Following up from the Visiting London advice thread from a while ago and given the recent flurry of similar threads, I figured I might as well give a bit of advice on another city that I've been lucky enough to get to know really quite well over the years. Paris is, in my humble opinion, the must see city of this planet, and that's coming from someone who's lived their entire life in London 
.
Following a similar format to that used by @Jana:
Transport
I can't stress enough that if you have a fairly Central hotel, the public transport is not needed for the vast majority of the attractions. Central Paris is deceptively small and definitely very walkable, despite the streets not being laid out in the most logical of fashions.
Paris is, however, on the whole, well-served with public transport options. If memory serves, 16 metro lines traverse the city, serving an area of about 100 square kilometres. The most useful line for tourists is 1, without a doubt, passing through the centre of the city, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre to Notre Dame. Others can be useful for the more isolated sights, but in general a combination of Ligne 1 and walking will get you anywhere you need to go centrally.
There is also a bus service, which is quite comprehensive but at times unreliable. There is also quite the developed electric scooter system in Paris, more so than in any other city I have been to.
Travelling by car is difficult in Paris. Within the city, circulation is often hampered by the poor design of the city's roads, as well as recent decisions relating to the closure of certain artery roads crossing the city resulting in more traffic within the smaller, less spacious streets not made for so many cars.
Accommodation
Paris is busy year-round, and as a result, fairly expensive year-round. Generally cheap hotels can be found however, even in the centre. Avoid hotels in suburbia - staying outside the central area can cut off a large portion of your day and certain areas of suburbia are to be avoided.
Food and Drink
Obviously one of the best cities in the world for food, with an incredibly varied range of cuisines across the city. Not going to recommend anything in particular given just how much there is, other than a few really nice restaurants that can be found just East of the Musee d'Orsay.
Tap water and bread typically given for free at tables.
Safety
Paris is generally safe, although tourists in particular are susceptible to pickpocketing on the metro. Suburbia is where the places that should generally be avoided are located.
Language
Paris is complicated - French people in general are quite proud of their heritage and as a result around half have a fairly poor grasp of English. However, most workers at tourist spots will speak English at least semi-fluently and about a quarter of passers-by will be able to at least understand and passably speak English. Speaking French will be quite useful however, particularly when entering lesser-known attractions.
Zoos
Paris is not really endowed with a single, flagship zoo. Its two fairly central zoos are la Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes and le Zoo de Vincennes. La Menagerie is the most historically important zoo in the country and holds a number of nice rarities (two species of bustard for example, including the only Houbara bustards in Europe). It combines the charm of some of the oldest structures in a modern zoo with some more modern infrastructure in places and a lovely little collection. It is a must visit for sure, situated within the grounds of the Natural History Museum, which is also an essential for a Zoochatter.
Vincennes is very, very different. The only remnant of the zoo's history is the still functional water tower beneath the iconic rock structure. The rest of the zoo is very modern, with the zoo having been thoroughly renovated a few years ago. The renovations are great in my opinion, with the zoo now not having any poor exhibits and with some of the enclosures being superb for their inhabitants. I would say that this should also be high up on the list for any Zoochatter.
The other two main zoos in Paris are further out and much harder to get to. Thoiry, while also a great place, is perhaps the most unremarkable of the 4 collections (not saying much given how unique the others are), with Tonkean macaques being the main rarity for new visitors. The park is not reachable without a car.
Finally le Parc des Felins is without a doubt the best felid collection in the world, with all but two of the felid taxa in Europe represented. I would really recommend going, but public transport to the zoo is patchy and attempting the journey is not advisable without a firm grasp of French.
I will write a bit more in the next post hopefully, particularly with respect to other sites.
.Following a similar format to that used by @Jana:
Transport
I can't stress enough that if you have a fairly Central hotel, the public transport is not needed for the vast majority of the attractions. Central Paris is deceptively small and definitely very walkable, despite the streets not being laid out in the most logical of fashions.
Paris is, however, on the whole, well-served with public transport options. If memory serves, 16 metro lines traverse the city, serving an area of about 100 square kilometres. The most useful line for tourists is 1, without a doubt, passing through the centre of the city, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre to Notre Dame. Others can be useful for the more isolated sights, but in general a combination of Ligne 1 and walking will get you anywhere you need to go centrally.
There is also a bus service, which is quite comprehensive but at times unreliable. There is also quite the developed electric scooter system in Paris, more so than in any other city I have been to.
Travelling by car is difficult in Paris. Within the city, circulation is often hampered by the poor design of the city's roads, as well as recent decisions relating to the closure of certain artery roads crossing the city resulting in more traffic within the smaller, less spacious streets not made for so many cars.
Accommodation
Paris is busy year-round, and as a result, fairly expensive year-round. Generally cheap hotels can be found however, even in the centre. Avoid hotels in suburbia - staying outside the central area can cut off a large portion of your day and certain areas of suburbia are to be avoided.
Food and Drink
Obviously one of the best cities in the world for food, with an incredibly varied range of cuisines across the city. Not going to recommend anything in particular given just how much there is, other than a few really nice restaurants that can be found just East of the Musee d'Orsay.
Tap water and bread typically given for free at tables.
Safety
Paris is generally safe, although tourists in particular are susceptible to pickpocketing on the metro. Suburbia is where the places that should generally be avoided are located.
Language
Paris is complicated - French people in general are quite proud of their heritage and as a result around half have a fairly poor grasp of English. However, most workers at tourist spots will speak English at least semi-fluently and about a quarter of passers-by will be able to at least understand and passably speak English. Speaking French will be quite useful however, particularly when entering lesser-known attractions.
Zoos
Paris is not really endowed with a single, flagship zoo. Its two fairly central zoos are la Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes and le Zoo de Vincennes. La Menagerie is the most historically important zoo in the country and holds a number of nice rarities (two species of bustard for example, including the only Houbara bustards in Europe). It combines the charm of some of the oldest structures in a modern zoo with some more modern infrastructure in places and a lovely little collection. It is a must visit for sure, situated within the grounds of the Natural History Museum, which is also an essential for a Zoochatter.
Vincennes is very, very different. The only remnant of the zoo's history is the still functional water tower beneath the iconic rock structure. The rest of the zoo is very modern, with the zoo having been thoroughly renovated a few years ago. The renovations are great in my opinion, with the zoo now not having any poor exhibits and with some of the enclosures being superb for their inhabitants. I would say that this should also be high up on the list for any Zoochatter.
The other two main zoos in Paris are further out and much harder to get to. Thoiry, while also a great place, is perhaps the most unremarkable of the 4 collections (not saying much given how unique the others are), with Tonkean macaques being the main rarity for new visitors. The park is not reachable without a car.
Finally le Parc des Felins is without a doubt the best felid collection in the world, with all but two of the felid taxa in Europe represented. I would really recommend going, but public transport to the zoo is patchy and attempting the journey is not advisable without a firm grasp of French.
I will write a bit more in the next post hopefully, particularly with respect to other sites.
