BonjourParis

7th Arr

Paris - 7th Arrondissement

First destination stop for those heading to Paris will almost always be the Eiffel Tower in the 7th arrondissement. Seeing the majestic tower is almost surreal -- and certainly exciting -- but visitors beware: the lines will be long, the tour busses will seem to have the advantage, the food (unless you call ahead at least three months in advance to dine at Jules Verne) is expensive and atrociously bad, and once you get up top, you'll have this gorgeous view of Paris -- without the Eiffel Tower in it! Still, you have to go. Best to arrive first thing in the morning, before it even opens, to beat the lines (this way you'll also beat the lines you'll have to wait on to get to one elevator after another once on the tower). If you don't plan to do the Eiffel Tower pre-opening, then don't be too ambitious with your schedule for the rest of the day -- a visit planned at the wrong time, can eat into the better part of a day. Another head's up... as easy as it is to get around Paris, the Eiffel Tower's metro stops seem to be quite some walking distance. Other things to do in the 7th arrondissement: Another first-visit must-do if you want a smaller musuem than the Louvre: the Musée d'Orsay is the second most visited museum in Paris.  Les Invalides has Napoleon's Tomb inside, and is as majestic as it is astounding. The outside of Hôtel des Invalides -- especially approaching it at sunrise or sunset from Pont Alexander III, is amazing. Perhaps the most underrated must-do on a first trip to Paris is a visit to the Musée Rodin -- after marveling at the sculptures inside and out, plan a lunch in the garden, simply because it's a gorgeous place to be. For shopping, nothing will beat Le Bon Marché and it's glorious la Grande Epicierie de Paris.