'We’ll always have Paris' - Casablanca
Ah Paris, where do you start...
A great thing about switching to low-carbon travel is knowing that over the coming years, we'll pass-through Paris many times. We can cast aside any urge to gulp down Paris in one go and accidentally end up with Paris Syndrome. Instead, it will become an old friend.
So, with that in mind, why not pick just one or two things to do on you way through?
Highlights
Landmarks: Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Panthéon
Wander along the riverside promenades of Parc Rives de Seine or take a boat trip on the river - Batobus, Bateaux Parisiens and Bateaux-Mouche are popular options
Museums: there are over 130 museums in Paris from the Louvre to the Musee des Égouts (museum of Paris sewers). If you haven't been before, why not try the Musée D'Orsay (former train station housing Impressionist and Post-impressionist works), Pompidou Centre ('inside out' museum of modern art), Musée de l'Orangerie (home to Monet's immense water-lilies paintings), Musée des Arts et Métiers (Europe's oldest science museum) or Jeu de Paume (centre for photography and media)
Take in a show, concert or caberet - follow this link to see what's on by month
Visit the bohemian mecca of Montmatre, take a selfie with Sacré-Coeur and take in the views of Paris (see station stroll below)
Paris catacombs - a labyrinth running under the city and housing the bones of six million souls.
Station strolls
The chances are that, at some point, you will find yourself waiting for a train in Paris.
I've also made some downloadable PDFs with suggested strolls that might help (I'm working on something for Gare Montparnasse...)
They are accompanied by some Google maps which should work with your phone app.
Gare de Lyon and Gare d'Austerlitz Google map
Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est) Google map
Lockers
Each of the stations have lockers.
Gare du Nord's lockers are on the lower ground floor
Gare de Lyon in Hall 3
Gare d'Austerlitz are in Espace Services, sector tracks 1 to 7
Gare Montparnasse are in Hall 1, level 2, near track 24.
There are also a plenty of places (usually hotels) that are part of the nannybag scheme where you can leave your bags with them.
Guided tours
Tourist info provide a list of tours which you can find here.
There is also a network of greeters who will show you the place from their point of view for free.
Walk from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon
If you need to cross Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, rather than take the metro or a taxi, why not take a stroll along the Canal Saint-Martin in the style of 'flâneurs' such as Walter Benjamin?
or you could read about it here.
Getting there
The easiest way to get to Paris from the UK (or London at least) is by Eurostar.
Useful links
Tourist Info: https://en.parisinfo.com/
Finding walks: https://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/walks-in-paris