PARIS FOR SECOND TIMERS / WHAT TO SEE WHEN YOU THINK YOU'VE SEEN IT ALL

Paris is one of those cities that has the special ability to draw people back. Whether it's good memories of a romantic weekend or  a residential trip in secondary school - Paris is the kind of place that people just keep coming back to. It takes a special kind of city to have that magic charm, for me it's Bruges, not Paris, that captured my heart. But my thoughts aside, the people love Paris. It's hardly surprising, given how much press it gets. Paris is regularly romanticised in film, television and more recently in blogs and vlogs.

But the problem is, once you've ticked off the Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame, l'Arc de Triomphe and the Sacré Cœur, you might think that there's nothing left to see. That's where you'd be wrong. 

As a regular tourist avoider, I prefer heading to these destinations to see a cool and different side of Paris. Here are my must-sees for your next trip to the city.

Rue Mouffetard

No better place to start than my favourite street in Paris. Nestled in my favourite arrondissement, the 5è, this adorable street is full of restaurants and cafés. This street has my favourite crêperie in Paris on it (which I've talked about here), and it leads towards the Panthéon which is a beautiful destination.

La Coulée Verte (or La Promenade Plantée)

The Coulée Verte is one of my favourite peaceful spots in the whole city. This is 4km long high rise that spans from the Bois de Vincennes to Bastille, but I like to join the path just south of the Gare de Lyon so I can walk just under a kilometre to the Bastille statue. I've talked about it more in my Romantic Paris Guide.

Le Marché Bastille

The perfect accompaniment to the Coulée Verte is the Bastille Market; it's just around the corner. This market has everything you could need if you live here, but it's still lovely as a tourist. The market is a great window into French culture, and they have incredible churros - you have to seek them out! The like. 5 metro station Bréguet Sabin takes you right to the market. But just a word of warning, this market is only open on a Sunday.

Galeries Lafayette

I cannot say enough about Galeries Lafayette! This is one of my top destinations to take any visitors that I have. It's a little more tourist-filled than some of the other suggestions but well worth it (definitely come on a weekday for a better vibe). The shop is basically a fancier Harrods, and the rooftop terrace has spectacular panoramic views of Paris.

Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

This is my favourite museum in Paris, in my favourite park in Paris, the Jardin des Plantes. I explained a little more about it here, but the Jardin des Plantes is my happy place in Paris. Honestly, this museum is the coolest - one building is completely full of skeletons of all different species whether still around or extinct. The main gallery hall of the museum is set out to mimic real-life ecosystems. The marine life exhibits are on the ground floor, and then land mammals on the first floor, birds on the next and extinct or endangered species on the next.

But the most innovative thing about this museum is its ceiling, which changes colour depending on what 'weather phase' it's on. The ceiling changes from dark to light at 'dawn', and then lighter still until midday when it starts to get darker - sometimes there are 'thunderstorms' too and the roof panels turn dark purple and flash every so often to mimic lightning. All of this happens with sound effects too (and of course not in real time so you don't have to wait there all day) - I've never seen anything like it.

Bercy Village

Funnily enough, I did actually come to Bercy Village with my family a few years ago. We met a family friend there for dinner, and I remembered the beautiful pale stone archways but I had no clue what it was called or how to find it again. Luckily, whilst browsing Christmas lights turn-ons in Paris, I discovered this magical place is called Bercy Village! This is a little shopping street with a few shops but mostly restaurants (and there's a cinema too). It is seriously adorable, and all of the restaurants look incredible - but definitely head to l'Auberge Aveyronnaise round the corner if it's your first time here. This restaurant is literally world famous for their 'aligot' - essentially ultra cheesy mash potato (and it's delicious). The line 14 metro station Cour St Émilion (no, not Bercy) will drop you right outside. 

Canal St Martin - if you've walked along the Seine

I was first introduced to the Canal St Martin at school watching Amélie about 50 times for my A Levels. Needless to say, it wasn't first on my list of places to go when I moved out here - tainted memories and all. But a few weeks ago a friend and I decided to take a walk along the canal anyway, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that absolutely no-one ressembled Amélie. The canal didn't look its finest on the dreary day that we visited, but if you're coming to Paris in the summer then I'm sure it will look lovely. I have heard there's a place which will deliver you pizza there too!

Sainte Chapelle - if you've seen Notre Dame

There are just under 200 churches in Paris, and so far Sainte Chapelle is my absolute favourite. This church is home to 15 enormous vibrant stained glass windows which project a beautiful blush sunset glow into the room when the sun is shining through. Sainte Chapelle is nestled just around the corner from the Notre Dame, on the Île de la Cité, but most tourists will head to Notre Dame on their first trip to Paris. This church is breathtakingly beautiful, it's one you can't miss on your next trip. For more information about Sainte Chapelle, I've written a whole post here.  

 Châtelet Les Halles - if you're been to the Champs Elysées

Les Halles is my favourite shopping destination in Paris - they have every shop you could ever need! Plus a cinema, swimming pool and restaurants too. You can also find chains that we get in England too, such as New Look and Pull and Bear which is nice. I also find that the majority of shoppers are locals, as opposed to the hoards of tourists that crowd the Champs. The shopping centre is four stories underground, and it sits atop of one of the biggest underground stations in Paris which is very convenient.

Le Carrousel du Louvre - if you've seen Les Halles and the Champs Elysées

If you've seen Les Halles before, and are looking for something a little more luxurious why not check out Le Carrousel du Louvre. Before moving to Paris, I had never even heard of this shopping centre - and even now, I've never seen it on another tourist guide. This shopping centre is right underneath the famous Louvre museum, and it's home to some more luxury brands interspersed with classic favourites. Even if you're just window shopping, the interior is gorgeous, clean and sparkly marble. A shopping centre is the perfect rainy day attraction too.

Les Arènes de Lutèce

I've talked about this ancient ampitheatre before, and it still stands as an incredible and unique place to visit in Paris. Most people don't even know it exists, and from the outside it's very discreet. But once you walk through the park gates, the impressive ampitheatre will surprise you. While it may not look as fancy as I'm sure it once was, I still find it insanely cool that this exists - yet another reason the 5e is my favourite arrondissement. 

Disneyland day trip

Perhaps this suggestion doesn't sound all that original - but hear me out. On a first trip to Paris, people will likely stick to the inner city attractions, and so a Disneyland trip is the perfect branch out of the city for the second time you're in Paris. It's a lot more affordable than you might think too; I usually buy tickets on 365tickets, who I find reliable and cheap. There is always a deal to be had on Disneyland tickets, and I have bought them for €35 several times this year. This is cheaper than most Merlin parks in the UK, and so much better. Then it's just the cost of the RER train (€15 return) and dinner (there's a McDonalds in the Disney Village, which is reliably cheap). I have a whole guide to Disneyland here.

Palais Garnier - if you've seen the Palais de Versailles

Palais Garnier is the name given to the Paris opera to distinguish between the two opera houses here (the other being the Bastille opera house). It is possible to go inside the building and admire the ornate and beautiful architecture, and take some photos. You can even see inside the theatre auditorium itself! There's so many marble, gold and hand painted features that looking around was a dream. 

The similarity between the opera house and Versailles is striking (though of course the size has nothing on the emormous Versailles). I was looking through photos of Palais Garnier that I had taken and I really believed that I had mistakenly added pictures from the Palace of Versailles to the photo album. The infamous Hall of Mirrors (where the Treaty of Versailles was signed) looks insanely similar to the large reception room in the Opera house. This is the perfect compromise to see beautiful design but not have to make the trip out to Versailles, or something new to see if you've done Versailles before.  

Parc des Buttes Chaumont - if you've seen Tuileries
This park was on my must-see list when I moved to Paris because of all of the beautiful pictures I had seen. But it was just my luck to actually visit right in the middle of our six weeks of rain from Jan to Feb this year - not fun. Regardless of the weather, this park seems pretty magical with a beautiful island in the middle of a lake and footbridges connecting the island's marble temple (Temple de la Sibylle) to the rest of the park. There are waterfalls and hidden paths, and a spectacular view of Paris and particularly the Sacré Coeur from the temple.

Les Passages Couverts Parisiens

I had heard a little about the covered passages of Paris, but after visiting them myself, I don't understand why they aren't getting as much attention as they deserve. There are actually several different covered passages, which are essentially shopping streets/alleys with stone floors and glass ceilings. Depending on which ones you visit, you can see a lot of hidden gems including museums, independent shops and a whole host of cute restaurants. 

Angelina - if you've been to Ladurée

If you've already visited the internationally famous Ladurée tea room before, Angelina Paris is a perfect option for a sip of decadence. It's not the macarons their famous for, it's the hot chocolate, which isn't a bad trade up to me.

Rue Crémieux

This colourful little private road has gained popularity recently with tourists, but it still isn't necessarily on your list for your first time in Paris. That makes it perfect to see the second time you're here - get to Gare de Lyon and it's a few roads over. It really is just a road of colourful houses but it looks beautiful in photographs - new profile picture? I would recommend combining a visit to Rue Crémieux with the Coulée Verte and then walking up to Bastille and heading to Bastille Market as they are all very close by. A perfect Sunday morning.

I hope this has given you some travel inspiration and reminded you that there's more to this city than the obvious tourist spots!