Top tips for enjoying a trip to Paris (your recommendations)

4th January 2015

A couple of months ago we ran a competition on the TripFiction site in which we asked you to let us know your top tips for enjoying a trip to Paris. Your response was truly fantastic, so we thought it would be a great idea to select a dozen of the most original, and create a blog around them as a permanent record of what you thought and what you recommended a visitor to do in this fabulous city. Here are the ones we have chosen:

Getting around

*Learn how to use your credit card (very easy!) to use the free VELIB bikes and zip around town. Paris is very bike friendly and has bike lanes all over. Tip: walk your bikes whenever you’re inside a park, because riding inside a park is not allowed – Marivic Limcaoco

*Walk, just walk and keep walking – so much to see. Don’t forget to look up  as well, some of the coolest things are not at eye level!! Enjoy this magnificent city slowly and at your own pace! – Rachel Williams

*Make use of the Metro as it’s the best way to get around – when we first arrived we used it to get to our hotel and there was a guy playing an accordion throughout the whole journey which was amazing! Obviously can’t be guaranteed but you never know…!!!  – Samantha Parker

Places to eat

*Yam’Tcha Address: 4 rue Sauval, 1st Métro: Louvre-Rivoli Adeline Grattard is the one of the most rare female chef still running a restaurant in Paris. Dishes such as grilled scallops on a bed of bean sprouts in bright green wild-garlic sauce and a superb dessert of homemade ginger ice-cream with avocado slices and passion fruit are very popular. And guess what her menu changes every day as per her daily shop. With a beamed ceiling and ancient stone walls, the charming aura will capture you in its very moment! If possible do visit this restaurant for sure – Aditi Saha

*One of my favourite places is the Paris Mosque tea room – a haven of peace after a day’s shopping and sightseeing and beautiful teas too! – Helen Carey

*For a splurge, a swish dinner at the Cafe Marly in the Louvre, Cour Napoleon, with a fab view of the Pyramid! – Kim Oliver

Things to do

*Visit the graveyards! Pere Lachaise and Montmartre – Oscar Wilde, Moliere, Jim Morrison – an eclectic bunch and a fascinating insight into the history of the Paris Commune etc – Teresa

*A must see is the Rodin museum. Often overlooked as most people visit La Louvre, it is truely beautiful! It also houses The Thinker by Rodin – just incredible! The gardens are gorgeous, but my favourite were The Gates Of Hell – inspiring. Just a wonderful place to visit! Also recommend the French crepes – much better in Frace, and having a good look through the windows of the Patisserie…and drooling! Best thing in the evening?  Notre Dame – all lit up…haunting.   Love Paris – Tricia Clark

*Go to the the Eiffel Tower area at dusk – it is like a party, with people bringing picnic baskets, blankets, and wine of course – sitting on the grass or on park benches, waiting for the lights of La Tour Eiffel to turn on – magical! – Carlene Hammond

*http://en.parisauthentic.com/ book a 2CV at night trip and visit a jazz bar. You will love drinking champagne in the back of the car and being driven around in the illuminated city. This is such a romantic thing to do – Librarian Lavender

*Enjoy the sound of music at free concerts! All around Paris, you can find free musical recitals and concerts, from organ recitals at the Notre-Dame Cathedral (Sundays at 4:30pm) to jazz gigs every Monday night (at 7 Lézards in the Marais district). There is nothing more beautiful than listening & dancing to a romantic tune with the Eiffel Tower in the background – Insiya

*For a good view of the Eiffel Tower you need to go to the Trocadero and look across at it from there. You can have a coffee in the café of the Cité de l’Architecture et du patrimoine which has a small outdoor balcony on the edge of the Trocadero – Sue

We really hope these whet your appetite to visit… we have some great books to accompany you. Click here to see all our full listing of almost 200 books with Paris as their location!

The TripFiction team 

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