The Most Beautiful Spring Destination Is...
— By The Budget Travel Editors
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A classic view of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe.
The park around the Eiffel Tower is open into the evening, when the site is (at least a little) less crowded.
When it was first propopsed, Paris's artists called the Eiffel Tower "monstrous." It now attracts more than 7 million visitors each year.
The Louvre museum may have the greatest collection of recognizable masterpieces, such as Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, in the world.
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The Louvre was once a palace and a fort. As great as the art inside is, don't forget to tour the grounds and gardens.
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Keep this tip in mind: The Louvre is less crowded around mid-afternoon, and prices drop after 3 p.m.
Courtesy lglatham/myBudgetTravel
The amazing buildings of Versailles are a short trip outside Paris, and not to be missed in springtime.
If blooming gardens are your thing, Versailles might be your favorite spot in France.
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A day trip fit for a king? Set aside at least a day to tour Versailles.
Le Consulat, an iconic spot in artsy Montmartre.
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Don't forget to take time to just stroll the streets of Paris, where you'll come across exceptional cafés and do some of the world's best people watching.
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Most Paris hotels will offer a complimentary coffee and croissant each morning.
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Notre Dame cathedral has been wowing visitors for centuries.
The view from atop Notre Dame as Quasimodo himself might have seen it.
The view of Notre Dame from the Seine is one of Paris's most inspiring sights.
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A panorama of Paris features Sacre Coeur in the distance.
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You'll find the famous basilica of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre.
The don't-miss aerial view of Paris from the Sacre Coeur basilica in Montmartre.
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Springtime is the best time to visit Paris. Here, the colorful flowers at the Tuileries.
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As beautiful as Paris's art and archictecture are, sometimes they can't compare with the spring flowers.
Flowers in a Paris market.
Sunset at the Arc de Triomphe.
For yet another great view of Paris's river and classic architecture, visit the Arc de Triomphe.
The Arc de Triomphe flies a fluttering French flag.
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Paris's Luxembourg Garden is a magnet for springtime visitors.
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Palais du Luxembourg is home to some of the finest public gardens in Paris.
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Luxembourg Garden is a good spot for a stroll or a picnic.
Jardins du Luxembourg or Luxembourg garden in Paris, France
Main hall of the Musée D'Orsay, in a former railroad station.
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View of the Musée D'Orsay, on the left bank of the Seine.
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Musee D'orsay is housed in the former Beaux-Arts style Gare d'Orsay.
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Paris is second to none for people watching.
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You can reenact An American in Paris by strolling hand-in-hand by the Seine.
Parisians stroll the Champs Elysees in springtime.
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Shakespeare and Company has been attracting book lovers since the days when Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce made Paris their home.
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Inside the famous Shakespeare and Company book shop.
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Shakespeare and Company championed important works of 20th-century modernism such as James Joyce's Ulysses.
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The funeral parlour at Paris's iconic cemetery of Pere Lachaise.
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The grave of rock star Jim Morrison is a mecca for Doors devotees.
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Pere Lachaise cemetery is an unlikely, yet wildly popular, tourist draw.
Pere-lachaise cemetery, Paris, France
Classic Parisian fare at Les Deux Magots.
Courtesy BKP/Wikimedia Commons
A cheerful windowbox above Les Deux Magots.
Courtesy Nico Paix/Wikimedia Commons
You can follow in the footsteps of Paris's artists and philosophers at Les Deux Magots.
With flowering public gardens and boulevards made for strolling hand-in-hand, spring is the perfect time of year to visit Paris. And a great exchange rate and lower fuel prices have made the city more affordable than you think.
