Paris truly is a remarkable city and in my experience, one of the few capital cities which I have visited that actually lived up to the hype. Almost everything that you read and hear about Paris is true, something that cannot be said for many destinations which are given hyperbole about how great it is when in fact, it isn’t.

Having used France vacation rentals throughout the country, it wasn’t until I arrived in Paris that I felt that I had found somewhere to call home for a while and I have lived here for the past 18 months. Somewhat surprisingly, many of my European friends have never been to Paris before and I spend my days speaking to them and waxing lyrically about this incredible city. If you have never been and need some further reasons why you should come, here are my top ten.

The Sights

If its attractions and iconic structures you are after then Paris has them in spades and they all live up to the hype. From the Eiffel Tower which can be seen throughout the city to the beautiful, pyramid designed Louvre art gallery, the intricate architecture of Notre Dame cathedral and the huge Arc de Triomphe, you don’t have to look too far in this city to witness an iconic sight. Besides, you can visit all the sights you want with the hop on hop off Paris Bus Tours, it is easy and accessible.

The Food

Parisians do cuisine to a very high standard and you can sample some of the finest French and international food in the capital. Paris has over 70 Michelin starred restaurants and even at the lower-budget end of the scale you can find some beautiful, home-cooked food.

Love Really is in The Air

Being named the World’s most romantic city could be a heavy burden for many cities to bear, not so with Paris and there really is romance around every corner. Couples kissing in the street, whispering sweet nothings in the parks and hooking padlocks on the bridges bearing one another’s initials are what you will find in the city of love.

Cheap to Get to

If you are traveling from inside Europe then you will find Paris one of the cheapest and easiest places to travel to. By train you can reach Paris from across the continent, including the UK through the Channel Tunnel. Paris has a huge international airport with hundreds of low budget airlines buzzing in from around Europe.

Retail Therapy

If you love to shop then Paris is going to be like a theme park for you with small boutiques, fashion outlets, department stores and some of the World’s trendiest fashion designers using the city to sample there products. Style is everywhere in this city and for the fashionable amongst you, it will be the perfect place to parade your new look.

The Art

As well as housing one of the finest art museums on the planet, which incidentally features the most famous painting in the World, with the Louvre Museum and of course, The Mona Lisa, Paris also houses the largest collections of impressionist art anywhere on Earth throughout many of its museums. If you are a fine art lover then you can spend days and days trawling through the vast collection in the city.

The Cafes

Everyone always drones on about cool cafes when talking about a city but the truth is that the majority of them are trying to catch up to what Paris already has, beautiful, quaint, tranquil cafes that has a real culture surrounding it. The heartbeat of the city can be found throughout the little cafes that you will find down almost every street in the city.

The Patisseries

If you love soft, flaky and sweet pastries and cakes then you are going to find the finest range of baked goods in the World in Paris. Pastry chefs must go through years of rigorous training in order to work in the city’s patisseries and as such you will be able to explore the sweet and delicious world of choux buns, croissants, pain au chocolat and everything in between when you  visit the French capital. Better still, many patisseries are open 24 hours which means that your sweet tooth can be indulged at any hour.

The River Seine

The River Seine flows directly through the heart of the city and provides you with one of the most fun ways of embracing the best of the city. From a  river cruise you will be able to see the very best attractions in the city with a tour guide to inform you as you float. If you want pure elegance then take a night cruise down the Seine with some champagne and oysters, pure Parisian bliss.

I could talk forever about why you should come to Paris if you have never been but instead, why don’t you just get booked up and come see for yourself.