Paris, verdict by verdict

Paris is still worth it, but the gap between the Instagram version and the real city is wider than anywhere else. The museums, the river, the food and the sheer density of famous streets are unmatched: the Louvre at a timed morning slot, Sainte-Chapelle's thirteenth-century glass, an evening Seine cruise timed to the Eiffel light show, the Catacombs' strange stillness. And much of the best of it costs nothing, the walks, the neighbourhoods, the bakeries-to-bistro rhythm.

The costs are crowds and choreography. The Louvre, the Eiffel summit and the Catacombs now run on timed tickets that sell out weeks ahead, the Mona Lisa scrum is chaotic for a seconds-long view, the cafes around the big sights charge for the postcode, security lines are separate from ticket lines at Sainte-Chapelle and the museums, and hotels and central restaurants are expensive. Anyone needing guaranteed quiet, personal space or a spontaneous no-reservation city should look at Rome instead.

Four or five days is the right amount: one big sight a day with evenings left for neighbourhoods, which is where the city actually lives. Stay central in the 1st through 9th arrondissements and walk, resist doing Versailles, Disneyland and every museum in one trip, and come April to June or September to October. The RER B is flat-fare and fine with light bags; with heavy luggage, pre-book.