We’re approaching the end of January and the worst of winter which means travelers, myself included, are itching to plan their next escape. Those considering their next Paris visit have a Herculean task ahead of them, with heaps of information to sift through and costs to compare in their decision-making process.

Buffeted by choice in every area – hotels, short-stay apartments, day-excursions, restaurants, bar – it’s no wonder travelers seek out the advice of locals or magazines that collate their recommendations into one, easily digested helping.  I too get overwhelmed by the emails from friends and family begging for ALL of my go-to spots or ALL of the latest places du moment in the city they can’t miss. Though my resources page isn’t exhaustive, I do try to keep the list updated and call out my personal favorites.

Still, some people need more that that; they need an itinerary to follow that matches the ambitions for their trip. And that’s when I’d refer them to Rue Amandine, a boutique travel agency run by Parisian Amandine Dubessay and a team of two other women. Amandine offers custom stays in the city which can include all the nuts & bolts –  a quintessentially picture-perfect Parisian flat plus a ready-to-execute itinerary – or just the personalized roadbook for a visit that matches precisely what you want to see and experience.

What I love about Amandine’s approach is that it truly approximates the local experience and keeps you connected to French locals for the duration of your stay. There are countless ways to experience what I call ‘Princess Paris’, by which I mean the superficial layer of the city, fringed with luxury shops, pastries and upscale dining institutions, but travelers looking for that highly-coveted (and sometimes elusive) local experience will need more than a list of a local’s favorite haunts. Rue Amandine is an adorable, perfectly Parisian place to start.

Now for your thoughts: how do you plan your trips to activity-dense cities like Paris?