A travel writer's ultimate travel guide to Paris, France

• Paris is the City of Light, a destination steeped in style, culture, history, and romance.
• Insider created a comprehensive travel guide for the best places to go, stay, and eat in Paris.

Paris is one of the world's most fascinating cities with iconic monuments, picturesque views, charming neighborhoods, and gastronomic spoils. Paris is so jam-packed with culture that visitors often recount the city as a living museum.

While touristy experiences in Paris are pleasing in their own right (see: a stroll along the Seine or a trip via riverboat), I've been visiting Paris for the past 18 years since marrying a Frenchman and through my work as a travel writer, and prefer to float around the city's delightful neighborhoods methodically. Because when you get to know Paris' arrondissements, which you can think of as individual neighborhoods with distinctive vibes, you'll understand Paris for its more distinguished ethos.

But traversing through the City of Light can be overwhelming, even for experienced travelers. With Insider's guide, you'll leave Paris with a well-developed sense of what the city and its people have to offer beyond the average first-time experience.

→ 6 of the best ways to get to and around Paris, according to experts

→ I've traveled to Paris regularly for the last 18 years. I think these 14 hotels are as magical as the city itself.

→ I'm a New Yorker who visits Paris every year. Here are 11 restaurants where I've had some of the best meals of my life.

→ 5 secret things to do in Paris, plus 8 of the most scenic neighborhoods with the best places to shop

→ Here are the latest rules for US visitors to Paris, France, plus tips on the best time of year to visit