BeforeYouGo.com

There is so much to see and do in Paris that you need to be prepared before you go so you can take advantage of every moment. The book Top 10 Paris is a good book if you’re interested in the highlights. You shouldn’t need to rent a car, the metro (subway) can get you pretty close to all the major stops in Paris.  There are a few popular stops that will require walking several blocks to get to a metro station, but with a little walking and an understanding of the Metro system you should be able to get around easily.

A few tips while planning:

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel tower is obviously a must see when going to Paris, but did you know you should aim to see it during the day and in the evening? The Eiffel tower is covered with lights that come on in the evening making for a very different view of this famous landmark.

There are also two popular ways to go up in the tower and enjoy some of the great views. You can climb the stairs or ride an elevator. Either way you have to pay a fee and wait in a line. If you want to ride instead of climb, odds are there will be a very long line to wait in and tickets may be sold out. Before you go, get your tickets in advance here. The stairs go up to the second floor (115 meters), and there are 3 elevators that go up to the first and second floors. To reach the top of the Tower (276 meters), there is another elevator that departs from the second floor. This tends to have a very long wait, but as they say, good things come to those who wait.

A couple interesting facts about the Eiffel tower:  The four feet are arranged along the lines of a compass, pointing North, South, East and West.  The Eiffel tower is repainted every 7 years with 300 tons of paint.

There are two Métro lines that have stops nearby, Trocadéro (lignes 6, 9), Bir Hakeim (ligne 6) ou Ecole Militaire (8). RER C Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffe

Hôtel des Invalides

Another great sight in Paris, although much less famous, is the Hôtel des Invalides, sometimes just known as Les Invalides.  It is a group of buildings and museums, and includes a church and it holds the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, which is a huge sarcophagus.  

Les Invalides is fairly accessible, it is just a short walk from the Invalides station off line 8 or 13 on Paris Métro.

Musée de l'Armée

Connected to the Hôtel des Invalides is the Musée de l'Armée, or the French Army Museum.  In my opinion, this was one of the most interesting museums I've been in.  It has hundreds of suits of armor from different time periods and different cultures.  The armor come in all shapes and sizes, including armor for everything from horses to children.  It has displays of the history of weapons there are just a lot of very interesting pieces that you do not get see very often.  There are some very early guns, guns so early that they were used by Knights and against Knights on horseback.  There are also displays from WWI and WWII.

The Louvre

The Louvre is an incredible museum, where you could probably spend several days. If you plan on going, which you should, you should set aside at least 1 full day and probably more. This is not the type of museum where you can do it justice in a few hours at the end of a day.

Most of the signs in the Louvre and most descriptions of what you are looking at are in French, so unless you speak French it helps to be prepared. We recommend buying a book on the Louvre before you go, or you can buy one for a bit more at the various gift shops inside the Louvre. These come in different languages and they are helpful for at least identifying the highlights and some interesting information about what you are looking at.

The Louvre has an astounding number of pieces that would easily be the feature of many museums throughout the world.  The Louvre has pieces from all over history spreading over both time and parts of the world.  They house pieces of history such as the Code of Hammurabi, amazing statues such as Venus De Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and paintings such as Mona Lisa, the Marriage at Cana, and the Lacemaker.  In all the Louvre has over 300,000 items.

The Mona Lisa (pictured at the right) is much smaller than you probably expect.  The Winged Victory of Samothrace (pictured on the left) is an absolutely amazing statue.

From the Louvre website: Métro Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre station. Bus The following bus lines stop in front of the Pyramid: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95, and the Paris Open Tour bus. Car An underground parking garage is available for those coming by car. The entrance is located on avenue du Général Lemonnier. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Batobus Get off at the Louvre stop, quai François Mitterrand. From Orly Airport Take the RER C train, direction Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel, and get off at Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame. Walk to the place Saint-Michel and take bus no. 27, direction Saint-Lazare. Get off at the Louvre, in front of the Pyramid. From Charles de Gaulle Airport Take the RER B train, direction Massy-Palaiseau, and change at Châtelet-les-Halles to line 14, direction Saint-Lazare. Get off at Pyramides station and walk to the Louvre from there (3 minutes). Alternatively, take Métro line 1 at Châtelet-les-Halles, and get off at Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre.

Musée d'Orsay

Another great museum in Paris is the Musée d'Orsay, which is set in a great building that is a former rail station.  The Musée d'Orsay contains a lot of famous works of art and includes works for artists like Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Édouard Manet.  The Musée d'Orsay is definately worth a stop and in many cities it would probably be considered the main attraction.

Arc De Triomphe

The Arc De Triomphe is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris and it is impressive, but there is not a whole lot to do or see there other than walk around the Arc.  The Arc De Triomphe is in the middle of a major intersection with a lot of traffic constantly going around it.  To access the Arc you walk along a sidewalk and then under the street before coming back up to the Arc.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame is one of the most famous cathedrals in the entire world.  It is a huge and impressive structure.  Construction started in 1163 and it took nearly 100 years to complete.  As is the case with many European cathedrals, walking around the outside is like being in an art museum.  There are sculptures and examples of great craftmanship all around the building, and the entire building itself can be considered a work of art.

Sainte Chapelle

While not nearly as well known as Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle is still a beautiful cathedral and it is best known for its huge stained glass windows.  If you go, go in the afternoon when the sun is hitting the windows for a spectacular view.  Sainte Chapelle was built to house relics, mainly Jesus Christ's crown of thorns, which cost more than the building of the catheral itself.

Food in Paris

Eating in Paris can be very expensive, and time consuming.  The French tend to take their food very seriously, so it's not cheap or fast for the most part, but it does tend to be good.  If you are in a hurry to see sights instead or you are on a budget, your best bet is if you enjoy a good crepe.  There are crepe stands all over Paris and they offer crepes in a lot of varieties and they are good and about as cheap as you'll find any food in Paris.