Paris travel guide
You are here:
Travel Guides > France > Paris > Travel guide
Paris, the city of love, fashion and perfume has been receiving visitors for decades. They come here to discover art, history, a way of life, romance or to discover themselves.
So much has been written about Paris that it would be hard to write anything new, still there are a few things that might arouse your interest.
There are so many sides of this city that it would take more than just a vacation for you to discover all of them.
First of all it is the capital of perfume. You can get perfumes in every street, the market if full of intriguing scents and if you don’t find your favorite here you won’t find it anywhere. Of course their quality varies, but if you go for something unique there are shops that sell the same perfume for years to people that refuse to change their favorite scent and here you can try some really special perfumes. You don’t have to go only for brands known all over the world, there are some perfumes known only by Parisians and if you want to taste a bit of the way they live, try the ones they use. With so many perfumes around you might have the impression that the whole city has a scent of its own.
Perfumes and love have definitely something in common, it could be the reason people fall in fall faster here than anywhere else! Romance is in the air!
And with some masterpieces of architecture around like the Louvre, Notre-Dame, and the Eiffel Tower the picture is complete.
After you have visited all the major attractions and remained deeply impressed by them the next step would be to discover the other side of Paris, the side known by the locals and not by the tourists. You will be thrilled to discover them and feel like you have discovered a secret that is hidden from tourists. For example there is a place in Paris on a hill where there is a little vineyard and wine has bee produced for decades by a conscious owner who wanted to preserve tradition. The wine is excellent and you will be able to say you tasted some of the city’s “blood”.
Parisians are great wine drinkers just as all French are but be aware and don’t let yourself be tricked into drinking some poor quality wine, ask a local’s opinion first then order your drink.
Visiting the city centre is one thing but you definitely have to go to see the neighborhoods which are worth discovering one by one as each of them have their own story to tell, their own secrets to reveal. On your tour you can meet a lot of interesting people and maybe some of your own nationality as there is of mix of cultures and almost every country has a “representative”. No wonder they choose to live here who wouldn’t? Most famous people have a residence here.
Paris is an expensive city and if you want to spend some quality time in some quality shops or clubs you have to prepare a big budget for your trip. But that’s not to scare you away, Paris is the city of artists and everybody knows that at the beginning of their career they don’t have a lot of money and still manage to survive and create in Paris as they use it as a source of inspiration.
Of course there are downsides of the city but they are so minor compared to the glamour around that they pass unobserved.
When you go to Paris don’t do what all the tourists do and eat what they eat, visit what they visit, but if you want to feel like a real Parisian do what the Parisians do and get an insight of their life, then you will be able to say that you know Paris!
Paris travel deals
- Boston to Paris flight + 4 nights hotel $1652
- Chicago to Paris flight + 4 nights hotel $1652
- Miami to Paris flight + 4 nights hotel $1661
- Baltimore to Paris flight + 4 nights hotel $1710
- Philadelphia to Paris flight + 4 nights hotel $1712
- Atlanta to Paris flight + 4 nights hotel $1745
- Hartford to Paris flight + 4 nights hotel $1810
- rated for 85%
Review added on August 27, 2009 >> by erato
Paris is just as beautiful as they say. The wholle city, the streets, the buildings. Although, I didn't like the contrast between the old buildings and the very modern ones next to each other.
The city was also extremely crowded, there are very meny people and cars on the streets, at the tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower and especially in the metro. So you better take some more time and walk on the surface.
It is also much better if you find a supermarket instead of buying food and drink at the tourist spots, it is extremely expensive. Also consider that you will need some time to get around, so don't make strict plans but relax and enjoy the great Paris. 
Review added on July 30, 2009 >> by mary
Die Leute sind sehr nett und freundlich. In Paris gibt es auch das Dineyland.- rated for 100%
Review added on June 27, 2009 >> by jeweatherspoon
I Love Paris In The Springtime! Beauty, Culture, Art, and Food what more can you ask for?
Read our members' travel tips about Paris
- What to wear? >> added on September 17, 2009, by erato
Ladies, if you go to Paris, don't forget about a few things in order to look less like a tourist.
You definitely have to forget your T-shirts, sports shoes and baseball caps at home. Women is Paris are likely to wear black very often, so you should also have some black clothes, especially a pair of black shoes . They also like high heels and scarfs.
French women are very stylish, so you should keep up with them, at a certain level, of course and you will not feel under dressed.
But don't worry too much about the way you dress, take it as an experiment. :) - Paris City Passport >> added on September 16, 2009, by erato
Paris City Passport is a very useful little booklet. It contains coupons that give you a discount to more than thirty places including museums, shops, shows, restaurants, attractions etc. You can use one coupon only once and, to be honest, there are some useless coupons as well, but some really bring you back the money you have sent on the Passport.
It costs 5 Euros and you can buy it at the major tourist offices like the Gare de Lyon, Gare du Nord, Pyramides welcome center just to mention a few examples. These offices are opened from 8 or 10am to 6 or 7pm.
The Paris City Passport does not have your name on it, so it can also be used by more people as well - but not for the same discount, as I have mentioned before.
If you go to Paris, you should definitely consider this option, there are quite useful coupons in the packet. 
The Louvre >> added on September 9, 2009, by Wazling
If you are at Paris, you should definitely visit the Louvre. It´s one of the most famous museums, with exceptional collections for nearly every period of the human beings and for every piece of art and history
What our community has to say about Paris
France - Overview, by travelgrove-editor
Travel Weather - Europe, by travelgrove-editor
France - overview, by lindamura
France - travel tips, by lindamura
The Eiffel Tower, by cipristb
The Louvre Museum, by cipristb
The Notre Dame Cathedral, by cipristb
Paris, by mary
Top things to do in Paris, by diana_ciocoiu
Paris – the City of Long Queues, by erato
Browse our members' Paris galleries to get a better impression of the place
Louvre
orsay
La Defense
the city
Eiffel ...Show other destinations in France.
$920 RT |
| cfares.com Check price |
$949 RT |
| cfares.com Check price |
| $949 RT |
| cfares.com Check price |
| $956 RT |
| vayama.com Check price |
| $974 RT |
| jetcombo.com Check price |
| $1013 RT |
| airfare.com Check price |
| $1043 RT |
| airfare.com Check price |
| $1100 RT |
| airfare.com Check price |
$1130 RT |
| airfare.com Check price |
$2002 RT |
| vayama.com Check price |
Popular destinations
FAQ | privacy | terms of service | forum | Travel insurance | feedback | tell a friend | bookmark it |
Visit our international sites too:
travelgrove.com| travelgrove.co.uk| travelgrove.de| travelgrove.it| travelgrove.es| travelgrove.fr