Getaways

What better place to celebrate the most romantic month of the year than Paris? Cozy cafés, grand restaurants, beaucoup museums and fashion trends on every corner make a long weekend de rigueur. (www.parisinfo.com)

SEE: Walk your tootsies off, and explore one neighborhood at a time—chic Le Marais, Left Bank bookstores and cafés, the high-fashion Avenue Montaigne. Catch the Impressionists at the Musée d’Orsay, the classics at the Louvre … but don’t forget the smaller museums: Musée Rodin, Musée Picasso and the new Musée du quai Branly, with its collection of African, Asian and Oceanic art. A Bateaux Mouches cruise on the Seine remains one of the most romantic things one can do, night or day.

STAY: For a romantic splurge, only a grand Paris hotel will do. You’ll be happy with the contemporary chic of the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (across from The Ritz, but not as stuffy), the art deco landmark Lutetia in the glamorous Left Bank district, or the historic Le Meurice opposite the Tuileries Garden. They have reduced-cost weekend packages that include room, breakfast and a bottle of Champagne.

DINE: With more three-star Michelin restaurants than any other city, what to choose? Plaza Athénée with chef Alain Ducasse, the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower and others have prix fixe lunches with the same ambiance, food and service, but at better prices. Do go to a historic brasserie such as Bofinger for seafood, and to Ma Bourgogne on the gracious Place des Vosges for real Paris comfort food in an intimate setting.

SHOP: The two premiere department stores, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, offer all things French. Take an afternoon to explore Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the Marais neighborhood for one-of-a-kind boutiques showcasing jewelry, toys, silver and new designs. The Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood is currently the hottest for dining and edgy, new boutiques.

INSIDER’S TIP: Forgo taxis and traffic, and take the metro, perhaps the easiest subway system in the world to navigate. On Sundays, Parisians go out to stroll energetically down the Champs d’Élysées, and more languidly in the charming Tuileries and Luxembourg gardens—along with a bit of museum-hopping. (They’re free on Sundays.)