It’s been a few years since I last visited Paris, and my prevailing memory is one of queues. Queues, crowds and incredulity at the size of the Mona Lisa. Like any good Brit, I am fond of the queueing system and will passive-aggressively mutter should anyone break with the accepted etiquette. However, when you have a short time to experience a city, standing in line is not high on the list of priorities. Instead, you want to get to the heart of a place as quickly as possible.
Extreme day-tripping done right
When Intrepid announced that they were launching Uncommon Day Trips earlier this month, I was intrigued. Extreme day-tripping is a booming trend on social media, but it has been criticised for being unsustainable; something that anyone familiar with Intrepid will know is not their style.
Instead, the intent behind their new tours is to help combat the overtourism issues plaguing some of Europe’s most visited cities – namely Barcelona, Venice and Paris.
© Getty ImagesThe French capital has seen a surge in tourism numbers since the Olympic Games in 2024, with 48.7 million visitors recorded that year. Montmartre, home of the Sacré-Cœur basilica, has been hit particularly hard, with an estimated 11 million visiting the area each year.
Residents have complained of packed streets as tourists all head for major hotspots. The idea behind Uncommon Day Trips is to spread the tourists out around the city and away from the most crowded areas.
An unusual beginning
As one of the first to try out this new concept, I met Cecilia Garcia Riglos, an Intrepid tour leader and creator of the tour, and Benoit Collas, another tour leader, at the Musée de l’Homme on the Trocadéro esplanade – a favoured spot for those wanting a picture with the Eiffel Tower. Despite it being a grey, grizzly day, there were still plenty of tourists milling around.
© Anadolu/Getty“I chose to start the tour here to give our guests the opportunity to see how crowded some of these areas are,” Cecilia told me before Benoit picked up the thread, explaining the itinerary for the day. Instead of the famed Marais or Montmartre, we were heading to the quieter 16th Arrondissement to explore Passy.
“It was once a small village on the outskirts of the city, known for its peaceful countryside,” Benoit explained. He went on to describe how the area had become increasingly popular among wealthy Parisians – as well as British visitors – in the 17th and 18th centuries, as they sought to escape the city.
It became an area of the respite for the well-off, and has a reputation of wealth even today: Cecilia went so far as to describe what we would refer to as nimbyism, with residents constantly seeking to stop social housing being built in the area.
© Getty ImagesAs we wandered the streets of Passy, that wealth was evident, particularly at our first stop, the Eiffel Tower’s “Silent Neighbour”, Passy Cemetery. Here, there were elaborate tombs belonging to the aristocratic legacy of Paris; Claude Debussy, Bảo Đại (the last emperor of Vietnam), Hubert de Givenchy and Jacques Guerlain all found their final resting place at this necropolis.
An Art Deco insight
From the sombre grounds of the cemetery, Cecilia and Benoit led us along the Rue de Passy, where we admired the Thirties Art Deco architecture, before strolling through picturesque parks and along beautiful streets. As the Eiffel Tower popped in and out of view, it was evident that the guides had chosen wisely; we barely came across any other tourists as we wandered.
At Rue Raynouard we were treated to yet another view of the Eiffel Tower before descending into the historic grounds of Maison de Balzac – the former home of the famous French novelist Honoré de Balzac. Surprisingly free to enter, the peaceful garden gave a glimpse into what this small village once offered: a retreat from the noise of the city. It remains very much that way today and is the perfect place to sit and enjoy a treat from a local patisserie.
© Leslie Latchman/IntrepidFood plays a major role
Next, we were taken along the pretty, largely pedestrianised street of Rue de l’Annonciation.
As our stomachs began to rumble from the sight of patisseries and bakeries stocked with delicious-looking goodies, we were led to the local market.
Here, there was an abundance of produce, from fresh fish and vegetables to superb pastries and crunchy crepes. Highlights included Golosa patisserie, where we were handed a brioche croissant, and Chez Marie-Do creperie, where a brown-sugar-coated crepe and hot coffee were placed in front of us.
© Getty ImagesHunger satiated, we continued through the streets, past the pretty Passy metro station to the Bir-Hakeim Bridge. The sci-fi action-thriller Inception was filmed here, and it’s not hard to see why this urban yet immaculate scene was chosen for the mind-bending film’s setting. In one direction, you can see the Eiffel Tower, while on the other side lies the Île aux Cygnes (Isle of the Swans).
Secret Paris
As the tour drew to a close, it was possible to see tourists in the distance, thronging the streets of the city’s most popular areas. Meanwhile, we were left feeling as though we’d seen behind the veil – a brief but interesting peek at an area that is very close to the Eiffel Tower yet feels a world away.
© Getty ImagesFor those in search of an insight into Paris outside the well-trodden path, this is a great option. As we headed back, we passed a spot on the Avenue de Camoëns where Instagrammers posed with extreme care as their photographers took picture after picture of them, each designed to create the illusion of a life well-lived in the City of Light. The site is touted as a secret spot among content creators, but we felt a small sense of smugness knowing that we’d had an insight into something even more secret: the Paris that only the locals know about.
How to do it
Uncommon day trips to Paris cost from £48 with Intrepid. You can get to Paris with Eurostar from £39 each way.
