Paris Travel Tips

July 25th, 2008 by Gigi - NWA WorldVacations

When I say Paris, what do you think of?  Shopping, the Eiffel Tower, food, the Louvre, Notre Dame, love?  You can experience all of those things - and more -  in Paris…yes, maybe even love!  There is so much to do and see that Paris will exceed all your wildest thoughts and dreams! It can be overwhelming, so here are some travel tips for the Paris traveler: 

Transportation Tips:
• The easiest way to get to and from your hotel, is to take pre-purchased transfers. Especially with your luggage filled with shopping finds, the transfer right from the door of the hotel back to the airport will be so easy!
• If you don’t have a pre-purchased transfer, you can take the RER. It is a metro line that runs from the airport to downtown Paris.  A RER line has fewer stops than a regular subway line and the stops are at the main stations, so it’s easy to connect onto a regular metro line from which you can get anywhere.  You will have to manage your own luggage, however, so this is only for those who “pack light”!
• Buy a metro “Day Pass” - unlimited ride for the day(s), within Paris.
• Rather than being underground and taking the subway to go places, visit the town by riding the double-decker, hop on and off buses that stop at the major tourist sites! Or use your Metro pass to take a regular bus around town, seeing much more of this beautiful city from a different perspective.

Things To Do:
• Visit the Eiffel Tower (cost is about 8 euros to the 1st and 2nd deck of the Tower - 15 euros to the 3rd deck). Make sure to go see the Eiffel Tower at night…what a sight!
• Walk the Champs-Elysees from the Louvre all the way to the Arc de Triomphe - wear comfortable shoes; it’s a long walk!
• Climb the 286 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe (cost is about 10 euros) for another fabulous view of the city and witness the traffic on this world famous round-about.
• Visit Notre Dame.
• Go to Montmartre and its Sacre-Coeur. Take the funicular to go up, take the stairs to go down. Sit at an outdoor café, it’s great people watching!
• Go to the “Jardins du Luxembourg” (Luxembourg Gardens), find a chair and watch the joggers or the kids play with their miniature boats on the water.
• Take a Seine River cruise on the Bateaux-Mouches and admire the beautiful monuments lined up on the river banks.  Taking the cruise at night is also amazing as the monuments are all light up.
• At night, for the best of parisian entertainment, go see a show like the one at the Paradis Latin in an extraordinary theatre designed by Eiffel. You can even pre-purchase advanced tickets as part of your vacation package.
• For sightseeing outside Paris, you definitely need to visit Versailles. Book a bus tour or take the RER and visit the Palace of Versailles and its gardens at your leisure – it is absolutely grand!
• If you love museums there are plenty to choose from! Make a selection before you go - Remember, some museums are closed on Monday, others on Tuesday.
• If you decide to “do” the Louvre, decide on what you would like to see or you could spend days in the museum to see it all! The paintings: first go see the Mona Lisa, also know as “La Joconde”, or you might be disappointed. It’s small and always crowded. Next, choose from the Egyptian collection; the crown/jewelry collection; the antique furniture and so much more!
• The Musee d’Orsay is great if you love Impressionist Art.
• If you’re a fan of Monet, you should visit the “Musee Marmottan”.
• Don’t forget about the world-famous shopping.  Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement is Paris shopping at its finest. Find more affordable shopping on Rue de Rivoli, or at the famous department stores of Printemps or Galeries Lafayette.

Places to eat:
• I suggest eating at a brasserie/bistro during lunch and go with the lunch special, it’s usually traditional French cuisine at a reasonable price.
• If you’re in the area of St Michel, there are plenty of restaurant options to choose from: traditional French cuisine, cheese or meat fondue, Crepes, Italian, Greek and so much more!
• If you’re in the Montparnasse area, there are plenty of Japanese and other French cuisine restaurants to choose from.

There is so much to see and do in Paris, it’s hard to pick just a few “must-see” and “must-do”s, but there’s definitely something for everyone! 

If you have been to Paris, please share your favorite things to do so you can help others who are traveling to Paris make the most of their vacation!

Bon voyage!

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