Paris: A Firsthand Travel Guide
I was lucky enough to see Paris with a local, my old roommate, a Parisian who had been an exchange student, so I got the real city, not just the postcard. We did everything Paris has to offer, but the magic was never the big monuments. It was getting lost in the streets, the cafes, and the neighborhoods. Here is the Paris I fell for.
Montmartre, my favorite corner of the city
If you do one thing, make it Montmartre. The hilltop artists’ quarter, crowned by the white domes of Sacré-Cœur, with its winding cobbled streets, painters in the square, and sweeping views over the rooftops, was the most breathtaking part of Paris for me. It still feels like a village on top of the city.
Champagne, cafes, and the art of doing nothing
There is something about a glass of champagne at a cafe at any hour of the day, watching the city stroll by, that is pure Paris. This is the ritual I tell everyone not to skip. The sightseeing is wonderful, but the people-watching, a coffee or a glass of something, and letting an afternoon unspool, is where you actually feel Parisian.
The icons (do them, but do not stop there)
The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe are fun and worth seeing, though they felt expected. Two that genuinely took my breath away: the opulent Palais Garnier opera house, and Notre-Dame. I visited Notre-Dame before the 2019 fire, and after a remarkable restoration it reopened at the end of 2024, so you can once again step inside, which makes it more special than ever.
Getting lost, and eating your way through it
The best of Paris is unplanned: wandering the Marais and the Left Bank, drifting along the Seine, ducking into a bistro because it looked right. And the cuisine is phenomenal, from a warm morning pastry to a long dinner to the cheese and the wine. Come hungry and leave room to follow your nose.
Easy add-ons to your Paris trip
A few favorites I arrange through my trusted local partners on the ground, so you get their in-person expertise: the palace of Versailles, an easy and unforgettable day trip; Disneyland Paris for families; and for wine lovers, the chalk cellars of Champagne are barely an hour and a half away, see my France wine tour guide. Paris rewards more than one visit, and these are the perfect way to round out yours.
Paris rewards wandering, but only after the essentials are locked. The landmarks everyone comes for now run on timed entry that sells out weeks ahead, the reopened cathedral needs a reserved slot, and the tables worth the trip book far in advance. Get those wrong and the romantic, unhurried days you pictured turn into lines and closed doors, so I build the must-dos in first and leave the wandering for everything around them.
Why plan Paris with me
Paris is at its best when the must-dos are handled, timed tickets, the right neighborhood to stay in, a dinner reservation worth having, so you are free to wander and linger over that glass of champagne. I plan the structure and leave room for the magic, with any VIP recognition available. It is a dream honeymoon too. Because it is a long-haul flight, it is worth reading whether business class is worth it for the trip over.