Paris attractions - because Audrey Hepburn said: "Paris is always a good idea"
- Panna
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
I am a Paris fan, I want to make this clear up front.
I read a lot of negative reviews about how much this city has changed, how it has lost its appeal, the many tourists, the poor public safety in immigrant neighborhoods, the lot of trash, and the not-so-friendly behavior of the French were the most common reasons listed.
I think a well-organized trip to Paris is still a great experience, so now I want to share some ideas on how you can still make your trip to Paris magical. After all, it's not worth spending money and time on a trip if you end up feeling tired and not having a good time!
The first and most important aspect is choosing the right accommodation. In Paris, I don't think it's worth saving money, because the suburbs are really not very safe, especially Pigalle and Barbes should be avoided, but the area around Gare du Nord is not a good choice either. The last time I arrived by train from Amsterdam, to Gard du Nord, it was quite an extreme experience, I'm thinking of the brutal smell and the not-so-trustworthy crowd. I quickly got into a taxi to escape, which wasn't a good idea either, I've never been ripped off so much in my life.
Since I was here for a short time, I stayed at the Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel. I wouldn't say it was great value for money (it was also really expensive), but the view from the balcony of the room was beautiful. Right next to the hotel is the Eiffel Tower, and central location was a factor in my decision. Plus, the breakfast was fantastic.
You can also travel within the city with Bolt, which is much cheaper than a regular taxi or public transportation, and the Hop-on-hop-off is also a good idea, but check in advance whether it really stops everywhere (there are often closures due to events).
If you want a picture of the Eiffel Tower and you don't want to have three hundred other people smiling in your photo, I recommend Rue de Buenos Ayres or Rue de L'Universitè, but preferably before 8 am, because then the tourist buses will arrive. The other side of the Champ de Mars or the Montparnasse Tower are also a good idea!
Of course, you might not be too fond of the Eiffel Tower, like the famous writer Guy de Maupassant. Maupassant hated it so much that he always ate lunch at the restaurant below it, saying that at least he wouldn't have to see it from there.
The sights of Paris are quite far apart, so unfortunately it's not easy to get around the city on foot, although I tried. I really got tired, so I only recommend this method to the most determined.
Where you can walk, and it's worth it, is Montmartre, my favorite part of Paris. I started my first day here again.
It is best to start from the Moulin Rouge.
After that, we walk to the Wall of Love, then take the stairs or the (paid) cable car up to the Sacre Coeur, where it is worth spending some time because the panorama of the city is wonderful, and the basilica itself is beautiful.
Then we can walk through the streets of the district with a special atmosphere, looking at the works of the many street painters and portrait painters, passing through Rue Berthe, enjoying the street art and the flamingo wall, and then we reach the Le Consulat restaurant. We can eat something delicious here, because even though this place is iconic and well-known, there is usually no need to queue and it did not seem more expensive than any restaurant in Paris. Then we can see the statue called the Wall Walker and Rue de L'Abreuvoir, as well as the Maison Rose, then the windmill, the Moulin de la Galette, which is a 17th-century building, and from the 19th century a popular bakery operated here, where galettes (a French pie-like dish, can be sweet or savory) were mainly sold, hence the name.
Close to Montmartre is the Musee de la Vie Romantique, the building is also beautiful and worth a visit.
Then I headed towards Galeries Lafayette, followed by Palais Garnier. I think it's definitely worth a visit, especially in December, around Christmas, but it's a good idea to see the magnificent Paris Opera building at any time of the year. There are guided tours, but the best is the escape room-style playful exploration interactive program! You can book it on the Opera Garnier website.
The Perfume Museum is right next to it, and if you book in advance, you can even create your own personalized perfume.
If you are in Paris around Christmas, I definitely recommend the Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy and Galerie Vivienne. These covered shopping streets are beautifully decorated for the holidays. They are also a good choice on a rainy day.
Place Vendome is an iconic square, so it's a must-see, and from there it's just a short walk to Place de la Concorde and then to the Jardin des Tulieries. There are many different catering establishments in the park, and you need to eat something if you want to use the restroom.
At the end of the park is the Louvre, which you'll probably only see from the outside on this busy day, because going inside only makes sense if you have at least half a day (but preferably more).
However, if you only want to see the Mona Lisa in its original form, you can also book such a tour.
It's worth taking a detour to the Stravinsky Fountain, provided you don't just like classical art. For me, it's one of my favorite sights in all of Paris.
From there I continued towards Rue de Rivoli and ended the day at Notre Dame (at that time - in 2024 - it was unfortunately still under renovation, but you can already go in if you arrive during opening hours)
I recommend this tour over public transportation, butit was a pretty strenuous walk, and I was terribly tired by the evening (although there were some short taxi rides with Bolt).
On the other side of the Seine, I recommend seeing and trying the following, on a separate day, of course:
Obviously the Eiffel Tower, this could be the starting point of the walk
Alexander III Bridge - Wikiwand Pont Alexandre-III
Les Invalides - Les Invalides
Rodin Museum - Musée Rodin, if you are interested in sculpture
Orsay Museum - Musée d'Orsay, if you only go to one museum in Paris, I think this should be it! It houses the largest collection of works by Impressionist painters.
A good macaron at Ladurée
Luxembourg Garden - Jardin du Luxembourg
Pantheon
Shakespeare and Company - it's an English-language bookstore, but it looks brilliant
New Bridge - Pont Neuf
Montparnasse
Also, several locations from the Emily in Paris series can be found on this side of the river, but I will write about them separately.
The following remained for the third day:
Trocadero
Arc de Triomphe - Arc de Triomphe
Walking on the Champs-Elysées
Élysée Palace - Élysée Palace
Little Palace - Petit Palais
Boat trip on the Seine
Must-try sweets:
Macaron (this is my favorite dessert, and it's gluten-free, so I've tried it in several places, my favorites were Ladurée and Pierre Hermè)
Pain au chocolat (e.g. Mamiche)
Of course, whatever you choose, you can't go wrong here, French sweets are very delicious.
Most beautiful Starbucks location: Boulevard les Capucines
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