In my travels across the globe, I've come to adopt a style of traveling that involves an absolute minimum of the following: Planning, paper maps and tourist activities. I've realized that if you spend hours researching your destination, join guided tours and follow the map from place to place, you risk missing what is essential to your travel experience – exploration and adventure, hidden treasures known only to locals and simply blending into the lifestyle of the city. My recent trip to Paris was a great opportunity for me to execute this travel style. Paris is a city with so much to offer and three full days is hardly enough time to really get a feel for the life of the city. But with an open mind and an open schedule, time slowed down and when we left the city on a Sunday afternoon, we felt satisfied, inspired, even if a bit exhausted. Here is a simple guide to laid-back travel, a list of places I've found that are worth revisiting and mere suggestions for blending into the city of love and light.

Thursday

4 p.m. : Get lost

Upon arrival in a new city my best advice is to simply start walking. The 9th arrondissement (meaning, district) is a good place to start. Starting at the central location of the gorgeous Palais Garnier, head to Rue Richer and wander first eastward, then south into the 3rd arrondissement and eventually to the Jewish Quarter of Le Marais. Along this route, you'll see an evolution of ordinary – yet interesting – shops and cafes, organic markets and bookstores and crowded corner bars. You'll pass shopping districts with both big-brand stores and tourist-oriented food opportunities that meld into the relaxed and trendy independent shops of Le Marais.While in the 9th, stop into Macarons at 1 Rue De Provence and chose a snack from their selection of freshly made baguette sandwiches, pizza breads, croissants and all the delectable sweet stuff. Then stroll down Rue du Faubourg Saint Martin for a very Parisian weekday, rush-hour experience while peeking into cheese shops and authentic bakeries through big glass windows.

6 p.m. : Le Marais

Le Marais is scattered with wine shops and bars where locals convene after work to unwind. The French bar is not your quintessential pub, but a cafe that serves coffee and snacks along with spirits. They are not typically fancy, but have seating inside and even better, out on the street. Pick a place on the corner where you can watch the Thursday evening traffic and listen to your neighbors get louder and more rowdy with each glass of wine. Any place on Rue de Rivoli is nice, especially one with a view of Saint-Paul Saint-Louis church. We liked Le Bucheron (14 Rue de Rivoli), and Le Pick Clops (16 Rue de Vieille du Temple).

8 p.m.: Bon appetit

As your early evening fades and the night progresses along with your appetite, head to the 11th arrondissement for an eclectic array of dining options. For a very special dining adventure, go to Septime, but reserve well ahead of time. This bistro was rated one of the world's 50 best in 2013 and could become your most memorable dining experience. Septime, 80 Rue de Charonne, 11th arr.

Friday

10 a.m.: Gaze into history

After your first breakfast in Paris, consider visiting the remarkable and inspirational Palais Garnier, the opera house of Paris, and location for the setting of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel "The Phantom of the Opera." The museum snakes through the Bibliothéque de l'Opéra, the gold-covered grand foyer, and onto the luxurious marble of the grand staircase. If you want to see more of the auditorium than what you can from peaking through a sliver in its doors, check their schedule for upcoming events: www.operadeparis.fr/en. This opera house has the largest stage in Europe, holding up to 450 artists, and a famous 7-ton bronze and crystal chandelier.

2 p.m.: A very Parisian lunch

For a change of scenery and an adventure in a new neighborhood, jump on the closest metro headed toward Montparnasse in the calm, upscale, and mainly residential 6th arrondissement. A five-minute walk from the metro will bring you to La Creperie de Josselin, a quaint but busy and very Parisian creperie. Their menu includes every type of crepe you could ever imagine, and a lunch special so you can try one each of savory and sweet, plus a glass of their delicious house-made cider. The Couple Saumon Fume is a double buckwheat crepe, an almost-shareable portion of smoked salmon and a bowl of lemon-spiked crème fraiche that you could not possibly imagine finishing, but you will. We brought two bottles of the dry cider home with us; it was so tasty we couldn't resist the half-off take away price even though it would mean carrying them around with us for the rest of the day. La Creperie de Josselin, 67 Rue de Montparnasse, 6th arr.

5 p.m.: Observe

Walk off lunch through one of the most sought-after residential areas of the city – and see why – to Jardin du Luxembourg. On Friday afternoon, friends and families join together for afternoon bocce ball tournaments at the southwest entrance of the park. Sit and watch kids practice their skills and their grandfathers give them critiques. Wander east through the park to see Luxembourg Palace, admire the surrounding gardens and fountains that lay in geometric paragon and ogle at the park's perfect placement in this area of the city.

10 p.m.: Escape

When you think of drinking and dining in Paris, you usually wouldn't imagine munching on tacos and drinking craft cocktails at a speakeasy, but both can, and should, be done at Candelaria. From the street, this Mexican restaurant looks like nothing special, with a neon sign and hand-written menu in the window. But once inside you'll drool over their taco menu. The small, candle-lit space gets crowded on Friday nights, so get there early. If you're having a hard time choosing a drink – or reading French – simply spin the arrow located on the front of the menu and let it decide for you. Then relax on the sofa and watch the crowds roll in. Candelaria, 52 Rue de Saintonge, 3rd arr.

Saturday

11 a.m.: Art history lesson

The Louvre is probably the most popular museum in Paris, followed by Musée d'Orsee and Musée Rosin. For anyone who has studied art history, or really, for any first-time visitor of the city, the Louvre is a must. The museum's rectangular layout draws you through seemingly endless corridors of art, jewelry and ancient history, and eventually to Da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa where tourists huddle with selfies sticks in hand. If you're hoping for a more calm and personable museum, perhaps try the other two mentioned above. In my opinion, the best part of our visit to the Louvre was enjoying the wind-less Courtyard of Napoleon containing the museum's famous glass pyramid; a great place to soak up some sunshine.

1 p.m.: Cheese research

It was about 1 p.m. on our third day in Paris when we realized we hadn't tasted one of France's finest delicacies and went in search of a cheese plate. Across the Seine canal, wandering into Saint Germain, we found what we were looking for. Les Antiquaires, it turns out, is an excellent restaurant with daily specials and a variety of French offerings, and smells of freshly fried potatoes. If you happen across this place, you must try a salad dressed with tangy vinaigrette and topped with cured meat and fried fresh chevre. While devouring a cheese plate, we had our waitress help us determine which was which and made a list for later shopping. Les Antiquaires, 3 Rue de Bac, 7th arr.

8 p.m.: Indulge

Scallop in cauliflower foam with coffee grounds, smoked anchovies and squid ink risotto were among the handful of small plates we tried from Le Dauphin's menu of modern French tapas. We learned that getting to this restaurant early is a must; arrive before 8 p.m. to ensure an empty seat at the white marble bar or make a reservation for a table in advance. By 10 p.m. some of the menu items were unavailable and the last two steamed artichokes were seemingly gifted to the bartenders' favorite customers. If anything, you'll leave Le Dauphin with a unique French dining experience and perhaps a few funny stories. Le Dauphin, 131 Avenue Parmentier, 11th arr. Double-check your map so as not to make the same mistake we did and confuse the restaurant Le Dauphin in a rough neighborhood that shares the same name.

Sunday

10 a.m.: Edible souvenirs

On the morning of your departure, if you desire to bring some goodies home, visit Rue Cadet in the 9th arrondissement and kill two birds with one stone. This narrow street is home to cafes with coffee and breakfast, a butcher shop and cheese shop and the neighborhood's favorite bakery, as told by a middle-aged French man with a huge smile and bag full of freshly baked treats. It is also the only street of its kind whose shops are open and welcoming on an early Sunday morning. Spend your loose change – or take out your credit card – and stock up on cheeses (with your list from prior research), meats, and baked goods for your croissant-starved friends at home. It all packs well in your carry on, as long as you can refrain from eating it on the way.1 p.m.: A farewell petit dejeuner

Nestled in the upscale shopping district near the Louvre, this bright and quaint café specializes in the French petit dejeuner. Their menu is concise but inclusive and there's a lot of room to choose. Their tables were nearly too small for our party of four, so our brunch turned into a three course meal with coffee, juice and pastries proceeded by our individual selections of eggs, and finished with our first desserts of the day, yogurt or chia seed pudding with savory breads and cupcakes. Stay as long as their next reservation, not as long as you'd like, but don't forget to grab something for later on your way out. Claus, 14 Rue Jean-Jacques Rosseau, 2nd arr.