Paris deserves weeks, but a well-planned weekend can still steal your heart, provided you resist the urge to see everything. Begin your first day early at the Eiffel Tower to beat the worst of the queues, riding to the summit for a sweeping panorama of the city before the crowds swell. Afterwards, picnic on the Champ de Mars lawns with a coffee and a pastry.

In the afternoon, turn to the Louvre — but choose a single wing rather than attempting the impossible. The Denon wing holds the Mona Lisa and the Italian masters; a focused couple of hours there beats a exhausting half-day march past everything. As evening falls, drift along the Seine on a sightseeing cruise while the city lights flicker on around you.