Paris Travel Planner – Insiders Guide To The Trip Of A Lifetime

When you're planning your trip to Paris, wouldn't it be nice to have friends who are Paris travel experts? As it turns out, we have years of Paris travel experience, and we're happy to share it with you. So, we'll be your best friends in Paris. Use our advice to plan a smooth visit to the City of Light. Here's how to make it the trip of a lifetime.

1. Lock in Your Airfare

Forget about hotels and restaurants for a minute, airline booking is the first step in your planning. With thousands of accommodation options, you'll certainly be able to find a place to stay in Paris, no matter what your travel dates.

The peak travel period to Paris is June through mid-September. Christmas in Paris is another high season that lasts from around December 18 through the first week of January. Shoulder seasons are late September to mid-December.

2. Choose Your Paris Arrondissement

Flights booked? Now it's time to decide on accommodations. If you're like most travelers, you'll want to stay in a central area of the city. As a visitor it's rare that you'd want to stray outside the city limits.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements or districts numbered 1 through 20. Of these, the most central (for attractions and activities) are:
• Right Bank: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 16th.
• Left Bank: 5th, 6th, 7th

Use our guide to Paris arrondissements to learn all about these neighborhoods, where to stay in them, and what to do in each district.

3. Find the Perfect Hotel

We've reviewed a lot of Paris hotels in all areas of the city, and know that there are scores of really good hotels to choose from. Left Bank hotels and Latin Quarter hotels; charming hotels and luxury design hotels; and so many more that it's hard to know where to begin! Don't worry, though, a good place to start is by reading our guide and choosing from our top-rated hotels in Paris.

4. Arrange Your Airport Transfer

Happy with your hotel and arrondissement? Good. Before we forget, let's arrange to get you from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to central Paris, and back again.

The most common way to get from the airport to the city is by taxi. But, our favorite way is a private car service. You driver meets you at your arrival gate and delivers you directly to your hotel or apartment. Here's the complete information.

5. You've Made It – You're in Paris!

You to Paris and you're snuggled into your cozy hotel. Now we need to make sure that we've helped you plan you Paris activities before you leave home. Paris is a busy place, and you can't wait until you arrive to try to sign up for the best things to to. You'll either find yourself waiting in ling line-ups or be disappointed that activities have sold out.

Don't worry, it's easy to do all that planning in advance, before you hop on the plane. In Part Two of the Paris Travel Planner we'll tell you how to do it, the easy way!

Reminder – Plan Your Special Event

Paris is a great place to celebrate special events and holidays, that goes without saying. Perhaps a marriage proposal, a honeymoon, a special birthday or anniversary, or Christmas in Paris. To get started you might want to consult one of our guides, full of tips and advice to create an event in Paris that you'll never forget.

• Christmas in Paris…
• New Year's Eve…
• Valentine's Day in Paris…
• Paris Honeymoon Planning…