Paris

Paris is the most visited city in the world, and it has survived that distinction better than most. The Eiffel Tower is as extraordinary in person as every photograph suggests — not because of the tower itself but because of what it does to the city around it, how it appears unexpectedly at the end of streets and across rooftops in a way that makes Paris feel permanently theatrical. The Louvre is larger than most people anticipate; a single visit covers a fraction of it. Notre-Dame, damaged in the 2019 fire and reopened in late 2024 after a meticulous restoration, is again one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. The monuments earn their reputations. The task in Paris is not finding what to see but deciding what to leave out.

The city's arrondissements each have a distinct character that a single visit rarely captures fully. The Marais — the 3rd and 4th — holds the best concentration of medieval architecture and the city's Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities in close proximity. Montmartre is tourist-facing but genuinely beautiful above the crowds, particularly in the streets behind the Sacré-Cœur. Saint-Germain-des-Prés is the literary left bank of the 20th century, still recognisable even if the rents have changed. Halal restaurants are concentrated in the 18th and 19th arrondissements and in the suburbs of Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers, though certified options now exist across much of the city.

Four nights is the standard recommendation and it holds: enough for the major museums, time in two or three neighbourhoods, and at least one long meal that doesn't feel rushed. Paris is also the natural hub for a broader France itinerary — the TGV puts Lyon two hours away, Bordeaux three, Marseille three and a half. For a first visit to Europe, it remains the most logical starting point, and one of the few cities that consistently meets the expectation it sets.