Festival guide:
Jan 1st, Grand Parade, massive and colourful.
June, Fête de la Musique, thousands of musicians give free concerts of all kinds all over the city.
end June, Gay Pride March
end June, Course des Garçons, 8km race by waiters in full kit.
July 13/14, La Fête Nationale, Bastille Day, France's biggest street festival, with parties, parades, fireworks.
mid Sept, Techno Parade, Paris' version of Berlin's Love Parade.
early Nov, Marjolaine, huge eco-festival.

Arts/Culture guide:
Museums: some of the world's great museums are here, such as the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. Do not be overwhelmed by their size, try to aim at a few important exhibits, or visit smaller, specialised museums. e.g. Musée Picasso, Musée Rodin, Musée National du Moyen Âge-thermes de Cluny [Middle Ages museum].
The Children's Gallery at Pompidou Centre and Grande Galerie de l' Évolution [part of the National History Museum] are fantastic for kids.
Galleries: For innovative work see the north part of the Marais; for young artists check around the Bastille; for avant-garde or traditional sculpture and paintings check around St-Germain-des-Prés; and for big contemporary names try the Champs-Elysées.
The annual art fair, Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain is held in September and October.
Entertainment: Check 'Pariscope' magazine [including 'Time Out' weekly insert in English] for event info/listings. Booking ahead is advisable through travel agencies or ticket outlets, but discounted tickets for same-day performances can be bought at an agency called Kiosque Théâtre.
Live Music: Venues are on every corner of the city, from huge halls such as Chatelet-Théâtre Musical and Cité de la Musique to tiny bars and smoky jazz clubs, even in Metro stations. Classical concerts are also regularly held in churches and museums.
Dance/Opera: Two of the best Opera houses are Opéra Bastille and Opéra Garnier , though good seats are sold several months in advance.
Theatre: Unfortunately most of the city's productions are in French, but a few are in English. Look for Metro posters or information in magazines.

Cuisine guide:
Traditional French meals are no longer everybody's choice [sauce fatigue?], but modern French cuisine - light and healthy, in stylish bistros - is becoming more popular.
There is also a fantastic selection of ethnic foods thanks to ex-colonial immigrants from Indochina, the Middle-east, Caribbean and South Pacific.
But best of all is taking your time over a simple petit déjeuner [breakfast] - a big cup of strong coffee and brandy with a perfect croissant.

Short Trips:
Travel out to Versailles palace & gardens [pic, excellent sound and light shows June-Sept] is worthwhile, especially on fine days. The garden is vast and great for walks. It's 23 km [30 minutes by train] from Paris.
Compiègne [extravagant hunting lodge] is 80km, Pierrefonds [neo-medieval castle], Fontainebleau [royal castle and town], 65km south-east, Euro Disney Resort, 39 km east , and Chantilly [castle in a lake], 41km, Parc Astérix 36km , both north-east of the city.

Why Travel to Paris?
Paris is the most visited city in the world and deserves the attention because it's stunning, stylish and sensual, with a dramatic past still morphing into a funky present.
It's a seductive place of cuisine, couture, culture and even the notoriously xenophobic locals are slowly learning to accept visitors.
But who cares? This is not a place for making friends, it's for romancing the stones...

Downside:
Non French speaker may have difficulties in communication.
Unlike London, almost all museums/attractions require entrance fee so prices add up.
Traffic is heavy and drivers are inconsiderate of pedestrians.
Doggy doo still flavours back streets.

Sights guide:
The city is very walkable and even the furthest sights can be reached easily by [clean and efficient] Metro or bus.
Both left and right banks of the River Seine are stuffed with sights such as:
The right bank- Arc de Triomphe, the world famous arch commissioned by Napoleon + the tree/shop-lined Champs-Elysées, and at the end of that avenue is Place de la Concorde, where the well-travelled 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk oversees the city's chaotic traffic.
On the other side of the avenue, through the peaceful Tuileries Garden, you get to the incredible Louvre [pic], a vast building with glass pyramid entrance, where 'Mona Lisa' still smiles. Other notable buildings are Opéra Garnier an imposing theatre], Centre Georges Pompidou [modern art museum] , Sacré Coeur [Basilica of the Sacred Heart] with a monster white dome from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
Then there's Les îles [the islands] with Notre Dame [Gothic cathedral] the star attraction - it's is well worth climbing the 387 steps for a breathtaking view of Paris and close look at some scary gargoyles.
Conciergerie is a former prison where 3,000 guillotine victims including Marie-Antoinette were kept warm.
One of the city's almost hidden treasures, inside the Palais de Justice [law courts] is Saint Chapelle, a Gothic masterpiece with 13thC stained glass.
The left bank - The Eiffel Tower , the 320m tower landmark of Paris is infamous for a long wait for the lift.
An adjacent park, Champ de Mars is pleasant for picnics for weary travellers. Another must-see museum is Musée d'Orsay [pic] for an exquisite collection of Impressionist works.
The Quartier Latin [Latin Quarter], enlivened by students of the Sorbonne University, offers Roman ruins, Musée du Moyen Âge [ Middle Ages museum], Arénes de Lutéce [an amphitheatre], and two fine parks, the Luxembourg and Jardin des Plantes.
A relatively new attraction is La Défense , a massive skyscraper group, including Grande Arche [20th century version of Arc de Triomphe], with open-air contemporary arts exhibits in the west of the city.

Walks guide: There are delightful walks along the banks of the River Seine for big sights, through the district of Marais for trendy boutiques and restaurants, The Quartier Latin for a more cultural experience, and around Monmartre Hill, Paris' highest point.
A less lively but no less interesting walk can be had in the Pere Lachaise cemetery where various dignitaries lie, such as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Chopin [now quietly decomposing].

Shopping guide:
This city is not only a fun place to shop, but also to window-shop, due to generally stunning presentation and decor.
Classy: Grands Boulevards such as Avenue des Champs-Elysées or any other big street in district 8 like Ave. Montaigne.
Trendy: Marais, St-Germain, St-Sulpice, or Passy areas.
Wacky: back-streets on the Left Bank.
Intellectual: The Latin Quarter.
Department store: Blvd. Haussmann behind Opéra Garnier e.g. Galeries Lafayette or Le Printemps. Au Bon Marché in south of Blvd. St Germain.
Flea market: Marché aux Puces in Paris officially opens at the weekend only, but travel there on Friday - when stallholders are unpacking - to find treasures.
Europe's biggest market is St-Ouen in Clignancourt in the north, Porte de Vanves is known for its fine bric-a-brac, and try Montreuil in the east for quality second-hand clothes.
Marché Bastille, a Sunday food and flower market will give you sensory overload.