7 Reasons to Stop Following YouTube Itineraries in Paris
The internet is flooded with videos promising to show “the best of Paris.” The best croissant. The top five brasseries. The must-see landmarks in two days. It sounds efficient – until you arrive and realize you’re spending your days chasing someone else’s trip.
Many travelers learn this the hard way: Paris isn’t a city to rush through. It’s a city to absorb.
Copy-Paste Itineraries
Following influencer guides turns travel into a checklist. You run between bakeries, landmarks, and cafés without ever settling into the rhythm of the city.
People often describe their first two days in Paris as chaos – running after recommended spots, ticking boxes, and ending up too tired to enjoy anything.
It’s only when they slow down that the city starts to feel real.
Trying to “collect” experiences creates pressure. YouTube and TikTok make Paris look like a scavenger hunt: a photo at the Trocadéro, a croissant at the trendiest bakery, dinner at the same restaurant everyone films…
The result is the opposite of enjoyment: crowds, queues, and disappointment when the “must-try” pastry tastes the same as one from the corner boulangerie.
Influencers & the Illusion of Discovery
Many influencers are paid to promote specific places. Others simply repeat what’s already trending. The same cafés and patisseries appear in every video, creating a cycle of overexposure.
Paris ends up full of people taking the same photos in the same spots.
At museums, it’s the same story: visitors blocking masterpieces for selfies or filming fashion reels in front of Monet’s water lilies. People walk past Renoir and Rodin without even glancing, focused only on their phones.
It’s not about art anymore, but about documenting being there.
The irony is that these influencers rarely show the moments that make Paris special, like chatting with a baker, people-watching from a terrace, or finding a quiet street where you can hear the city breathe.
The Croissant Myth
“The best croissant in Paris” is one of the biggest traps. Locals laugh at the idea that there’s one best place to buy one.
In a city with thousands of bakeries, the best croissant is usually the one closest to your apartment – hot, flaky, and eaten standing on the sidewalk with coffee from the place next door.
Many travelers say their favorite discovery is the bakery at the end of their street, not the one they saw online. The smell of butter, the warmth of the staff, the memory of a quiet morning before the crowds wake up.
Plan Smarter, Travel Slower
Planning helps but rigid itineraries backfire. A better approach is to cluster sights by neighborhood. Pick one major stop per day, a museum, a market, a garden, and leave space for wandering.
A smart way to organize a trip is with a custom Google Map. Add all the spots that interest you: cafés, shops, landmarks. When you’re out exploring, check what’s nearby instead of rushing across town. This method keeps you spontaneous but prepared.
Seasoned visitors often build days around one anchor activity in the morning (like the Palais Garnier or Sainte-Chapelle) and then explore nearby streets and cafés in the afternoon.
If you start at Invalides, you might walk to Trocadéro for the view or end the day by the Seine. Efficiency without pressure.
Permission to Wander
Walk without a goal and see what you find. Some travelers describe the last day of their trip, when they finally gave up on their itinerary, as the best one of all.
Strolling along the Seine, watching boats, crossing bridges, and stopping for coffee became the highlight.
Others use city buses to sightsee without the stress of crowds. By sitting by the window, you get a moving view of everyday Paris, from market streets to Haussmann avenues, at a slower pace than any tour bus could manage.
Balance Planning and Serendipity
Not everything can be spontaneous. Big attractions like Versailles or the Catacombs need tickets in advance. But overplanning every hour leaves no room for surprises.
Build structure, then loosen it. Follow the “one scheduled thing per day” rule, with one major event, then freedom. It keeps energy high and expectations realistic.
Keeping a “B-roll” list is also a good idea. These are optional spots, e.g. a smaller museum, a park, or a café, that you can pull up if there’s free time or bad weather.
It removes the pressure to “do it all” while still giving options.
The Real Paris Isn’t in Videos
Paris reveals itself slowly. It’s in morning light hitting stone buildings, in a conversation with a shopkeeper, in the smell of bread wafting through the street.
You don’t find those moments in curated reels or influencer guides, but by walking, pausing, and letting the city come to you.
Travelers often realize they’ve seen more of Paris when they stopped rushing: afternoons in parks, long café breaks, bus rides through random neighborhoods.
How to Build a Better Paris Trip
Watch videos or read blogs to learn the geography of the city, not to copy someone’s exact route. Make your own map. Choose one or two big experiences – the Louvre, a boat dinner, a special restaurant – and let the rest unfold naturally.
Use guides that focus on neighborhoods and daily life instead of “top tens.” Sources like Jay Swanson’s Paris in My Pocket or Substack newsletters often give practical, updated insights without the hype.
Remember, the best Paris itinerary isn’t the most efficient one. It’s the one that leaves room for chance – the unplanned detour, the café you’ll remember years later, the view you stumble upon because you decided to walk instead of rushing for the next thing.