Paris is my favourite city in the World. No, I am not a Parisian, I actually live in Melbourne Australia but try to incorporate Paris in as many trips as I can when passing through Europe.

How you enjoy the city, or indeed any place that you visit, depends on what you are looking for. If you are interested in art then look for art tours that will include the Louvre and more and so on - for particular areas of interest.

My suggestions, for what they are worth are as follows:

First of all do some research, think of something you would like to do in Paris then google it and see what comes up.

Paris is an ancient City and it has history oozing from every corner.

• Walk around the Bastille area and imagine what the cobbles under your feet could tell you about the revolution.
• Climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower and marvel at the 'blueness' of the townscape punctuated by the stark whiteness of Sacre Coeur.
• Make your way to Place du Tetre where the artists hang out and watch them working (beware though because this is a real tourist trap now but still worth seeing).
• Enjoy the "plat du jour" at any of the cafes in any of the squares or streets with outdoor tables in summer or winter with a 'pichet' of local wine and finished with a short, thick french coffee that is always perfect!

By the way, you will have to look up those words yourself - I am not going to translate them for you!

My favourite area to stay is Montmartre, it is like a little village in the middle of the City and is full of life - it is also right on top of the red light district so if you are not comfortable with seeing life in the raw then stay elsewhere.

If you want to really spoil yourself then take a dinner cruise on one of the 'bateau mouche' which take you past all the great landmarks of Paris while you dine in a glass topped boat. You will even see the original statue of liberty (you will have to look that story up as well).

When I am in Paris I always start my day by getting a fresh baguette and/or croissant for whichever is the local baker nearby and enjoying it with a cafe au lait - standard french breakfast.

Travelling around on the Metro is easy and cheap and you can wander around place like Notre Dame (and see if you can spot the hunchback?). You can go and see the Mona Lisa in real life or you can explore the book stalls along the banks of the river.

I could go on for hours but I wont - I will just suggest that you can safely land in Paris with no plans at all, orient yourself with a local bus tour and then explore whatever you want at your own pace.

Small hotels in most locations around Paris are fine and perfectly comfortable so you don't need to book the big expensive one - all rooms will be small and you will need to specify that you want a room with a shower but again, you can check them out on the internet.

Be adventurous, have fun and enjoy!