Cirque Diana Moreno Bormann
This is a traditional circus, with lion tamers, elephants, zebras, acrobats, jugglers, and trapeze artists. Location: 9 bd du Bois Lepretre.
Other circuses are Le Cirque de Paris (Tel: 4724 1170) and The Cirque Gruss Nouveau Carré at boulevard de Sébastopol, 3e.

Disneyland Paris
Also known as Euro Disney, the theme park got off to a slow start in 1990, and certain critics looked down their noses at the appearance of Mickey in a country of haute culture like France. However, a few years later Mickey's had the last laugh and Euro Disney is a top tourist destination. Disneyland Paris includes all the traditional Disney theme rides, parks, villages, entertainment, restaurants, etc. as well as a Disney golf course. Opening hours vary according to the season and day of the week. Located at 77 Marne-la-Vallée, 32km east of Paris

Jardin d'Acclimatation (Amusement Park)
This park is a cross between a funfair, zoo and amusement park, with temptations ranging from bumper cars, go-karts, pony and camel rides, sea lions, birds, bears and monkeys, to a magical mini-canal ride, distorting mirrors, a huge trampoline, scaled-down farm buildings, and a puppet theatre. Located in the Bois de Boulogne, by Porte des Sablons.

Jardin des Halles (Park)
This park is a great place if you want to chill out. A whole series of fantasy landscapes fill the park. There are also adventure games for children on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings. Located at 105 rue Rambuteau, right in the centre of the city.

Parc Asterix (Asterix Amusement Park) 
A Via Antiqua shopping street leads to a Roman town where gladiators play comic battles and dodgem chariots line up for races. In the Gaulish village, Panoramix mixes his potions, Obelix slavers over boars, Asterix plots further sorties against the occupiers, and the dreadful bard is exiled up a tree. All sorts of rides are on offer; dolphins and sea lions perform tricks for the crowds; there are parades and jugglers; and restaurants for every budget. Located in Plailly, north of Paris

Parc de la Villette (Villette Amusement Park)
This park offers the City of Sciences, a planetarium, various satellite attractions, wide-open spaces to run around or picnic in and a series of ten themed gardens, some specially designed for kids. Located between avenues Jean-Jaures and Corentin-Cariou, Paris

Many of Paris’ activities occur within the numerous festivals and events that take place throughout the year. For more details, see our Paris Festivals Guide

Parisians are almost as passionate about their culture as they are about their restaurants. The French government takes art and culture very seriously, investing heavily in the arts, and supporting French cinema and theatre.

Tickets for all kinds of concerts and events can be purchased at FNAC Forum des Halles, 1 rue Pierre Lescot, 1st (arrondessment) or FNAC Musique, 2 rue Charenton, 12th. There is also the Carrousel du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli, 1st, located directly beneath the Louvre, or Virgin Megastore, 52 avenue des Champs-Elysées, 8th. However long the queue, ticket touts at the Opéra and concert venues are to be avoided due to high prices and the prevalence of worthless fake tickets.

Dance
The main ballet venue is at the Opéra Garnier, located at place de l’Opéra, 9th and Opéra Bastille, place de la Bastille 12th. Tel: (08) 9289 9090).

Major productions are also held at the prestigious Théâtre de la Ville, 2 place du Châtelet, 4th where the works of high-profile choreographers, such as Karine Saporta, Maguy Marin and Pina Bausch, are frequently shown. Tel: (01) 4274 2277. The theater has another venue, Les Abbesses, with the same contact details at 31 rue des Abbesses, 18th.

The Théâtre Musical de Paris hosts ballet companies from abroad. 1 place du Châtelet, 1st Tel: (01) 4028 2840.

Film
The first public film screening ever (‘Le Train Entrant en Gare’) was shown by the Lumière brothers in Paris in 1895. Today, Paris remains an important cinema capital, showing over 300 films in any given week.

There is no English-language cinema in the city; however, most movies are shown in their original language, with French subtitles. UGC have a major presence in Paris with the city’s largest (18-screen) cinema, UGC Ciné Cité Bercy, 2 cours St-Emilion, 12th (tel: (08) 9270 0000).

There is also a 16-screen UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles, place de la Rotonde, Nouveau Forum des Halles, 1st. Although the multi-screen UGCs and Gaumonts are on the increase (many based on the Champs-Elysées and in Montparnasse), Paris is still teeming with small art-house cinemas, clustered in the 5th and 6th Arrondissements. Among these are Le Champo, 51 rue des Ecoles, 5th, near the Sorbonne, and Racine Odéon, 6 rue de l’Ecole-de-Médecine, 6th, known for its all-night showings. Some cinemas are worth seeing just for their decor – one such is kitsch Le Grand Rex, 1 boulevard Poisssonnière.

Music
The Paris Opéra performs ballet and opera at the Opéra Garnier, place de l’Opéra, 9th and Opéra Bastille, place de la Bastille 12th.

Large opera productions are also performed at the Châtelet Théâtre Musical de Paris, 1 place du Châtelet, 1st.

The varied program at the Cité de la Musique, at La Villette, is strongest in contemporary music and home to the internationally renowned Ensemble Intercontemporain. It also features ancient music, jazz, chansons and world music.

The Cité has two important venues – the Conservatoire National de Musique, 209 avenue Jean Jaurès, 19th, and the Salle des Concerts, 221 avenue Jean Jaurès. Big names in French contemporary and experimental classical music to listen out for are Pierre Boulez, Pascal Dusapin and Luc Ferrarie.

A series of orchestras, including the Orchestre Colonne, Orchestre Lamoureux and Orchestre de Paris are based at Salle Pleyel, 252 rue du Faubourg-St-Honoré, 8th. 

Other prestigious venues for classical music include the Salle Gaveau, 45 rue de la Boétie, 8th, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, 15 avenue Montaigne, 8th, and the Théâtre Musical de Paris, 1 place du Châtelet, 1st.

Theatre
The Comédie Française is the national theater, renowned for its production of the classics. 1 place de Colette, 1st. Tel: (01) 4458 1515.

Théâtre National de la Colline plays contemporary French drama. 15 rue Malte-Brun, 20th Tel: (01) 4462 5252.

New talent is sought out at fringe theaters, such as Guichet-Montparnasse. 15 rue du Maine, 14th. Tel: (01) 4327 8861.

Peter Brook is based at the Bouffes du Nord, 37 bis boulevard de la Chapelle, 10th. Tel: (01) 4607 3450.

The Odéon hosts foreign-language productions. 1 place de l'Odéon, 6th. Tel: (01) 4485 4000.

Bicycle
There are many venues that rent bicycles and offer bicycle tours of the city, such as from the Jardin d’Acclimatation amusement park.

Boat
Row-boats can be hired at Lac Inferieur (Lake Inferieur), the largest of the wood’s lakes and ponds from 10am-6pm daily.

Seine and Canal Cruises
All year, Seine river and canal cruises take you along the river Seine and through the smaller tributaries of the Seine River, past ancient churches, palaces and homes. Boarding piers all along the Seine, from west Paris to the East, Port de l'Arsenal and Parc de la Villette.

Golf
There are beautiful golf courses located just a short drive from Paris. Many of the courses are suitable for players of all levels; allowing the experienced golfers to find new challenges, while amateurs can work on their game without having too many obstacles. 

Golf Disneyland Paris is located within the Disneyland compound at 77 Marne-la-Vallée, 32km east of Paris. It is a 27-hole course which is open year round. Yearly membership is also available.

Seine River Cruises
Enjoy a cruise along this historically renowned river, the main artery of Paris. Various cruises generally operate from April to November, departing from the Seine’s northwest base of the Eiffel Tower, and from the dock opposite Notre Dame Cathedral (year-round), and from the dock at the far western tip of Ile de la Cite (the small island in the middle of the Seine, home of Notre Dame).

Walking Tours
In pleasant weather, Paris is a wonderful place to explore on foot. Paris Walking Tours offers tours in English in several different districts and themes, such as Hemingway’s Paris and Da Vinci Code walking tour. Phone: 01 48 09 21 40.

Besides its famous museums and cathedrals, Paris is known for its refined cuisine. The edible genius of haute cuisine wizards Eric Frechon, Alain Ducasse, and Pierre Gagnaire can easily reduce you to a pleasurable stupor.
For a change of pace you can always slip away to a casual little place for an earthy, bubbling cassoulet, make a midnight feast of the world's silkiest oysters or even opt out of Gaul altogether for superb paella, couscous, or an herb-bright Vietnamese stir-fry.
Paris is a city where perfection awaits at all stations of the food chain.

Many of Paris's best restaurants have prix-fixe (set-price) lunch menus that are dramatically more affordable (but more limited) than ordering from their regular à la carte menus. You'll probably have to ask for the lunch menu for obvious reasons - most restaurants would prefer that you order à la carte. Prix-fixe prices are per person, including tax (19.6%) and service.

Since France gave up the franc and began using the Euro, dining in Paris is not for the faint of heart. Today a small bottle of mineral water can easily set you back 5 EUR and finding a bottle of wine for less than 15 EUR can prove extremely challenging. With few exceptions, 30 EUR is the minimum price for a three-course dinner and, with side dishes and drinks, the bill often climbs over 100 EUR for two people.

Parisian shops are one of the top attractions the city has to offer. Some of the most entertaining and tempting are the small cluttered shops which sell local products, ranging from pottery; to clothes; food; books; wine; and antiques. Shopping in Paris is generally more expensive than New York but cheaper than London.

The most distinctive and unusual shopping possibilities are found in the 19th century arcades of the passages of the 2nd and 9th arrondissements (districts). The main shopping district, Les Halles, is where you'll find the submarine shopping complex of the Forum des Halles. Here you'll find everything you could ask for, from music through to designer clothes.

Most everyone has heard of the wonderful shopping on the Champs Elysées, perhaps one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. It is a lovely tree-lined avenue with many chain shops, designer boutiques and some interesting little restaurants and cafes. The magnificence of the Arc de Triomphe at the top end of the Champs Elysées adds to the magic of the avenue. The prices are high here but you can find a deal or two if you look around. This is one of those areas that you will want to plan a full day at if you like to shop.

The markets (marchés) of Paris are fun and lively places to browse and people-watch. You will find them in each of the 20 arrondissements on certain days of the week with a rotating formula from one arrondissement to the other as well as in the suburbs. Parisians of all walks of life love to shop and browse among the open-air stalls as merchants cheerfully trumpet—often with humour—the quality of their goods.

Most stores in Paris - except for department stores and flea markets - stay open until 6pm or 7pm, but many take a lunch break sometime between noon and 2pm. Although shops traditionally close on Sunday, you'll find a number of stores open then, too, most especially in the Marais district.

A value-added tax (VAT) of approximately 19.6%, known by its French-language acronym as the TVA, is imposed on most consumer goods. Non-European Union residents can reclaim part of this tax, known as the détaxe. To qualify for a refund, you must purchase the equivalent of EUR175 of goods in the same shop on the same day; you must have stayed three months or less in the European Union at the time of purchase; and you must have your passport validated by customs within three months following the date of purchase. Don't forget to ask about your détaxe form at the time of purchase; smaller stores will fill the form out for you, while department stores have special détaxe desks where the bordereaux (export sales invoices) help to streamline the process. 

Détaxe forms must be shown and stamped by a customs official before leaving the country; without this stamp, you will not be refunded. If the refund is substantial, they might want to see the purchases, so be prepared to show them. After you're through passport control, you can seal the form in the envelope provided and post it at an airport mailbox or mail it after you arrive home. The refund can be sent as a check or directly wired to your credit card (the faster of the two options). Note that there is no refund for food, alcohol, or tobacco products.