The best pastries in Paris -- for free.

Five years ago, patissier extraordinaire Pierre Herme started le Jour du Macarons, a charitable celebration that takes place on March 20.  Several of the best patisseries in Paris offer their most appealing pastries free of charge. And patrons are encouraged to make a charitable contribution in return.

If you’re not familiar with macarons, they are an irresistible sandwich cookie made with almond-flour meringue and filled with everything from blackcurrent-violet pastry crème to caramel and fleur de sel.

Advance reservations for the Eiffel Tower now available.

Every visitor to Paris should go to the top of Eiffel Tower at least once.  Although there are other places in Paris with good views, nothing can compare to the 360-degree panorama you’ll enjoy here.  But during the summer, the lines at the Eiffel Tower can be two hours long -- or more.   And spending that much of your precious vacation time in line is a sin.

But now -- finally -- you can make reservations and buy tickets for the Eiffel Tower in advance.  You need to select a time for your visit and then show up as scheduled.  But you shouldn’t have to wait.

Off the beaten path in Paris on Ile St-Louis.

The Seine runs through Paris, dividing the city into the Left and Right Banks.  The larger of the two islands in the river, the Ile de la Cité packs a lot of sightseeing bang, -- including Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame -- into a few blocks.

But it’s the other island, the Ile St-Louis, that we always return to.  When the square in front of Notre Dame is packed with tourists, Ile St-Louis offers a comparatively peaceful respite about five minutes away.  To reach it, walk to the back side of Notre Dame, where you’ll have great views of the magnificent buttresses.  Then walk through the lime tress in the park and cross the Pont St-Louis bridge.