Eiffel Tower 
If you go up the Eiffel Tower in the late afternoon, you get two views for the price of one and the queues aren't as long. Paris looks fantastic all lit up at night.

Museum card 
Buy a museum card - after only about three museums it pays for itself and then you'll feel free to visit many of the smaller, more bizarre museums and sights, such as the spooky catacombs.

Modern architecture 
The wonders of architecture in Paris are not confined to the past. There are plenty of contemporary landmarks, such as La Grande Arche - a 112-metre hollow cube - and the Louvre pyramid.

Beaubourg 
The square outside the Beaubourg (Pompidou Centre) is a fine place to stop and watch some street entertainment, and the colourful moving sculptures and fountains by Tinguely and Nicky de St-Phalle.

Web Bar 
Check out Paris's Internet café, the Web Bar, where you can do more than check your e-mail. There are films and videos, as well as story-telling and chess, on the menu.

Place des Vosges 
Relax on the grass of the place des Vosges in the Marais while classical musicians busk under the arcades of the imposing buildings that surround the square.

Chartres 
The focal point of a day-trip to Chartres is the magnificent rose window of the Cathédral Notre Dame.

Musée Rodin 
The sculpture garden at the Rodin museum provides a wonderful environment for appreciating the sculptor's larger masterpieces.

Berthillon 
Walk across the Pont Marie to Île St Louis and buy the best ice cream in Paris from Berthillon. There are plenty of quirky little shops in Rue St Louis en Île to stroll by and window shop as you savour flavours like rhubarb and peach.

Sacré Coeur 
Climb or take the funicular up to the Sacré Coeur, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the whole of Paris.