ITALY & FRANCE PARIS DESTINATIONS


food... Paris is illustrious in almost every field, perennially popular with romantics and dreamers, fashionistas and foodies, artists and architects. In fact, it’s a hit with anyone


C IN PARIS


Laura French rounds up the


best sights in Paris for clients on a two-day getaway


@laurafrench121


who’s charmed by strolling along peaceful river banks, sipping coffee on outdoor terraces and lingering over five-course lunches, all the while surrounded by champagne-coloured beaux-arts buildings and emerald-green, palatial parks. One visit isn’t enough.


Alongside all the traditional sights there are modern art museums and eclectic flea markets, bohemian hangouts and cutting-edge restaurants, edgy neighbourhoods and world-renowned nightclubs – all of which mean you’re never short of something new to see.


ity of love. City of light. City of art, culture, fashion,


After a year spent living there


I still felt like I’d only scratched the surface, and there’s always a reason to return. To help inspire both you and your clients, we’ve put together a 48-hour guide, including classic must-see sights and unusual spots that’ll have them feeling happily smug as they skirt past the three-hour queues at the Eiffel Tower.


w DAY ONE 09.00: Montmartre. Kick things off with a trip to Sacré-Coeur, the iconic basilica perched above Paris in the artsy northern neighbourhood immortalised by the film Amélie. It’s a steep climb up, but the panoramic city views are ample reward. Afterwards, while away some time exploring the cobbled lanes, souvenir shops and artists’ square that make up Montmartre. Round it off by picking up a breakfast


treat at one of the city’s best bakeries, Boulangerie Alexine.


10.30: Notre Dame. Hop on a metro to Gothic-era Notre Dame, where the architecture is just as impressive on the inside as the out, with its intricate stone columns and ornate chandeliers. Then climb to the top for swoon- worthy views over the city (free entry; €10 to climb the towers).


11.30: Musée d’Orsay. Wander west along the Seine, past the stone-built Pont Neuf – the city’s oldest bridge – to reach the Musée d’Orsay. It’s my favourite museum here, with colourful impressionist works by the likes of Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Degas, housed in a beautiful domed-ceiling building that started life as a 19th-century railway station (entry is €12; closed on Mondays).


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TOP TIP Many sights are free


for under-18s and for 18-25s living in the EU; some are free for all on the first Sunday of the month


PICTURE: SHUTTERSTOCK


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