traveldk.com

Morning

Try to get to the Eiffel Tower early, to beat the worst of the queues, and take the lift to the top to admire the spectacular panorama. After descending, take tea at the Pâtisserie de la Tour Eiffel (21 ave de la Bourdonnais), whose terrace has a great view.

Walk towards the Seine and turn right before crossing the river. A stroll along the riverbank is always pleasant if the weather is kind (see Riverfront Views), and before long you will reach the Place de la Résistance. Cross the road, staying on the south side of the river, where a ticket booth masks one of the city's great secrets, Les Egouts . Don't worry about taking a torch or wearing special footwear - the area visited is well-lit and dry underfoot

If the sewers don't put you off your food, lunch at the excellent fish restaurant, Le Divellec .

Afternoon

After lunch, walk to the Hôtel des Invalides to see Napoleon's Tomb and the beautiful domed church, and then visit the almost adjacent Musée Rodin and stroll in its gardens.

On leaving the museum turn right along rue de Varenne, until it meets rue du Bac. Here, at No. 109, is Le Bac à Glaces, a combined tearoom and ice cream parlour - perfect for a refreshing rest.

Morning

It would be hard to imagine a better start to a day in Paris than going to the Palais de Chaillot and seeing the perfect view it has across the Seine to the Eiffel Tower . Then tour the fascinating collections of the Musée de l’Homme and, if marine history is your thing, the Musée de la Marine , both in the palace. Outside the palace, take a break in the Café du Trocadéro (8 pl du Trocadéro 01 44 05 37 00) and watch the comings and goings in the square.

Afterwards, head along rue Benjamin Franklin and rue Raynouard, where you will find first the Musée du Vin and the Maison de Balzac. Walk to the far side of the Maison de Radio France building for a brunch or lunch at Zebra Square .

Afternoon

Revived, walk back along the Seine towards the Palais de Chaillot, and head up to the place d’Iéna to the recently refurbished and much improved Musée National des Arts Asiatiques- Guimet for its spectacular Eastern artworks.

By now you will definitely be in need of a rest, so return to the place du Trocadéro for a coffee at the excellent Carette café at No. 4 (01 47 27 88 56). End the day in the peaceful Cimetière de Passy and admire its ornate tombs, before heading back to your hotel.

Morning

Tackle the Centre Georges Pompidou early, as the expansive modern art museum is worth a leisurely visit, and some of the excellent temporary exhibits may catch your eye. If you need refreshment after all that art, it has to be Georges, the brasserie at the top of the centre with good views and a choice of drinks, snacks or main meals.

On leaving the centre turn left to see the adjacent Stravinsky Fountain, then walk to the far end to visit the Eglise St-Merry.

Providing you have booked ahead, lunch at the 1912 bistro Benoit , whose lunchtime menu is far cheaper than in the evening. If you’re out by 3pm watch the clock on the Défenseur du Temps strike.

Afternoon

Pass the Fontaine des Innocents as you head for Les Halles, but first go into the church of St-Eustache which was the place of worship of the market workers at the old Les Halles. You could then spend the rest of the afternoon shopping at the vast, if somewhat unprepossessing Forum des Halles .

Stop for a drink at A La Tour de Montlhéry, more commonly known as Chez Denise (see Tour de Montlhéry, Chez Denise). It’s packed at mealtimes, but by late afternoon you might be lucky enough to get a seat and be ready to try their famous Gâteau Marguerite with strawberries and cream.

Morning

As with all the city's busy attractions, the sooner you get to Sacré-Coeur the more you will have it to yourself - it opens at 6am. Later in the morning, enjoy the bustle of Montmartre with tourists having their portraits painted by the area's street artists in the place du Tertre. There are plenty of places to choose for a coffee, but the one most of the artists frequent is the Clairon des Chasseurs (3 pl du Tertre 01 42 62 40 08).

For art of a more surreal kind, pay a visit to the Espace Montmartre Salvador Dalí . Head down rue des Saules to continue the artistic theme with lunch at La Maison Rose (2 rue de l'Abreuvoir o 01 42 57 66 75). Utrillo once painted this pretty pink restaurant.

Afternoon

After lunch, the Musée de Montmartre is nearby, as are the Montmartre Vineyards, and the little Cimetière St-Vincent where you will find Maurice Utrillo's grave.

Head back up to rue Lepic to see the Moulin de la Galette before heading towards the boulevard de Clichy. Here you will see the sleazy side of Pigalle life, although the Musée de l'Erotisme is a more tasteful interpretation.

To the east is a great bar for an apéritif, La Fourmi (74 rue des Martyrs 01 42 64 70 35). Then end the day with a show at the world-famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.

Morning

If it’s a fine morning get an early start and enjoy a stroll in the Jardin des Plantes before the city gets truly busy. The Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle doesn’t open until 10am, but the garden is close enough to rue Mouffetard to enable you to enjoy the fabulous market, which gets going by about 8am. Don’t forget to take your eyes off the stalls every now and then to see the splendid old buildings on this medieval street. Then return to the museum and its Evolution Gallery.

From the gardens it is a short walk to the Place de la Contrescarpe. Enjoy this friendly square before walking down the rue Mouffetard for a coffee at one of its many cafés. Once revived, walk down to the bottom of the road to see the church of St- Médard on your left.

Turn left along rue Monge to the Arènes de Lutèce. A couple of minutes away is a little bistro, Le Buisson Ardent (25 rue Jussieu 01 43 54 93 02), which is ideal for lunch.

Afternoon

You can spend part of the afternoon at the Institut du Monde Arabe , exploring its beautiful Islamic artworks, before walking down to admire the Moorish architecture of the Mosquée de Paris . Finish the day with a mint tea at the Café de la Mosquée (pl du Puits-de-l’Ermité 01 45 35 97 33).

Morning

Begin the morning at the Musée Picasso , to beat the crowds and allow enough time to view the huge collection. There is also an excellent gift shop. Afterwards, walk to the place des Vosges, and do a circuit of the arcades. Stand in the centre near the fountains to take in the whole square.

Have a coffee at Ma Bourgogne (19 pl des Vosges 01 42 78 44 64), right on the square. Afterwards, tour the Maison de Victor Hugo, on the southeast corner to the Musée Picasso (see (see p87). Take the rue de Birague which leads to rue Faubourg-St-Antoine. Turn left and walk to place de la Bastille.

A good lunch choice is Bofinger , with its ornate decor and true Parisian feel.

Afternoon

The Place de la Bastille is something of a traffic nightmare, but take time to admire the statue in the centre and contemplate the events that happened here when this was the site of the city’s dreaded prison. Walk around the square and along rue Faubourg-St-Antoine, a now fashionable shopping street. Turn off down some of the passageways to see the furniture-makers and craft workshops that have a long history in the area.

From here it’s not far to Le Baron Rouge wine bar, for a restorative glass of wine, coffee and cake or a light early evening meal.

Morning

Visiting the Louvre (see Musée du Louvre) takes planning, and you should get there at least 15 minutes before opening time. Spend the whole morning in the museum, and pick up a map as you enter so that you can be sure to see the main highlights. Do bear in mind that two shorter visits are much easier than one. Have a morning coffee in the Café Marly in the museum.

From the Louvre, either visit the Carrousel du Louvre's underground shops or walk along rue de Rivoli towards place de la Concorde . This end of the street is now filled with souvenir shops but avoid the overpriced cafés and turn right to rue Mondavi for a good lunch at Lescure, a little rustic bistro (7 rue de Mondovi 01 42 60 18 91 ).

Afternoon

After being indoors all morning at the Louvre, get some fresh air in the Jardin des Tuileries then walk down to place de la Madeleine to spend the afternoon browsing and shopping in its many excellent food stores. This will definitely work up an appetite, so take tea in the restaurant of one of the best shops, Hédiard .

If you are on a budget however, reverse this itinerary, as admission to the Louvre is much cheaper after 3pm, even on Wednesday when late-night opening means you could still spend more than six hours exploring the collection.

Morning

The Champs-Elysées (see Avenue des Champs-Elysées) is an area for leisurely strolls. Begin by window-shopping along one side of the avenue Montaigne, where Prada, Nina Ricci, Dior and many more have their flagship stores – the area oozes money. Have a break in the Bar des Théâtres, where fashion names and the theatre crowd from the Comédie des ChampsÉlysées across the street sometimes hang out (6 ave Montaigne 01 47 23 34 63).

Return up the other side of avenue Montaigne to the Champs-Elysées, for the stroll to the Arc de Triomphe. This is where the “real world” shops, at more affordable prices. Break for lunch at Spoon, Food and Wine , but get there early to get a table.

Afternoon

Continuing up the Champs-Elysées, look past the car showrooms and fast food outlets to note the many interesting buildings which house them.

Take the underpass to the Arc de Triomphe and climb to the top for the views. Walk or take the metro to the rue du Faubourg-St-Honoré, where more designer shops.

For tea and cakes, Ladurée is a must on the Champs-Elysées, with its heart-warming macar- oons and syrupy hot choc- olate (75 ave des Champs-Elysées. 01 40 75 08 75)

Morning

Arrive at Notre-Dame by 8am to beat the crowds and appreciate its magnificence, then head for the fragrant Marché aux Fleurs. As well as flowers, you can buy all kinds of garden accessories and seeds. Return to Notre-Dame if you want to ascend the towers, which open at 10am. Take a coffee break at Le Flore en l’Ile , with its views of the cathedral.

The fascinating Crypte Archéologique is worth a half-hour visit, then spend the late morning at Sainte-Chapelle , when the sun beams through the stained-glass windows.

There are plenty of places for lunch, but on a sunny day try La Rose de France with its terrace seating.

Afternoon

Spend a leisurely afternoon strolling the narrow streets of the Ile St-Louis, which are filled with characterful shops and galleries (see Shopping).

Wind up with an afternoon treat by visiting Berthillon, considered the best ice cream purveyor in Paris.

With more than 70 flavours on offer, from plain vanilla to whisky, and including virtually any fruit you can think of, the hardest part will be choosing, although there is plenty of time to make your choice as there will inevitably be a queue, especially in summer

Morning

This area is as much about atmosphere as sightseeing, so take time to soak up some of that Left Bank feeling. Begin on the Quai de la Tournelle, strolling by the booksellers here and on the adjacent Quai de Montebello. As well as admiring the views of Notre-Dame, you might find an unusual souvenir.

From here head south down any street away from the river and you will meet the busy boulevard St- Germain. Turn right in the direction of two famous cafés, the Flore and the Deux Magots, and stop for a break in either of them (see p125) amid the locals talking the morning away.

Cut your way south to the rue de Grenelle and the Musée Maillol, a delightful lesser-known museum. Then enjoy lunch at L’Oeillade (10 rue St-Simon 01 42 22 01 60), a bistro full of Gallic atmosphere.

Afternoon

The later you reach the Musée d’Orsay the less crowded it will be. Spend an hour or two exploring the collection. By far the most popular displays are the Impressionists on the upper level.

After admiring the art, enjoy tea and a cake at Christian Constant , one of the best chocolatemakers in Paris. It’s the ideal place for a special present or just a piece of self-indulgence for yourself.