Our Top 5: what to do in Paris

Paris, Paris, the capital of love and romance, the City of Lights, its classic Haussmannian architecture… but also home to 2.2 million people, over 6,100 streets, 1,800 monuments, 1,800 bakeries, 170 museums, and 450 parks and gardens! Yes, Paris is not a small city and discovering it can be quite overwhelming! Don’t worry! Here are the 5 things you absolutely should do while in Paris.

Start from the Eiffel Tower (a not-to-miss) and follow the Seine towards the centre of Paris.

Not only will it give you some time to admire this beautiful river and its amazing bridges, you will also pass in front of major, beautiful monuments: Museum of Quai Branly, Modern Art Museum, Grand Palais, Invalides, National Assembly (Palais Bourbon), Place de la Concorde, Tuileries gardens, Orsay Museum, the Louvre, Place Saint-Michel, Conciergerie, Palais de Justice, Notre-Dame de Paris, Jardin des Plantes… yes all of these monuments and places are along the Seine! Take your time enjoying the heart of Paris!

Paris is well-known for its unique architecture and you don’t want to miss that. From Haussmannian avenues to intimate little streets, from big monuments to little squares, by day or by night, Paris deserves to be explored!

The great thing about Paris is that you can let yourself get lost, and there will always be a subway station around to bring you back to wherever you want! Although the subway is not the cleanest and most modern in the world (maybe because it exists since 1900), it is a very efficient, practical and relatively cheap way to move around Paris.

So don’t hesitate to just keep a map of the subway with you, it might end up being even more practical than a map of the city!

As mentioned before, Paris has more than 170 museums, as well as plenty of exhibitions going on all year-long! To check what is in town during your visit, go to the Paris Info website.

From paintings to sculpture, primitive art to modern art, photography to movies, history to science, circus or dance, there will be museums for about every taste and interest! Even if you are not a big fan of museums, the offers in Paris are so diversified and rich that you will surely find the one that will make you love museums!

Of Course! You are in the capital of France, a gastronomical country. Take the opportunity in Paris to have a taste of French cuisine.

One particularity of France is that each of its regions has its own culinary specialties… so much to discover! You may think that French people are very proud of their cuisine (which is true) but above all else, they are true food lovers! And be careful, with more than 1’700 bakeries, hundreds of welcoming terraces, and even more restaurants, temptation is everywhere!

For a glimpse of French delicatessen and more, you could visit La Grande Epicerie in the 6th district.

Paris, capital of romance, capital of fashion, capital of… shopping!

As an international city you will be able to find many top international brands (Uniqlo, Abercrombie, Primark…). You can also feast your eyes (and empty your wallet) on all the French luxury brands available here (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dior, Yves-Saint-Laurent, Jacquemus…), and enjoy high-fashion jewellery (don’t miss the Place Vendome).

But also don’t miss the more affordable but very hyped French brands and creators! Some of my women’s favourites are: Repetto, Claudie Pierlot, Maje, Sessun, Zadig et Voltaire, Balzac Paris, Marie Sixtine, Cosmoparis, Annabel Winship, Naf-Naf, and Kookai. For men, you can check: Hast, Ami Paris, FrenchTrotters, Alain Figaret, Bruce Field, Philippe Gaber…

For a concentration of the latest trends in Paris fashion you can also explore concept stores such as Colette, Centre Commercial, French Touche, Merci…

And of course don’t miss the department stores, emblems of Paris shopping which offer many great brands:

• Le Bon Marché (since 1838) – 6th district
• Le Printemps (since 1865) – 9th district
• Les Galeries Lafayette (since 1894) – 9th district