Paris with children is a different, better city: the carousel and puppet shows of the Jardin du Luxembourg, éclairs deployed at strategic intervals and the Cité des Sciences — Europe's biggest science museum — with a whole floor built for small hands. Climb the Eiffel Tower's stairs to the first level to dodge the worst lift queues, then let a Seine boat trip do the sightseeing while everyone finally sits down. Best from about age five.
Featured in Ten easy city breaks that work with kids in tow · Family
Paris earns the cliché nightly: the Eiffel Tower glittering on the hour, wine on the banks of the Seine, the smell of butter escaping every corner boulangerie. Skip the padlock bridges and head for the Marais at dawn, Canal Saint-Martin at golden hour and a tiny bistro where the menu is chalked and short. Winter Paris, all fogged café windows, may be the most romantic version of all.
Featured in Ten of Europe's most romantic city breaks · Romantic
Paris took its time joining the cocktail renaissance, then did it with typical hauteur: Little Red Door in the Marais and Danico, tucked behind the mosaics of Galerie Vivienne, now rank among Europe's finest rooms, while South Pigalle — SoPi to its regulars — supplies the louche late-night atmosphere. The French twist is aperitif culture, so start early with something bitter and build slowly. Tuesday to Thursday gets you bar seats; at weekends the small rooms fill by nine.
Featured in Ten cocktail cities for a very grown-up bar crawl · Nightlife