Paris for First‑Time Travellers: The Magic You Can’t Capture in Photos
Having seen the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and all those postcard-perfect Parisian streets countless times in movies, television shows and photographs, Paris almost feels familiar before you ever arrive. That was certainly true for me when I recently had the opportunity to visit.
But once you’re actually there, it doesn’t take long to understand why the City of Lights has captivated travellers for generations.
There is something different about walking those streets yourself, sitting at a café watching the city hum around you, or suddenly catching a famous landmark in the distance. Paris has a personality photographs simply can't capture.
Of course, before you can experience Paris, you have to get there.
Getting to Paris
Air France offers service connecting Ottawa travellers to Paris, and the airline came highly recommended. After experiencing it myself, I understand why.
We opted for Business Class on the journey to Paris. Interestingly, our Air France experience began on the ground. We departed from the Ottawa train station aboard an Air France coach to Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.
It may seem like an unusual way to begin an international flight, but the experience was smooth. The coach was spacious and comfortable, and everything felt like part of the Air France journey.
Check-in at Montréal-Trudeau was seamless, and Business Class gave us access to the Air France lounge before our overnight flight.
For travellers interested in Business Class, pay attention to pricing and book early. Depending on your dates, fares can fluctuate by thousands of dollars. Flexibility and advance planning can make a significant difference.
On the return flight, we booked an economy option with additional legroom. While it obviously lacked the amenities of Business Class, it was still a comfortable experience with excellent service.
Arriving in Paris
Our overnight flight brought us into Charles de Gaulle Airport in the morning.
Before the trip, I had heard warnings about how daunting the arrival process could be. Our experience was the opposite. Travelling from Canada, we waited less than ten minutes before being processed and continuing on our way.
Paris offers public transportation, taxis and ride-sharing services. If you're taking a taxi, use the official taxi stands outside the terminal. If someone approaches you inside the airport offering a ride, keep walking.
We opted for an Uber, dropped off our luggage and freshened up.
It was still morning. There would be no sleeping — we had Paris to explore!
Roland-Garros and Parc des Princes
Our first stop was Roland-Garros, home of the French Open and one of the four Grand Slam venues in tennis.
Our guide, Lionel, was outstanding—knowledgeable, passionate and very funny. As we walked through the hallowed grounds, his enthusiasm made it easy to appreciate the history and significance of the venue.
That's what a great tour guide does. They don't simply show you a building; they make you understand why it matters.
Unfortunately, Lionel may have set the bar a little too high for our next stop.
From Roland-Garros, we travelled down the road to Parc des Princes, home of Paris Saint-Germain.
Before discussing the tour, I should disclose my bias: I am a proud Manchester City supporter.
Naturally, I felt it was my responsibility to thank every PSG employee I encountered for "saving football" by defeating Arsenal in the Champions League final.
As for the stadium tour itself?
It was . . . fine.
I've experienced several stadium tours, and this one fell somewhere in the middle. There is certainly something exciting about entering the home of one of Europe's biggest football clubs, but the tour never quite matched PSG's stature.
Perhaps Lionel had spoiled us, but our guide seemed more focused on checking off the required stops than making the stadium come alive.
If you’re a devoted PSG supporter, you’ll undoubtedly get more from it. Otherwise, it’s good rather than great—and Paris offers plenty of great.
A Movie in Paris? Of Course.
Later, we visited one of the most spectacular movie theatres I've experienced: Le Grand Rex.
Who goes to Paris and spends part of their vacation inside a movie theatre?
This guy.
Especially when the movie is The Odyssey.
Calling Le Grand Rex simply a “movie theatre” doesn't do it justice. The historic cinema and concert venue feels more like an old-fashioned movie palace, with its massive main auditorium turning a night at the movies into an event.
There I was, having travelled across the Atlantic to one of the most beautiful cities in the world . . . and watching a movie.
No regrets.
For film lovers visiting Paris, Le Grand Rex is absolutely worth experiencing. Even if you don't see a film or concert, tours of the historic venue are available.
After an incredibly full first day, it was finally time for sleep.
We would need it. Versailles was waiting.
A Day at Versailles
The next morning, we headed to one of France's most famous attractions: the Palace of Versailles.
Getting there from central Paris is relatively straightforward, with the train journey taking roughly 40 minutes depending on your starting point.
Once you arrive in Versailles, finding the palace is even easier.
Follow the crowd.
Seriously.
After a short walk past shops, cafés and restaurants, you'll find yourself approaching one of the world's most recognizable palaces.
Then you see it.
Photographs don't prepare you for the scale.
The former royal residence contains approximately 2,300 rooms across more than 63,000 square metres. It is opulent, excessive, beautiful and overwhelming all at once.
After experiencing the splendour inside, venture into the gardens. The Estate of Versailles covers hundreds of hectares and seems to stretch endlessly into the distance.
Don't race through the palace; take two photos outside and leave. Walk around. Explore. Take a break and appreciate the sheer scale of the place.
Getting Around Paris
I quickly learned that Paris is much easier to navigate than its size suggests.
The city is divided into 20 municipal districts called arrondissements, beginning with the 1st arrondissement in central Paris and spiralling outward.
Understanding them can make planning your trip considerably easier.
Instead of bouncing from one side of Paris to another, organize your itinerary geographically. If you’re visiting the Louvre in the 1st arrondissement, for example, look at other attractions nearby and build your day around that area.
You'll save time—and probably discover places you hadn't planned to see.
Paris is best explored rather than rushed. Sometimes the memorable part isn't reaching the next attraction. It's the bakery you stumble across, the café you decide to try or the beautiful street that makes you put your phone away and simply look around.
The Icons of Paris
Of course, you can't visit Paris without experiencing some of its most famous landmarks.
The Arc de Triomphe was one of my favourites. If you're able, make the climb to the top. The spiral staircase can be tiring, so take your time. Your reward is an incredible panoramic view of Paris, including a spectacular perspective of the Eiffel Tower.
Speaking of which, I also encountered a little-known attraction called the Eiffel Tower.
Perhaps you've heard of it.
Joking aside, it is an absolute must.
I've heard the argument that you can't get the best pictures of the Eiffel Tower while you're standing on it. Fair enough. But I couldn’t imagine travelling to Paris and not going up.
There are different ticket options depending on how high you want to go, including access to the summit. Seeing the tower illuminated at night is another experience altogether.
No matter how many times you’ve seen it in pictures, there's something special about seeing the Eiffel Tower in person.
Beneath Paris
For something completely different, descend approximately 20 metres underground into the Catacombs of Paris.
This was one of the most moving experiences of the trip.
The Catacombs contain the remains of millions of people, and walking through them is eerie, fascinating and strangely peaceful. The experience takes roughly an hour and provides a dramatic contrast to the grand monuments and busy streets above.
Paris has incredible beauty above ground, but some of its most fascinating history lies underneath it.
The Louvre
Then there is the Louvre.
Calling it a museum almost feels inadequate.
We spent approximately six hours there and still felt as though we had barely scratched the surface.
Of course, you'll find famous works such as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, but don't make the mistake of treating the Louvre as a two-item checklist.
Explore.
Some of my favourite moments came from wandering into galleries I hadn't specifically planned to visit and discovering something incredible.
Arrive early, wear comfortable shoes and accept that you're not going to see everything.
You can't.
And that's part of what makes the Louvre so extraordinary.
The Parisian Lifestyle
Beyond the landmarks, some of my favourite memories came from simply experiencing everyday Paris.
I noticed small cultural differences compared with Ottawa and North America in general.
Tipping culture, for example, isn't the same as what we're accustomed to in Canada and the United States.
But one of my favourite observations involved patios.
One of my new favourite things is simply sitting on a patio with something to drink and watching the world go by.
I have Paris to thank for that.
In Canada, when two people sit together on a patio, they generally sit across from one another. In Paris, it's common to see people sitting side by side, both facing the street.
I loved that.
Why stare at each other when you can both watch Paris?
Where to Stay
Where you stay can make an enormous difference to your experience in Paris, and I couldn’t recommend Hôtels Émeraude more.
During our trip, we stayed at two of their properties: Hôtel Hélios Opéra and Hôtel Louvre Montana. Both offered comfortable accommodations, excellent service and, perhaps most importantly when visiting a city like Paris, a welcoming place to return to after a long day of exploring.
First, allow me to dispel the myth that every Paris hotel room is tiny. I’ve stayed in some very small hotel rooms over the years, and these certainly weren’t among them. We had enough space for our luggage and could comfortably move around without feeling cramped. The rooms were also exceptionally clean and well maintained.
If possible, get a room with a balcony.
There is something wonderfully Parisian about beginning your morning with a hot chocolate and croissant on a balcony while the city wakes up around you. It’s one of those simple experiences that makes you stop and appreciate exactly where you are.
The staff at both hotels were exceptionally kind and accommodating. Whether we needed recommendations, directions or simply had a question, they were always happy to help. For someone unfamiliar with the city, that level of service goes a long way.
Hôtel Louvre Montana also has one significant advantage: its fantastic location. Situated in the heart of Paris, just steps from the Tuileries Garden and a short walk from the Louvre, it puts you within easy reach of some of the city’s most famous attractions. We could leave the hotel and almost immediately find ourselves surrounded by the architecture, cafés, shops and landmarks that make Paris so special.
Being able to explore so much of central Paris on foot was incredibly convenient and made Hôtel Louvre Montana an ideal base for the latter part of our trip.
Both properties delivered exactly what we wanted: comfort, cleanliness, excellent service and a genuine sense that we were staying in Paris rather than simply visiting it.
Planning Your Own Paris Adventure
With most of Paris's major attractions, I strongly recommend making reservations before your trip. Popular sites can sell out, especially during the summer.
Paris je t’aime, the city's official tourism resource, was instrumental, helping me plan what became one of the best trips I've ever taken.
We visited in July, when Paris was certainly busy, but never found the crowds overwhelmingly unpleasant.
There is so much to experience that one trip will never be enough.
The monuments are spectacular. The museums are world-class. The history surrounds you.
But what stayed with me just as much were the smaller moments: sitting on a balcony with a croissant, watching people from a café patio, walking down a beautiful street with nowhere urgent to be, or simply looking up and realizing once again: I'm in Paris.
The City of Lights lived up to its reputation.
And then some.
Thanks to Inès and the entire team at Paris je t’aime for helping with this trip.
