Most tourists are reading guidebooks, and then the whole crowd goes on with the routes mentioned there for better and unknown places for discover. There is nothing wrong with a thorough preparation for the trip, but is it worth using the standard places of interests? Or is it better to have an option of interesting own trip?
Don’t Go to have a look at Mona Lisa
Every day, the Louvre is attended by 25 thousand people and it seems most of them run to admire the famous Mona Lisa in the first place. The first disappointment comes to be that in fact, the portrait is much smaller than we think, after scrutiny of reproductions in the magazine and pictures all over the web. When only one person gets too close to the picture his head almost completely closes it. Naturally, to see anything in such circumstances is simply impossible.
It is better to go against the main stream of visitors and enjoy the remaining thirty-five thousand treasures of the palace which can be admired entirely. Apartments of Napoleon III, the incredible Egyptian gallery and the remaining from the original building design of the Louvre, dating from XII century are more worth your attention.
Don’t Take a River Dinner Cruise
River Cruise is, in fact, an excellent thing and well worth the 12 euros, which it costs. It allows you to see the city from a different angles and different spots. But when it comes to food on the board, the price of your trip may increase in 5-7 times. The only thing you get is dinner with a fairly limited choice of dishes in a noisy crowd of people effecting on your appetite.
There is no reason to eat anything bad in the culinary capital of the world where there are a huge number of Michelin stars awarded restaurants.
Don’t Climb the Eiffel Tower
Another cult place, mandatory for every Paris visitor, is a queue to the elevator of the Eiffel Tower. Specifically, there are seven lines, one for each elevator, to the controller and the cashier. Isn’t this just enough for being annoyed.At the same time inside the creation of Gustave Eiffel looks not as fascinating as from the outside.
If the main reason to climb the tower is the desire to see the city from a bird’s flight, it is better to see the tower from outside and go to another places for better scenes. Excellent panoramic view opens from the Tour Montparnasse and even the Arc de Triomphe.
Don’t Visit the Bastille
Visiting the Bastille could be disappointing. The Bastille fortress was completely destroyed during the Revolution, and the tourists go there only to find, a busy traffic intersection and nothing more. So the tale of the once a powerful fortress might remain just at the point it was known to you.
If you wish to get acquainted with the history of the city it is much better to visit a Musée Carnavalet.
Don’t Take a Da Vinci Code Tour
Most of any such tours are merely an expensive wiring for tourists. They will, most likely, not show you a lot of sights and most of the time typical ones. You will go around the city on the bus, forced to get out of it each time at the sight of the next place, starred in a shot of some movie.
It is better to spend money on a normal informative tour of the city, in accordance with your interests. Here you are, at least, hear the real history of Paris and learn something new.
Don’t Drink Coffee in the “Famous” Café
Once there is something remarkable in the history of café, it is immediately occupied by the crowds of tourists, prices go up in several times, and the quality of food and drinks fed rapidly deteriorates. The Café de Flore or the Deux Magots – favorite place of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, or Café des Deux Moulins are just samples of these places.
It is better to look at the places next door. Most likely, there is a great place nearby, whose owners, trying to survive in competition with the famous cafe, keep the normal price, and pay attention to quality and offer a higher servicing.
Don’t Go to Nice
For unclear reasons, most travelers who want to see something more than Paris, automatically think of Nice. However, the only thing that they find there is a bustling city overflowing with ugly pebble beaches and poor history to tell. You can poke a finger in almost any city on the map of France (except maybe the Marseilles), and it will certainly be better than Nice.
It is better to consider other options available. Bordeaux is just perfect for beach holidays. Here you can watch the competition in windsurfing, and there is the biggest dune in Europe, the Dune du Pyla, and the summit which offers stunning views of the Atlantic, the surrounding pine forests and on the chain of the Pyrenees. However, there is no need to go far from Paris. Loire Valley is located just an hour away, and its historical, cultural and gastronomic attractions will be able to keep you busy for a week or even a month.
Luca is a travel photographer and luxury explorer who brings destinations to life through curated guides and stunning visuals.