UPDATED 2024 - I am asked all the time for help with itineraries to France. If you've been before, great! I can recommend some wonderful "off the beaten path" locations. But for the first-timer, I will start by admitting there is no perfect itinerary. And, follow with, 3 days is not enough time in Paris. But that is what I am asked to share. So if you have more time, this plan will still work with plenty of down time to wander or add another adventure. Highly recommend. And if you are unable to stay longer, this will help you see a good deal of Paris.

That said, I offer the following very ambitious 3-Day itinerary for Paris. It assumes you will not do everything, and that this is all the time you have for the City of Lights! 

First bit of advice, do some reading on being a guest in France.
For some more visit advice, see Advice for Visiting France for the First Time or Dining in Paris

For 2 months in the spring of 2019, a time before Covid and when Notre Dame sadly ignited during my stay, I took an apartment in Paris. Kind of...

​I had visited Paris many times, but always traveling to or from somewhere for a week or so. I wanted to experience a bit of daily life, settle in and brush up my French. I was researching my book about Daisy Polk, so the perfect excuse to stay for a month+.  Originally I had reserved a two story flat in the Rue de Levis 17th Arr., but that fell through at the last moment, and I found a modern 2 bedroom apartment in Boulogne Billancourt with a large outdoor balcony and real elevator. Unheard of in my price point. Booked! (see the red heart on map)

Why I would stay in Boulogne again
Technically not Paris but a separate village that retained its independence when other villages were joining the City, it is served by two Metro lines which makes coming and going to anywhere in Paris a breeze. Actually better than many locales inside the center that are only served by one line. This upscale residential village neighbors the 16th Arr. of Paris proper (where I usually love to stay). That village ambiance is what I (and my guests) loved about Boulogne Billancourt. AND ... the bus or train to Versailles is a 20 minute ride from the front door. What's not to love? 

The trade-off for "modern" was charm, but not comfort. I've stayed in the walk-ups and squeezed my bags into elevators that were hardly bigger than a dumbwaiter. I never stay at big hotels, so if this was the compromise, I was pleased. And a quick fun shopping day in the tissue (fabric) shops below Sacre Coeur (I go there everytime ... talk about eye candy!), and I had some pillow covers and a few yards of fabric to cozy-the-place up. 

We also enjoyed bike riding (rental bikes across the street!), being so near the Seine, fantastic shopping and boulangeries, easy acccess to the Bois de Boulogne park, the Roland-Garros stadium (FrenchOpen), the Edmond-de-Rothschild park, and the new Louis Vuitton Center. For daily living, I could walk to every store and discovered a delightful nursery around the corner. So charming, I always took guests there to take pictures. 

​Would I stay in Boulogne Billancourt again? Absolutely.

"Ahhggh", exclaimed your niece when you mentioned you'd like to see the top of the Eiffel Tower. She went to school for 3 months in Paris and assures you this is just "too touristy" for her. Well, while I agree that the lines and the crowds make this one of my less favorite tourist attractions, I say "Go for it!"  Just know that with some planning, you can make visiting Le Tour Eiffel and more of your Paris visit a bit easier. Here are a few Paris Tips:

If you want to do more than walk beneath this marvel of engineering, you can avoid the lines altogether by pre-purchasing your ticket to the top. Eiffel was a genius engineer and business man, retaining the income from the tower for his company to this day. The trick is to know EXACTLY when you are taking that ride. Your ticket is good for a 15 minute window only. Too restrictive for some -  But it may save you 3 hours of line sitting.