It is impossible not to fall in love with Paris. The city's people are stylish and flirtatious, its architecture seductive, its restaurants and nightlife devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and its streets are scattered with dreams.

There is no 'best time' to visit Paris; in every season the city is always alive. Summer days are spent lazing on the banks of the Seine, sipping coffee at a sidewalk café, or idling in one of the city's many gardens or forests. In autumn afternoons the brisk walk from the Eiffel Tower through the Parc du Champ de Mars and up to the glittering Champs Elysées is accompanied with a carpet of leaves crunching underfoot. Winter nights induce a warm glow ice-skating in the outdoor rink at the Hotel de Ville, and in spring the passions of performers fill the air outside the Pompidou Centre and the nose is tickled with the subtle scents of flowering gardens.

There is an otherworldliness to this city, where beauty and elegance are favoured over purpose and practicality. Centuries of urban development have the appearance of having being mastered by a single hand with a strong sense of balance, contrast and aesthetics. The views from the Eiffel Tower or Sacré Coeur reveal hundreds of iconic attractions for the snapshot visitor, but the best way to see this city is by tucking your map back in your pocket and allowing yourself to get lost on its streets and avenues, discovering the city for yourself.

However long you spend in Paris, on departure you will know you are sure to return.

Eiffel Tower

Address: Champ de Mars 7 Paris

Admission: Elevator: 1st and 2nd floor EUR8.20, 3rd floor EUR13.40 (adults). Stairs: EUR4.70 (2nd floor). Concessions available. Daily; 9:30am to 11:45pm (29 August to 16 June), 9am-12:45pm (17 June to 28 August). Last entry is 45 minutes before closing time.

Telephone: (08) 92 70 12 39

Notre-Dame

Address: 6 Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame Paris

Admission: Free. Daily, 8am-6:45pm (closes 7:15pm on Saturday and Sunday).

Telephone: (01) 4234 5610

Louvre

Address: Cour Napoléon, 1. Reception area is under the giant glass pyramid. Paris

Admission: EUR10 full-day pass to permanent exhibitions, EUR11 for temporary exhibitions in the Hall Napoleon. Free admission the first Sunday of every month (not including the Hall Napoleon). Concessions are available and children under 18 are free. Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 9am-6pm. Wednesday and Friday 9am-9:45pm. Closed Tuesdays. Opening hours for temporary exhibitions vary. The museum is closed 25 December, 1 January and 1 May.

Telephone: (01) 4020 5760

Pompidou Centre

Address: Place Georges Pompidou, entrance by the plaza in Rue Saint-Martin Paris

Admission: One-day Centre pass EUR12, exhibitions EUR10; MNAM EUR12 (temporary exhibitions vary). Daily (except Tuesdays), 11am-10pm. MNAM: Wednesday to Monday, 11am-9pm. Closed 1 May.

Telephone: (08) 92 684 694

Musée d'Orsay

Address: Entrances on Rue de la Légion d'Honneur and Rue de Bellechasse Paris

Admission: Permanent collections: EUR8 adults, EUR5.50 concessions, free for under 18s. Full admission to permanent and temporary exhibitions EUR10. Tuesday to Sunday 9:30am-6pm (closes 9:45 on Thursday), closed Mondays and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

Telephone: (01) 4049 4814, or 4549 1111 (recorded information)

Musée Rodin

Address: 77 Rue de Varenne Paris

Admission: EUR6 (adult); EUR10 museum and temporary exhibitions. Concessions available. Free the first Sunday of each month. Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5:45pm.

Telephone: (01) 4418 6110

Musée National Picasso

Address: Hôtel Salé, 5 Rue de Thorigny Paris

Admission: EUR8.50; free for under 18s Wednesday to Monday 9:30am-5:30pm.

Telephone: (01) 4271 2521

Versailles

Address: Paris

Admission: The Palace: EUR15, free for under 18s. Concessions and other packages available. 9am-6:30pm (3 April to 31 October); 9am-5:30pm (1 November to 2 April). Closed Mondays. The park stays open later, however last admission to the Palace is 30 minutes before closing.

Telephone: (01) 3083 7800

Fontainebleau

Address: 4 Rue Royale Paris

Admission: Great Apartmets: EUR10, free for under 18s. Combo ticket including Small Apartments, Museum and guided tour: EUR11 Wednesday to Monday 9:30am-6pm (until 5pm from October to May).

Telephone: (0)1 6074 9999

Arc de Triomphe

Address: Centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle Paris

Admission: EUR7, concessions EUR4.50

Telephone: (01) 55 37 7377

Les Invalides

Address: 35 Rue du Chevaler-de-la-Barre Paris

Admission: EUR9, free for under 18s; other concessions available. 10am-5pm (October to March), 10am-6pm and until 9pm on Tuesdays (April to September). Open an extra half hour on Sundays. Closed first Monday of every month and public holidays.

Telephone: (33) 0810 11 33 99

Jardin des Plantes

Address: Blvd Henri IV, Quartier Montpellier Centre Montpellier 34967 Paris

Admission: Free. Daily 7:30am-8pm

Telephone: (0)1 4079 5601

Disneyland Paris

Address: Paris

Admission: General admission: £51 (adults); £45 (children). Concessions and packages available. Open daily from 10am, closing time varies according to season. Check the website for specific dates.

Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle

Address: 57 rue Cuvier Paris

Admission: EUR8 (adults); EUR6 (children) Wednesday to Monday 10am-6pm

Telephone: (01) 40 79 39 80

Le Jardin d' Acclimatation

Address: Bois de Boulonge Paris

Admission: EUR2.90, concessions available. April to September 7am-10pm, October to March 10am-6pm.

Telephone: 01 40 67 90 82

Parc Asterix

Address: Paris

Admission: One day pass: EUR40 (adults) EUR30 (children under 12). Parking is EUR8 per day. Open daily from 10am-7pm during peak season; 10am-6pm during off-peak season. Open until 11pm on selected summer weekends.

Telephone: 0826 30 10 40

France Miniature

Address: Boulevard André Malraux Paris

Admission: Peak season: EUR20 (adults); EUR14 (children). Off-season: EUR19 (adults); EUR13 (children). 10am-7pm July and August, 10am-6pm rest of the year; closed November to February, and selected weeks in March, April, September and October.

Telephone: 01 30 16 16 30

Aquaboulevard

Address: 4 to 6 Rue Louis Armand Paris

Admission: EUR25 Monday to Thursday 9am-11pm; Friday 9am-midnight; Saturday 8am-midnight; Sunday 8am-11pm

Telephone: 1 40 60 10 00

Fete de la Musique

Where: Various,Paris

When: June 2012 TBA

Bastille Day Celebrations

Where: Champs Elysees and Place de la Bastille,Paris

When: 14 July 2012

French Open

Where: Roland-Garros Stadium,Paris

When: May to June 2012 TBA

Le Salon du Chocolat

Where: Metropolitan Pavillion & Altman Building,Paris

When: 20 - 24 October 2011

World Circus Festival of Tomorrow

Where: Cirque Phenix,Paris

When: 26 - 29 January 2012

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Where: Longchamp Racecourse,Paris

When: 2 - 3 October 2011

Autumn Festival

Where: ,Paris

When: September to December 2011

French Open

Where: Le Golf National,Paris

When: June to July 2012 TBA

Tour de France

Where: Start - Rotterdam; Finish - Paris (Champs-Elysées),Paris

When: 2 - 24 July 2011

Nuit Blanche

Where: ,Paris

When: 1 - 2 October 2011

Paris Plage (Beach)

Where: Right bank of Seine river,Paris

When: 20 July to 20 August 2011

Notre Dame Night Show

Where: Notre Dame,Paris

When: July to October 2011

L'Ardoise

Address: 28 Rue du Mont Thabor (Beaubourg/Les Halles) Paris

Food Type: French

La Tour d'Argent

Address: 15-17 Quai de la Tournelle (Latin Quarter) Paris

Food Type: French

Guy Savoy

Address: 18 Rue de Troyon (Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile) Paris

Food Type: French

Buddha Bar

Address: 8 Rue Boissy d'Anglais (Champs-Élysées) Paris

Food Type: Fusion

Goumard

Address: 9 Rue Duphot (Madeleine) Paris

Food Type: Seafood

Le Grand Véfour

Address: 17 Rue de Beaujolais (Louvre/Tuileries) Paris

Food Type: French

Au Pied de Cochon

Address: 6 rue Coquillière Paris

Food Type: French

L'Alcazar

Address: 62 Rue Mazarine (Odéon) Paris

Food Type: Modern Eclectic

Le Jules Verne

Address: Eiffel Tower, second floor (the restaurant has its own private elevator access at the south pillar) Paris

Food Type: French

Le Bouillon Racine

Address: 3 Rue Racine (St-Germain-des-Prés) Paris

Food Type: International

Kong Restaurant and Bar

Address: 1 Rue du Pont Neuf Paris

Food Type: International

Café de Flore

Address: 6th Arrondissement Paris

Food Type: Café

Le Relais de l'Isle

Address: 37 rue Saint Louis en l'ile Paris

Food Type: French