Paris is one of those cities that other cities aspire to be. The food, the architecture, the light, the particular way Parisians carry themselves through their own city — it adds up to something that no amount of visiting fully exhausts. I keep going back. I suspect I always will.
The first thing to know about Paris from London is that the Eurostar makes it almost absurdly easy. You leave St Pancras International in the heart of London and arrive at Gare du Nord in the heart of Paris — no airport, no transfer, no security theatre, no lost luggage. The journey takes around two hours and twenty minutes, and if you book in advance you can travel Business Premier for a price that makes the experience genuinely worth it: wider seats, a meal served to you, and a calm arrival rather than the frantic energy of a budget airline terminal. I have done it both ways. Business class on the Eurostar, booked early, is one of the great travel upgrades available for the money.
From elsewhere, including the US, flights into Charles de Gaulle are plentiful and often very competitively priced. The RER B train from CDG to central Paris takes around 35 minutes and costs a fraction of a taxi — it is the practical choice for almost every arrival.
Getting there —
the Eurostar is the only way from London
If you are travelling from London, there is genuinely no reason to fly. The Eurostar connects St Pancras directly to Gare du Nord, Paris, in two hours and twenty minutes. Book Standard class in advance for excellent value. Book Business Premier when you find a deal — it transforms the journey into something worth arriving for in itself. A meal, a proper seat, a glass of something cold and two hours of uninterrupted quiet before Paris begins.
The honest answer is: yes, if you book ahead. Business Premier at full price is expensive. Business Premier booked four to six weeks in advance, particularly on midweek trains, can be genuinely reasonable — and the experience is meaningfully different. A proper meal service, more space, dedicated check-in and a calmer boarding process. For a short break to Paris where the journey is part of the experience, I would book it every time with advance planning. Standard is perfectly comfortable and entirely fine — Business Premier is the upgrade that rewards the organised traveller.
Paris itself is navigated by metro — one of the most efficient underground systems in Europe. Buy a carnet (a book of ten tickets) or, for longer stays, a Navigo pass. The metro covers the entire city and runs frequently. Taxis exist but the metro is almost always faster, cheaper and less frustrating than sitting in Parisian traffic.
Where to stay —
stay near the Champs-Élysées
I always choose to stay near the Champs-Élysées, and I recommend it without reservation. The location puts you within walking distance of the best shopping in Paris — Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, the flagship boutiques of every major house line the avenue — as well as the Arc de Triomphe, easy metro access and the particular energy of central Paris. It is not the cheapest area to stay, but the convenience and atmosphere justify the premium completely.
I have stayed at the Hilton Paris Opera — a classic, well-located hotel near the Opera district with easy access to the 8th and 9th arrondissements and a very short metro ride to everything. Reliable, comfortable and genuinely central. For something with a different energy, CitizenM Paris Champs-Élysées is an excellent choice — modern, design-led, brilliantly located right off the avenue itself and significantly better value than the traditional luxury hotels nearby. The rooms are compact but beautifully designed, the rooftop bar is excellent, and the location is arguably the best of any mid-range hotel in central Paris.
The experiences
worth every moment
Paris has an overwhelming list of things to see and do, which is part of what makes it so easy to visit repeatedly — you never exhaust it. Here are the ones I return to, recommend most and would not skip regardless of how many times I have done them before.
The avenue itself is worth walking in both directions at least once — not to shop necessarily but to feel the scale and energy of one of the great urban thoroughfares in the world. The flagship luxury houses line both sides. Further along, Printemps Haussmann is the department store I always make time for — eight floors of fashion, beauty, homewares and food, with one of the best beauty halls in Europe and a rooftop café with a view over Paris that most people never find. Go to the top floor. Sit down. Look at the city.
Montmartre is the Paris that the postcards cannot quite capture. Take the metro to Abbesses, climb the hill through narrow streets lined with artists and cafés, and make your way to Square Jehan Rictus where Le Mur des Je T'aime — the Wall of Love — covers an entire wall with the phrase "I love you" in 250 languages on deep blue tiles. It is genuinely beautiful and completely free. From there, continue up to Sacré-Cœur at the very top of the hill — the white-domed basilica with a panoramic view over the entire city that stops you in your tracks. The steps leading up to Sacré-Cœur are as much of the attraction as the view itself — artists line the streets and steps displaying their work, musicians play, people from all over the world sit and people-watch in the afternoon sun. I spent a long, completely unplanned afternoon up here once — just sitting on the steps, watching the artists work and the city stretch out below. One of the most relaxed and genuinely enjoyable afternoons I have had in Paris. The hill is a proper climb. Allow time to linger at the top.
I have taken a night cruise on the River Seine and it is one of the most beautiful things I have done in Paris. The Eiffel Tower lit up, Notre-Dame from the water, the Louvre on the bank, the bridges each illuminated differently — Paris at night from the river is Paris at its most theatrical. The Bateaux Mouches and Bateaux Parisiens both run evening cruises, some with dinner, some without. Even the standard one-hour cruise with no dinner is genuinely special. Book in advance and go in the evening when the city is fully lit. It is the perfect end to a Paris day.
In 2026 you must book your Louvre entry in advance — timed entry is mandatory and the queues without a ticket can run to several hours. The museum is vast and genuinely extraordinary. I booked a guided tour on my visit — the best decision I made there. The Louvre is enormous and a guide navigates you directly to the highlights without the hours of wandering it would otherwise take. If your time is limited, a guided tour is genuinely worth the additional cost. The Mona Lisa is smaller than everyone expects and surrounded by crowds — go early in your time slot for the best view. Beyond the Mona Lisa, the Louvre rewards exploration: the ancient Greek and Roman sculpture rooms, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the grand Napoleon III apartments. Find the quieter galleries and photograph the architecture itself — the glass pyramid from inside, the long perspective of the Richelieu wing, the courtyard at golden hour. Some of the best Paris photographs are taken inside the Louvre.
The best thing to do in Paris costs nothing and requires no planning at all. Turn off the navigation and walk into a neighbourhood you do not know. The arrondissements behind the main tourist trail — the winding streets of the 6th around Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the residential calm of the 7th, the market streets of the 11th and 12th — hide the Paris that Parisians actually use. The café you find by turning a corner, the one with two tables on the pavement and a handwritten menu, is almost always better than anything on a list. Sit down. Order a café crème. Watch the city pass.
You have seen it a hundred times in photographs and it still takes your breath away in person. My favourite approach to the Eiffel Tower is not the obvious one — some of my best photographs have come from pedestrian back streets where the traffic clears and the tower appears suddenly at the end of a road, completely unexpected. I have also photographed it from the gardens, from the river on the Seine cruise and from a picnic blanket directly in front of it — the Champ de Mars lawn is the perfect spot to sit, eat, drink something cold and look at one of the great views in the world without paying anything at all. A picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower is one of the most Parisian things you can do. The tower sparkles for five minutes every hour on the hour after dark — stay for it.
Eating and drinking —
the Paris essentials
Paris is one of the great food cities in the world and it would take a lifetime of visits to exhaust it. Here are the things I consider non-negotiable — the ones I do every single visit without question.
The hot chocolate at Angelina on Rue de Rivoli is one of the defining food experiences in Paris. It arrives in a small white pot, impossibly thick, intensely chocolatey, served with a dish of whipped cream on the side. It is not a drink. It is an event. I have had it and it is everything the reputation promises — rich, thick, almost impossibly good. Angelina has been serving it since 1903 and the queue is always there but always worth it. The interior is beautiful — all gilt and mirrors and the particular grandeur of Parisian Belle Époque. Sit in, take your time and order a Mont Blanc while you are there.
A Paris morning without a fresh croissant from a proper boulangerie is a morning slightly diminished. The French take their bread with extraordinary seriousness — the best croissants are layered, buttery, shatteringly crisp on the outside and soft within. Walk five minutes from your hotel in any direction and you will find one. Order a croissant au beurre and an espresso. Stand at the bar. This is how Paris starts the day and it is entirely correct.
The Marais is where Paris eats well and cheaply relative to the tourist areas. The Jewish quarter on Rue des Rosiers has falafel that queues form for and is absolutely worth the wait. The surrounding streets have excellent independent restaurants, wine bars and the kind of relaxed neighbourhood bistros where Parisians actually eat. Walk from the Place des Vosges — the most beautiful square in Paris — into the streets around it and find somewhere that looks right. I have eaten well every time I have been here. Avoid the laminated menus with photographs.
In Paris, standing at the bar for your coffee costs less than sitting at a table, which costs less than sitting on the terrace. This is not a secret — it is simply how it works. For a quick café crème or espresso, stand at the zinc bar. For a longer sit and a chance to watch the neighbourhood, take a terrace table and understand you are paying for the privilege of the pavement. Both are entirely correct Paris experiences depending on what you need from the moment.
The neighbourhoods
worth exploring
The avenue, the arc, the luxury shopping, Printemps and the particular grandeur of central Paris. Stay here, base yourself here, walk it in both directions. The 8th is where Paris puts its best face on.
The bohemian quarter on the hill. Sacré-Cœur, Le Mur des Je T'aime, the artists' square at Place du Tertre, the Moulin Rouge at the base. Take the metro to Abbesses and walk up. Allow two to three hours.
The literary quarter. Cafés where Hemingway sat, bookshops, the Luxembourg Gardens, independent boutiques and the most walkable, human-scaled streets in the city. The Paris for wandering without purpose.
"Paris is the only city I know where getting lost is never a problem. Every street leads somewhere worth finding."
— Anjie, Style & Soul 35+What to pack —
the Paris edit
Paris is a walking city built on cobblestones. Your footwear choices will define your experience more than anything else you pack. The rest follows from that single truth.
In that order.
Comfortable flat shoes — cobblestones everywhere. Ballet flats, loafers, quality trainers. Your feet will walk 15,000+ steps a day and heels are a choice you will regret by noon.
One statement blazer — Paris is the fashion capital. Looking considered matters. A good blazer over almost anything elevates an outfit to Paris-appropriate instantly.
A structured cross-body bag — hands free, secure, stylish. The right bag for a city that rewards walking and requires awareness in crowds.
Layers not bulk — Paris weather is changeable. A light trench coat covers almost every situation and photographs beautifully against Parisian backdrops.
Neutral palette — Parisians dress in neutrals. Black, cream, camel, navy. You will feel more at home and photograph better against the city's architecture.
A packable tote or extra bag — leave room in your luggage for Paris shopping. Printemps, the boutiques off the Champs-Élysées, the Marais independents — you will buy things. Pack light going in and leave space for what you bring back.
An offline map downloaded — Paris wifi can be unreliable in the metro. Download Google Maps offline before you arrive so you can navigate without signal.
Your Eurostar ticket on your phone — always saved offline. Gare du Nord is busy and you do not want to be searching for a booking confirmation in the queue.
The honest tips —
from someone who keeps going back
Book the Louvre and Eiffel Tower in advance. In 2026, both require timed entry tickets booked online. Turning up without one means hours in a queue that could have been spent somewhere better. Five minutes of planning saves half a day of frustration.
My personal recommendation is April or late September to early October. April in Paris is everything the song promises — the city is in bloom, the light is extraordinary and the crowds have not yet reached summer levels. Late September into October brings beautiful autumn light, slightly cooler temperatures perfect for walking and a noticeable drop in tourist volume. July and August are hot, very crowded and significantly more expensive. I have visited in both peak and shoulder season — the shoulder season visit is a completely different and better experience.
Learn three French words and use them. Bonjour, merci, pardon. Parisians do not expect you to speak French fluently. They do appreciate the effort of a greeting. Start every interaction with bonjour and the temperature of the room changes immediately.
Avoid the tourist menu restaurants near the main landmarks. The laminated menus with photographs of the food outside Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower are for people who have not done their research. Walk two streets in any direction and find where Parisians are actually eating. Ask your hotel concierge for a genuine local recommendation rather than a tourist-board one.
The Eurostar goes both ways. The return trip from Paris Gare du Nord to London St Pancras is as easy as the outward journey. Leave with time to spare — Gare du Nord is large and the Eurostar departure area requires going through UK border control on French soil. Allow 45 minutes before departure minimum.
Paris is exceptionally walkable. Many of the distances that look long on the map are 20 minutes on foot — and walking between neighbourhoods is how you find the things the map does not show you. Walk first, metro when the distance genuinely requires it.
Paris is one of those cities that asks something of you in return for everything it gives. It asks you to slow down. To sit at a café table without your phone. To eat well and take your time. To walk until you are wonderfully lost. In return it gives you the most beautiful backdrop in the world for doing all of those things. A fair exchange.
For a complete change of pace from a European city break, Dubai is where I go when I want full restoration rather than cultural immersion.