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10 Best Things to Do in Paris (And What Not to Do)

Without some insider intel, it can be easy to make a misstep.
Eiffel Tower
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Paris's seductive charms are legendary, and for good reason. Inviting sidewalk cafes, gleaming boutiques, world-class museums, endless things to do, and a fabled restaurant scene make Paris the runway model of cities—beautiful, fashionable, confident, and inspiring envy at every turn. But with expectations running so high, Paris can—it's true—occasionally disappoint. When you find yourself elbow-to-elbow with throngs of tourists tucking into yet another overpriced meal, you'll wonder how the Paris that travelers fall in love with has proved so elusive. Unless, that is, you read and discover how to avoid the top mistakes first-timers make in the City of Light. Because we've been there, we compiled our list of the things not to do in Paris—and what to do instead. 

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    Don't: Shop exclusively on the Champs-Elysées

    The Champs-Elysées may once have been the most beautiful avenue in the world, but its fortunes have risen and fallen many times over the years, and it's currently overrun with global chain stores, auto dealerships, and movie multiplexes. While you can find the über-glam Vuitton flagship, which draws label addicts in droves, you'll largely spend time dodging throngs of teens as you trudge past McD's and Sephora, wondering what in God's name all the fuss is about. If you do find yourself nearby, stop to browse at the most original shopping destination on the avenue: Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysées, the family-run department store’s very own concept store, featuring emerging and international designers (such as Rouje, Jacquemus, and Marine Serre). In a space spanning nearly 70,000 square feet and four floors, the shop eschews the usual boundaries in the retail experience, mixing goods from multiple categories for men and women rather than partitioning things into dedicated corners. The experience is meant to be fluid, encouraging shoppers to weave seamlessly from fashion to food to accessories. Speaking of food: if you’re going to eat in the neighborhood, take your meal in the store’s well-appointed food court or at Citron, a casual café on the premises dreamed up by Jacquemus designer Simon Porte.

  • Julien Cregut/Courtesy La Trésorerie

    Instead: Follow in the Well-Heeled Footsteps of Locals

    To really shop in Paris these days means to think beyond couture-lined boulevards and packed high streets. The good stuff will be in emerging shopping neighborhoods like the North Marais, where you can shop brands or crafters like Kitsune, Officine Générale, Sessun, or Papier Tigre; rue du Château d’Eau in the 10th arrondissement for accessories and home goods at Atelier Couronnes, Jamini, or La Trésorerie; and right in the center of town at Les Halles for Parisian-designed goods from Sept Cinq or emerging French designers at L’Exception. Even the department stores like Galeries Lafayette Champs Elysées and Printemps are in the business of diversifying their offerings. At Printemps Hommes, the menswear store, you can buy limited-edition collections from the hottest designers of the moment—from Jacquemus to Y/Project—that you won’t find anywhere else.

    Meanwhile, for old-fashioned ambience, look to Paris's covered passages. Dating to the 19th century, these were the city's first malls, and beneath their vaulted ceilings of glass and wrought iron, you'll find more unusual wares: antique book dealers, art galleries, quirky toy shops, and more. Galerie Vivienne, just north of the Palais Royal, in the second arrondissement, is the most elegant of the lot.

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    Don't: Blow Your Budget on a Michelin-Starred Dinner

    Parisian dining may have gotten decidedly more casual in the last decade, but upscale and formal dining still reigns—and most of it can set you back $400 to $500 a pop. If that doesn't deter you, book a table for lunch. Many Michelin-starred spots, from Le Clarence (owned by Prince Robert of Luxembourg) to Dame de Pic (Anne-Sophie Pic’s only Parisian restaurant) and the recently overhauled Le Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower, have reasonably priced lunch menus for less than $150.

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    Instead: Go for Evening Meals at Laid-Back Modern Bistros

    In the last decade, many Michelin-starred chefs have abandoned the rigid confines of haute-cuisine restaurants to open convivial bistros that serve up simpler yet still outstanding meals. And the locals are just crazy about them. At Yves Camdeborde's pioneering Le Comptoir du Relais in the sixth arrondissement, tables are frequently booked months in advance. But once you're sampling Camdeborde's famous foie gras terrine for a fraction of what you'd pay elsewhere, you'll understand why it's so tough to get a table. If you can't get in at dinner, try arriving by 11:45 a.m. for lunch (reservations are not accepted, so it's first come, first serve). Alternatively, Michelin-starred chef Jean-Francois Piège is behind several popular, lower-priced establishments that play up the best of French terroir, from hearty French classics at A l’Epi d’Or (a bistro institution in the center of the city) to masterfully grilled or smoked beef at his modern steakhouse, Clover Grill.

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    Don’t: Expect to See Everything at the Louvre

    It’s massive, it’s overwhelming, and as travelers, we have a tendency to put tremendous pressure on ourselves to try to see it all. But Le Louvre isn’t set up that way. Manage your expectations and make a plan in advance. Rather than trying to achieve the impossible, research the works or wings you absolutely want to visit and aim to spend quality time there, saving the rest for return visits.

  • Sophie Boegly/Courtesy Musée de l'Orangerie

    Instead: Split Your Time Between the Louvre and Smaller Museums

    Many of Paris's smaller museums contain equally important and beautiful art—and are often more pleasant, since you won't be elbowed out of the way by a photo-snapping swarm. You'll find Monet's famous Nymphéas (water lily) murals in the Musée de l'Orangerie, at the far end of the Tuileries Gardens; the Musée Marmottan is home to the world's largest collection of Monets; and the Musée Rodin, housed in a luminous villa with a lovely garden, is one of the most romantic places in all of Paris. Not in the mood for an art lesson? There are plenty of museums that focus on lighter and frothier stuff, including fashion, wine, and money. Take, for example, the Palais Galliera, which reopened in October after a two-year renovation. The city’s leading fashion museum, the Galliera is now home to the first retrospective of Gabrielle Chanel and her work (it’s true!)—that’s certainly worth a special visit. Once you've discovered the pleasures of these intimate galleries, you might be hard-pressed to bother with the Louvre at all.

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    Don't: Commit a Fashion Faux Pas

    If you’re concerned about sticking out like a touristic thumb, you’ll want to avoid a few sartorial missteps. Shorts and trendy sneakers aren’t necessarily off limits anymore (think brands like Nike, Veja, Converse, Vans), but Parisians will be onto you if those shorts are excessively baggy and have cargo pockets. But above all, avoid the selfie stick altogether; it'll only secure you the wrath of locals and attract unwanted attention from pickpockets and scam artists.

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    Instead: Dress as the Locals Do

    Parisian style isn't really about dressing to the nines. In fact, the French are quite casual these days—they've just mastered the art of the clean, coordinated look. Here are a few tips to keep your attire simple, tidy, and thoughtfully assembled: neutral colors are always a safe bet; accessorize with a single bold scarf, hat, or jewel (but not all three at once); and make sure things fit the way they should. Complete your outfit with a fitted jacket and the best shoes in your closet. The final effect should look utterly effortless and send a message of confidence.

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    Don't: Get Around Town in a Cab or Electric Scooter

    Taxis can be hard to come by and can't be flagged down on the street (you need to call ahead for one or find a taxi stand). Cabbing around town also leaves you vulnerable to Paris's famously snarled traffic: Careening to a halt on a narrow one-way street, then watching the meter tick ever upward while you're trapped behind a double-parked car is a definite buzzkill. While free-floating electric scooters from companies such as Lime and Bird might look fun and efficient, their proliferation in the city has been the source of much controversy (they aren’t, as of yet, fully regulated) and scores of accidents. Avoiding them means preventing the ire from a majority of locals who want to see them banned from the streets entirely.

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    Instead: Take to Heart the French Word Flâner

    While flâner technically means "to stroll," it more generally suggests "to walk the city in order to experience it"—words to live by in the City of Light. The center of Paris is only a couple of miles wide, maps are ubiquitous, and the rewards for taking to the streets on foot include world-class window shopping, observing flirtatious exchanges in sidewalk cafés, and walking off that extra croissant. When going longer distances, hop on the Métro. From any given spot in Paris, you're never more than 500 yards from the nearest station; it's cheaper than a cab and often faster, too. There's really no excuse—unless you've stayed out late (the Métro closes at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and 1 a.m. the rest of the week). Alternatively, hop on one of Paris's inexpensive Vélib' bikes (the blue and green ones you see lined up on the street). In 2020, the city has added 50 km (around 31 miles) of new dedicated cycle paths that make riding across town even safer. But visitors should take note: accessing the system requires a smart chip–enabled credit card.

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    Don't: Seek Out Bohemian Ambience on the Left Bank

    Sartre and de Beauvoir may have loved Les Deux Magots on the Boulevard St. Germain, but these days, the one-time hangout of intellectuals has all the authenticity of Times Square. You won't likely find yourself eavesdropping on any famous philosophers, but you may, however, find yourself delivering a tirade on the immorality of charging $16 for buttered toast and orange juice.

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    Instead: Find the "Real" Paris on the Canal St. Martin

    Bobo (short for bourgeois bohemian) hipsters have laid claim to the area around the Canal St. Martin, a once-derelict part of the 10th arrondissement that now buzzes with cafés and hip boutiques, particularly along the Rue Beaurepaire. Settle onto the veranda of the Paname Brewing Company up on the Bassin de la Villette; it overlooks the water and ranks high for ambiance, location, and craft beer inspired by the neighborhood.

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    Don't: Spend Hours at the Eiffel Tower

    For extra protection, Paris has installed heavy security check points around the Eiffel Tower following a string of terror attacks in the city a few years ago. Whereas anyone could previously walk straight underneath the monument to gaze upwards or take pictures, visitors must now endure a winding security line on both wings of the tower. There's another reason to forgo climbing to the top, beyond the hours it adds to the experience: It isn’t even the best view in the city.

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    Instead: Find a View and Shorter Lines

    If you want an incredible panorama that includes the Eiffel Tower, you should head instead to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, the top of the viewing deck at the Montparnasse Tower, or book tickets (approximately $12) to climb the Tour Saint Jacques, only open to visitors from June to September (five people at a time or a maximum group of 17 people).

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    Don't: Book the Cheapest Hotel

    Finding a decent hotel for a reasonable price in Paris can bring even the savviest travelers to despair. You might find a screaming deal at a big chain hotel and think you've got it made, but once you're sitting in a beige I-could-be-anywhere cube on the outskirts of town, you'll realize that you're missing out on the Parisian atmosphere in the city center.

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    Instead: Book a Boutique Hotel

    In 2019, foreign travelers to Paris spent an average of 2.43 nights in the city, the perfect amount of time to experience one of the city’s 493 four-star hotels, many of which are beautifully designed and intimate in scale. On top of that, its restaurants and bars are increasingly big draws for locals, so you can dip your toes a bit further into Parisian lifestyle. The Hoxton has a glass-canopied lounge with plush sofas and a spacious courtyard, both made for lingering over drinks; the Hotel National des Arts et Métiers serves up custom cocktails from expert mixologists in its sexy lounge-bar; the Hotel des Grands Boulevards is a popular spot to drink and nibble, in part for its most compelling asset: The Shed, a rooftop bar with a view over Paris. Among the newest arrivals to the ever-growing set of sharp design properties: Hotel Rochechouart, an Art Deco tribute to the city’s golden age of brasseries and salons at the foot of Montmartre; and Le Chouchou Hotel, equal parts hip hotel, food market, and event hall where guests and locals mingle during stand-up sets, author talks, and intimate concerts.

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    Don't: Buy Into Stereotypes

    Yes, we've all heard plenty about Parisians' legendary rudeness: The waiters are surly, the salespeople unhelpful, and everyone else is snobby and standoffish. It's true that Parisians are more reserved than most Americans and less apt to break into toothy grins every time they meet someone new. Theirs is not a culture of instant BFFs and "Hi, how can I help you today?" extroversion. But you won't be doing yourself any favors by assuming that the locals don't like you—and then being rude in return. Emily in Paris is not the model to follow here.

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    Instead: Be Mindful of Your Manners

    Try to understand (and imitate) the local customs and you'll no doubt be amply rewarded for your efforts. Do learn a few French words and phrases. Even if it's just a crash course on the flight over, and your delivery is less than perfect, the fact that you're trying will win points. Salespeople in smaller boutiques greet customers and expect to be greeted in return: A simple "Bonjour, Madame" upon entering a shop will do wonders for your status there. Note that French people tend to talk softly—their voices never carry in the streets, on the Métro, or even when they're sitting at the next table. Keep your voice low, too, and some of your neighbors might even venture a smile.

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