Things to avoid doing when you are in Paris

Though this famous street is still spectacular, especially when viewed from the Arc de Triomphe, its glamour has been tarnished by dealerships, megastores, and overpriced cafés. Though there are some notable exceptions (perfumer Guerlain’s superb historic flagship, for one), you’ll find mostly chains, and many American ones at that.If you’re dying to check out the Levis, Banana Republic, or Abercrombie & Fitch superstores, go for it! If it’s a truly Parisian walk you’re after, stroll along tree-lined Boulevard Saint-Germain; the Rue des Martyrs, from the heights of Montmartre; along the Canal Saint-Martin; or Les Berges de Seine, a new route along the river, beginning in front of the Musée d’Orsay.