Names of travelers: Jennifer Searle and my husband, Philippe Morin
Destination: Paris
Dates: 21-28 July 2012 

Your reason for visiting this destination: My husband’s late father was Parisian; we went to visit his French family to celebrate his father’s birthday on 26 July.

Our Little Black Book

The best hotel: Hôtel Nicolo. The rates are reasonable, it offers a delicious breakfast at no extra cost (most French hotels don’t offer bed and breakfast) and it is within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower and La Muette Metro Station.

The best place for dinner: La Gare (19 Chaussee de la Muette 75016 Paris)
It’s a little on the pricey side, but the old La Muette station was refurbished to create this restaurant. If the weather is pleasant, be sure to sit on the ‘platform’ outdoors and enjoy the evening.

The best place for lunch: Lunch is a great opportunity to indulge in my favourite travel habit  – visiting local markets and supermarkets. Inno, is part of one the local chains Monoprix, and has a fantastic deli. Stock up on cured meats, pressed juice and the delicious toasted sandwiches – my favourite is the Gypsy ham and Emmental.

The best place for a drink: Trocadéro – you can admire a view of the Eiffel Tower and watch the locals as they head home from work. The prices are ridiculous but the buzz and atmosphere are totally worth it.

The first thing travellers should do upon reaching this destination: Go for a walk along the Champs Elysees.

The best place to shop: Galeries Lafayette – it’s an upmarket department store in one of the affluent areas of Paris. Some of the European High Street chains – such as Bershka – stock limited edition collections so you can pick up a bespoke dress or coat at a reasonable price.

The best way to get around: The Metro, it’ll save you time and money and it’s very straightforward to navigate.

If you want to feel like a local you should…it all depends on your mood! For bustling night life, the Saint Germain district is teaming with students, locals and a mixture of tourists. For a lazy afternoon, go for a walk through Jardin du Luxembourgy. And in the evening, find a tucked away restaurant such as La Matta on Rue de l’Annociation in the 16^th District.

Watch out for…A popular trick used by pickpocketers and muggers is: a person will come up to you with a valuable-looking piece of jewellery and ask you if it is yours. While you’re distracted checking to see if it’s yours, they’ll grab your wallet, bag or camera.

Don’t leave without… Hosting your own ‘macaron off’. The top two brands of macarons in Paris are Ladurée and Pierre Hermé. Parisians are split, so decide for yourself by buying a few macarons from each brand.

Insider tip: You can spend a lot of time queuing while in Paris, particularly if you travel during the European summer. However, you can beat the queues by pre-booking and collecting all your tickets at fnac – a French chain similar to Look & Listen or Musica.

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