In your opinion, what are the top 10 Paris tourist attractions?

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Kathryn B

1. The Eiffel Tower because you get to see a great panorama of the city. It's usually windy (which makes it feel much colder), so add an extra layer of clothing even if it's nice out.
2. Sidewalk Cafes and Bakeries. Now that France has a smoking ban, sitting inside a cafe won't be as constricting for your lungs, but I still recommend the outside. Watch the people, take your time with a drink. It's heavenly and you won't be forced away from your table if you want to linger. At the boulangerie, order a beautiful dessert for just a couple of Euros, or try a fresh baguette or other bread (pain a la ancienne is good) for under 2 Euros.
3. The Louvre. Plan to spend a day if you like art because in reality you'd need a week. The Mona Lisa is smaller than most people realize. Many great works of art.
4. Le jardin des Tuilieres (might have spelled that wrong, sorry). It's just outside the Louvre and when in bloom, it's a lovely mix of flowers and statues.
5. Versailles. OK, it's outside of Paris, but it's only about a 45 minute train ride, so it's reasonably close. Pictures can't do it justice. Get the audio guide and mosey around at your own pace. It's a good deal to pay for all of the tours.
6. Notre Dame's Bell Tower. Another great city panorama. You have to walk up many narrow winding stairs though, so you need to be relatively physically fit.
7. A walk along the Seine (or a river cruise). Check out the typically Parisian architecture and catch a breeze from the water if it's a warm day.
8. A crepes stand. There's nothing like a fresh crepe made by a friendly street vendor. Start with a ham and cheese (jambon et formage) crepe for your meal. Walk a few blocks. When hungry again, purchase either a Nutella or butter and sugar (beurre et sucre) crepe. Yum!
9. Check out the haute couture shopping on the Champs-Elysees. Also look into Galleries Lafayette, the largest department store in Paris.
10. If you want to see something truly scary and at the same time entertaining, after checking out the Arc d'Triomphe at the end of the Champs-Elysees (there's a pedestrian tunnel to get you there), stop and take a minute to watch the traffic circulating around the monument. It's quite a sight!

I hope you can enjoy the traditional tourist attractions, the everyday Parisian life, and the wonderful food that Paris has to offer.

forestpirate

I stayed in Paris for 3 days in 2000. From my experience the top tourist attractions are as follows - though #9 and 10 are not likely to be top attractions, but I really enjoyed them.

1. Eiffel tower
2. The Louvre
3. Montmartre (with La Basilique du SacrÃ© Coeur)
4. Arc d'Triomphe (at the end of the Champs-ElysÃ©es)
5. Notre Dame Cathedral
6. Gare Du Nord (One of the main train station - nice architecture)
7. Musee d'Orsay
8. Musee Rodin
9. The Catacombs (not for the squeamish - there are literally thousands and thousands of skeletons down here)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_Paris
10. La Defense is interesting for the weird buildings http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/defense.htm

â™¥ Freya â™¥

1. Eiffel Tower
2. Louvre
3 Versailles
4. Musee D'Orsay
5.Napoleon's Tomb
6. Notre Dame Du Paris
7.Sacre Coeur on Mont Martre
8.Moulin Rouge
9 Pere La chaise Cemmetery
9. Arc de Triomphe
10. Champs Elysees

Of course..cannot decide which is the best of them..they are all FABULOUS

distant_foe

1. Eifel Tower - watch out for the illuminations each hour on the hour for ten minutes, from dusk until 1am

2. SacrÃ© CÅ“ur - great views over Paris

3. Sainte-Chapelle -an often over looked a Gothic chapel with AMAZING interiors

4. Louvre - reduced tickets from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m on Wednesdays and Fridays

5. Arc de Triomphe - climb to the top and have a straight view down the Champs Elysees

6. Notre Dame - the rose window idates back t0 1250

7. MusÃ©e d'Orsay - unlike almost every other musuem in Paris, it is open on a Tuesday and closed on a Monday (others close on a Tuesday, open on a Monday)

8. Catacombes - the bones of an estimated 6 million Parisians

9. Invalides - tomb of Napoleon and a spectacular building

10. PÃ¨re Lachaise Cemetery - resting site for many famous people: Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Chopin etc etc

Runner up: Fontainebleau - it's a little outside Paris. A palace which rivals Versailles in everything except the crowds

Erin M

This may not be the most popular, but I would highly recommend the Salvador Dali Museum in Place du Tertre. It is very interesting and hip- not like your typical art gallery.

If I went to Paris again I would try to catch a Moulin Rouge show.

promethius9594

1) the eiffel tower
2) the hotel des invalids (napolean bonapartes tomb)
3) A river boat cruise (takes about an hour)
4) The Louvre (classical art)
5) Notre Dame
6) Saint Chappelle (near notre dame, best stained glass in the world)
7) Sacre Couer (and nearby painter's square)
8) L'Opera (and nearby shops/fragonard perfume/cologne factory)
9) The Arc de Triomphe
10) La Musee D'Orsay (modern art)

As to the catacombs, I believe those have been shut down to tourists recently, so a visit would take alot of special organizations.

MEW

You want only 10?
1. Eiffel Tower
2. Arc de Triomphe
3. Louvre
4. Musee d'Orsay
5. Champs Elysees
6. Jardin de Luxemburg
7. Place de la Concorde
8. Notre Dame
9. Sacre Coeur
10. Printemps

wassupmang

I'm going back to Paris in October and I want to see a live concert at the Olympia. If you are looking for tourist attractions for yourself ask yourself if you really enjoy museums and old churches before you go just because everybody else is doing. For me, I enjoyed the Dali museum and working through that neighborhood in the Montmartre section. The Louvre is probably the most famous museum, but I'm not so much of a history and art buff so it bored me. I liked Dali because it was like looking at the expressions of one individual. Anyway, enjoy walks in the Gardens and having bread on the benches, coffee breaks in little cafes. The city of Paris a big museum.

rosbif

Can't resist this...btw which station does the guy before me mean? Nord, Est, St Lazare, Montparnasse, Austerlitz, Bercy??? Spot the yankee tourist...see he went back to clarify afterwards too...

Anyway, back to the Q.

1, The roadworks outside my house. They must have set a world record by now, 18 months non-stop digging and filling of holes.
2, The dog turd mountain in my road. My personal record is being able to see 12 from my window, today there are only 9.
3, My local supermarket. I have now set a personal best of 24 consecutive unreturned "bonjours" by the staff.
4, My car. I now call it a S***roen instead of Citroen...frogs are as bad as yanks at putting decent cars together.
And now some more famous ones...
5, The Champs Elysees. Possibly the only road in Paris with more turds per mile than my road.
6, The Eiffel Tower. If you want to by cheap rubbish from African vendors, no need to go to Africa, you have 1000s to choose from right here!
7, Montmartre. If having a pickpocket story is an essential part of your back-from-holiday -bore-the-neighbours dinner party, this is a must-see.
8, The inside of a Paris taxi. Jump in at Gare d'Est and say you have a train in 15 mins at Montparnasse while waving a fist full of Euros. If you keep your lunch down you qualify for a free badge!
9, Notre Dame. The only place in Paris that you see orderly queues. Why? Because the frogs avoid it like the plague as it's filled with tourists.
10, The airport departure lounge.

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