It sounds fascinating as well as beautiful.
The Panthéon Final resting place for France’s secular gods– Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, and so many more.
Père Lachaise Cemetary Someday I’ll finally make the pilgrimage there to pay respects to Oscar Wilde and, of course, Baby Boomer tragic hero Jim Morrison.
Place des Vosges Paris’s oldest, most charming, and most perfect square.
Place Vendôme Paris’s most luxurious square, featuring the Ritz, from where Diana left on her fateful last ride.
Day Trips from Paris
Chartres Home of the astounding Gothic cathedral that Notre-Dame doesn’t want you to know about.
Fontainebleau Royal home of the kings of France.
Giverny Where Monet and his water lilies come to life! (Well, Monet figuratively, the water lilies literally.)
Provins A preserved medieval town that is a designated World Heritage Site. Just a train ride away.
Rouen Downstream on the Seine from Paris. Where Joan of Arc met her fiery end. Rouen’s ancient cathedral was one of Monet’s favorite subjects.
Versailles See above. So close, it might as well be Paris.