Paris one of the most beautiful cities in Europe has an abundance of activities for tourists.

Perhaps most famous of all crowded but irresistible, the Eiffel Tower is open 09h30–23h; from mid-June to end August, 09h–midnight. If that doesn’t take your fancy, how about the 200-year-old Arc de Triomphe, one of France’s most iconic monuments and the epicentre of city-planner Baron Haussmann’s star of boulevards; it’s worth clambering up its many internal stairs to peer down the Champs Elysées and enjoy pleasingly photogenic panoramic views of the city. Open daily, 10h–22.30h (23h in summer), excluding 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Tickets cost €8 and must be bought 30 minutes before closing.

The Louvre (www.louvre.fr) houses some of the world’s most famous art (open late on Mondays and Wednesdays; closed Tuesdays and some holidays). The Musée National d’Art Moderne is on level four of the Pompidou Centre (www.centrepompidou.fr). Musée National Picasso Paris is in an old house in the Marais, and is full of the artworks Pablo couldn’t bear to part with; the venue is as alluring as the art itself (www.musee-picasso.fr), also the case for Musée d’Orsay, a converted train station (www.musee-orsay.fr).

Visitors can also now make an excursion to the beach without leaving the city, thanks to the palm-tree-lined white sand of Paris Plage, a summertime addition to the right bank of the Seine (near the Pont Neuf and Hotel de Ville).

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is one of the city’s famous long streets full of designer boutiques; our favourite is Colette, a celebrated lifestyle shop with fashion, books and a café. There are lots of shops, cafés and restaurants in the Marais and Latin Quarter. Porte de Clignancourt market is a fleamarket for clothes and antiques, open Monday–Saturday until 19h. Or arrange to have a selection of Parisian vintage pieces brought to you by Ooh La La! (ring +33 684 765 865 ahead of your trip for details).

Live out your Louis XV/Mme de Pompadour/Marie-Antoinette/Sun King fantasies (delete as applicable) at the incomparable Château de Versailles, just outside Paris (www.chateauversailles.fr).

The Seine’s open-top Bateaux-Mouches riverboats are a popular way to see the sights; most depart from Pont de l’Alma. Word of advice: stick to a one-hour trip and give the touristy dinner cruises a miss.