I’m in love with the city of love - here’s how to make the most of your trip to Paris 2024

Paris is one of my favourite places - perhaps because I got engaged there - and my husband and I visited again recently, this time with our two children in tow. Having experienced the city both as a couple and a family, I have some advice for anyone going there for the first time.

If you’re heading to Paris to soak up some of the Olympic action this summer, you’re likely to want to experience at least a flavour of what else the French capital has to offer alongside the global sporting event. The city’s most famous attractions are well documented but you might miss out if you only stick to the main tourist traps.

And while it’s tempting to attempt to cram in a huge list of activities, this approach can result in rushing through and not properly experiencing any of it. Not to mention the huge cost of getting into all of the ‘must-see’ places.

Instead, I suggest you get the best of both worlds, both ticking off those famous Parisian landmarks and fitting in experiences not on everyone’s Paris bucket-list. You might also find this method also saves you a bob or two as well.

So, tip number one is to buy a ticket for the BigBus Paris, hop-on hop off tour. This will take you around all the major sights including the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame, as well as a trip up the Champs-Elysées to see the Arc de Triomphe. Ticking off these ‘must-see’ landmarks from the bucket list can really take the pressure off and frees you up to do some things which are perhaps a little less obvious.

If you simply couldn’t pay a visit to the city of love without seeing the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower, or you can’t pass up the opportunity to see the Mona Lisa in real life, you can of course include this in your itinerary but it’s worth choosing a maximum of just one of these major attractions per day so you can really make the most of them and get your money’s worth.

My second tip would then be to think about all the many other things Paris has to offer and choose the things that fit in best with your interests. For culture vultures, the city, of course, has much to offer - grand theatres such as the Comédie-Française and, for classical music lovers, Opéra national de Palais Garnier, are worth adding to your own list.

On a budget? No problem. On your sight-seeing bus tour, look out for street theatre, hop off and be entertained for free - or the cost of a few coins in a hat at least. You can also find free music concerts at many of Paris’ churches.

For the fashion conscious, a spot of retail therapy is likely to feature high on your list. For those with deep pockets, head for the couture houses on the Right Bank, and for the rest of us, there are stores specialising in vintage, second-hand, sale items and seconds where bargains are there for the taking.

If you are going as a family, you and the kids are likely to need respite at some point from the hustle and bustle of Paris 2024 so why not head to a summer beach resort. No, I don’t mean you should leave the city. Every summer, the Seine riverbanks and the Villette canal basin are transformed into a beach, complete with parasols, deckchairs and palm trees. Now, doesn't that sound like a more inviting option than waiting in line with the hordes of other tourists at the Louvre?

But perhaps my top tip for visiting Paris is to forget about what you see and do and focus almost entirely on what you eat. If the capital of France is famous for anything it's for fine food. Whether you treat yourself to some haute cuisine or see the city from a cafe terrace. Again, for anyone on a budget, you can still pick up quality produce from the many markets located all across the city.

In other words, don’t follow the crowds. Take yourself off the beaten path and do what the Parisians do. You might just find your memories of Paris 2024 are all the more special for it.