What you should know about Paris
As a self-confessed Francophile I am here to set the record straight and help you make the most of your Parisian experience – and arrange one for you if you don’t have one planned (yet)!
Now this may sound a bit odd, but picture if you will a cat and a dog at your front door as you arrive at home. Picture the dog, leaping all over you, making noises of love, maybe even yapping a little. Now, picture the cat… distant, on a table or counter on the other end of the room, not looking directly at you, yet somehow aware of you. You know that when the cat feels like it, he or she may approach you to demand some love, but for now, you’d hardly know it.
Rule number one: the French are cats. Think of them as cats, and you will start to understand their ways. They are interested in you and they do care, but you’ll need to be the one to make the move!
Also remember as you make your way into the streets, that you have landed in a capital city, a very large city that is home to 2.1 million people yet has more than 40 million visitors annually… try to greet people in shops, learn a few words of the language, and don’t expect every person you stop on the street to know how to direct you around the city like a tour guide. Every effort you make with the Parisians will be worth it, trust me.
That all being said, on to the real Paris, the place that draws me back consistently year after year and after more than 100 visits there… the place I dream of and the place I without doubt believe that every person should visit at least once in their lifetime.
Paris has everything. The list of must-see sites is extensive and for good reason the world’s most visited church, monument, and museum are all to be found in the city. For that reason, my advice on your first visit is to plan a busy and jam-packed first few days to see the big draws – the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. Give yourself another day to explore the wondrous Musée d’Orsay, the Sainte Chappelle and the fascinating Army Museum, and then take a day off from touristing and start to explore the backstreets.
Head to the beautiful Buttes aux Cailles to experience the village-like feel of the 13th arrondissement, take a train to the medieval Chateau de Vincennes and its enormous parklands, or explore the Bois du Boulogne and its Louis Vuitton Foundation. Better yet, take the train all the way to La Defense to see how the French can make even skyscrapers look good, or wander around the largest Chinatown in Europe in the Triangle de Choisy.
If you’re short on time, promise me you will at least visit one covered passageway, find a menu without English, and take a side street off the main avenues to see the locals going about their day. Parisian florists are my favourites, and the competition for the city’s best macaroon is tough… let’s not even talk about the delicious falafels in the Marais (walking distance from the Louvre)!
Like all cities, the more time you have the more you can experience, but what I believe you should know about Paris is that she keeps her cards tight to her chest… like that cat that won’t come near you until you tickle its chin just right, Paris just needs a little extra love and attention before she becomes your all-time favourite!
I would love the chance to show you Paris how she should be seen – get in touch today to chat Paris, and maybe we can even start to explore Normandy, the Riviera and the rest of this magnificent country. I'll even share my secret sights of Paris, my favourite restaurants and where to get the best rooftop views (and cocktails). I can’t wait!