Big, beautiful Paris, France, can prove difficult to navigate during your first visit to the city. Make the most of your time by learning in advance find the most popular tourist sights. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame de Paris, Louvre Museum and many more landmarks await, if you only know find them.
Instructions
1. Get a street map of Paris, France, before beginning your explorations. You can find public transportation maps on the backs of many bus stops, but it's best to have a detailed street map to carry with you. Get one at any major bus or metro station, or buy a book containing maps for individual arrondissements (neighborhoods).
2. Go directly to the center of Paris if you're short on time. Many of the city's major architectural and cultural wonders crowd together on and near the two islands in the middle of the Seine. The number four metro line and numerous bus lines cross the Ile de la Cite near Notre Dame, and you can walk or ride to other sights nearby.
3. Follow signs directing you to France's most popular tourist spots. Even if you can't speak any French, you probably know many of the sights' names, and signs bear simple pictures. In addition to Notre Dame, you can find Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie on the Ile de la Cite.
4. Stay close to the banks of the Seine as you leave the Ile de la Cite. If you face downriver, the Right Bank lies on your right-hand side and the Left Bank on your left. Walking downriver from the Ile takes you towards the Louvre, Tuileries, Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe on the Right Bank, as well as the Musee d'Orsay, Invalides and Eiffel Tower on the Left.
5. Walk along the Paris boulevards laid out by Baron Haussmann to find more of the city's landmarks. Haussmann placed the boulevards so that monuments dominate the major intersections. You can't miss the boulevards, as they cut wide swaths out of the fabric of the city. The place de la Concorde, Madeleine and Opera Garnier dominate intersections on the Right Bank, while the Tour Montparnasse, Luxembourg Gardens and place St. Michel preside on the Left Bank.
6. Wander through the smaller, twisting streets of individual neighborhoods if you still have time. Starting from the Place St. Michel, explore the famous Latin Quarter of Paris and enjoy street foods like crepes and paninis as you walk. Take a bus or the metro out to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and the Right Bank street artists, or stroll through the wealthy Faubourg St. Germain near the Luxembourg Gardens.
Tags: Right Bank, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Left Bank, Luxembourg Gardens