9 Places to Visit in Paris

The Left Bank (Rive Gauche), south of the Seine, holds the Latin Quarter's university district and the government and museum quarter around the Musée d'Orsay and the Panthéon; the Right Bank (Rive Droite) carries the Louvre, the grand boulevards laid out by Baron Haussmann in the 1850s-60s, and Montmartre's hilltop village at the city's northern edge. Notre-Dame Cathedral occupies the Île de la Cité, the river island where the city began as the Roman settlement of Lutetia.

Four mainline stations anchor arrival: Gare du Nord for Eurostar from London and Thalys from Brussels/Amsterdam, Gare de Lyon for TGV services to the south and Switzerland, Gare Montparnasse for Brittany and the southwest, and Gare de l'Est for eastern France and Germany. Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), roughly 25 km northeast, handles most long-haul international arrivals and connects to the centre via RER B; Paris-Orly (ORY), about 13 km south, serves more domestic and European routes and links via the Orlyval shuttle to RER B. The Métro's 16 lines and five RER suburban lines cover the city densely enough that a week's visit rarely needs a car.

April-June and September-October bring the most reliable weather and shorter queues at the major sights; July-August is peak tourist season with the longest lines and highest hotel rates, while much of the city's own workforce is away on holiday in August, closing some neighbourhood restaurants. Museums and cathedrals stay open year-round, so a winter visit trades outdoor comfort for empty galleries and lower prices.