Places to Go (and Avoid) in Paris

Anyone that knows me, even slightly, knows how much I love French. I love the language, the people, the food, the country – give me any and all things French. When my parents graciously allowed me (and provided the funds, bless them) to study abroad, I chose Paris without hesitation. I’d been once before in high school, but only for a few days that were jam-packed with the city’s touristy highlights (Montmartre, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, etc.).

With big cities like Paris, it’s so easy to fall into the tourist traps and never branch out. Living there for a summer gave me plenty of opportunities to determine which tourist attractions are actually worth your time and patience. It also gave me the chance to explore better, less touristy options the city has to offer. Here’s my short list of places to seek out and things you shouldn’t waste your time on, should you find yourself in the City of Light anytime soon.

La Seine

The Seine River is the lifeblood of Paris. If the weather is decent, you’ll find adolescents and adults alike sitting on its banks with bottles of wine, talking and drinking for hours. It runs through the heart of the city and hosts several islands, like the Île de la Cité, home of the beautiful Notre Dame cathedral.

Upon arrival in Paris, the first thing you should do after dropping off your bags is take a Seine river cruise. Don’t pay an outlandish amount for a dinner package; the food will be average and your attention won’t be fully on your surroundings. Simply walk along the banks of the Seine closest to the Eiffel Tower and find a reasonably-priced, guided (in English), one-hour river cruise. This is a touristy activity, no doubt about it, but it’s also the perfect way to orient yourself when you arrive in Paris.

The Moulin Rouge

I paid about 90 euros for my ticket to the Moulin Rouge (including an extra ten for a bottle of champagne). And, let me tell you, it was worth every single penny. It was my first-ever time at a cabaret and man did they put on a SHOW. If you’re uncomfortable with topless women, it might not be the best option for you. But if you want to be thoroughly entertained with singing, dancing, two people roller skating on an 8-foot-wide platform and a woman swimming with giant snakes, the Moulin Rouge (French for red windmill) is the place for you. You will, undoubtedly, be surrounded by tourists (mostly American ones), but this is one of those expensive tourist destinations that you must visit.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Unbeknownst to many American tourists, Paris has quite a few lovely parks and gardens. It’s most popular ones include the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Jardin des plantes and the Jardin des Tuileries. Of course, all of those places are lovely. With much more natural beauty and varied terrain (there’s a waterfall y’all!!!), Buttes-Chaumont is much more worth your time. Paris has no open container laws, so grab a case of 1664 (the French equivalent of Budweiser), a baguette and a group of friends, and spend an afternoon with the locals here.

The Eiffel Tower

It’s the most visited monument in the world, so you should obviously take the time to bask in the Tour Eiffel and all its glory. But don’t do so by waiting in line for hours to get to the top. There are better views of the city available (see Tour Montparnasse below) and dealing with the crowds is exhausting.

DO make sure to spend part of an evening picnicking after dark on the Champ de Mars where you can watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle for five minutes, every hour on the hour (shown above). But be wary of pickpockets and people trying to sell you vastly overpriced champagne! Just grab a bottle from a nearby Franprix.

The most popular photo-op with the Eiffel Tower (because, did you really go to Paris if you don’t have an Eiffel Tower pic?) is from the Trocadéro station on the 6 and 9 Métro lines. I know it’s tempting, but for God’s sake, please don’t take one of those look-at-me-I’m-holding-the-tip-of-the-Eiffel-Tower-pictures.

Tour Montparnasse

The best view of Paris, hands down, can be found at the top of Tour Montparnasse. Make sure to go on a day when the weather is nice, and be prepared to take a mandatory cheesy photo after ascending to the 56th floor. Take your time on the sky deck and play with the interactive maps to orient yourself and see where Paris’s notable landmarks are around you.

Montmartre

Yes, the Sacré Coeur (pictured above) is gorgeous, but is it worth trudging up hundreds of stairs and dealing with the most ridiculous crowds you’ve ever seen? No. And neither is the famous artist’s square in Montmartre. It is extremely easy to get scammed and pay outrageous prices for unworthy artwork and pickpockets run rampant. But if you absolutely must go, do so on a day when the sky is clear, because the view of Paris from the Sacré Coeur is truly breathtaking.

The Louvre

It’s the biggest art museum in the world with a collection that would take you at least a week to get through if you visited daily. But if you have a limited amount of time in Paris, there’s really no need to fight through the crowd to see the, frankly, underwhelming Mona Lisa. For a smaller, but still impressive collection of paintings and sculpture, check out the Musée D’Orsay or the Musée Rodin (not mentioned in this list, but still great).

Palais Galliera

Also known as the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, Palais Galliera is a museum of French fashion and fashion history. It does not house a permanent collection; rather, it houses temporary exhibits that change every few months. It has been a museum dedicated to fashion since 1977 and has housed pieces from Marie Antoinette’s personal collection, pieces from all of the major French fashion houses and has even had Audrey Hepburn’s famous little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s on display (!!!).

Note that Palais Galliera isn’t open on Mondays and closes temporarily throughout the year in between exhibitions, so check its website to make sure it’s open before venturing to the 16th arrondissement.

Centre Pompidou

This museum is a breath of fresh air compared to the extensive list of museums in Paris that host centuries-old art. Centre Pompidou (AKA Centre Georges Pompidou) is the largest museum of modern art in Europe. The building is a work of postmodern art in itself and houses work from a multitude of famous artists, including Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Marcel Duchamp. Also found in the Centre Pompidou are Paris’s Public Information Library and Center for Music and Acoustic Research. There are also opportunities to watch live art being made and to interact with certain pieces, a rarity in the art world. It is absolutely worth spending an afternoon here – just leave 20 minutes or so to explore its gift shop at the end (trust me, you’ll want to).

Chateau de Versailles

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT leave the Paris area without making a day trip to Versailles. Just a short train ride away from Paris, the Palace of Versailles and its incredible grounds are more than worth the cost of admission – and worth dealing with the undoubtedly intense crowd. Completed in 1715, the Palace of Versailles is 721,182 square feet and 700 rooms, over 2,000 windows, 1,250 fireplaces and 67 staircases. It’s full of the most gaudy, lavish French architecture and interior design you could possibly imagine, and some rooms (like its Hall of Mirrors) will render you utterly speechless.

If you only buy a ticket to enter the palace, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. The grounds of Versailles are vast and breathtaking. Be sure to plan out your time in the gardens so you can see the fountains while they are turned on (this only happens twice per day). As if you needed more of a reason to explore these incredible grounds, they include additional palaces, restaurants, farming land and Marie Antoinette’s estate.

The Champs-Elysées

Albeit iconic, the Champs-Elysées is probably the most overrated place in Paris. It’s full of car dealerships (???) and brand name stores with ridiculous entry and dressing room lines. You can find the same stores online or in any other part of Paris (check out the Galeries Lafayette, pictured below) without dealing with the same hustle and bustle.

If you *must* go, do so only to venture to the original Ladurée to pick up some of their world famous macarons (and when I say world famous, I mean it – they sell about 15,000 each day).

***Note that all photographs used in this post were taken by me.