It can sometimes feel a bit daunting to be faced with a huge city, a huge number of sites, and an empty purse. Paris is one of those cities that is fantastically good value when it comes to sights if you're under the age of 26. Whether you're with friends or with a boyfriend, there are certain things you must see on your first visit to Paris. The Eiffel Tower is synonymous with Paris, but there are few things that you should bear in mind.

For one, the cost of the lift up is astronomical, and as a student, I would certainly recommend taking the stairs. That way, you can feel the wind through the building (apparently, when it's windy, it sways as much as 7cm from side to side-not for the faint hearted) and also, you can the ant-like figures of the people literally hundreds of metres below. Those that take the lift miss this: it's yours for 3 Euro 70 if you're under 24. From the top, you can see the grid system of the city, the streets widened in the 1870's by Baron Haussman to controversially increase military surveillance of the city after several uprisings, and the Seine, snaking through the centre of the city.

Also controversially, if I was on a time scale, I would forego the Eiffel Tower. The queues for ascent are enormous, and personally I'd rather do more and see more, than spend what could be half a day queuing to climb up a wobbly metal structure. The Sacre-Couer in Montmartre is one of those do-not-miss Parisian sites. The hundreds of steps are best attempted in the morning, and with each terrace where you stop, clutching your sides and gasping for breath, the view over the city gets more and more panoramic. Watch out for the men who try to tie bracelets around your wrist. Once you've got one around your arm they can charge you high sums for this 'gift' and I've seen American tourists in tears after they became too persistant. Say 'non' firmly and sprint away.

As the morning mist rolls off Paris, the view from the Sacre Couer are outstanding. What makes it even more lovely, is if you've chosen to head up on a sunday morning and the church bells are ringing whilst you're at the top. Completely by accident I ended up involved in a church service and despite my atheism, singing hymns in French and promising God my world. But, because I was in one of the most beautiful churches in Europe overlooking the most beautiful city in France, I didn't really care. Taking a chocolat chaud and a croissant at the top of the Sacre Couer is a must before you run down the steps back into the centre.

Paris is one of those wonderful cities that if you have evidence of being under 26 and from the EU, places like the Louvre, The Arc du Triomphe and the Musée d'Orsay are free, which means you can spend a pretty jammy afternoon floating around looking at Van Gogh's Sunflowers and da Vinci's Mona Lisa without spending a penny.

As dusk falls, the Arc du Triomphe calls you. Free with your passport if you're under 26, the flaming torch underneath it marks the tomb of an unknown soldier, celebrating all those who have died for France. The spiral staircase is a tough ask, with 284 non-stop stone steps to climb. The awkward moment comes when you're behind a really fat person but there's a really fit person behind you, and you have to keep shrugging 'sorry' at them and gesticulating towards the morbidly obese obstacle, when really you just want to collapse and have a little heart attack all by yourself. It is worth it though: the view from the top is arguably far more stunning than that from the Eiffel Tower, mainly because you can see it.

All of the main roads lead to the Arc de Triomphe, and as dusk falls and the street-lights click on, the city is transformed into a beautiful lightshow. The night breeze is cool and is an incredibly romantic place to huddle, walking around the roof of this huge building looking at this beautiful city.

When it gets just a bit too chilly, head back down, grab a bottle of wine from a corner super-marché and head down to the banks of the river. Every night, locals head down to the Ile de la cite by Notre Dame and light fires, play songs on their guitar and drink beers. It's a very open and welcoming atmosphere. Spending an evening in Paris drinking cider from a paper cup whilst being taught swear-words in French is a fabulous way to end your fun-packed Parisian day.