Paris is a city of elegant boulevards, hidden courtyards, café terraces and some of the world’s best bakeries, shops and hotels. It’s easy to cover on foot, and each neighbourhood has its own personality, from the polished Right Bank to the bookish Left Bank and the cobbled streets of Le Marais. It rewards both first-timers and regulars, and it’s a city you can enjoy on almost any budget.
Community Tips For Paris
- Best time to go is spring or autumn, the classic city break seasons. Avoid the coldest months and August, when everything shuts down and you’ll struggle for restaurants, bars and shops.
- Paris works on almost any budget. Palace hotels are extortionate but worth it if that’s your thing, and there are always affordable boutique hotels popping up.
- Walk as much as possible. The metro also felt much safer and cleaner than expected.
- Stay around the 8th arrondissement. Julia recommends the Norman Paris on Rue Balzac and Le Bristol.
- Pop into the Four Seasons Hotel George V to peek at the flowers, which are the best in the world, and have a drink at Bar Les Ambassadeurs at Hôtel de Crillon, one of the most beautiful hotel bars.
- La Samaritaine is a beautiful shopping centre next to the Cheval Blanc, right on the Seine.
- Avoid the obvious tourist traps near the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur, and the dated, souvenir-heavy Champs-Élysées.
- The viral TikTok coffee shops are much of a muchness, and the Puffy cookies were sickly and underwhelming.
- Don’t overthink the bad press. Paris has felt cleaner and safer with every recent visit.
Check out the map and recent trip notes from our community by Julia