Paris; the city of love and widely considered to be one of the romantic places on earth. Every year thousands of loved-up couples flock to the French capital hoping that their first visit will be as romantic as the movies.

So, if you’re headed to the city of love this summer, here are some tips to make sure that the ‘city break’ of a lifetime lives up to your expectations:

Take it easy

Taking it easy is by far the most important piece of advice I would give to anyone planning their first trip to Paris. With such a huge selection of things to see and do, there is absolutely no way you’re going to be able to fit everything into a long weekend.

Planning your trip too much might allow you to get around every single tourist attraction, but all that rushing will mean that you miss out on Paris herself and all those hidden gems.

Instead, I suggest picking a handful of landmarks that you really want to see, and be sure to allow some time to explore the streets between then and take in the Parisian ambience.

Choose your wine carefully

There’s nothing quite more Parisian than finding a nice, roadside café to enjoy a nice glass of wine with your crepe, (after all, who cares if it’s only 11am, this is Paris, darling.) But all those bottles of wine can add up and leave your purse feeling much lighter. Choose wisely, however, and your Parisian pleasure doesn’t have to break the bank; rather than spending around €19 on the average 75cl bottle of French vino, be sure to scour the menu first. Almost every café, restaurant and bar will offer a 50cl ‘jug’ of their house special wine (which is usually a decent Sauvignon Blanc) for little more than €6. Buy two and… well, let’s just say those tedious tourist spots will seem much more fun!

Don’t go to the Eiffel Tower empty handed

The Eiffel Tower is arguably the city’s most iconic landmark, and a perfect place to enjoy one of those delicious glasses of wine and soak up the Parisian culture, (as well as providing some excellent photo opportunities.) There’s nothing nicer than lying on the grass, soaking up the sun overlooking one of Paris’ iconic buildings, but what you might not expect, is that there isn’t a single café, restaurant or bar within the tower’s gardens. So, make sure that you take some lunch, (or maybe a box of wine) with you… unless you’d rather pay five euros for an ice cream, that is!

Finally, enjoy yourself – after all, you only get one first visit to Paris!