The only people who don’t love Paris are the people who haven’t been there. That goes double for waterfront lovers because the Seine is quite simply the most romantic river on earth. The good news is that you can spend your entire vacation in Paris and never loose site the water, because so many of the attractions, restaurants and hotels are literally within a few steps of river – the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame, just to mention a few.

There is so much to see and do in Paris, in fact, that the biggest challenge is planning your time so you can get to all the sights you want to see. So here are some tips.

First, purchase a CD of “I Love Paris” by Michel Legrand. I’m not kidding! It will get you excited about your visit, and you’ll thank me one hundred fold after the trip when the music transports you back to “Gay Paris” day after day. You probably won’t find it in your local CD store but Amazon has loads!

Second, don’t even consider staying in a modern hotel! Why stay in accommodations that you can find in any modern city when Paris has so many extraordinarily beautiful and well-appointed classic accommodations. From a waterfront lover’s perspective, you can’t go wrong with the majestic Hotel Le Meurice, located between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre Museum. The hotel is directly across from the exquisite Tuileries Garden right on the banks of Seine.

Third, with a few exceptions (one is described below) never eat indoors unless the weather forces you! The sidewalk cafes in Paris are part and parcel of the ambience of the Parisien life style. Not surprisingly, one of my favorites is on the Quai (wharf) de Stalingrad. Originally a boat, the River Café is intimate without being crowded, and the cuisine is almost as exceptional as the wonderful views of the Seine.

Finally, forget about Euro Disney - even if you have kids in your group. There’s nothing in the French version that we don’t have in America, and you will just be wasting valuable time that you could be using to enjoy more riverfront cafes!

The first thing you need to do once you get to Paris is cruise the Seine on one of the glass-enclosed riverboats in the Bateaux Parisiens fleet. And the second thing to do is take another cruise! A morning cruise up the Seine orients you to all of the wonderful sights and sounds in Paris. The second cruise would be a magical dinner cruise on the Seine when the City is transformed into a wonderland of lights and music.

Spend the next day (or at least a good part of it) at the Louvre Museum – not just because the Louvre has the finest collection of art in the world, but because it is massive! It’s more than you can possibly take in an entire week of strolling what seem like mile long hallways and exhibition galleries the size of ballrooms. If you hit the Louvre early in your trip, you can return again before you leave the City of Light.

Another art museum that you simply can’t miss in Paris is the Musee d’Orsay, with one of the world’s most spectacular collections of impressionist art. It’s located in the center of Paris on the banks of the Seine, opposite the Tuileries Garden. The building, itself, is a work of art, having been built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and later transformed into a railroad station. The French Government converted the huge station and re-opened the structure as museum in 1986.

There are lots of other “must see” historical, cultural and religious sites in Paris including but certainly not limited to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Montmartre, the Arc de Triumph, and the Eiffel Tower. And speaking of the Eiffel Tower, don’t leave Paris without dining at the legendary Jules Verne Restaurant on the top of the Tower. There is literally nothing like it on earth, and you’ll need to make your reservations months in advance. But believe me it’s worth it!

See you at our next great waterfront destination!

TravelTip: In its never ending quest to find new reasons for tourists to visit Paris, the City Fathers are promoting tours of the City Sewers. Don’t fall for it! While Paris sewers are older and bigger than American sewers, THEY ARE STILL SEWERS, with everything that you traditionally find in sewers - if you know what I mean.