30 Can't Miss Paris Experiences

Riding the Metro is the easiest way to get around the city and the system is easy to learn and manage, especially with the help of the official smartphone app from Mapway that will automatically install the stations and routes into Google Maps on your phone.

The name for this delightful French pastry comes from the French word for "flash of lightening," which is how fast they can disappear into your mouth, making them a perfect street food. You'll find them in a variety of flavors at most bakeries or patisseries or look for specialty éclair shops like LeÉclair de Genie.

You really can't pass up the opportunity to stop for a quick bite at a brasserie, and don't be put off when the waiter or proprietor steps outside to help you interpret the posted menu. It may feel pushy, but it is very French and part of the experience.

Take your first photos on the opposite side of the traffic circle, then take the pedestrian tunnel under the street to get a closer look at the monument and the memorial to the fallen soldiers of WWI. You truly cannot appreciate the scale until you stand beneath it.

The famed southern side of the River Seine was once the cheaper, Bohemian side of Paris, but now is almost as upscale as the Right Bank, but it's fun to imagine yourself strolling the streets where the likes of Hemingway once spent time.

Like a miniature Central Park, located between the Louvre and the end of the Champs-Elysees Gardens, the Tuileries is likely to be crowded with more locals and fewer tourists, giving you an opportunity for a more Parisian experience.

Even art neophytes can appreciate this famous sculpture, and your Instagram friends will forgive you for posting a selfie while striking the pose.

Because cheese! You don't really plan to visit Paris without buying cheese, do you? It can be a bit intimidating, but store clerks are eager to assist even the least knowledgeable cheese lovers.

Enjoying a snack or lunch on the grass beneath the tower gives you the opportunity to slow down from the hectic pace we often force onto ourselves when we travel to a new destination. Take some cheese from your fromagerie shopping or a couple of eclairs and pause to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

The wait in the line at the Catacombs can be as long as two hours. An easier way to experience the dark history of the tombs beneath the streets of Paris is to hire a guide. The guides from The Paris Guy will meet you at a designated point, walk you straight past the line and down into the catacombs for a memorable tour.

You know you want to see the hotel where Princess Diana spent her last hours with boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, so even if you aren't staying at the Paris Ritz, a stroll through the square is perfectly acceptable.

The gardens are almost as spectacular as the palace itself.

Whether you have yours with jam, Nutella, or simply dusted with sugar, cooked-to-order crepes are the street food of choice in Paris-the perfect pick-me-up for an afternoon of sightseeing.

The tower lights come on near sunset, but the real show is the illumination of beacons from below and a sparkle of gold on the tower starting exactly on the hour and lasting for five minutes until one in the morning.

Even if you don't plan to buy a thing, it's fun to stroll along peeking at the merchandise and watching the people. Stop in front of the Lido de Paris, or peer through the gates of the Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store where shirtless young men will help you shop.

Parisians love their burgers, so if you really want to rub shoulders with locals, stop in a hamburger joint. There's even a Five Guys Burgers on the Champs-Elysees.

Turn to The Paris Guy again for a guided tour that gets you out of the line and inside to the best exhibits in a flash.

There are actually two small replicas of Lady Liberty in Paris-one in the Luxembourg Garden and one on an island in the Sein, which you may be able to see on a river tour.

Paris is known for a wide variety of international cuisines. If French food doesn't float your boat, no worries-there are always options. In fact, you could spend a week in the city and not ever eat the same cuisine twice.

Or a maybe a beret. You simply must. There's a lovely string of shops near Notre Dam that feature everything from refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs to scarves and paper weights to remind you later of everything you experienced in Paris.

It is easy to stand in the square in front of the famous cathedral and forget to admire the architecture from various positions.

So what if the Rose Line doesn't actually run through the church as depicted in the movie, you'll recognize the church and that alone is kind of cool. It is also the largest cathedral in Paris-larger even than Notre Dame.

Even if you have no need to use the facilities, stop and appreciate the ingenuity that goes into building a bathroom that cleans itself. If you need to use one of these free potties, wait for the green light, enter, do your thing, open the door, and be sure to step out quickly before the cleaning shower begins.

Both ocean and river cruises often include Paris as a port of call. Ocean cruises on major lines, like Princess, depart from nearby Le Havre, while a wide variety of river cruises are packaged with Paris pre-and post-extensions like this one from Viking.

Especially if your time in the city is short, or you just need to get your bearings before exploring further, try a hop-on-hop-off bus like Big Bus Tours.

Cruising along the Sein gives you a completely different perspective of the city's landmarks and architecture. Paris City Vision has tours both day and night, including a dinner cruise beneath the Eiffel Tower.

Look for happy hour specials in the windows of brasseries as you walk the streets, then join the lively conversations as locals stop for refreshments after work.

This is the best spot from which to enjoy the city at sunset, including the lighting of the Eiffel Tower as twilight falls over the city.

Shop like a local by stopping into a local market a block or two off the main tourist streets. You'll be amazed at the wine prices. You can buy a bottle to drink on your picnic and a bottle to take home for the same price you'd pay for one bottle in a wine shop.

The classic sandwich has thin slices of ham, greens, cheese, and butter spread on a crusty baguette. You'll find versions of it at take-away counters, allowing you the perfect opportunity to picnic in one of the city's beautiful parks.