Paris
Bonjour! Be sure to take a look at our in-depth Paris Travel Guide for a whole lot more information about Paris.
France's capital city, Paris - sometimes called the City of Light - is arguably the most popular tourist destination on earth. It's famous for its architecture, art, history, fashion, food and also for being incredibly romantic. It's also where you'll find one of the most famous landmarks on earth - the Eiffel Tower. Yes, you could do much, much worse than to spend some leisurely time in Paris.
What to do
Most people visiting Paris will take in at least a couple of the city's incredible art museums. Everyone's heard of The Louvre, and it's a must-see (even if you just go in to get a peek at the Mona Lisa's mysterious smile), but some of Paris' other museums can be less crowded and equally as rewarding. Musee d'Orsay, for instance, is inside an old train station and has been beautifully redone to house lots of 19th century artists. You'll find lots of Monet at Orsay. Centre George Pompidou is a cool modern art museum, with the building itself being as much of an attraction as the art inside.
In addition to the museums, there is also art all around you - Paris is an exceptionally beautiful city. From the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe to Notre Dame Cathedral to Sacré Coeur, you needn't enter a museum to see beauty. A simple stroll down the Champs-Élysées on a spring day will have you humming April in Paris in no time. And the cafe culture in Paris is thriving, so be sure to take some time to sit outdoors and do some people-watching!
Getting there
Paris has two major international airports, so you should be able to find a decent deal on Paris airfare. The larger of the two is Charles de Gaulle (code: CDG) and it usually has the lowest airfare for overseas flights. Orly Airport (code: ORY) also has some good deals, especially on flights within Europe.
Where to stay
Sleeping in Paris can get expensive quickly, so book your Paris hostel in advance to avoid paying through the nose. And if hostels aren't your thing, Paris is full of amazing hotels, too.
Attractions in Paris
Address: Place Charles-de-Gaulle, 75008 Paris
The Arc de Triomphe is, for many, the quintessential triumphal arch. Built in 1806, it's a tribute to those who have fought and died for France and now also stands over the tomb of the unknown soldier. And, lying at one end of the famous boulevard Champs-Elysees, it has also become a symbol of Paris.
Beyond being pretty to look at, the top of the Arc de Triomphe also provides a great vantage point from which to take pictures. But how do you get up there? It stands at the center of an enormous multi-lane roundabout which you should not - repeat, should not - attempt to cross on foot. Don't even think about it. There's an underground passage from outside the roundabout to the Arc's island in the center.
For a picture of the Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs-Elysees, have someone keep an eye out for changing lights and snap a quick shot from a cross-walk on the Champs-Elysees. Just make it quick.
Hours:
April 1-September 30: 10:00-23:00
October 1-March 31: 10:00-22:30
Ticket desk open until 1/2 hour before closing time
Closed on January 1, May 1, May 8 (morning), July 14 (morning), November 11 (morning) December 25
Admission: €8 adults, €5 18-25 year-olds, €6.20 groups (more than 20 people)
Address: Avenue des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris
The Champs-Elysees, or Avenue des Champs-Elysees if you want to get formal, is the widest and most famous avenue in Paris. It's lined with colorful cafes, movie theatres, and more shops than you can imagine, so it's no wonder that rent along this little strip of land is extremely high. It is Europe's most expensive piece of real estate. So while it might not cost you anything to walk down the street, rest assured that if you stop for a drink or buy any knick-knacks you'll notice that your wallet is significantly lighter.
This famous street runs from the Arc de Triomphe on its west end to the Place de la Concorde on its east, with two kilometers (about 1.25 miles) in between. During December, the trees along the Champs-Elysees are lit up for the holidays, making a walk down this already stunning boulevard that much more romantic. Every Bastille Day (July 14) the largest military parade in Europe makes its way down the Champs-Elysees. And should you be in Paris on the last day of the Tour de France each July, you'll be treated to one of the few days a year when the Champs-Elysees is blocked off as the cyclists complete several laps along the famous avenue.
Access: In the 8th arrondissement of Paris
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free to walk, costly to buy anything
Address: Champ de Mars, 75007 Paris
The Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous landmark on earth, and a national symbol for France. The only drawback to a trip to the top is your photos won't include the Eiffel Tower.
There are three levels to the Eiffel Tower, and you can visit all of them by elevator. Stairs are available only to the second level. The first floor has shops and restaurants, and in winter an ice-skating rink. The second floor has a very posh restaurant, Le Jules Verne, with its own private access elevator, and internet stations. The top is where you'll get the best views, along with a replica of tower creator Gustave Eiffel's office. You can take in the breezes on a balcony up there, and there's even a toilet if you just can't wait (think of how far that flush has to go!).
In the busy summer season, waits for the elevators can be very long, so prepare yourself. The third level is also cramped, so you might only have the space for a shuffle around the panoramic view before you're back in line again to go down.
Hours:
January 1-June 14 and September 2-December 31: 09:30-23:00
June 15-September 1: 09:00-24:00
Admission: (reduced rates exist, check at ticket booth)
Elevator - €4.50 1st Floor, €7.80 2nd Floor, €11.50 Top
Stairs - €4.00 1st and 2nd Floors
Access: People with mobility issues (limited to a wheelchair, reliant on crutches, etc.) are not able to visit the top floor of the Eiffel Tower.
Address: Jardins du Luxembourg, 75006 Paris
The Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden) in Paris' 6th arrondssement is the city's largest public park. The nearby Luxembourg Palace was built for Marie de Medici in the early 17th century and now houses the French Senate, although entry into the palace is only permitted by prior arrangement. Entry into the gardens, however, is free to anyone - and in good weather, the Jardin du Luxembourg is full of Parisians and tourists alike.
Features of the Jardin du Luxembourg include a large fenced-in playground for children, a puppet theatre and a merry-go-round. Sometimes there are even musical performances in the gazebo. There is a restaurant within earshot, so you can have your dinner while you listen to the music. The garden's pond is sometimes full of childrens' boats, and sculptures and statues are scattered throughout the grounds. The statues ringing the pond are of France's queens.
The Jardin du Luxembourg, commonly called "Luco" by locals, is an excellent place to enjoy a stroll in good weather. For anyone traveling with children, the endless outdoor amusements for little ones could offer a welcome treat. And for those who count people-watching among their favorite pastimes, when the gardens are busy the people-watching is fantastic.
Hours: Depending on the time of year - opens between 07:30-08:15 and closes between 16:45 and 21:45.
Admission: Free
Address: 1, parvis de la Défense, 92040 Paris-La Défense
La Defense is the name given to Paris' modern business district just west of the city. The city's tallest buildings are located here, and the neighborhood is Europe's biggest district built specifically for business. The area provides a marked contrast to the historic city center, and is especially interesting for anyone who's a fan of modern architecture.
At the center of La Defense is the building which gives the district its name - the Grande Arche de la Defense. It might look like a monument, but it's actually an office building as well. It's a modern take on a triumphal arch, so it's more open air than building. Despite its business-like interior, there is a viewing platform on top where visitors can take in the historic city skyline while surrounded by the modern one.
In addition to the Grande Arche, La Defense is home to many other pieces of public modern art, so while an afternoon spent wandering between office skyscrapers might not sound like much fun, this is Paris, after all - so it's still visually pretty stimulating.
Hours: Grande Arche: 10:00-20:00 (April 1-September 30), 10:00-19:00 (October 1-March 31)
Admission: €9-7.50 (depending on whether you qualify for discounts) to reach the vewing platform of the Grande Arche de la Defense, includes the revolving art exhibits on the upper floor
Address: Palais Royal, Musée du Louvre, 75001 Paris
The Louvre is one of the most famous art museums on earth - it's certainly the most visited - and houses such masterpieces as Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." In addition to several da Vincis, you'll also find works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, David, as well as antiquities from Egypt, Greece and Rome. It's a huge museum, so plan to spend a few hours if you want to get your money's worth. A guide isn't a bad idea, either, to help you make sense of the vast array of art surrounding you.
The U-shaped building which contains all this art, the "Musee du Louvre" in French, was once a royal palace and dates from the 12th century. These days the art inside the Louvre gets more attention than the building - with good reason - but the museum is also an important landmark in central Paris. The Louvre Pyramid, through which you'll enter the museum, was added in 1989 and remains controversial (and not just because of Dan Brown).
Hours:
Daily, 09:00-18:00
Open late some Wednesdays and Fridays, until 22:00
Except - closed Tuesdays and January 1, May 1, May 8 and December 25
Louvre Pyramid open from 09:00-22:00 daily, except Tuesday
Admission:
€9 for all permanent exhibits (€6 on Weds. and Fri. evenings, 18:00-21:45)
€9.50 for temporary exhibits in Hall Napoleon
€13 for permanent and temporary exhibits (€11 on Weds. and Fri. evenings, 18:00-21:45)
Admission is free for under-26 visitors on Friday evenings, under-18 visitors every day, disabled visitors and their guests/helpers, and for everyone on the first Sunday of each month and every July 14.
Address: 62, rue de Lille, 75343 Paris
When you hear that the Musee d'Orsay occupies the space of a former railway station, you might not have high hopes for it. But think again - this museum will knock your socks off, both in terms of the art it contains and the building which contains it.
The Musee d'Orsay's collection is mainly that of French art, and the museum is perhaps best known for its vast collection of impressionist paintings by artists such as Monet, Renoir and Degas. Other artists in the museum whose names you'll recognize are Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne, Rodain, Gauguin and Seurat. And in addition to rooms full of famous paintings, you'll also find sculpture and photography. Taken together with the surroundings of the beautiful building along the river Seine, a visit to the Musee d'Orsay makes for a great few hours in Paris.
Several bus lines stop near the Musee d'Orsay, and there is a Metro stop bearing the museum's name which connects with three Metro lines.
Hours:
Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Sunday, 09:30-18:00
Thursday, 09:30-21:45
Closed Mondays and January 1, May 1, December 25
Admission: €7.50-5.50 depending on whether you qualify for a discount
Discounts are available: if you are age 18-25 (bring an ID card with a photo), also if you visit on Sundays or any day after 16:15 (20:00 on Thursdays). Those under 18 and disabled visitors (with one extra person) get in free. Museum is free to everyone the first Sunday of each month.
Address: Rue du cloître Notre-Dame, 75004 Paris
Notre Dame de Paris, more commonly known simply as Notre Dame, is one of Paris' most famous landmarks. Situated on the Ile de la Cite, it is a Gothic cathedral which is still very much in use. (Be respectful if you walk in during mass.)
A beautiful example of Gothic cathedrals, Notre Dame dates from the 12th century and boasts a gorgeous rose stained-glass window and some of the world's first flying buttresses. The cathedral looks completely different depending on which end you're looking at, from its blocky front to its graceful back. Of course, no matter how out of place the towers at the front might look from the outside, the view from the top is excellent.
If you're interested in attending mass at Notre Dame de Paris, you're welcome to - they happen several times a week, check with the reception office for the schedule. Guided tours are also available in several languages throughout the day.
Hours: Daily, 08:00-18:45 (19:15 on weekends)
Reception Office: Monday-Friday, 09:30-18:00; Saturday-Sunday, 09:00-18:00
(Entry to the towers is outside the cathedral, and they have separate hours)
Admission: Free to enter the cathedral, €7.50-5.70 to climb the towers and €1-3 to visit the Treasury
Address: Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris
The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in all of Paris. In addition to offering fantastic views in just about every direction, the Place has also been witness to quite a bit of history over the centuries.
Originally designed and built in the mid-1700s, the first name of what we know today as the Place de la Concorde was Place Louis XV after the then king. A statue of King Louis XV graced the center of the Place at that time. During the French Revolution, that statue was pulled down and the place renamed Place de la Revolution. In fact, many executions took place in this square during the French Revolution, including those of King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, Lavoisier and Robespierre. The guillotine in Place de la Concorde got a lot of use back then - in one month in the summer of 1794, more than 1,300 people lost their heads on it.
Today, the center of the Place de la Concorde is home to a 3,300-year-old obelisk which once stood at the entrance to the Luxor Temple. It was a gift to France in 1831 from Egypt's viceroy, and transporting it was such an endeavor that the machines used are immortalized on plaques around the obelisk's base.
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free
Address: 35, Rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre, 75018 Paris
Sacre-Coeur is the crowning glory atop Montmarte, that artsy Bohemian quarter of Paris. The Basilica looks unlike the Gothic churches you'll see elsewhere in the city, because it's not Gothic - it's a minimalistic response to over-the-top Baroque-ness, and its singularly beautiful white domes are an exercise in purity. There is nothing harsh about this church, which is perhaps why the staircase in front of it seems to be such a popular meeting point - it's just that inviting.
A relatively recent addition to this historic city, the Sacre Coeur Basilica was completed in 1914. It is still very much in use as a Roman Catholic basilica, and because of its importance to worshippers, visitors are asked to dress modestly and maintain silence while touring the church. The wide staircase descending from the basilica's front door are a popular hang-out spot in the evenings, especially as they look out onto a lovely view of Paris below.
No photos are allowed inside Sacre Coeur.
Access:
Metro - Anvers, Abbesses, Chateau Rouge, Lamarck-Caulaincourt
Bus - Lines 30, 31, 80, 85 and Montmartrobus
Hours: Daily, 06:00-23:00
Admission: Entry is free, donations are encouraged. There is a charge to climb the dome or visit the crypt.
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For more Paris travel information, be sure to check out BootsnAll's Paris Travel Guide.
