Planning your Euro-trip that includes a few days in Paris? Here are some of my notes and recommendations!
I had the opportunity to go to Europe in college for a couple of weeks, and this included 2 days in Paris. I was… as culturally ignorant as possible. I knew the bare minimum about the history, the culture, the only French word I knew was “Bonjour!”
My expectations were for a dirty, unsafe city and that was so far from what I got. It was my favorite city of our trip which included Rome, Dublin, Munich and more.
When we left, I knew I would go back someday.
This time, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it. My husband gets irritated with me because I tend to get a little neurotic when it comes to planning trips and what ground we will cover.
I just want to do/see/eat everything!
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For that reason, I feel like I had quite a bit of knowledge upon getting there and really, I felt like that was necessary being as how we were in a foreign country with a language that we barely understood.
I feel like this is the reason people don’t feel comfortable going to an international country- lack of knowledge about the culture. Put in a little bit of effort learning what it’s like before you go, and then the “culture-shock” will be so much less.
Pro tip: try to learn some French, it goes so far. Bonjour, merci! Hello and thank you, respectively, are all you need to know. But, in my opinion, the French language is super sexy so I was totally cool with learning as much as I could before we went. Jacob didn’t try to learn any French before we went and he was just fine communicating.. in French!! I was super impressed with his ability to pick up the language. Oui Oui.
Paris is like NYC in the sense that it is categorized by neighborhood. But unlike the 5 burrows, there are 19 arrondissements. They are labeled with numbers, some with correlating names.
The 1st Arrondissement starts in the very center of the city, and then spirals outwards. The Eiffel Tower is NOT in #1! It’s in #7… the closer you get to the 7th- the more expensive everything is. The hotels, the food, the drinks. Only the views are free!
Paris doesn’t have to be outrageously expensive though. We stopped at a crepe stand near Arc de Triomphe and both got massive Nutella stuffed crepes for a couple euro each.
For our September visit to Paris, we stayed on the Left Bank in the 6th Arrondissement- known for its Saint Germain-des-Pres atmosphere and the Luxembourg gardens.
This historic neighborhood district is one of the more upscale shopping, eating and lodging areas. It’s home to the famous restaurants Les Deux Magot and Café de Flore where famous writers and intellectuals like Hemmingway hung out.
We stayed at Hotel Lutetia, which had recently just reopened after an extensive remodel. It’s a noteworthy hotel because it dates back to the Nazi Germany era, and there are still pieces of the original hotel artwork that hang in Bar Josephine. Hotel Lutetia was in a super convenient location near the left bank.
Our travel agent found this hotel and it is one of the more upscale hotels we’ve stayed at. I would pick it again and again, the service was absolutely top notch.
We walked to the Eiffel Tower on the first day of our trip, through the 3rd, 4th , and 11th Arrondissements on day 2, we walked all the way through 1st, 2nd & 9th Arrondissements and all the way up to 18th on our last day. The 18th Arrondissement is called Montmartre, and it’s an actual storybook haven. It’s the cutest place on earth. More on Montmartre below.
A note about our hotel: with the room level we chose, we were given a hotel credit for the bars/restaurants/spa and free transportation to and from the airport/train station. See if these amenities are provided by your hotel to save some expense. The transportation service alone saved us hundreds of dollars.
By the way, September was a beautiful time to visit Paris. It felt like early fall, and we only needed light jackets. It’s always a good idea to have layers… The trees were still full of leaves and there were flowers everywhere. Again, out of a picture book.
Anyone else ever see the animated show Madeline when they were a kid? Paris is seriously a dream.
So, things to eat, see, and do. We all know the main attractions of Paris: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre museum, Bastille, Moulin Rouge.. The list is truly endless. Paris is so, so big that it’s absolutely necessary to plan your days out accordingly.
Book tickets to your favorite Paris attractions through Viator here!
Make a list of the things you want to see, and then look at the neighborhood map. Going to the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre on the same day would not be recommended logistically.
A note: we never one time used the Metro system in Paris. Being from a tiny town in Kansas, we had a hard enough time with the NYC subways that we decided we’d make being above ground work.
We walked, used Uber (pricing is comparable) and rode Lime scooters all over the city. Riding the Lime scooters around was a total highlight. Occasionally we would have to share 1 scooter…. Dangerous, but entertaining.
We paid like $100 one day in Lime fees for the 2 of us, but we rode on the scooters for HOURS, and from one side of the city all the way back into the center. You get the see the sites instead of being underground. It’s well worth it, and it is so fun.
Download the Lime/Bird apps and enter your payment info before you go if you don’t already have it.
Eats: There is so much good food in Paris it’s almost impossible to go wrong. East Mamma in the 11th and UNO in the 1st are two amazing places we had for dinner.
Remember, the tower is in the 7th Arrondissement and this neighborhood will have some of the highest price points for hotels and eats. You’ll also probably find more authentic, better tasting food for less money away from the big tourist sights.
We walked from our hotel to the Eiffel Tower, and naturally I had pre-planned the route we’d be taking. If you are coming from the East, you can walk down Rue Saint-Dominique and you’ll eventually run directly into a peek-a-boo view of the tower.
I was literally choking back the tears because I was so, so happy and excited. I realize this is ridiculous. You will also pass the Invalides which is several buildings that now houses museums dedicated to French Military History and such.
Take a stroll down Rue Cler for all of your picnic necessities.
Of course, you can pop into L’eclair for a sandwich and a glass of wine.
You can get a glass or carafe of house wine at most restaurants for cheap. A glass of wine is almost cheaper than a soda or tea at some places. Choose your beverage wisely!
Back to Rue Cler…
This is the cutest little vendor street that is closed for pedestrians. There are food vendors of all sorts, cheese and wine shops, and restaurants.
You can grab a bottle of wine (get it uncorked in the store!), meats & cheeses, and take your finds to Champs de Mars for a picnic with Eiffel Tower views.
Skip the line, book Eiffel Tower tickets in advance here. You will not regret it! The lines outside the Eiffel Tower get crazy long.
Note: some (a lot) of places don’t take American money. Make sure you get to a trust-worthy exchange for your Euros. (Consult with your hotel for a Currency Exchange location. Our hotel concierge gave us a location with directions and his direction phone number in case they tried to rip us off…. It happens).
The Arc de Triomphe is not far from the Eiffel Tower and is worth visiting when you’re in this area of Paris. We walked, but you could hop on scooters or grab an Uber.
If you walk, you can pick a spot along the way to grab a patio table and have another drink. We stopped at Hotel Raphael to head to the rooftop bar for a drink and views. Absolutely worth it!
The first time I went to Paris, we only looked at the Arc de Triomphe from the street.
You have to walk through on underground tunnel to get to the actual monument- the drivers in this roundabout are absolutely insane. I pre-bought our tickets to the top of the arc online for about $15 each. Book here.
We got to pass the ticket line and got right in.
Please note, the stairway up to the top is incredibly narrow and it’s quite a hike. Take that into consideration before trying to walk to the top… This, however, is one of my top recommendations. The views are unreal!
Another popular spot to see the tower that we didn’t visit is the Trocadero. It’s incredibly picturesque.
Also, seeing the Eiffel Tower at nighttime is pure magic. We FaceTimed my mom when we came back to the tower at night with it all lit up and the look on her face was priceless.
Seeing Montmartre-
Montmartre is almost the furthest point you can get from the center of the city, and it’s not a leisurely stroll. You’re walking uphill and eventually the streets turn from modern roads into nothing but cobblestone. It’s so pretty, but makes for a long hike.
I planned our walk with many stops, and put us arriving into the 18th Arrondissement around lunchtime.
From my research, I absolutely knew we would be eating at Pink Mamma, which is an Italian owned restaurant group. Just look and these photos and let them do the talking.
This was some of the best bolognese I have ever had in my life. To. Die. For. Add Pink Mamma to your must eats in the Pigalle district. It’s right next door to the colorful Pigalle basketball court, which is open to the public.
The only working vineyard in Paris is in Montmarte, and it’s only open certain times of the year.
The Wall of Love resides here as well, which says I Love You in like, all the languages.
There are all kinds of quirky finds that Montmarte is famous for.
Le Consulat & Le Maison Rose are two aesthetically pleasing restaurants. We didn’t try to eat or get a drink at either. It is really just fun to wander around Montmarte and take it all in. It really is like traveling back in time.
There is so much to do and see in Paris that it’s hard to only make one blog post to lay out all my thoughts.
If you plan one day around seeing the Tower and surrounding sights, and one day to Montmartre and surrounding areas, you are onto a great schedule.
Another popular area of Paris is Le Marais, in the 3rd & 4th Arrondissements which is one area we explored on day 2.
I hope you enjoyed this quick guide and I hope it helps in planning your Paris adventure! Should I make a guide by neighborhood? Let me know what you know.
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