Things to Do

Your time in Paris is precious, so you don’t want to waste a minute. A little advance planning is a good thing to avoid some of the typical time wasters - i.e. going to a museum on the one day it’s closed - or waiting in long lines when you could have bought a ‘line-cutting’ ticket in advance from FNAC or Paris Visite.

Paris in Motion

When guests come to visit us in Paris, they know that the first thing we’ll suggest is going for a walk. Paris is a great walking town. Whether you choose to go on an organized walk or your own walking adventure, start at the Seine River. The Seine River and Cite Island is where Paris was first settled. Here, and on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter is where you’ll find some of the oldest vestiges of the city including a Roman arena, les Arenes de Lutece

Although walking is the one of the best and least expensive ways to become acquainted with Paris, you can also rent a bike with the city’s Velib bike rental service, sign up for an organized bike tour, or hop on the Bato-bus or one of the tour boats. Friday nights, put on your rollerblades and join the 9:30 pm Friday Night Fever rollerblade party which starts at Montparnasse. (Pari-roller.com is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2008).Sundays, head for the Paris’s Right Bank, where the avenue bordering the Seine is closed off for walking, cycling and rollerblading. During the winter months, trade in your rollerblades for ice skates and join the skaters at the Hotel de Ville or Montparnasse ice skating rinks.

Planning on Paris in the spring? Take the Metro or bus out to the Bois de Boulogne and rent a canoe on the Lac des Iles. Go for a run along the winding paths of the Bois de Boulogne or the Bois de Vincennes. Or choose one of Paris’s city parks for a jog - Luxembourg Gardens, Parc Montsouris and Parc aux Buttes Chaumont may not be as vast as the Bois de Boulogne, but you certainly won’t be the only one jogging in these popular venues.

Too cold or rainy to stay outside? Sign up for a one-day or half-day cooking class. Or visit a market and then cook.

Rainy weather got you down?

Go underground. Visit the Paris sewers and the Catacombs.

Take a tango lesson.
With Claudia Rosenblatt (Agenda)

Chico Terto

Drop in at WICE for French/English conversation exchange.

Bring out the Artist in You!

Take a stroll through your neighborhood market. Aside from produce markets, Paris has a variety of specialty markets, the most famous being the Porte de Clignancourt or St. Ouen flea market. You can also find stamp markets (as seen in the movie Charade), the old papers market, the book market and the Sunday artists’ ‘Marche de la Creation’ at Metro: Edgar Quinet.

Go to a Sunday afternoon or early evening organ concert in one of Paris’s many churches.
Or wait until evening to attend concert at churches or numerous concert halls.

Try your hand at ceramics at one of Paris’s ‘hands-on’ artist studios.
http://paris.terre-et-feu.com/

Take a drawing class.

Go to a movie at one of Paris’s landmark movie theaters like La Pagode on Rue Babylone.

Go to the opera (either Garnier Opera House or the Bastille Opera House for starters)

Burn Some Calories

Run a marathon or half marathon in the spring, fall or even in winter.

Go for a swim in an artesian well-fed swimming pool at Butte aux Cailles 13eme.
There are 37 swimming pools in Paris.

Getting to Cocktail Hour?

Visit a wine seller’s shop for wine tasting.

Every Day’s a Fiesta in Paris

Be sure to note whether any conventions or festivals will be happening during your visit. (Watch for Parislogue events posting) One of my favorites is the Foire de Paris, held annually at the Porte de Versailles convention center. It usually lasts for a week, starting at the end of April and continuing through the beginning of May.
September, October and November, you’ll find a number of expos at the Carrousel du Louvre including a chocolate show, the annual photography show and sale, French craftsmen’ show, etc.

Fun in the Sun

Summer is the time to check out Paris’s music scene. Festivals range from free jazz festivals in the park to blues festivals on the Seine, gospel music, rock and classical. June 21st, everyone takes to the streets for the Fete de la Musique where you’ll find plenty of music in every Parisian neighborhood.

In summer, you’ll want to also be sure to catch some sun on ‘Paris Plage’ which has expanded from the Right Bank to the Left Bank.

Go for a ferris wheel ride in the Jardin des Tuileries.

The Stade de France in neighboring St. Denis hosted the Rugby World Cup in October 2007. Many other events are staged at Stade de France throughout the year, so be sure to check their calendar for upcoming matches.

Bercy Omnisport Palace is the concert stadium internationally famous bands and soloists are most likely to choose for their Paris stop on world tours, but if you don’t like huge crowds, plenty of nightspots like the Fleche d’Or have become magnets for indie rock groups.

Of course I haven’t even bothered to mention the obvious things you’ll want to do - like going to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and Montmartre and possibly a little shopping? You have only to keep reading. Finding things to do in Paris is so easy - the hard part is trying to choose.
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Looking for more things to do? Check out Time Out’s 50 Things to Do

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