Paris City Guide

Activities in Paris

The land of the 5.00 EUR café au lait is not exactly Europe's cheapest destination, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank to visit. Devoted scrimpers can get by on around 50.00 EUR per day, though it means a whole lot of brie-and-baguettings in the park. For a more well-rounded culinary experience and a comfy bed or two, a minimum of 90.00 EUR is in order. Of course, for the Dom Perignon crowd, those figures might not cover even the day's pourboires - count on dropping 200.00 EUR and up if you're really living large. Student and senior citizen discounts are common. Whatever your budget, figure on everything being up to 50% more expensive in Paris.

Those languid Parisians are now real fitness freaks (although they still manage to balance things out with a fine respect for indulgence). Gyms and fitness clubs are a penny a barrel, the parks are rife with cardio bunnies and adventure sports are trés chic.

Participate

On an airy summer's day get onto the cool of the water - float down the Seine (or the Marne, the Oise or any of the city's canals) in a canal boat. Rentals are available year-round.

Paris has a thing for skating - hire some inlines and join the crowds in the city's parks. In winter the Patinoire du Parvis de la Défense and Patinoire de l'Hôtel de Ville bring ice skating into the public arena.

One of the best bowling alleys in Paris, Bowling de Paris, can be found in the Bois de Boulogne.

Yes, the work-out craze has hit even tobacco-stained Parisians; there's now a gaggle of gyms in every neighbourhood.

Public swimming pools abound in Paris - for large-scale splashing check out the Aquaboulevard water park.

Tours in Paris

3-Day Hors d'Oeuvre

Three days in Paris will inevitably leave you yearning for more, but at least you'll have some idea of why people go ga-ga for the place. On the first day, get up high and see Paris from above - it's a flat city and rewards the climber. Try the Eiffel Tower - it may be a cliché, but the view is still magic - or even a balloon tour. The roof of Notre Dame is a marvellous place to take the measure of the city's topography; tip your hat to the blackened gargoyles then trip downstairs for a look at the fabulous interior. Finish the day with dinner in Montmartre.

On the second day, go wild over art - this is Paris, after all. Check out the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée Rodin; recover with a pastis on the Champs-Élysées before tackling the Louvre. Then enjoy a night of mirth and gaiety in the Marais.

Start the third day slow, with brunch on the place des Vosges. Wander off to see the famous dead at Cimetière du Père Lachaise, then take in a concert, opera or ballet at the Palais Garnier or Opéra Bastille, or a play at the Comédie Française, before heading off on a bar and club crawl in Ménilmontant.