Paris Things to Do Tips by jacob_m

The Louvre is well worth a visit and one of the most exciting art museums in the world.
But don't go there just for Mona Lisa, in the galleries on the same floor as the famous Mona Lisa you can find som really amazing paintings by French, Italian and Spanish artists. I can look at these for hours.
Expect long queues to get in, it is advisable to buy ticket on beforehand if ýou get the opportunity.

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Directions: Located north of river Seine close to Rue de Rivoli.
Metro station: Palais Royale - Musée du louvre or Pyramides
Website: www.louvre.fr

Arche de la défense is located on a straight line with "l'arc de triomphe" (the triumphal arch) and the famous boulevard "Champs-Elysées".
Take the elevator to the top floor and get a nice view of the western parts of Paris, once up there you will also see what I mean with the straight line (my photo will also give you a hint).
La défense is frequently also used for exhibitions, many artists use it to present their work.
In another room in the visitor's area there is a video showing the construction of la Défense.

There is also a cafe, although as with all tourist places it is quite expensive.

The area is fine during the day, in fact it is the major business district of Paris where many of the large banks have their headquarters. However at night some parts of la Défense should be avoided as they can be unsafe.

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Address: La Défense, west of central Paris.
Directions: Metro station: La défense - Grande arche (line 1) RER station: La défense (line A). By RER (surburban train) it takes 10 mins to La Défense from Châtelet.
Website: http://www.la-defense.info/

Le premier arrondisement (the first district - Paris is divided into 20 districts) have some of the large famous squares like Place de l'opéra, Place de Madeleine and Place vendôme".
I this area you will find all exclusive shops and boutiques like Chanel and YSL and some of the famous five star hotels like The Ritz.
Nothing for the price-conscious budget traveller, a dress or a jacket may come at a hefty 10.000 euro, but for people with smaller wallets window shopping is always enjoyable.
In Place de Madeleine (Madeleine Square) you will also find Fauchon, Paris most famous and luxurious food shop (with prices to follow).
Well worth a visit though, and they do have set menus if you prefer to have lunch and taste some of their food.

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Directions: A good starting point for a tour around this area is the Opera square (Place de l'opéra). Take the Metro to station "Opéra" or the RER (line A) to "Auber".

Most people will sooner or later end up on Champs-Elysées, the famous wide boulevard in western Paris going from Place de la Concorde to l'Arche de Triomphe.
Champs-Elysées offers many shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, cinemas and night clubs.
It is a bit of a tourist trap though, there are normally more tourists than French people shopping and eating here, so anyone looking for a more traditionally French experience should go elsewhere.

There are several outdoor cafes though where it's nice to have a cold beer in the summer

At the top of Champs-Elysées there is also the famous triomphe arch (L'arc de Triomphe) and the tomb of the unknown soldier.
Both famous tourists sights in Paris.

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Directions: Metro: "Charles de Gaulle - Etoile" (for l'Arc de triomphe). Also "Franklin D Roosevelt" and "Champs-Elysées Clemenceau" will get you to there depending on where along the boulevard you want to get off. RER: Line A to "Charles de Gaulle - Etoile"

Place de la Concorde is a large square in the very centre of Paris just north of river Seine.
It is an impressive square with a famous statue (actually an obelisque) in the middle.
Unfortunately this square also has a dark history, many people were executed here during the French revolution.
Today the square is mostly used as a traffic roundabout (very unfortunately) with heavy traffic to expect, anybody visiting the square should be careful as French drivers can sometimes be ruthless in the traffic.

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Address: Place de la Concorde
Directions: Located north of river Seine, at the end of Rue de Rivoli. Metro: Concorde (line 1, 8 and 12)

I really recomment people to make a visit to Tour Montparnasse (the Montparnasse tower) located in the Montparnasse area in southern Paris.
The Montparnasse tower is the higest building in Paris and can easily be spotted from any elevated place in Paris as Paris is such a flat city.
The tower is mostly used as an office building (the main tenant is a major French bank) but the top floor has a viewing platform offering splendid views of central Paris and some of the suburbs.
In fact the tower is higher than the Eiffel tower, and standing on the top floor of the Montparnasse tower makes the Eiffel tower look small.

There is a nice (but expensive) restaurant and bar of the 56th floor where the main viewing platform is located.
Visitors then have a choice to walk three floors to the 59th and top floor which has a roof-top viewing platform (outdoors). It may get a bit windy up there though so be careful with personal belongings.

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Address: Montparnasse area, 14th district
Directions: Easiest way to get there is to take one of the metro lines to "Montparnasse - Bienvenüe".
The tower is right opposite the Montparnasse railway station and is hard to miss.
Website: www.tourmontparnasse56.com

If you are planning to go shopping in Paris you should absolutely make a visit to one of the department stores on Boulevard Haussmann, just a stone's throw north from the opera.
Here you will find some of the famous department stores like "Galeries Lafayette" and "Le Printems" both located on Boulevard Haussmann.
Galeries Lafayette is now divided into three different buildings depending on what you want to buy

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Address: Boulevard Haussmann
Directions: Metro: Chaussée Lafayette (the nearest station) or Opéra. RER: Auber (line A)
Website: www.galerieslafayette.com

The Eiffel tower (la tour Eiffel) is probably the most well-known sight in Paris and needs no further description.
Take the elevator (or if you are a fit person, take the stairs) and enjoy the fantastic view of Paris from one of the three viewing platforms.

There are some expensive restaurants and cafes in the tower as well, like the famous Altitude 95 which usually requires advance booking due to high demand (for obvious reasons).
May not be worth the money (depending on personal preferences), but the view is nice of course

There are several tourist shops and souvenir stands in the area. Don't bother!! You will most likely be able to find the same products elsewhere at a lower price. Tourist trap warning!

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Directions: In southwestern Paris, just south of river Seine
Metro: Bir Hakeim, or take the RER (suburban train) line C
Website: www.tour-eiffel.fr

The Montmartre area of Paris is mostly known for the artist square where many artists live and work (or used to live and work). This was once the bohemian area of Paris
Nowadays it is packed with tourists and the cafes and restaurants in the area are overpriced.
However in the square you can get a nice painting of yourself, expect to pay something in the range 20-40 euro for a personal painting, and these artists are professional

A short walk from the square you will also find the well-known church Sacré-Coeur with a very original architecture. From the stairs in front of Sacré-Coeur you have a fantastic view of Paris
If you walk down from the artist square and Sacré-Coeur you will soon get to the area around Pigalle which is the less-touristy part of Montmartre.
Although there are many superb restaurants and bars in this area (especially for younger people) this is also an area with many sex shops and strip clubs.
Although it is not a dangerous area in any sense some people may find the presence of the sex industry a bit offensive.
In this area you will also find some famous sights, like the Moulin Rouge where cabaret shows are still performed, and the cafe where Amelie worked in the movie "Amelie from Montmartre".

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Directions: Metro: Pigalle or Anvers

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Directions: Metro: Charles de Gaulle - Etoile'