Paris

Paris has all but exhausted the superlatives that can reasonably be applied to any city. Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower - at sunrise, at sunset , at night - have been described countless times, as have the Seine and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences between the Left and Right Banks. But what writers have been unable to capture is the grandness and even the magic.

Paris probably has more familiar landmarks than any other city in the world. As a result first-time visitors often arrive in the French Capital with all sorts of expextations: of grand vistas, og intellectuals discussing weighty matters in cafes, or romance along the Seine, of naughty nightclub revues, of rude people who won't speak English. If you look hard enough, you can probably find those. But another approach is to set aside the preconceptions of Paris and to explore the city's avenues and backstreets as if the tip of the Eiffel Tower or the spire of Notre Dame wasn't about to pop inro view at any moment.

You'll soon discover (as so many others before you have) that Paris is enchanting almost everywhere, at any time.