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Top 10 Things to do in Paris this summer

Paris is the summer is a beautiful time of year to visit the city. While the city basks in temperatures in the mid-twenties from May onwards, it’s a great destination to get both that bit of culture, and that bit of sun. There are plenty of things to do in Paris in the summer, but we asked our local Parisians to give us their Top 10: Picnic in Paris Make the most of the warmer weather and set up camp with your picnic rug, French wine and crusty baguettes among the many picturesque spots around the capital. Having your dejeuner dehors (ie, lunch outside) is a great way to see the sites and tuck into some of Paris’ best local delicacies from the fromageries, patisseries and boulangeries! Read our blog post on top five places to picnic in Paris for more inspiration. Open air cinema Paris’ green spaces are a quiet sanctuary in the summer when people flock to get out of the streets, and into the open. In the evenings, these spaces host the Cinema en Plein Air, open air film screenings. You can catch everything from ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, to recent indie French films. Running from the 22nd July to the 23rd August choose your film, get your tickets and grab that deck chair for an evening under the stars. Seine River Cruise One of our favourite things to do in Paris is a Seine River Cruise when the weather is nice. An hour long cruise starting from the Eiffel Tower, down past the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Musee d’Orsay is a great way to start your day or even end it, watching the sun go down over the River. With commentary as you go it’s an easy way to see the sights and learn about the city – even if you’ve seen it all before! Ice cream at Berthillon Make a beeline for one of the best ice cream parlours in Paris, Berthillon. It's one of the most popular places in all of Paris for refreshing scoops of glaces et sorbets in all flavours from your classic chocolate and vanilla, to more abstract fruit concoction. If you want to experiment with more unique Parisian flavours, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to trial and test some of the best street food and stalls in Paris to bring you the best. Sunbathe on Paris Plages The beach is back! One of the best things about Paris in the summer is that the Paris Plages are back along the Seine another year, meaning you can recline and relax on these manmade beaches, close your eyes and pretend you’re in Cannes. Complete with sound systems, DJs, beach bars and floating pools it’s something you can’t pass up on whilst in you’re in Paris this summer. Don’t forget to back that swim suit, in case you really want to get that all-round tan. Quartier d'Eté festival One of the best things to do this summer in Paris is the cultural contemporary arts on display at the Quartier d'Eté Festival. With a packed programme of dance, theatre, concerts and even circus acts, you can catch the weird and the wonderful from ballet to burlesque! Book your tickets in advance to make sure you don’t miss out. Summer Fairground In the picturesque Tuileries Gardens, outside the iconic Louvre Museum, the annual summer fairground La Fête Foraine is bigger and better this year. Think candy floss, fairground rides, roller coasters, bumper cars – the lot. It's great fun, so whether you’re visiting with friends or family, get involved and indulge in your inner child! Palace of Versailles Spend a day out in the beautiful Palace of Versailles and roam one of the most opulent palaces in the world – let alone in Paris! Versailles is one of the most resplendent historic buildings and is well worth a visit, especially in the summer when you can walk around the vast rooms within, see the Hall of Mirrors shimmering in the summer light, explore the 250 acres of landscaped gardens and cool off at the baroque fountains dotted around the gardens. Chauffeur Driven 2CV Tours One of our newest tours in Paris, the Chauffeur Driven 2CV Tours of Paris are brilliant to do in the summer. These iconic French cars make for a great vehicle to transport you around Paris, past all the sites with the windows down. Enjoy a private tour and experienced driver who can tell you all the city secrets as you wind your way through the neighbourhoods and districts of this famous historic city. Panthéon Selfies The Panthéon is one of the most impressive historic attractions in Paris and this summer is hosting a one-off exhibition by the French photographer JR. He’s converted the floor of the Pantheon into a collage of black and white selfies of over 1,300 personal portraits, lingin the tiled floor of this historic mausoleum holding the tombs of some of the country’s most prolific politicians and literary legends.

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