A Perfect Day In Paris

8.00am

Breakfast

If your hotel doesn’t serve breakfast, ask the concierge for directions to the nearest good boulangerie; buy some freshly-baked croissants or pains au chocolat and find a leafy square nearby to eat them in.

9.00am

Seine boat tour

Begin at the city’s origin, the River Seine. Make your way to the western tip of the Île de la Cité, via the steps down from the Pont-Neuf. From here, take one of the Vedettes du Pont-Neuf boat tours; it is a lovely way to see the city.

10.30am

Rue de Seine

From the Pont-Neuf, walk along quai de Conti, then amble down characterful rue de Seine with its art and fashion boutiques.

11.00am

Coffee break

At the Palais du Luxembourg, turn left and walk along the railings of the famous Jardin du Luxembourg, the most elegant of Paris parks. Stop for a strong espresso at smart café Le Rostand , on the square at the garden’s eastern tip.

12 noon

Park and lunch

After a stroll through the Jardin in the company of joggers, boules players, statues and smooching couples, make your way to nearby restaurant La Ferrandaise and enjoy a light lunch of updated French classics.

2.00pm

Paris history

Walk towards the river along teeming boulevard St-Michel, then catch the Métro to St-Paul. Walk up rue Malher to the Musée Carnavalet and spend an hour or two exploring Paris’ history through the paintings and artefacts.

4.30pm

Retail therapy

Make your way back to Métro St-Paul and go straight to Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile station. Take a moment outside the station to admire the Arc de Triomphe, then walk down the Champs-Élysées, dipping into the swanky, big-brand shops as you go.

6.00pm

Montmartre and dinner

Take the Métro to Abbesses, on the hill of Montmartre. Follow your nose through the atmospheric, winding streets. After dinner at the friendly bistro Chez Toinette, walk to Sacré-Cœur and savour the panoramic view over the city from its front steps.

9.30pm

Bar hopping

Walk downhill to boulevard de Rochechouart and take a taxi to the République and Oberkampf area, which is littered with trendy bars. Try rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, which runs parallel to rue Oberkampf, just east of place de la République – the perfect counterpoint to the historic attractions you saw earlier.