Any advice on travelling to Paris?

First - check out Trip Advisor.com's Paris firum - use the search box and all your questions will be answered or post specific questions and the regulars will give you an answer.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g187147-i14-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

My wife and went last just before Christmas 2005 - here's a post we did at the time...

Here are several comments that I noted during the trip:
Transportation from CDG to the 6eme: We took a metered Taxi Parisian as planned (we think this is part of being on vacation ;-) ) The trip took about 45 minutes and cost 45E. As easy as anything you might want to do.
Hotel: We stayed the entire 8 days at Hotel de L'Abbaye on Rue Cassette in the 6eme. The hotel is very near Rue Rennes and Rue Vaugirard and the Jardin du Luxembourg. As previously mentioned here on TA the standard room is miniscule, but extremely clean and charming and the bathroom is very adequate as long as you don't want 2 people in it at the same time ;-). The public rooms are very pretty. The hotel staff are among the best I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. All spoke English (and other languages in addition to French) and were very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. The petite dejeuner in the room by the garden was a great way to start the day.
Museums: We always spend a lot of time in museums, so we limited ourselves to the D'Orsay, Cluny (Musee National du Moyen Age), Picasso, and the Deportation exhibit at Invalides. I simply do not have adequate words to describe the treasures at these museums. IMHO they are must sees every time in Paris.
Churches: Sainte-Chapelle!! What more needs to be said? We also loved St-Eustache, St- Julien-le-Pauvre, the Dome church and La Madeleine
Shops: for all things canard, try La Petite Scierie on Rue St-Louis-en-l'Ile. Their foie gras is unbelievable. Across the street is L'Epicerie for jams and mustards. Lafayette Gourmet is wonderful for chocolates. Berthillon, of course, for ice cream (pistache was our favorite!)And everything previously said about the fantastic macaroons at Lauderee is absolutely true! Our favorites are caramel, pistache and vanille!!!!!
Christmas decortations: Printemps and Galleries LaFayette.
Seine River cruise: We took an evening cruise from Vedettes du Pont Neuf because they have smaller boats. It was fabulous and we arrived at the Tour Eiffel just as the hourly twinkling light show started. Magical!
Champs d'Elyse: Only once, for a short time, in the evening to see the Arch illuminated. This too, was magical.
Wonderful walks: The Marais, the Latin Quarter, and St-Germain-des-Pres. Just walking forever, getting lost and discovering something wonderful around every corner.
Places of sheer beauty: Place de Vosges is so beautiful. We heard a 15-member orchestra playing there, under the passages. Ile St-Louis and Ile de la Cite were also fabulous.
Luxembourg Gardens, Tuilleries, Place de Concorde, the Opera and the Pantheon and so many others!
Weirdest place to us: Les Halles. Loved the old gardens and structures, hated the Forum and urban shopping center.
Food: We took time every day to have tea and coffee in a cafe wherever we were. It was heaven! We had lunch one day at Le Bistro Viex near Notre Dame. It was very authentic and we had typical bistro dishes of coq au vin and beef bourguignon. Yummy! We also booked a restaurant most nights for dinner and here are our reviews in order of our liking:
1. Guy Savoy's Les Bouquinistes - simply fabulous food quality, presentation and staff. Will return again and again! Salmon & tuna tartare, risotto & shrimp, sea bass w/almond crust, lapin prepared 2 different ways, heavenly desserts and a bottle of St Julien.
2. La Maison du Jardin - a gem hidden away by Luxembourg Gardens on Rue Vaugirard. So good we ate here twice. Very Parisian, family owned, 30 seats in a charming setting. The food is lovingly prepared. Highlights were Ox cheeks that were so tender they almost melted in my mouth, curried prawns w/avocado, roasted cod, margret canard and pork terrine.
3. Le Coupe Chou - super charming, roaring fire, low wood-beamed ceilings, good food. The eggplant casserole and the duck w/peaches were very tasty and the creme brulee wonderful. Felt a bit rushed here, the only time we felt that way in otherwise 2-3 hour dinners.
4. La Petite Cour - the appetizers were fabulous, especially the duck sausage and the beets w/goat cheese. But the plats were pretty ordinary and disappointing. We wouldn't return here.
5. THE WORST - Jacques Cagna's La Rotisserie D'en Face - RIP OFF for mediocre chicken and mashed potatoes. To add insult to injury, Cagna was there that evening, stopped at our table to introduce himself and shamelessly put a business card in our hands hawking his neew seafodd joint around the corner. Not once did he ask how our dinner was.

Beware of pick pockets they are everywhere and they are good. A ploy used a lot is one will stop to chat you up and the other will steal your goods or attempt to. Just be cautious of your perosnal belongings and your cash. I know 4 people that got robbed while travelling over there and they consider themselvees to be pretty street savy.

It's a good thing you're going at the start of August; at other times of year you run the risk of encountering Parisians.

Whatever you do, you must try Berthillon ice cream!!!

And check out Fat Tire Bike Tours, they have guided tours of the city and a great tour of versailles, where you stop by the local market to get picnic supplies (bread, wine, cheese), which you can eat on the grounds. Heaven!

alafairnadia wrote: amusingly, being there in january, I got a bunch of ham, cheese, bread and wine at a local market and kept them on the balcony outside of my hotel room as a 'fridge'. it was AWESOME. I had a fresh breakfast every day, and a nice glass of chilled champagne every evening. fantastic! paris is great for the thrifty traveler, actually.

Don't try this in August.