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City break, Paris, France

Boutique hotels

Self-catering properties

Paris Activities

Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint
Crowded but irresistible, the Eiffel Tower is open 9.30am–11pm (midnight in high season). If all that steel doesn’t take your fancy, visit L’Institut du Monde Arabe on Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard in the 5ème (www.imarabe.org). As well as the amazing Jean Nouvel façade and Islamic art exhibitions, it has a top-floor terrace with great views across the Seine to Notre Dame and Ile de la Cité.

Arts and culture
The Louvre (www.louvre.fr) houses some of the world’s most famous art (open late Mondays and Wednesdays; closed Tuesdays and some holidays). The Musée National d’Art Moderne is on level four of the Pompidou Centre (www.centrepompidou.fr); Richard Rogers’ radical architecture is another draw. Musée National Picasso Paris (www.musee-picasso.fr) occupies an old house in the Marais, and is full of the artworks Pablo couldn’t bear to part with; the venue is as alluring as the art itself, also the case for Musée d’Orsay, a converted train station packed with arty treats (www.musee-orsay.fr).

Something for nothing
Follow in the footsteps of Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and Amélie Poulain, wandering through Montmartre and up to the Sacré-Coeur for classic Parisian panoramas. Or visit Oscar Wilde and Marcel Proust at one of the city’s smartest addresses, the Cimitière du Père-Lachaise in the 20ème (www.pere-lachaise.com).

Shopping
For a serious fashion spree, the thoroughfares to scour in the 8ème are Avenue Montaigne and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. In the 1er, head to the Jardins du Palais-Royal for Marc, Stella, Acne and hip boutique Kitsuné. In the Haut-Marais, an amazing constellation of independent boutiques, explore Rue de Charlot, Rue du Poitou and Rue de Saintonge. Go to Porte de Clignancourt to browse the famous fleamarket for clothes and antiques, open Saturday to Monday until 6pm. Or have a selection of Parisian retro pieces brought to you by Ooh La La! Vintage (ring +33 (0)6 84 76 58 65 to arrange in advance of your trip). If you’re a sucker for department stores, head to Le Bon Marché on Rue de Sèvres. Splurge with a healthy conscience at Merci (+33 (0)1 42 77 00 33) on Boulevard Beaumarchais; this hip luxury emporium donates profits from its Annick Goutal scents, Baccarat crystal vases, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent clothing and hip homewares to a children’s charity in Madagascar.

Daytripper
Live out your Louis XV/Madame de Pompadour/Marie-Antoinette/Sun King fantasies at the incomparable Château de Versailles, just outside Paris (www.chateauversailles.fr).

Best beach
Visitors can now make an excursion to the beach without leaving the city, thanks to the palm-tree-lined white sand of Paris Plage, a summertime addition to the right bank of the Seine (near the Pont Neuf and Hotel de Ville).

Perfect picnic
Grab a bottle of bubbly from the minibar, and some pastries, smoked-salmon baguettes or tarts from Gérard Mulot at 76 rue de Seine, 6ème (+33 (0)1 43 26 85 77), and enjoy them in the Jardins de Luxembourg on the Left Bank.

Walks
Chic St Germain is an edifying place to stroll around, with plenty of shops, cafés and culture to keep you occupied; thanks to its university heritage, the area has historically been the haunt of artists, poets and intellectuals, and there are still plenty of great bookshops and galleries to help kick-start your grey matter.

Children
La Charlotte de l’Isle is a magical tearoom on Ile Saint-Louis, with witches on the ceiling and incredible chocolate creations in the window (+33 (0)1 43 54 25 83).

Activities
The open-top Bateaux-Mouches riverboats are a popular way to see the sights. Most depart from Pont de l’Alma. Ramp things up a notch with dinner for two on a sleek Yachts de Paris launch (www.yachtsdeparis.fr). US-run Fat Tire Bike Tours will show you around on Schwinn bikes, Segways or your own two feet – the night-time tours are fun (www.fattirebiketoursparis.com). For short trips, use a Vélib, one of the city’s big, grey communal bicycles. The scheme has evolved quite an etiquette; ask a local about how to put down a deposit, etc.

And
Marvel at Paris’ unique layout from atop the 200-year-old Arc de Triomphe, one of France’s most iconic monuments and the epicentre of bravura city-planner Baron Haussmann’s star of boulevards; it’s worth clambering up its many internal stairs to peer down the Champs Elysées and enjoy photogenic views down to Place de la Concorde and up to La Défense. Open daily, 10am–10.30pm (11pm in summer), excluding 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Tickets cost €8 and must be bought 30 minutes before closing.

Diary

May Saint-Germain Jazz Festival gets the Rive Gauche swinging and tapping its toes (www.festivaljazzsaintgermainparis.com). May–June The French Open tennis championship brings grand-slam excitement to the City of Lights (www.fft.fr/rolandgarros). June La Fête de la Musique celebrates the start of summer and sees the streets lined with stages for live bands (www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr). June–July Paris Jazz Festival means free weekend concerts in Parc Floral (www.parcfloraldeparis.com). July Bastille Day, a public holiday with a huge parade down the Champs-Elysées on the 14th, is followed a week later by the opening of Paris Plages, the city’s temporary urban beaches. August–September There’s an open-air Classical Music Festival in Parc Floral (www.parcfloraldeparis.com). October The city stays up all night for the nocturnal arts party known as Nuit Blanche.

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