Iâm going to Paris next month, never been. Besides the Eiffel Tower and Versaille, what else are must-sees or not worth my time? Thanks!
(sorry for bad spelling)
The Sacre-cour in Montmartre is nice, great views of the whole city, but a lot of steep stairs. Louvre always worth a visit. Notre-Dame will be interesting now but itâs in a fairly nice area anyway to wander about in. Along the Champs Elysses (between the Louvre and the Arc du Triumphe) there is usually a christmas market this time of year, as long as they havenât cancelled it for the yellow vests demonstrations.
My advice would be to manage your expectations. The Paris you see in the films does not exist. Paris Syndrome is a thing for a reason, it is a very ârawâ, brutal and unfiltered city. I actually like this aspect of it compared to the âcleansedâ feeling you get in London etc. Expect to be approached multiple times a day, either people trying to sell you stuff, scam you or just asking for money. Just say no or ignore and they will leave you alone for the most part.
Paris is also one of the coldest places Iâve been this time of year - wrap up well and take waterproofs.
That being said, Iâve never, ever had a problem in Paris and wouldnât hesitate to go tomorrow.
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Take the 2 hours tour bus. It is worthy as it takes you all around the city showing the most famous spots and teaches you some of the history as well.
They also offer a hop on and off bus, so you can use it as a transportation from one spot to another.
If you have an extra day, also go to Versailles Palace. Itâs beautiful. You can get there by train and the trip itself is not so bad.
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Does Paris have good ethnic food? Iâm living in Europe and can take a break from European cuisine tbh.
Iâm the wrong person to advise about food to be honest, food for me is like petrol, hopefully someone else will be able to answer you helpfully.
The kebab is the unofficial dish of Paris. Itâs everywhere you look. Also easy to find Chinese where you can get good CP, other SE Asia food, and Japanese. Mexican but not remarkable.
Yes, not always, but it can be very cold so a good tip is to stay very close to a Metro entrance so you can duck underground when needed.
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London is gross enough, yikes.
Wow, i didnât know Paris was so cold in the winter.
https://www.imarabe.org/en/practical-information/restaurants-and-cafe
wonderful view on top of the intitute, right above the Seine River and several historical monuments. Good lebanon cuisine (try at least one meze/mezze if you go to âle Zyriabâ restaurant, ah and the wine is really ok there)
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You can take the cable car to avoid the stairs.
I like the following places in Paris:
CimetiĂšre du PĂšre Lachaise
Parc des Buttes Chaumont
MusĂ©e dâOrsay
MusĂ©e de lâOrangerie
The following places are worth a look if youâre into it:
Musée Rodin
Opéra Garnier
Catacombs (youâd have to go very early)
The garden of Versailles is incredible but if you go in winter it would look a bit shit so maybe you can skip that one.
I also recommend the Seine cruise tour near Pont Neuf station, though itâd be freezing in winter. Youâd get to see most of the famous monuments.
I find Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe all really lame. You can still go but prepare to be disappointed since thereâd be a fuck ton of annoying ass tourists and pickpockets.
Btw the metro is trash but itâd still be better if you get like a week ticket or something since thereâs no other way to move around the city. Do not stand near the door when youâre in it and do not put your bags down in restaurants or cafes.
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+1 for catacombs, looks awesome.
I just want to add, if you want to go somewhere thatâs like the Paris you see in the movies, then visit Vienna. Beautiful city and it has a similar atmosphere to Taipei in terms of the laidback and friendly attitude.
Well Viennese ppl are known to be haughty as shit. I did think it was really nice though. Itâs one of the very few European cities that actually fits the Europe stereotype. Itâs clean and safe and an architectural wonder, and the public transport is actually good.
Yeah, that looks really cool. Definitely have to see if I can fit it in.
Anything in particular youâd like to see?
For ethnic food, the falafels in the Marais area are some of the best Iâve had ever (though Iâve yet to go to the Middle East). For authentic ramen served by Japanese cooks in a bustling Japanese ramen-ya ambience, try naritake.
For Versailles, plan a whole day there, visit the castle in the morning, the other cottages in the park early afternoon, then rent a bike and cycle around the parkâitâs HUGE, almost as big as the city of Versailles.
If you aim at a visit to the Louvre, use one of the side entrances nobody knows about, thatâll save you hours of queuing: https://sightseekersdelight.com/guide-to-louvre-secret-entrances/
My favourite museums are Orsay (for impressionists and other late XIXth - early XXth art), Musee du Jeu de Paume (they often host big names in photography), Musee Rodin and Musee Maillol (various exhibitions but always good quality).
My favourite spots are the Shakespeare and Cie bookshops (former gathering spot for Hemingway and the likes), the place des Vosges (filled with little art galleries) and a walk from the Jardin des Tuileries to the Jardin des Plantes, passing by the Ile de la Cite.
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Just whatâs worth seeing and whatâs not really worth it. Food recommendations are always appreciated.
Updated my post with some more things. Things worth seeing are always up to people tho⊠I personally could see New York without stepping in Central Park or seeing the Empire State.
It closes at 4 so if you canât get there before 2 donât bother. The queue at 2 is like 2 hrs since only limited number of ppl are allowed in at a time.
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The ruins of Notre Dame
Donât forget to get a Royale w/ Cheese. 
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ab7eVVG3I8s
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WTFâŠthere is a strike and my flight might be cancelled from Air France. I hate Macron so much, he just sucks.
Well that does suck. Are you there now, or are you still in Italy?
Also, fwiw, the other day I was reading an account of the 3rd Reichâs governor of Paris, Dietrich von Choltitz, during WWII. There were evidently lots of Parisians wandering the streets during the blackouts late in the occupation, after Normandy and after it was obvious Germany was on the back foot.
The account said that Paris is very beautiful under moonlight, with no streetlights or other artificial light. Even the French were oohing and aahing; nobody living had seen Paris bathed only in moonlight before. Paris was built to be beautiful under moonlight, according to this account. Rare these days, of course.
Thought it was an interesting observation. Good luck!