Hotels in Paris

Paris rewards walkers more than box-tickers. The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower deliver, but the city's real pull is smaller: a morning market on Rue Mouffetard, the Musée d'Orsay's top floor, crossing the Seine at Pont Neuf as the light goes. It's compact — you can walk from Notre-Dame to Montmartre in ninety minutes — and the Métro fills every gap.

Be honest with yourself: waiters can be brisk, August is half-shut, and anywhere within sight of the Tower charges accordingly. The Marais (3rd/4th) is the best all-rounder for a first visit — walkable, lively late, close to everything. Saint-Germain (6th) is calmer and pricier; the 10th near Canal Saint-Martin is better value with quick Eurostar access via Gare du Nord.