One Day Of The Week Is Better Than The Rest For Exploring Paris At Night, Per Rick Steves

Given that Paris is nicknamed the City of Light, visitors should definitely keep exploring into the night. From ornate streetlamps to the city's most famous buildings, seeing the golden lights all over the city is spectacular. However, Paris is busy. It sees the highest number of tourists in the world, with anywhere from 30 to nearly 50 million visitors per year. Even still, there are ways to dodge these crowds.

European travel expert Rick Steves is always looking help people get authentic experiences with less tourist crowds. Steves has a big tip for how to do this while still exploring iconic Paris sites at night. "Sunday is the best night to go, as there's less traffic — you'll get a better value for the time spent," he explains on his website. On any night in Paris, Steves specifically recommends visiting Place du Trocadéro. This gathering place gives you amazing views of the Eiffel Tower, which is of course one of the city's best golden nighttime spectacles. Be sure to stick around for the glittering lights that make the tower sparkle for five minutes at the start of every hour too.

For Paris, Sundays are quieter days of the week in general. Some businesses in France are closed on Sundays. This could be frustrating if you planned on going shopping, but Paris' choice to make time for leisure on Sundays means outdoor exploration is an even better use of your time in the City of Light. Aside from the Eiffel Tower, other iconic destinations that deserve a revisit after dark include Hôtel des Invalides, Pont Alexandre III, the Palais Garnier opera house, and multiple places throughout the Montmartre district. Some of these can be seen from the seasonal ferris wheel at the Tuileries Gardens.

A lesser known signature experience Rick Steves recommends in Paris is a nighttime taxi ride. Paris has one of Europe's best public transit systems, but Steves says it is worth it to forgo public transportation for this special exception and see the nighttime lights from the comforts of a taxi. Take your pick from taxi tour companies like 2CVParisTour or Tour Taxileader. Add this to a Sunday night stroll and you'll really get to take in all that makes Paris after dark so special.