Paris

Overview

Paris is built for slow afternoons: bookstalls along the Seine, an espresso standing at a zinc bar, the long shadows of plane trees on a Marais courtyard. Beyond the postcards, the city's neighbourhoods each keep their own pace.

Neighbourhoods

• Le Marais
  Medieval streets, falafel, design shops, queer history.
• Canal Saint-Martin
  Footbridges, natural-wine bars, picnics on the quay.
• Saint-Germain
  Cafés the existentialists made famous, still open.
• Belleville
  Hill views, immigrant kitchens, street art.

Top Landmarks

• Musée d'Orsay
  Impressionists in a converted Beaux-Arts railway station.
• Sainte-Chapelle
  Stained glass that turns the room into a lantern.
• Père Lachaise
  A wooded cemetery — Wilde, Chopin, Piaf.
• Eiffel Tower from Trocadéro
  The view is the point; visit after dark.

Food & Cafés

• Du Pain et des Idées
  Escargot pastries and a perfect baguette.
• Le Comptoir du Relais
  Classic bistro fare in Saint-Germain.
• Septime
  Modern French, book six weeks ahead.
• Marché des Enfants Rouges
  Covered market with Moroccan, Italian, Japanese stalls.

Getting Around

The Métro reaches almost everywhere; one zone covers most of what you'll want to see. Walking is half the experience. Vélib bikes are widely available; cycle the Seine on Sundays when the right bank closes to cars.

Sample Itinerary

1. Day 1
   Île de la Cité, Sainte-Chapelle, dinner in Le Marais.
2. Day 2
   Musée d'Orsay, Tuileries walk, sunset at Trocadéro.
3. Day 3
   Canal Saint-Martin, vintage shopping, wine bar in the 11th.

Local Notes

• Say 'bonjour' before anything else when entering a shop — it matters.
• Most museums are closed one weekday; check before you go.
• Lunch service usually ends by 2:30pm.
• Tap water is excellent and free; ask for 'une carafe d'eau'.