The Louvre is well worth every cent of the admission price, but it is best to go in with some idea of what you'd most like to see. I'm an art history enthusiast with the stamina of a hiker, but spending a full day in the Louvre seems unfeasible to me: I'm willing to bet the sheer magnitude of the Louvre's collections will wear anyone's appreciation out in about three hours. Hence, grab a map, try to make sense of it and proceed towards the section that interests you the most. Leave while you're still amazed instead of overwhelmed and bored - and come back for more either in the next afternoon or on your next trip.

As for practicalities, the side entrance in the Richelieu wing is far less crowded than the main one under the pyramid. The Paris museum pass is very handy for skipping the ticket lines. It is also worth noting that not all of the many toilets marked on the map will be in working order, so if you come across one that is, best make use of it.

www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en

Google map: tinyurl.com/ykn4e6o

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NYC vacation rental market is swamped with blatant scams. It is safer to stick to airbnb.com or roomorama.com when looking for an apartment for short-term stay. Craigslist might still have the best bargains though, if you've got the time and patience to hunt for them. In order to weed out the scams, stick to two simple rules: after you've made contact with the person offering a place for rent, ask the magic question: "With all the scammers out there, could I please send a local friend over to take a look at the place before booking?" (doesn't matter if you really have anyone there who could go over, no reply = scammer). Second, do not pay anyone anything in advance unless there is a way to reverse the transaction (read: PayPal only). Anyone requesting full stay's rent plus a huge deposit in advance via bank transfer or money order is a scammer, and they're most likely using photos and descriptions stolen from legit real estate ads.

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Unless you enjoy getting harrassed by aggressive beggars, random people trying to "show you a fun trick" that you'll then be expected to pay 20€ for, or at best, people trying to get you to buy something you don't need, I recommend avoiding pretty much all the main tourist hotspots in Paris. The worst-affected areas in my experience are Montmartre, the square in front of the Notre-Dame, and to somewhat lesser extent, the Tuileries gardens. I haven't gone anywhere near the Eiffel tower for the precise reason in the last few times I've been there - my first trip to Paris was 10 years ago and things have really deteriorated since then. If you're desperate to see the main sights, then avoid going alone and keep moving. I was immediately targeted by someone or several someones each and every time I had to stop to wait for my boyfriend who was taking pictures.

The good news is, there is plenty to see all over Paris, plus the food is noticeably cheaper in the less touristy areas, and, provided you're being polite and saying your "bonjours", "mercis" and "au revoirs", the people there are friendlier towards foreigners.

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