France

Paris

Throughout our survey, readers often referred to other cities as "the Paris of the east" or "the Paris of the south." And while the compliment is a nice one, to be sure, there's only one true Paris, and our readers cannot get enough of it. "Paris itself is just enchanting. I love its streets with the small shops; the trees and parks and flowers; the churches and the river and Notre Dame." They love the food, the history, the sights, the culture, the shopping, and the spectacular scenery. As one reader succinctly put it, "Paris is without competition."

 

Disneyland Paris/Walt Disney Studios Park

 The fairytale begins on line A of the RER, which transports you straight from central Paris to the land of Mickey and chums in around 40 minutes. Yes, Disneyland Resort ® Paris is expensive; yes you can queue for hours; and yes, when it rains, it’s not just the fun that’s dampened. But something keeps the kids keen, making it an unmissable stop on the family circuit.

Visit Paris' prettiest arthouse cinema, La Pagode

 

 We challenge you to find a more gorgeous cinema than the 19th-century Japanese style Pagode on rue de Babylone. What started out as an eccentric present for the wife of Bon Marché department store founder François-Emile Morin (in 1896), is now a romantic cinema for arthouse movie-lovers with period touches that include silky woven fabric on the walls, golden lights and dragon carvings over the grandiose doorways. On a warm day, have a cup of tea in the Pagode’s bamboo-speckled Japanese garden.

The Institut du Monde Arabe and the Mosquée de Paris 

 

Start a Middle Eastern-flavoured day with a visit to the Institut du Monde Arabe. Not only is the museum an architectural gem, with external camera apertures that contract and expand with the sunlight to regulate the light inside, it's also home to one of Europe’s most comprehensive collections dedicated to the history and culture of Arab countries. Stick with the theme for lunch, and walk to the nearby Mosquée de Paris (Paris Mosque), where you can tuck into spice-infused couscous and oriental pastries in romantic Moorish surroundings.