Paris
The city that genuinely lives up to how much has been written about it.
France · 4–5 nights
Paris is one of the few places that survives its own reputation. It is also the city where most American itineraries go wrong in the same way: five days spent crossing the city four times a day, because the hotel was booked on price rather than on where it actually is.
Pick the neighborhood first. Paris is a city of villages, and the one you sleep in decides what your mornings and evenings are like far more than which museums you visit.
Good for
- First trips to Europe
- Anniversaries and honeymoons
- Art, food, and long walks
- Travelers who like cities
Suggested stay: 4–5 nights
Before you book
What people get wrong about Paris.
The practical things that change a trip, rather than a list of sights you can find anywhere.
Choose the arrondissement before the hotel
The 5th, 6th and 7th for a classic first visit; the 3rd and 4th for the Marais; the 9th for somewhere livelier and better value. All of them beat a cheaper room near a station.
Book the Louvre, and consider skipping most of it
Timed entry is essential. Two focused hours is a better experience than a forced march; the Musée d'Orsay is smaller, easier and many people's favorite of the two.
Versailles is a full day, not a morning
The palace plus the gardens plus the journey each way is the whole day. Trying to add anything to it in the afternoon is how people end up hating both.
The metro is faster than you think, and taxis are not
Central Paris is gridlocked for most of the day. The metro is the reason Paris feels small.
From the road
Paris, as I found it.
Photographs from my own time in Paris. No stock, no borrowed shots.
What it pairs with
The rest of France, once you leave the city. Paris plus a few days in Normandy, the Loire or Provence is a far better two-week trip than Paris plus three more regions.
Questions
Paris, answered.
How many days do you need in Paris?
Four nights for a first visit, five if Versailles matters to you. Three is enough only if you already know what you want to see and are willing to leave most of it out.
Where should you stay in Paris?
For a first visit, the 6th or 7th: walkable to a great deal, calm in the evening, and genuinely pleasant to come home to. The Marais if you want more life outside the door. Location matters more here than the hotel itself.
Is Paris worth it with children?
Yes, with a shorter list. Parks, boat trips and a single museum a day works far better than a heritage schedule, and Paris has more good playgrounds than its reputation suggests.
Also worth your nights
Where else to look.
Thinking about Paris?
Tell me what you're picturing. I'll tell you honestly whether it works, and what I'd change.
30-minute consultation, no charge, no obligation.