The City of Light is one of the world’s great short breaks. Here’s our insider guide to getting the most out of a visit..
. Paris Unpacked: The Irish Independent's city guide. Photo: Getty Pedestrians in the Passage du Grand Cerf.
Photo: Thierry Chesnot / Getty The Pont Alexandre III bridge and the Eiffel Tower at sunrise. Photo: Getty Mama Shelter Paris East The Paris Metro. Photo: Getty Paris is the world’s capital of romance, but it can sometimes feel like you’re sharing it with the world too – particularly in peak season.
Here are our insider travel tips on how to beat the crowds, find those elusive off-radar spots and live like a local while enjoying the can’t-miss moments in this great city too. Bon voyage! Holiday snaps in Paris The Eiffel Tower You can of course pay a lot of money to climb the Eiffel Tower by elevator or on foot, but standing on it, you won’t see the monument itself. Instead, head to the Bir Hakeim bridge and imagine yourself in the movie Inception .
Metro line 6 runs on the same bridge, which also gives a nice view (sit on the left facing forward as the Metro goes towards Nation, or vice versa towards Charles de Gaulle Etoile). You also have front-row seats on the boats on the Seine – the bateaux mouches – to marvel at the 330m icon. toureiffel.
paris Montmartre The Moulin Rouge is a bit of a faded glory, but Montmartre remains a wonderful neighbourhood to stroll in, especially around dusk. Highlights are the Sacre-Coeur, Place du Tertre and the Moulin de la Galette. Swing by Instagram hotspot Maison Rose and imagine yourself as Amelie Poulain in Cafe des Deux Moulins.
Don't feel like climbing the mountain? Take the funicular to the majestic Sacre-Coeur basilica and explore the district as you descend. The Louvre & Musee d'Orsay Seen the Mona Lisa? Give that famous smile a swerve for the Louvre’s impressive Egyptian art department, or Napoleon's splendid apartment. Buy tickets online to avoid the queues, and choose the right entrance – the one at the pyramid near the Jardin des Tuileries.
It’s a little quieter on Wednesdays and Fridays (open to 9.45pm instead of 6pm). louvre.
fr Across the Seine is the Musee d'Orsay, known for its Impressionist art. Admire Monet’s landscapes and sea views, but know that the murals of his iconic water lilies hang in the Musee de l'Orangerie in the Tuileries. musee-orsay.
fr & musee-orangerie.fr Pedestrians in the Passage du Grand Cerf. Photo: Thierry Chesnot / Getty Marais The name of this district on the right bank literally means “swamp”.
Thankfully, it has little to do with that today. Marais is the ideal place to stroll, browse and shop. Be sure to stop at Place des Vosges, the oldest square in the city.
The Marche des Enfants Rouges is also worth a stop to eat at the many stalls there. Passage du Grand-Cerf Paris has a lot of covered shopping arcades, but this one is the most spectacular. At 12 metres high, it’s a feast for the eyes – no big-fashion stores here, just quirky artisan shops (bohemian jewellery at Satellite, for example).
145 rue Saint Denis, 2nd arrondissement Canal Saint-Martin The hipster mecca of Paris is full of concept stores and cool cafes, but above all, just a neighbourhood with a nice vibe. The canal and its many locks run straight through, and it’s a super spot to lounge on the banks on a sunny day. Find its towpaths emerging from below ground by Place de la Republique.
The Paris Metro. Photo: Getty Metro makes sense! Taxis are tempting, but Paris is notorious for traffic jams. Use the Metro or RER trains to get around and save some money too.
You can pay by trip, or use day passes (swipe a card or to pay via the RATP app). Be mindful of connections at big hubs when you are in a hurry, however: sometimes changing a line means a long underground walk. The Paris Metro closes at night.
After midnight you can hop on the Noctilien night buses. Confident bikers might also consider using the city’s shared bikes. The Velib’ network keeps growing, and more streets and lanes are becoming bike friendly.
ratp.fr; velib-metropole.fr Your pick of parks & gardens There’s nowhere like Paris for pampering yourself in a park.
Buy your lunch in foodie paradise La Grande Epicerie de Paris (there’s cutlery at the cash registers) and settle into the iconic green chairs of Jardin du Luxembourg. You can sail wooden boats in the large basin, or play chess or petanque. Just outside Paris, and close to the Fondation Louis Vuitton, is the children's paradise that is Jardin d'Acclimatation – a beautifully landscaped playground with small amusement park attractions (for a fee) and a petting zoo.
During the last weekend of September, before autumn turns the leaves, the Fete des Jardins sees the private gardens of Paris unlocked for the day. jardindacclimatation.fr Free first Sundays Looking to save on a cultural trip? Many of the big museums and galleries – including the Musee d’Orsay and Musee National Picasso, are free on the first Sunday of the month.
parisjetaime.com Mama Shelter Paris East €€€ Ritz There are lots of luxury hotels in Paris, but none with the rich and illustrious history of the Ritz. Don’t want to splash on a stay? Book brunch at Salon Proust – it’s open to non-residents, and a pure piece of Parisian theatre.
ritzparis.com €€ Hotel du Sentier Here’s a boutique hotel with a cosy terrace on a lively square in the heart of the Sentier district. Admire the Oasis or hanging gardens on Rue d’Aboukir nearby and the stunning mural of Tintin and Captain Haddock caught in an intimate moment.
hoteldusentier.com € Mama Shelter Paris East This hip chain now has hotels throughout France and Paris and focuses on affordable accommodation, but with a twist. One block away from the East location is the iconic cemetery Pere-Lachaise, with the graves of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison among many others.
mamashelter.com A post shared by Cedric Grolet (@cedricgrolet) Cedric Grolet On his Instagram page you can see Grolet baking the most amazing creations, and luckily you can also taste them. There is always a crowd at his shop at the Opera, but he recently also opened a coffee bar near Place Vendome.
cedric-grolet.com Septime It’s best to reserve well in advance, but this is one of the hippest restaurants in the city. No classic French cuisine, but contemporary dishes – they also have some spin-offs: bakery Tapisserie and fish restaurant Clamato.
septime-charonne.fr Bouillon Pigalle Here and there in Paris you’ll find bouillons, former “soup kitchens” or restaurants where you can eat quickly and cheaply, often in an authentic setting. Bouillon Pigalle is the modern version of this.
Don't be put off by the long queue outside; it usually moves quickly. bouillonlesite.com We need your consent to load this Social Media content.
We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Little Red Door From farmhouse to cocktail glass..
. This speakeasy (knock on the mini door for access) has been on the list of the best bars in the world for years and serves a constantly changing menu full of local ingredients. lrdparis.
com Rex Club A famous techno club in a cinema where Laurent Garnier and Daft Punk had a blast in the ’90s and people still dance until late at night. The whole neighbourhood – Grands Boulevards – is a vibrant spot after dark. rexclub.
com L’Arc Close to the Arc de Triomphe, this club was designed by Lenny Kravitz. Getting a table here will set you back a few hundred euro..
. but then, celebrity hotspots don’t come cheap. larc-paris.
com A post shared by Messy Nessy Chic (@messynessychic) @messynessychic – Vanessa Grall is founder of MessyNessyChic.com, the online “curiosity cabinet” written from Paris and author of Don’t be a Tourist in Paris . In this archive piece, she shares her thrifty travel tips for Paris .
@seemyparis – a look at the “real” Paris, through the lens of some photographers @parisiensinparis – an ode to the typical Parisian street style, with snapshots from the street Hotels are usually slightly cheaper in the winter months. In August, Parisians themselves are on holiday and the city is quieter (but also more is closed, and temperatures can be high). Aer Lingus flies from Dublin Airport and Shannon to Paris Charles de Gaulle; Air France flies from Cork Airport and Dublin Airport to Charles de Gaulle, and Ryanair flies from Cork and Dublin to Paris Beauvais.
Charles de Gaulle airport is a closer bus and train connection to the city (about 40 minutes by train, as compared to up to 1.5 hours from Beauvais). aerlingus.
com; airfrance.ie; ryanair.com For more info, see parisjetaime.
com or France.fr . Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news.
