Paris Bucket List
Well, let's face it, Paris is the worst because it's exactly like everybody tells you it is: fabulous! The food IS incredible, the culture IS extraordinary, the smell of fresh urine IS pervasive, but in a cute way. The whole city is a postcard, you can take a picture anywhere and send it to someone with the caption: "Wish you were here and I wasn't - living it up in Gay Paree!!" The people are rude but, guess what, they weren't any ruder to me than they are to people in Paris. Plus, I only got my purse snatched twice!
Why Paris belongs on your bucket list
I was a bit of a Paris skeptic before I went. Everyone's always talking about it and how life-changing it is and whatever. And I get there and I stand on this bridge over the Seine and watch the sun set and think, "Oh. Oh no. They were right." The Impressionists painted this light for a reason. There's something weird about it. Haussmann basically destroyed half of Paris in the 1800s to make those wide boulevards, and that worked out just fine. But that's not even the best part. The best part is an espresso at a zinc bar where the bartender has been disdainfully serving tourists for 30 years. The part where you find a courtyard from 1300 AD behind a random door in the Marais and have no idea where you are or why you're here. That's the Paris that'll get you.
When to go
April and June are good times to visit since the weather is warm, and the days are long. In September and October, the number of tourists decreases, but you can still enjoy good light conditions. Additionally, if you visit during this time, you can experience the wine harvest near Paris. July tends to be hot, and during August, many Parisians go on vacation. Winter is generally not a popular time to visit due to the cold weather, but if you enjoy a cozy atmosphere and fewer crowds, it might be the perfect time for you to visit.
Must-visit places in Paris
Eiffel Tower
Save yourself the trouble of climbing to the top. You won't miss anything if you stay on the second level, and the wait for the elevator will be about half as long. The best view of the tower is from Trocadero just across the river. Every hour on the hour after dark, the lights on the tower will flash and sparkle for five minutes. A bottle of wine on the grass of the Champ de Mars is a front-row seat. That's basically the experience right there. Order your tickets on the Internet at least two weeks ahead or stand in line forever.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre is an enormous museum. It is so big that it would take a long time to see everything there. I recommend not entering through the pyramid entrance. Instead, enter through the underground shopping mall, the Carrousel du Louvre. There usually aren't lines there. Once inside, head straight for the Winged Victory of Samothrace. This statue is very impressive and will be worth your time. After seeing this, work backward from it. The museum is open late on Wednesday and Friday nights, and it's not as crowded then. Stick to one wing if you go.
Musee d'Orsay
It's a train station that was converted into a museum. A really beautiful one. And then when you get to the museum's interior, well, it houses the greatest collection of Impressionist works in the world. Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh... the originals of the posters that have graced the walls of every college dorm room in the history of the world. They are better in person than in print. There is a café on the top floor that looks out behind the big clock face and has a view of the Seine through the glass. Nobody knows about that. It's the best thing in the whole place.
Sacre-Coeur & Montmartre
The climb is invigorating. Your calves will thank you for it. Then you reach those steps and gaze over the whole of Paris and wonder how this can be for free. Wander the same streets that Picasso pounded, flat broke but still producing some of his best work. Place du Tertre may be packed with artists selling portraits, but that’s because it’s a beautiful kind of tourist trap. Take a coffee in some forgotten little café in the backstreets of Montmartre and you’ll feel like you’ve entered a time warp.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
They rebuilt Notre Dame even after that terrible fire in 2019. And it’s probably more beautiful and emotionally stirring than what was there before. The sunlight streams through those rose windows and casts that perfect “medieval” light (you know what we mean) over the still cool, still time-honored stone your stupid phone camera still can’t even hope to replicate. Don’t bother. Just stand there and look. Better yet, do it at like 8 a.m. when there’s no one there. You’ll have the whole freaking nave to yourself.
Sainte-Chapelle
Many people overlook this. It's inside the Palais de Justice building, and quite easy to miss. Which is a pity, because upstairs chapel has 1,113 stained glass windows and when the sun shines, it's totally wondrous. The colors are so vibrant. So over-the-top beautiful it verges on the offensive. Plan your visit around noon if you can. The room fills with light. Get a combined ticket with the Counciergerie next door.
Le Marais
Old Paris meets new Paris at this intersection. Medieval mansions converted into galleries selling items not available anywhere else. Falafel stands on Rue des Rosiers, while an actual war is waged to determine who has the best sandwich (L’As du Fallafel, I assume, but the queue is ridiculous). Quirky shops selling designs from French people you've never heard of. Come on a Sunday when there are no cars and everyone just walks around.
Luxembourg Gardens
The Tuileries Gardens is a popular park in Paris where locals gather for various activities. You can observe people reading books on the benches, runners doing their laps, and kids having fun with toy boats on the octagonal pond. If you're looking for a more secluded spot, you can visit the Medici Fountain located in the northeast corner. It's extremely romantic and usually not crowded. Just grab one of the green metal chairs, bring it to the fountain, and relax while enjoying the view. It's a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and the entry is free. It's also conveniently located between museums.
Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Elysees
You'll have to climb 284 steps to get to the top. No elevator is available. But your efforts will be rewarded with amazing 360-degree views of the city. You'll be able to see twelve avenues that all radiate out like the spokes of a wheel. A small museum halfway to the top tells of the history of the Arch.
Bouillon Pigalle
Snails, duck cooked in its own fat, flan for starters - and all that in an elegant setting for less than 20 euros. This is wrong. Bouillon Pigalle has restored the 19th-century French food stand concept - real French food, fast, and good, and in a beautiful dining room, and at a price that doesn't want to make you curl up on the floor in the fetal position and cry. There's usually a wait, but it turns over pretty quick. No reservations. Just rock up and eat like a king for back-packer coin.
Canal Saint-Martin
This is the local Paris, not the been-there-done-that Paris of the guidebooks. The appartment is 20 sq m, with mezzanine bedroom, stairs so not for people with restricted mobility, kitchen, bathroom. clearColorful, cozy, quirky and tranquil. A perfect bolthole.
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
A cemetery doesn’t get more likeable than this. Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Chopin. Moss-covered gravestones shaded by ancient trees, meandering alleyways, and the feeling that you are strolling around a park-cum-museum. Grab a map at the entrance, you’ll be hopelessly lost otherwise. It’s vast. Best visited in the morning when the mist hangs low among the trees. Hauntingly beautiful.
Paris insider tips
- Metro: Get a Navigo Easy card or buy a carnet of 10 tickets. The Metro is faster than Uber during rush hour and includes everything.
- Museum pass: The Paris Museum Pass is worth it. It's 2 or 4 days and includes skip-the-line tickets to 50+ places. You only need it if you're going to the Louvre and Orsay.
- Dining: Eat dinner at lunch. Most restaurants offer a prix fixe menu at lunch that's half the price of dinner. Same food, same chef. Also: Make a reservation at any restaurant, including casual ones. Paris doesn't accommodate walk-ins well.
- Tipping: Service is already included in the bill. It says service compris. A euro or two if the service was great is nice but not necessary.
- Walking: The city center is 20 minutes in any direction. Walk it. The best stuff in the city is in the areas in between the famous landmarks, not at the landmarks.
- Language: Say Bonjour when you enter any store or restaurant. That's it. That one word changes everything. The famous Parisian attitude of being rude disappears if you say that one word.
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