Lonely Planet - Paris

7. Watch Paris float past from a boat on The Seine

Looking at a riverboat plying the Seine, you might be tempted to give a boat ride a wide berth. With all those camera-wielding tourists, no self-respecting Parisian would be caught dead on one (or at least admit to it).

But once you're aboard, gently gliding past monuments, parks and elegant Haussmannian buildings along Paris' most beautiful boulevard of all, any reservations ebb away.

The Seine's sightseeing boats are colloquially called Bateaux Mouches (literally 'fly boats', though the name originates from the Mouche area of Lyon). In fact, while 'Bateaux Mouches' refers specifically to the original and still best-known operator, there's a raft of other companies offering cruises, including the hop-on, hop-off Batobus, which travels between the Jardin des Plantes and the Eiffel Tower, making a total of eight stops.

A number of operators also run leisurely lunch and dinner cruises with on-board chefs and well-stocked wine holds.

And the locals may yet embrace travelling on the Seine if long-mooted plans for a 24km, 35-stop Metro Fluvial (metro boat) go ahead.

8. Navigate your way around the Labyrinthine Louvre

The Louvre's sheer size strikes fear into the hearts of even the most dedicated museum-goers. The world's largest museum spans a whopping 700m along the Seine and it's estimated it would take nine months just to glance at every piece of art here.

And it keeps getting bigger. Constructed as a fortress by Philippe-Auguste in the early 13th century, the Palais du Louvre was rebuilt in the mid-16th century as a royal residence, and in 1793 the Revolutionary Convention turned it into the country's first national museum.

The 'Grand Louvre' project inaugurated by the late President Mitterrand in 1989 doubled the museum's exhibition space. New and renovated galleries have opened in recent years devoted to paintings and objets d'art. In all, some 35,000 works are now on display.

As if that weren't daunting enough, the hype around Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (which was partly set in the museum, which was also used as a shooting location for the fi lm), has seen a further surge of visitors and raised expectations even higher.

But (if you plan ahead a bit) the Louvre doesn't disappoint.

The star attraction, Da Vinci's La Joconde (Mona Lisa), now resides - albeit behind a wooden railing and thick bulletproof glass - in the newly renovated, glass-roofed Salle des Etats on the 1st floor. The rest of the rambling palace houses a veritable treasure trove of priceless art and artefacts, dating from antiquity (such as the Venus de Milo, pictured opposite) to the 19th century.

Save time by purchasing your ticket beforehand. Tickets are available from the museum's website, the ticket agencies Fnac or Virgin Megastore, or the ticket machines in the Carrousel du Louvre. Alternatively, the Paris Museum Pass is valid here. To avoid the queues at the pyramid (the main entrance), enter via the Carrousel du Louvre at 99 rue de Rivoli, or follow the Musee du Louvre exit from the Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre metro station. Museum tickets are valid for the whole day, so you can take a break any time.

Once inside, it helps to rough out an itinerary based around what you most want to see before you set off down the endless corridors.

Pick up a free English-language map, which includes floor plans, from the information desk in the centre of the Hall Napoleon. For serious fans, the museum's bookshop sells extensive guides (up to 475 pages long). A guided tour (available in English) is a great, info-packed option to make the most of your visit. Otherwise, multi-language audio-guides can help you self-navigate.