My First-Timer's List

I love chatting about Paris and helping my friends when they're planning trips to my favorite place.  Often, I would spend entire days putting together list after list to help them prepare, personalizing as I went...and then I got smart (what took me so long?) and realized I didn't have to reinvent the wheel each time.  I put together a Word doc with the best of the best -- a sampler of varied sights and experiences that give a good balanced overview of the city for anyone visiting for a few days up to a week --  all the top sights in Paris with tips on the best way to see them, not-to-miss extras that are often overlooked but add so much depth to a quick trip, and helps for navigating, avoiding scams, shopping and finding a good meal.  This post focuses on the sights, and I'll follow up with the miscellaneous bits in another post.  I'll keep these lists brief so they're easier for you to copy, and will expound on various points in future posts.  

My Paris Top 21

(In no particular order)

1.  Eiffel Tower (go to the top! 25€ for adults, youth and children are less). Buy your tickets online (3 months ahead!) so you don’t have to wait in line.  Arrive by metro at the Trocadero stop to ensure that you get the "WOW" postcard view. 

2. *Arc de Triomphe (cross thru the tunnel under the street and buy a ticket to the top—in my opinion, a better view than from the Eiffel) 12€. After visiting the Arc, take a stroll down the Champs Elysées and stop at Laudurée (75 avenue des Champs Elysées) and buy some macarons (my favorite flavors are pistachio and caramel au beurre salé).  

3. Notre Dame—go inside and take a look around (free, enter on the right, the line moves steadily). If you’re there on Sunday, there’s usually a free organ concert at 5:30 pm, and the Gregorian Chant service at 10:00 am is interesting, too. If you can snag timed entry tickets to climb the towers, by all means do so (10€).  Download the Jefile app then log on at 7:30 am the morning you want to climb, select your time, and voila! If you don't have a smartphone, show up at the tower in the morning and use the machine near the left corner of the cathedral to select your return time.  It's worth the climb to see the bells and gargoyles up close. Also nearby is *Sainte-Chapelle (10€)—if it’s a sunny day, the stained glass in the upstairs chapel will be glorious! Afterward, cross the bridge behind Notre Dame, enjoy the street performers on the bridge, and take a walk down the main drag of the Ile St. Louis. Have an ice cream cone at Berthillion (31, Rue St Louis en l'Ile); if the line is too long or they’re closed, many places on the island sell this brand exclusive to Paris, and very good!

4. *Louvre—Closed Tuesday; 15€; Consider going on Wednesday or Friday evening (when they're open till 9:45pm) to avoid the huge crowds that can be in the popular areas during the day. If you mostly want to see “The Big 3” (Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo) you can follow this route to save time.  If you won’t have time on this visit to see Versailles, then you’ll also want to visit Napoleon’s apartments in the Louvre to get a taste of what Versailles is like (different style and period, but opulent just the same). Take a walk in the beautiful Jardin de Tuilleries when you’re finished in the museum, and if you want a snack, head across the street to Angelina for a cup of their famous thick hot chocolate (226 Rue de Rivoli). If you’re not “museumed out” go to one of my favorite museums, the nearby *Orangerie (9€, closed Tuesday; Monet’s huge water lilies). See the Obelisk at Place du Concorde (on the sidewalk on the Champs Elysées side of the obelisk, you will see the bronze plaque indicating where Marie Antoinette was guillotined).

5. Jardin du Luxembourg—(free) The gardens usually start to bloom in March, and are planted for summer and fall, so it's gorgeous with flowers from March-November, when the beds are dug up for the winter. It’s still a beautiful space even in the winter, tho! If you’re there on a weekend or Wednesday afternoon, you can watch the children sail their boats on the big pond behind the Sénat building. Nearby is the *Pantheon (9€) which is also interesting. Climb the dome for a great view (additional 2€).

6. *Musée d’Orsay—12€ My husband’s favorite museum in Paris. Not as overwhelming as the Louvre. Closed on Monday.

7. Sacre Coeur—(free); After your visit here, head to the right (before going down the stairs) to the Place du Tertre, which is an area frequently shown on TV. Artists, very touristy, but still fun. If you're interested in fabric, check out some of the fabric shops in the area below Sacre Coeur (Saint Pierre is huge and the best one—6 floors of fabric! 2 Rue Charles Nodier). The street at the base of Sacre Coeur also has some of the least expensive Paris trinkets to bring home (rue de Steinkerque).  Watch out for the con-artists playing the shell game in this area, and the "bracelet guys" who try to tie string on your wrist for a price.

8. *Musée Nissim de Camondo—9€ (includes audioguide); 63 rue de Monceau; another of my favorite museums.  This was the home of the Camondo family, a Jewish banker and collector of fine art and furniture. He willed the home and it’s contents to France, and not long after he died, his only surviving child--a daughter, and her family--were transported to Auschwitz. His only son lost his life serving France in WWI as a fighter pilot. Tragic story, but it’s a gorgeous home that gives you a feel for how the wealthy lived at the turn of the century. One of the few old homes like this where you can still see the kitchen. Take a walk thru the nearby Parc Monceau afterward and see the Roman colonnade around the pond on the northeast end.  Rue de Lévis, a nice market street, is not far from the north park entrance.

9. *Musée Rodin & Gardens—10€ (2€ for gardens only) Closed Monday. This is where The Thinker, The Kiss, Gates of Hell, etc. are located. Love this museum!  Recently renovated. If you’re pressed for time, it’s worth just going into the garden, as you can enjoy many famous sculptures.


10. River Cruise—We’ve done several and they’re all about the same. This one gives an online discount coupon, you can understand the English commentary, and is easy to find docked on the left bank of the Seine at Pont Neuf. They leave every 30 minutes or so, last cruise at 9:30 or 10:30 pm, depending on the time of year. Most of the dinner cruises are overpriced and serve industrial food, but one exception we've tried is Le Calife. Dinner & 2 hour cruise starts at 67€

11. *Opera Garnier—(11€ self-guided) Worth a visit to see the opulent interior and grand staircase! It’s fun to wander around inside on your own, or catch an English tour (twice a day, 15.50€ including admission).  While you’re in this area, walk behind the Opera and down Bl. Haussmann to see Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, two of the old “grand magasins” (huge department stores).  Go inside Galeries Lafayette to see the gorgeous stained glass dome above the cosmetics department.  You can also go up to the roof for a great view over Paris (free).  The Fragonard perfume museum (free) is nearby if you want to do something “girlie”.

12. Stroll along the Seine—cross the bridges, enjoy the quais. Pont des Arts is nice at sunset—you can see the Eiffel twinkle from here (5 minutes at the top of each hour after dark until 1 am). 

13. Bakery Tour—I’ve been on several of these and they’re great. You're you’re shown how baguettes and croissants are made, and come away with samples. 23€

14. *Les Invalides & Musée de l’Armée—Military museum and Napoleon’s Tomb (11€) The guys usually love these two.  In the summer, there’s a great light show at night inside the courtyard of Les Invalides that is very well done (20€ at the door, or 18€ if you buy tickets online).

15. Explore a market street—Rue Montorgueil, Rue Mouffetard, Rue de Levis, Rue Daugerre, or Rue des Martyrs, to name a few.  Don’t be afraid to go into a cheese shop, watch the butcher, etc. Buy the iconic dinner of a rotisserie chicken and roasted potatoes cooked underneath in the drippings to eat in a park (or back in your room, if the hotel allows it)!

16. Explore a street market—“My” markets very close to our apartment are Marché Maubert (at Maubert Mutualité metro) on Tues, Thurs & Sat. from 7:30am – 1pm, and Marché Monge (at Place Monge metro) on Wed., Fri. & Sun. also from 7:30am – 1pm.  Larger street markets are held at Bastille (Sun. & Thurs. 7:30 am – 1:30pm); Ave. du Pres. Wilson (Wed. & Sat 7:30 -1:30); Pick out a few things for a picnic or to snack on in your room: Cheese, olives, fruit, tapenades, jams, foie gras, etc! (the Marché Pres. Wilson has an excellent and famous foie gras merchant). The vendors sell produce, flowers, meat & cheese, some prepared foods, salts & spices, as well as inexpensive handbags, scarves, jewelry, hats, linens, clothing, etc. 
  

17. Must try: Crepes from a street stand (try Nutella and banana, citron sucre [lemon sugar] or jambon fromage [ham & cheese]); almond croissants; macarons; raisin snails; croissants; pain au chocolat; tart citron; Berthillion ice cream; Amorino gelato; thick hot chocolate (Angelina’s, Les Deux Magots, Amorino); …hmm, can you tell I’m all about the sweets?!! If you rent an apartment, head to your local grocery to buy some Normandy butter with salt crystals for your morning baguette (Grand Fermage “aux cristaux de Sel de Mer de Noirmoutier” is a great one).    

18. La Grande Épicerie at Bon Marché—this is one of the world’s most amazing grocery stores.  A great place to find unusual gifts to bring home. Fleur de sel and herbes de Provence are appreciated gifts for the cooks in your life and are inexpensive and easy to pack (also available at any grocery store). Also, they carry most of the iconic French brands that are fun to take home—Maille mustards, Fauchon chocolate, etc.  The store has a large take-away section and they will heat items for you to eat at the long communal table there, or at the park next door! While you're here, be sure to do a little browsing at the Bon Marché itself--the worlds first department store.

19. *Versailles—Take RER C toward Versailles and get off at Versailles Rive Gauche (end of the line, 25 minutes).  Buy a round trip train ticket from a machine at one of the train stations that pass thru Paris (included in your pass if you have a Navigo).  The train you board should say VICK or VERO on the front, and the overhead board along the platform should have a light next to the "Versailles Rive Gauche" stop (if not, wait for the next train).  Upon arrival, turn right when you exit the station, then the first left onto Ave. de Paris (Tourist Office is on your left just after you turn onto Avenue de Paris—free maps, and if you haven’t already gotten chateau tickets you can buy them here, shorter line).  After exploring the chateau, be sure to take time to see the charming Hamlet!  See the Trianons if time permits (18€ for Passport ticket for admission to all). There’s a tram you can pay to ride to the outer regions of the grounds. Chateau and Trianons are closed Monday. To save time in line, purchase your tickets online here. To skip the line entirely (the security line alone can be over an hour long), book one of the tours of the King's private apartments (7€ extra) online at the Versailles website, above.  These tours are limited to 25 people and all their guides have a Masters degree in Art History—I think they are so worth it, not only to save all that time standing in line, but to get more out of your “Versailles experience”.

20. St. Denis—the French equivalent of Westminster Abbey. Nearly all the kings and queens of France are buried here. Take metro line 13 direction St-Denis/Université (be careful, as the line splits at La Fourche—make sure you’re not on a train to Asnieres-Gennevilliers; if you are, simply step off at any stop before the split and wait for a train that’s going in the right direction, probably the next one). Get off 1 stop before the end at Basilique de St. Denis (exit the metro and head to the left, then another left at the city square). 8.50€ entrance and 4.50€ for an audioguide that is worth listening to.

21. Shoah Memorial Museum--17 rue Geoffroy l'Asnier (metro Pont Marie) Open 10-6, Closed Sat.  Free.  It's sort of hard to classify this subject as a "favorite", but this Holocaust museum is very well-done and every visit for us has been a very moving experience.  If you’ve seen “Sarah’s Key” (I highly recommend it!), you have seen bits of this museum.

*Included on Paris Museum Pass