Paris rewards the people who give it time and approach it with some curiosity beyond the obvious. The Louvre is worth it. Versailles is worth it. The Eiffel Tower is worth it. They're also exhausting and crowded. Here's what I'd add to any Paris itinerary.
Stay in Le Marais or Saint-Germain — not near the tourist monuments
The hotels nearest the Eiffel Tower and Louvre are convenient and overpriced and located in parts of Paris that empty out at 7pm when the tour groups leave. Le Marais has more going on in four blocks than most neighborhoods have in a mile: Jewish bakeries, contemporary art galleries, the Place des Vosges, the city's best falafel. Saint-Germain-des-Prés is the Paris of Hemingway and de Beauvoir — café culture, bookshops, the Jardin du Luxembourg. Both neighborhoods put you in the Paris that Parisians actually use.
Go to Versailles on a Tuesday morning
Versailles is one of the great architectural achievements in human history and also, on most days, so crowded you spend more time in queues than looking at anything. It's closed Mondays. Tuesday morning at opening is as manageable as it gets. Book the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon too — included in the ticket and 90% of visitors never see them. Marie Antoinette's Hamlet, a fanciful rustic village she built in the gardens, is one of the strangest and most fascinating royal follies in Europe.
Spend an afternoon in a zinc bar in the 11th arrondissement
The 11th arrondissement, roughly between République and Bastille, is where young Parisians actually spend their time. The restaurants and wine bars around Rue Oberkampf and Rue de la Roquette are the most alive and least touristy Paris I know. Le Servan, Septime, and Clamato are three of the best restaurants in the city, all within walking distance of each other. None of them accept reservations very far in advance. Show up a bit early.
Take the RER to Giverny and Monet's garden
Claude Monet's garden in Giverny, an hour from Paris by train and taxi, is the source of the Water Lilies. In May and June, when the garden is in full bloom, it looks exactly like the paintings — which is to say, absurd. Go on a weekday. Go in the first hour it opens. The lily pond in morning light with the Japanese bridge reflected in it is one of the France moments I keep returning to in memory. Worth the day trip.
Walk the Canal Saint-Martin on a Sunday morning
The Canal Saint-Martin on Sunday mornings — when the roads alongside it are closed to traffic — is Paris without its performance mode. Iron footbridges, canal locks, plane trees, a quality of light I can't explain but that's distinctly Paris. Stop at Ten Belles café for the best coffee in the city. Walk north from République through the 10th arrondissement. This is the hour of Paris that makes you want to live here.
Paris is one of the world's great group destinations — for celebrations, corporate trips, honeymoons, everything. More Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city, excellent private dining venues, and a cultural infrastructure that makes large group experiences possible in ways few cities can match. The city doesn't have a bad season.
Written by
Jenn
Founder of Memorable Travel & Adventures. Jenn has personally traveled to every destination in this journal. She plans trips to all of them.
