Classic highlights of Paris
Summary
One of the world’s most famous cities and with some of the most recognisable landmarks anywhere, Paris is quite simply one of world’s must-visit destinations. However, it is unfortunately quite common for people to leave Paris a little disappointed. In fact, Paris Syndrome (“a sense of disappointment exhibited by individuals when visiting Paris”) is a thing. This is less down to the lack of allure from the big ticket highlights, and more people’s disappointment that Paris doesn’t meet their romantic dream-like expectations of the peaceful walk along the tree lined streets all to themselves as they drift to find a hidden restaurant with that perfect table sat out the front under the stars with perfect views of the Eiffel Tower . . . ahhhhh how wonderful . . . oh and with the subtle music playing in the background and that perfect (reasonably priced) meal . . . ahhhhh, yes, how dreamy. Of course, the reality is that Paris is a big expensive modern city with millions of fellow tourists wanting a piece of the action and the ever-present risk of the moody grey Northern French weather
So, whilst I think many people do get that perfect visit, many don’t as they either don’t know the secrets or don’t have a local to show them round. I’ve visited Paris several times, but haven’t really had that local knowledge, so I’m going to score the visit based on that which, in summary, is still “one of the world’s must-visit destinations” based on its big ticket attractions, but don’t build up your expectations to the point that you leave with Paris Syndrome
My only tip is to stay in Montmartre – the centre of Paris can be super busy, expensive and a little samesy. Montmartre, in comparison, has a much more genuine feel, with pretty cafes spilling out onto the cobbled streets and super views over the city from the Sacré-Coeur basilica
highlights
Must Do #1 - the Eiffel Tower (well, dur). If can afford it, go big and book dinner on the top floor
Must Do #2 - the Arc de Triomph. Be sure to get the views from the top as it can be a touch underwhelming starring at it across the 8 lanes of traffic and 12 arterials that radiate out from it
Must Do #3 - The Louvre. World famous paintings and a stunning setting. Even if not into art, do it and, if you're one of those who gets knackered in art galleries (you know who you are), give yourself an hour to zip through
Must Do #4 - Walk along the Seine underneath the lamp-lit bridges. Yes, it can get busy and probably doesn't meet the romantic expectations, but its one of the best way to get a feel for the city
Must Do #5 - trying escargots (snails) on the Champs Elysees. Hit it that cliché first-time visitor vibe hard
EXTRA - get views from slightly further out. The best views are from the Eiffel Tower, and, to a lesser extent, the Arc de Triomphe, but also consider one of the views across the city. For this, the hilltop of Montmartre with the Sacré-Coeur basilica is best, or Montmartre Belleville Park if that suits your route better
EXTRA - Notre Dame. Gorgeous setting and still worth visiting even after the fire for its fame pre and post fire, but I wouldn't say its a must see
EXTRA - the locals. Paris is a bit like London in a way, in that the people of London / Paris are a different breed to the rest of the UK / France. So, not only is Paris a very cosmopolitan city, but generally Parisians are a bit more direct than the more laidback general French. They have also, of course, managed to further refine their French moodiness so, whilst this moodiness is sometimes unavoidable, it does help considerably to try to speak as much as possible in French . . . even if your only word is Bonjour (and, yes, this is written by an Englishman who prides himself in annoying the French when possible, but its just easier to try)
EXTRA - The Paris Metro. Don't worry, everyone finds it confusing
Experiences nearby
The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences
Other Big City Experiences
Score Detail
Background - how many times have you asked someone what a travel experience was like and the response was "amazing" or "awesome"? That response is nice to know, but it makes it hard to differentiate that experience compared to others. That is exactly what these scores are trying to do - differentiate the experience by giving a score out of 10 based on 6 categories and then giving an overall experience score
This overall experience score is calculated by: take the highest of the "Culture" or "Nature" score (1-10) + "Fun factor" (1-10) + "Avoiding the crowds" (1-10) + highest of the "Unique" or "World Famous score" (1-10). Then convert into a score out of 100
Extra detail - the logic being that I find all of the 6 individual scores important, but I don't want to mark an experience down just because it doesn't cover both "Culture" and "Nature", or because it isn't both "World Famous" and "Unique". Take the examples of Safari in The Serengeti and walking through Rome - they both appeal at opposite ends of the nature / culture spectrum, and you can have a fantastic time without needing to appeal to both sides. So, their overall scores aren't penalized for their lack of one or the other, and I've done the same for "World Famous" vs "Unique". But . . . I do think that the "Fun factor" of an experience is important, irrelevant of other factors, and so is "Avoiding the Crowds" (or where there are crowds that add to the experience). So, both of these scores are standalone