Paris: Travel tips
Sights:
Once you’ve seen the major sights in Paris (most of which, with the exception of Montmartre, are conveniently located in the city center), tackling the sprawl of the city can initially appear daunting. And yet Paris’s marvelous, efficient transportation system makes every arrondissement easily accessible. You can spend a morning exploring the vast forest and chateau at Bois de Vincennes on the western edge of the city, and an afternoon admiring Art Nouveau architecture in some of the residential neighborhoods in the east.
What I try to do is pair cerebral activities with sensory ones: a visit to an art museum paired with a walk through a park. I initially decide (with input from my travel partner) what activities to include on the agenda, and then take a look at a map. Are there a few things we can bundle together in one geographic area? Or is there potential to tack something on to an activity in an out-of-the way area? When we visited the Marmottan Museum, I checked the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide and found that there was an interesting guided walk in the nearby Auteuil neighborhood that included great examples of Art Nouveau architecture. The Marmottan, where Monet once lived, is also on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne, itself a destination.
Some of my favorite areas to wander around in Paris include the romantic Ile St. Louis, especially for its view of the gorgeous backside of Notre Dame (and be sure to grab some ice cream at Berthillon while your there, it’s so, so good). On the right bank, the Marais is a lovely area to wander, window shop, and catch up on the history of Paris at the fantastic and free Carnavalet Museum.
Further out and less touristy, but more interesting (to me, anyway) is the Belleville neighborhood, with its hilly streets, graffiti, and the panoramic views of Paris from the Parc de Belleville. Buttes de Chaumont, on the northern edge of the city, is another great park in a non-touristy neighborhood.
Eating:
There are so many great websites and food forums and other places for up-to-date information and reviews on restaurants that it’s almost overwhelming. I like to keep lists ready so that if I come across a blog post or newspaper article recommended a place that sounds intriguing, I just copy and paste it into a document. For Paris, I then like to arrange recommended restaurants by arrondissement (Paris is divided into 20 arrondissments, or districts), so that whatever neighborhood I find myself in at mealtimes, I’ll have a decent place to eat. One of the many great things about Paris, though, is the ubiquity of decent street food: sweet or savory crepes, pressed ham and Swiss sandwiches, falafel—cheap, and usually quite good. So even without a game plan, you’re not completely out of luck.
Guidebooks:
Along with the DK Eyewitness Guide to Paris, I think Rick Steves does a great job of laying out the basics for first-timers. Fodors and Frommer’s are also good and updated yearly. I love just looking at Quiet Corners of Paris, which isn’t a guidebook, but rather a peek into some peaceful spots in the city that aren’t on the tourist track.
I always use Michael Middleditch’s Paris MapGuide when visiting Paris; there’s one for London as well that’s just as great.
Links:
Some favorite sites for food and lesser-known sights and areas in Paris:
David Lebowitz - Author, chef, and blogger David Lebowitz has loads of recommendations for eating well in Paris, and all over the world. But mostly Paris.
Hip Paris -this group blog features lots of reviews and tips for traveling to Paris
Paris by Mouth - this site lets you search for restaurants by a whole range of qualifiers: type of food, day of the week, location (they break down location by zip code, so bear in mind that the last two numbers of the zip code indicate the arrondissement number; so zip code 75018 = 18th arronidissement).
Invisible Paris - great site for little known historical episodes of Parisian history, and interesting commentary on contemporary life. I believe the author of the blog has a walking tour you can download as well.
My Paris travel philosophy:
The first time I went to Paris I knew I was supposed to see Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs Elysees. It was all a bit surreal, seeing these iconic monuments up close, and yes, I think everyone going to Paris should make the rounds. But being a tourist doesn’t have to be about checking off the big sights; travel is personal, and even when you’re going to places loads of people visit, where there’s a check-list of ‘must-sees’ , it’s always important to prioritize what’s truly interesting to you: what do you want to see? What matters to you, and why does it matter? These are the questions that should shape your agenda.
Give yourself permission to spend hours at just one place. You can get lost in Louvre. You can climb to the top of Notre Dame and get up close with the gargoyles. You can study the Eiffel Tower from all angles; you can leave it and return later, at dusk, or long after sunset to watch it glitter and sparkle and shake at the top of the hour.
