Paris, France

Paris is best understood not as a city of sights but as a city of pleasures - the pleasure of a perfect café au lait, of a bistro discovered by smell alone, of sitting in the Jardins du Palais Royal watching Parisians treat daily life as an art form.

The Left Bank remains the most civilised part of the city. The 6th, 7th and 1st arrondissements offer the ideal combination of elegance, manageability and access.

Best months: May-June and September-October. Late spring and early autumn offer mild weather, long evenings and the city at its most beautiful. May is particularly lovely - chestnut trees in bloom, outdoor seating everywhere.

Avoid August - many local restaurants close as Parisians leave en masse, and summer crowds at major attractions are punishing. Christmas (late December) can be magical and less crowded than summer.

The Métro is efficient and central arrondissements are compact enough to walk. Paris is exceptionally walkable - Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower is about 4km on flat ground. Charles de Gaulle Airport: RER B train to the city centre, 45 minutes, comfortable and luggage-friendly.

The 7th arrondissement (around Rue Cler and the Eiffel Tower) is elegant, safe and remarkably peaceful. The 6th (Saint-Germain-des-Prés) offers the classic Left Bank experience. The 1st (near the Louvre) is central to everything. Avoid staying near the major stations unless needed for rail connections.

The Louvre on a Wednesday or Friday evening: Open until 9:45pm and dramatically less crowded. Focus on one or two wings.
Musée d'Orsay: The world's greatest Impressionist collection. Thursday evenings are least crowded.
Sainte-Chapelle: The most transcendent Gothic interior in France - often overlooked, far more intimate than Notre-Dame.
Marché d'Aligre: Paris's most authentic daily market, where Parisians actually shop.
Seine river cruise at dusk: The finest introduction to the city.

Look for the plat du jour at lunch (€14-18 for a complete meal including wine) and reserve dinner at neighbourhood bistros. The classics - duck confit, steak tartare, tarte tatin - remain benchmarks of their kind. The Rue Cler market street in the 7th is the finest food shopping street in Paris.

Paris is largely flat and well-suited to walking. The Métro involves stairs at many stations - Line 14 and RER stations generally have lifts. Evening temperatures drop even in summer - bring a layer. The Paris Museum Pass saves considerable time and money if you plan multiple museums.

Paris is a safe city for visitors. Main caution: pickpockets around the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-C\u0153ur and on the RER B from the airport. Keep bags in front in crowded areas. The central arrondissements are safe to walk at night. Emergency: 112.

Palais Royal gardens (1st) - a beautiful arcaded square hidden behind the Louvre that most visitors walk past.
The queue outside Du Pain et des Idées (10th) each morning is a reliable guide to the best croissant in Paris.
Promenade Plantée: An elevated linear park on a disused railway viaduct - Paris's quieter, more romantic answer to the High Line.