Paris

Good to know

1. 1The Seine divides the city into the Right Bank to the north and the Left Bank to the south, and each side has its own feel. The Left Bank is long associated with students, writers and bookshops.
2. 2The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair and was never meant to stay up for good. It survived because it proved useful as a radio antenna.
3. 3The city is divided into twenty arrondissements that spiral outward from the centre like a snail shell. The number in an address tells you roughly where you are.
4. 4Bakeries are central to daily life, and many Parisians buy a fresh baguette every day. A croissant and coffee at the counter is a classic way to start the morning.
5. 5The Louvre is the largest art museum in the world by gallery space, and it started life as a royal fortress and then a palace. You could not see everything in it in a single visit.
6. 6French is the language of the city, and the currency is the euro.

Tips for a first visit

• Say bonjour when you walk into a shop, café or restaurant, and merci when you leave. Skipping the greeting is the quickest way to get a cool reception.
• The metro is the easiest way to move around, and most sights are within a short walk of a station. Keep an eye on your bag on crowded trains and around the busiest tourist spots.
• Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but it is handy to carry a little cash for small purchases at markets and some tiny cafés.
• Try a plat du jour at a neighbourhood bistro, and order a carafe of tap water, which is free and perfectly normal to ask for. Lunch menus are often the best way to eat well without spending a lot.
• Book the big museums and the Eiffel Tower ahead of time where you can, as queues can be long. Many museums close one day a week, so check before you plan your days.
• Wear comfortable shoes, because you will walk much more than you expect, often on cobbles and uneven pavement.

When to go

Spring and early autumn are the easiest times to visit, with mild weather and long days for walking. Summer is warm and sometimes hot, and many locals leave the city in August, so some small shops and restaurants close. Winter is cold and grey but quieter, with a cosy side to it in cafés and museums, and the city is lit up around Christmas.

From the airport

Paris has two main international airports, Charles de Gaulle to the north-east and Orly to the south. From Charles de Gaulle the RER B train runs into central Paris in roughly 35 to 50 minutes, and buses and taxis are also available, though road traffic can make them slower at busy times. From Orly you can take a tram and metro connection or a bus to reach the centre, and a taxi takes about half an hour when the roads are clear.