6 days ago,
krlutz2009 says:
It depends on what you are most interested in. Art, architecture, history, culture, it's all there. The biggest problem is choosing what to do in your time-frame.
Obviously the Eiffel Tower is a must-see, but I highly recommend climbing up the L'Arc de Triomphe (spiral stairs inside the side columns). The view isn't as "birds-eye" as the Eiffel Tower, but it's in a much more interesting location and isn't nearly as crowded.
The Musee D'Orsay is good for impressionist and modern art while the Louvre is better for more traditional and renaissance art. Expect to see huge crowds (especially in the afternoon) if you go to the Louvre.
A visit to the Sacre Coeur is lovely, and is more visually appealing than Notre Dame, both in surroundings and overall feel. Notre Dame almost always has scaffolding around portions of the facade because of restoration/cleaning. -side note about Notre Dame, there is an amazing little ice cream shop to the left of the cathedral, highly recommended :)
Those are just the touristy basics if you're only going to be in town for a few days. If you'll be there longer, I would try to avoid going to all of the museums at once because it's very overwhelming. Take your time and wonder around the city, stroll into the bakeries, and just enjoy being in Paris.
A trip to Versailles would be well worth your time if you can manage it. Especially if you go when the orange trees in Marie Antoinette's gardens are in bloom. The gift shop in the palace has amazing jams and jellys.
It helps to know French, or at least enough to get around, as many Parisians are very snotty if you don't at least attempt to speak to them in their own language.
I hope this gives you an idea of where to start, but you should personalize your vacation for your interests. You really can't go wrong!
