Places to stay

From small boutiques selling handmade fashion to quirky spaces peddling unusual designs, these are the best independent businesses in Paris.

Europe

France

Paris

A Guide to Paris’s Best Independent Shops and Businesses

These 10 cool neighbourhoods in Paris have infused their rich histories with a vibrant new generation of innovative creatives.

The 10 Best Neighbourhoods in Paris

Paris is one of the world's most-visited cities and a popular destination for couples. A lifetime isn't enough time to discover everything this romantic city has to offer, but our guide will help you take in three cool neighbourhoods and some major monuments; as well as setting you up with restaurant recommendations for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

How to Spend 24 Hours in Paris

Want to experience Paris without the crowds or lines, museum-hop like a local with Culture Trip's guide to Parisian museums' late nights and free days

Guide to the Best Museums in Paris

Eat your way around the City of Lights like a local at one of these Culture Trip-curated hotels

11 Places To Stay in Paris That Are Perfect for Foodies

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The 7 Best Luxury Hotels in Paris

The City of Light has always drawn big thinkers: writers, revolutionaries, green pioneers

Beacon for architecture. Capital of haute couture. Epicentre of culinary excellence. Paris sits at the cutting edge of culture: for every world-renowned museum, big-name fashion house and Michelin-star restaurant, there’s a contemporary art gallery, an up-and-coming designer boutique and an innovative young restaurateur doing things very differently.

Introducing Paris

Newsflash: France’s capital is popular. Overcrowded tourist hotspots are still worth visiting if you’re smart about it, but there are some worthwhile alternatives. Take the Mona Lisa: it might be the most famous painting in the world, but the Louvre has 35,000 artworks worth seeing that aren’t blocked by selfie sticks. And while the Champs-Élysées is beautiful, these days it’s your standard high street – complete with a McDonald’s. Instead, try Rue de Marseille and the nearby Canal Saint-Martin, an area popular with young Parisians for its bars, boutiques and concept stores. Another lively, under-the-radar area is Porte de Clignancourt, with its large flea market and fantastic views of the Sacré-Cœur. Of course, there are some quintessentially Parisian experiences that’ll never get old: a stroll along the Seine, a trip up the Eiffel Tower (try a ‘stairs and lift’ ticket) and settling down with a bottle of wine and steak frites at one of the City of Love’s many brasseries.

Paris attractions and experiences

Featured in our original series, Hungerlust, at French bakery Legay Choc, bread is steeped in gay pride. The boulangerie flaunts la baguette magique, a penis-shaped loaf of bread.