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Paris

Destination guide

Paris

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Paris destination guide, Traveller.
The reality is most French – including waiters in Paris – are friendly and helpful.

Of all the stereotypes of Europeans, this one is the most unfair

The reality is that if you find the French unfriendly and rude, it’s probably your own fault.

  • Ben Groundwater
Unlike our tablemates, we didn’t book Septime three weeks ago.

This famed Paris restaurant was booked out. But I had a secret weapon

This restaurant was our white whale; Michelin-starred and on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

  • Katherine Scott
People swim at the Grenelle safe bathing site on the Seine river in Paris, France, Saturday, July 5, 2025, during the opening of the three Seine swimming pools, as part of the ‘Paris Plages’ event. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

Paris’ ‘filthy’ river reopens to swimming after 100 years. I jumped in

Off-limits for more than a century due to pollution and safety concerns, the River Seine has reopened to bathers. I was one of the first to take a dip.

  • Henry Samuel
You can’t just roll up at the door and walk in at the Musee d’Orsay.

I’ve discovered the unexpected cost of not planning my travels

Be spontaneous, people always tell you. It’s the only way to travel. Leave everything unplanned and just go with the flow.

  • Ben Groundwater
Notre-Dame de Paris’ iconic west facade after five years of restoration works.

Return visitors to revitalised Notre-Dame cathedral will be astonished

Intrigue over the notorious 2019 blaze has become a key element in experiencing the world-famous cathedral.

  • Katherine Scott
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It is in its public areas that Madame Reve really shines.

Not every hotel has a grand history, so some are just making one up

The Ritz and Raffles might be historic and storied, but what about a new hotel? How does it quickly get a personality?

  • Lee Tulloch
TGV Duplex INOUI high-speed train.

France’s fast trains are stress-free, but beware the backwards seats

 France’s high-speed TGV INOUI is more than an inter-city train. It crosses international borders too.

  • Kristie Kellahan
Super spread... a wide selection of butter brands and flavours at La Grande Epicerie de Paris.

When friends found out I was going to Paris, they all wanted one thing

Butter is the hero of innumerable dishes in France, where its quality is strictly enforced by law. The big problem is getting it home to Australia.

  • Shaney Hudson
Of the nine million visitors to the Louvre each year, 70 per cent are there just for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.

Visiting France’s most famous museum has become a nightmare

With huge numbers queuing for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, visiting the Louvre is an ordeal. And now Australians will have to pay even more to visit.

  • Abigail Buchanan
Attracting millions of tourists each year, Venice has long battled pickpockets .

Beware: Europe’s worst spots for pickpockets named

Locals in Rome, Venice, Barcelona and Paris reveal the train lines and tourist attractions where petty crime is rife.

  • Amanda Hyde

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/topic/paris-lku