Whether you're planning your first trip to France or returning to bask in the City of Lights, Paris is one of the world's most beautiful cities and is always, as they say, a good idea. Nine Muses Travel can arrange all these musts for settling in and making Paris feel like home.
Article except below by David Hochman originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Virtuoso Traveler.
Gain a New – and Inside – Perspective
To truly see Paris, it helps to view it from an unforgettable angle with the help of knowledgeable locals. On-site tour connections provide exclusive experiences throughout the city, starting with guided bicycle or walking tours tailored to your particular interest, be it a graffiti-art survey, an architecture overview, or a Jewish heritage tour. At the Eiffel Tower, arrange a behind-the-scenes visit to the military bunker, the machine room, and other highlights seen only by a fraction of visitors. Also highly suggested: a private helicopter ride over Paris to Versailles, followed by a tour of the famous palace, is a thrilling way to keep entertained for an entire day.
Gather in the Gardens
In good weather, there’s nowhere better to experience Paris life than in one ofits manicured parks or gardens. They’re where citizens go to refresh, relax, flirt, play, dance, and watch the world go by – and best of all, they’re free. Families – and those who love romance – are especially enchanted by Jardin du Luxembourg, with its pony rides, remote-control boats, pétanque courts, and carousel. Jardin des Plantes, the city’s nearly 400-year-old botanical garden, has more than 10,000 species of plants, and the 12th arrondissement’s La Promenade Plantée, like New York City’s High Line, is a cultivated, strollable green space atop an abandoned viaduct. On the city’s northeastern edge, Parc de la Villette has elegantly designed postmodernist structures by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi and lawns where cineastes watch open-air films in the summer.
Get Lost
Sometimes the best itinerary is no itinerary at all. Explore two or three neighborhoods on foot, lingering over a café au lait; for a bit of structure, pick one or two places in each as a target and meander your way there. Marché Bastille, right next to the Bastille monument, is a bustling spot, popular with residents, that specializes in fruit, fresh oysters, and charismatic meat mongers. Dating back to 1615, the Marais’ Marché des Enfants Rouges is the city’s oldest market, but still very much a mostly locals stop.
Stay Local
A villa stay or short-term apartment rental adds a level of intimacy that immediately connects you to Parisian culture. Booking a residential accommodation embeds you while also providing amenities that give your vacation a grounded, domestic feel, from pieds-à-terre all the way up to grand homes for larger groups.
Call or email me when you're ready to make Paris feel like home!
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