top 5 things to do in Paris

If you are visiting Paris for the first time or you have been many times and want to do something different here are my top 5 things to do/see!

1) Tour Montparnasse

If you want to see a 360 view of Paris but want to avoid the lineups at the Eiffel Tower and actually want to capture the Eiffel Tower in your photos - I highly recommend going up the Tour Montparnasse instead! It is the only modern skyscraper type building in central Paris and it is 56 floors high so it is not hard to miss but you may just think it is an office building and not a place that you can visit! You can get there by going to the metro stop ‘Montparnasse’ and follow the signs. Once you have your ticket you then get to take Europe’s fastest elevator and in 38 seconds, you arrive on the ‘panoramic floor’ which is the 56th floor. There you can see the view of Paris from inside and get a glass of wine or champagne to sip on while you take in the gorgeous view. But the highlight is to find the stairway for the rooftop which is called the ‘terrace’ and you are outside on the roof of the building with a 360 view of the city! The main highlight is the Tour Eiffel which is directly in front of you! I highly recommend going at the end of the day so you can get photos in daylight and as the sun sets, and if you stay until 8pm you will see the first sparkle of the Tour Eiffel!

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2) Seine River Boats

Another great vantage point to see Paris is to hop on one of the boats along the Seine, and this way you pass by many of the monuments and pass under beautiful bridges. You may see different ones and not know which one to take as there are many - some are basic sightseeing ones and then there are other companies that offer more elaborate experiences such as dinners and gourmet lunches etc. If you dont have much time I recommend taking the sightseeing ones and they are cheaper as well and usually have a few stops you can get on or off, so you could even take one to your next destination or monument. They are usually around an hour long and under 20€ per person. Here are a few options with links: Bateaux Mouches, Bateaux Parisiens & Vedettes de Paris .

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3) The Marais

Wander aimlessly through the Marais neighbourhood to enjoy the winding streets filled with beautiful architecture, go shopping, sit at quaint cafes, peruse historic museums and stroll through the pretty parks. The Marais is a historic district in central Paris located along the right bank or ‘rive droite’ in French within the 3rd and 4th arrondissements/ neighbourhoods. Some of my favourite museums are the Musée Carnavalet, Musée Picasso, Musée Cognacq-Jay and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. The prettiest parks are Place des Vosges {the oldest planned square in Paris} and Square du Temple - Elie Wiesel. The best shopping streets are Rue des Francs Bourgeois, Rue des Rosiers, Rue Vieille-du-Temple and the BHV Department Store {that has been there since 1856!}.

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4) Parks/Jardins of Paris

There are several large and beautiful parks known as ‘Jardins’ throughout Paris which are pretty to walk through, take a break from shopping or museums, sit at the fountains or have a coffee. Each of them are near major monuments/museums making them easy to visit or pass through. This are the ones to put on your list - ‘Jardin du Luxembourg’ {also has the Fontaine Medicis} and ‘Jardin des Plantes’ on the Rive Gauche/Left Bank, and the ‘Jardin des Tuileries’ and the ‘Jardin du Palais-Royal’ on the Rive Droite/Right Bank. If you have kids they have playgrounds and ferris wheels as well.

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5) Walk/Have a picnic along the Seine

There are many places to walk along the Seine and take in Paris from a different view point but my favourite places are around or across from the Islands in the center of the city known as - ‘Ile de la Cité’ and ‘Ile Saint Louis’, as well as the Seine between the bridges Pont Marie to Pont Neuf & most of the year it is filled with bars and cafes. You will find stairways everywhere to take you down to the river. Stop in at a grocery store beforehand and pick up some cheese, charcuterie, paper cups and some wine/champagne, and then go to a ‘boulangerie’ which is a bakery and pick up a ‘tradition’ style baguette so that you can have a picnic! You are allowed to openly drink alcohol anywhere in Paris so don’t worry about that. Don’t forget to buy or bring a wine opener or if you get champagne you won’t need one and just pop the bottle!

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