My Favourite Places in Paris

Paris is one of those cities that you can come back to time and time again and always find something new to do, see, appreciate or learn. I’ve visited Paris multiple times as a tourist and as a tour guide. I know more about Paris than any other city in Europe and it will always hold a special spot in my heart. Here are my favourite places to be in the city of lights and the city of love!

On the first floor of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is the most famous landmark in Paris and one of the most iconic man-made structures in the world. While the Eiffel Tower is most beautiful from afar, and the top will give you the most dizzying views, the first floor has a special spot in my heart.

For starters, you can actually skip the lifts and climb the stairs to the Eiffel Tower’s first (and second) floor. There’s something so much more satisfying about using your legs to climb up something than taking an elevator! It also means you won’t have to deal with cumbersome elevator queues and climbing the steps also allows you to get right amongst the architecture.

The first floor of the Eiffel Tower includes a host of information about the structure, a cute outdoor terrace for dining, a section of glass bottomed floor for a thrill and spectacular views of Paris. Once when I visited, it was winter-time and they even had an ice-skating rink there with music! Ice skating on the Eiffel Tower is one of my favourite Paris memories.

On the first floor, it’s not as crowded as at the very top and you can actually take some time to soak in the fact that you are walking / dining / spending time on the Eiffel Tower. You can also get a coffee or an alcoholic drink on this level, whereas at the top, the only drink you can order is champagne. While I totally understand going to the very top is a bucket list activity for many, I would say that the mid-levels of the Eiffel Tower offer a lot more bang for your buck and are just as satisfying.

On the steps in front of the Sacre Coeur, Montmartre, at sunset

The Sacre Coeur is the second most visited church in France after the Notre Dame and its dome is the second highest location in Paris after the top of the Eiffel Tower. The basilica is free to enter, and you can pay to climb the dome. The church itself is beautiful, particularly from the outside. However, it’s the vibe on the steps outside the Sacre Coeur at dusk that’s really where it’s at.

Buskers and musicians entertain the crowds that sit on the steps to take in the spectacular view over Paris. Beers and street food can be purchased in the area that you can eat or drink on the steps. Once the sun sets, you’re in the perfect location to stroll on over to restaurants and cafes of Montmartre for a traditional Parisian dinner. Montmartre has maintained its winding, cobblestoned alleyways and narrow streets, features from the past which have been lost in most other parts of Paris. It has long been the haunt of artists and poets and is a glimpse into what Paris was like many years ago.

Tip: Tourist scammers operate around Sacre Coeur. Don’t trust anyone telling you to put your hands inside some string, as they’ll use intimidation to make to pay a hefty sum to be freed. Avoid anything else that involves your interaction or where the person trying to speak to you is overly eager.

In a cafe eating lunch in the Latin Quarter

France is famous for food and there are so many great dishes to try! If you want to make a start on ticking must-try meals off your bucket list, the Latin Quarter is a great place begin. Restaurants through the area advertise two or three course menus that usually include typically French options such as escargot, mussels in white wine, duck a l’orange, beef bourguignon, french onion soup and coq au vin. Even though these menus are undoubtedly targeted at tourists, they are reasonably priced and as the French take pride in their cooking, the quality is still good.

Named after the language originally spoken by students and clergy at Sorbonne university, the Latin Quarter is one of the oldest districts in Paris and has a history dating back over 2000 years. Once you’ve finished your meal, it’s a great place to walk around. Sites to see include the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, the University and even Roman Ruins. You’re also only a stone’s throw from Notre Dame and the Pantheon, so you’re in perfect location for afternoon exploring. The Latin Quarter is also a good place to hang around once you’re done wandering for the day as it’s a night life hotspot, being a hub for the local students.

On the walk between the Arc di Triomphe and the Louvre Courtyard

The 45 minute walk between the Arc de Triomphe and the Statue of Louis XIV in the Louvre Courtyard is a straight line that forms part of what is known as the ‘historical axis of Paris’ or the ‘Axe Historique’.

Along this perfectly straight line, that follows the alignment of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, pedestrians walk from the Arc de Triomphe in the centre of Place de l’Etoile, down the famous Champs-Elysees, through the historical Place de la Concorde with its central Luxor Obelisk, over the road into the main pedestrian thoroughfare of the Jardin des Tuileries, beneath the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and find themselves in the centre of the Louvre courtyard. It’s a walk that requires no navigational skill and will take you through and to some of the highlights of Paris. It will also demonstrate how the city has been planned over time with incredible cohesion and impeccable precision by a succession of passionate urban planners.

The perfect alignment of all of these structures, streets and pathways extends beyond the Arc de Triomphe to the Grande Arche in La Defence in the east. Combined with Baron Von Hausmann’s arrow straight, wide boulevards throughout central Paris, the deliberate symmetry of buildings such as Palais Bourbon and La Madeleine, the perfect star of roads around the Arc De Triomphe, the lesser known Republican Axis and the similar axis style planning around the Eiffel Tower, Paris is a city that town planners’ dreams are made of.

On the Champ de Mars

The Champ de Mars is the spot in Paris from which to take in the Eiffel Tower, as well as to access it if you are so mesmerised by it’s twinkling lights you just have to keep moving closer and closer to it (like a moth). I didn’t realise the Champ de Mars being the best viewing spot for the Eiffel Tower was even a point of contention until researching this post. I saw that others recommended a whole host of different vantage points, including from Trocadero, from river cruises, and from Montparnasse. To be frank, they’re wrong. This is definitely a case where the original is the best. As detailed above, Paris has been designed to provide people with clear, direct and unimpeded views in straight lines to its most impressive monuments. You don’t need to overthink this one.

The Champ de Mars not only provides a better view of the Eiffel Tower than anywhere else, but it also provides you with the opportunity to lay on the grass in the middle of the city of Paris and soak in not only the views but the typically French concept of a slow and savoured meal. The French do not rush through lunch and here, neither should you. On the Champ de Mars you can have a picnic with delectable baguettes and cheese and treats you’ve picked up from nearby market stalls on Rue Cler, and you’ll not only have the perfect backdrop but you’ll have the space and time to enjoy yourself, as the park is so big it’s never crowded (except for on Bastille Day when the Eiffel Tower has a fireworks show, but even then, as long as you get there early it’s not too bad!).

Under the ground

If I’m in Paris and I’m underground, I’m doing one of three things:

1. Getting the subway
2. Entering the Louvre
3. Exploring the Catacombs

I highly recommend all three to all visitors to Paris! While it might be a stretch to call the subway one of my ‘favourite places’ in Paris, it gets an honourable shout out on this list as it’s such a great way to get around if you are needing to go further afield than your feet can easily take you. Subways are great. If you’re not used to using them, they can be intimidating, but the Parisian subway, known as the ‘Metro’ is very intuitive and signage is similar in style and format to that of the New York Subway or London Underground. It’s said that in Paris you are never more than 550 metres away from a metro station, making it the most comprehensive underground railway system in the world, so it really is a useful piece of infrastructure for tourists and residents alike!

The Louvre is of course, top of the list for many visitors to Paris. The buildings themselves are like art, and the galleries just seem to go on and on forever. The Louvre is not my favourite gallery in Paris (that would be Musee D’Orsay), but, being the largest museum on the planet, there is a buzz about entering it that is thrilling. You could explore the Louvre for days.

The other reason I would be underground in Paris is because I’m exploring the catacombs. This is the option that thrills me the most. The catacombs are one of Paris’ most off-beat major attractions and not for the faint of heart. A series of tunnels beneath the surface of the city marks the resting place of some six million Parisians who were relocated to tunnels under the city when the cemeteries ran out of room. Some of their skulls and other bones have been thoughtfully turned into art that adorn the tunnel walls. It’s creepy and spooky and unique and I found my walk through there fascinating. 1.5km of the catacombs are open for public entry and can be visited independently. You just pay an entrance fee and walk through alone without a guide. At the time of writing this post, the website reports that you must book online at least 7 days in advance in summer. Plan about an hour for your catacombs visit.

Honorary Mention – On a bicycle or walking tour

The first time I went to Paris, I spent part of the day on a bicycle tour with Fat Tire Tours, which started and ended close to the Eiffel Tower and took us around some of the main sites in Paris. I really enjoyed it, although the cafe we stopped in at Jardin des Tuileries was very overpriced. I’d definitely recommend a bike tour, or bike hire, as a great way to get around the city.

Another time I went to Paris, I went on a Sandeman’s free walking tour, which was fantastic and super informative. The guide told us lots of fun facts and we learnt a lot about the various bridges of Paris amongst other sites in the Ile de la Cite area. Paris is such a wonderful city to explore by foot or bike and there is so much history at every corner, I highly recommend booking a tour or hiring a guide to help you explore it with the power of your legs. I have great memories from both of these tours.

Have you been to Paris? Do you live in Paris? Are you Parisian? I would love to know your favourite spots in the city so please leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: None of the photos on this page are mine and I do not claim credit or ownership for any of these photos. All photos have been sourced via from Pexels.com via WordPress and the photographer cited beneath the photograph.