The French capital’s romantic reputation may never fade, but
Paris impresses travelers for reasons that stretch beyond its cozy cafés and amorous air. “There’s always some undiscovered secret waiting for you here,” says Paris-based Virtuoso agency executive Myriam Guyon. “No other city can match Paris’ soul.”
SPEND AN AFTERNOON: “The area around the place de la République in the tenth arrondissement is full of wonderful patisseries and
boulangeries, such as
Du Pain et Des Idées,” says Richard Turen, a Virtuoso agency owner from Naperville, Illinois. “I love the way the streets seem to have been drawn without a plan, curving around the neighborhood like out-of-control vines.”
DIG IN: “The place to be – and eat – in Paris is three-Michelin-starred
Restaurant Guy Savoy in the sixth arrondissement’s Monnaie de Paris building,” Guyon says. “Just be sure to make reservations at least a month in advance.”
DON’T MISS: “The fact that it sits in a belle epoque railway station is enough for me to recommend the
Musée d’Orsay,” Turen says. “Add that it houses one of the world’s largest collections of impressionist art, and it’s my absolute favorite destination in Paris.”
TAKE A PASS: “There’s no need to spend an afternoon fighting crowds at the
Eiffel Tower,” Turen advises. “It should be viewed at night, when its beauty turns to poetry.”
SOAK IT UP: “
Cruising the Seine with a glass of Champagne is a must-do for discovering the city from a new vantage point,” Guyon says.
PRO TIP: “If you like shopping as much as you like architecture, visit one of the city’s charming
passages couverts [covered passages],” Guyon suggests. “The glass-ceiling arcades were built in the nineteenth century, and each is full of boutiques, theaters, and restaurants. There are several along the Right Bank near les Grands Boulevards.”
GO: New this year for
Tauck: Select eight-day Paris and Provence tours include exclusive, after-hours access to the Louvre. Your crowd-free
Mona Lisa moment awaits.
More: The Insiders' Guide to the World’s Greatest Cities
Photos: Michel Figuet
