Top Five Things to do in Paris

1. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night. No, it is NOT overrated. Yes, the lines ARE long. But no trip to the City of Light is complete without seeing Paris from this famous landmark.
2. See the Mona Lisa. Some may say that the Mona Lisa is... overrated. Go in with low expectations on a Wednesday or Friday evening once cheap hours have started in at the Louvre. Then challenge yourself to make it through in the four hours you're there. Skip the egyptian exhibits, hit up Winged Victory and Venus di Milo.
3. Take the Metro. It's the world's best freaking metro system! It gets you 10 minutes from anywhere. It's crowded most of the time, but the stations are cool. Look into whether you want a carnet of 10 tickets, or day passes.
4. Shopping. Bon Marche is a no unless you're the daughter of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfery. Rue de Rivoli has pretty good shopping and is near the Louvre - you can find amazing deals during sale season (Summer sales start in late June and go into early August). Champs-Elysees is fun, but the stores are more expensive than Rivoli, even with sales. It's a big landmark though, so it's worth going to see the Arc de Triumph.
5. Explore. Take a walk around the neighborhood you're staying in. You learn more about Paris itself this way. Especially if you stay in a non-touristy neighborhood such as Montemarte - we stumbled across Sacre Couer our first evening and it gave a beautiful view. Just watch out for those street peddlers. Walk fast and pretend to be mute.