Indeed, thus far it was twice a good idea for me to go to the "City of Lights" not "Love" despite popular belief. But why the "city of lights"? Paris actually has over 290 illuminated sites, including 33 of it's major bridges glow at full glory every night!
I recently returned from my second Parisian adventure and I am so excited to share it with you with hopes to inspire some to visit and be at "Awe" as well!
Something to keep in mind when booking your Paris travel - the city of Paris is broken down to districts. The lower your district number is , the closer you are to top attractions and the better the area. Districts 1- 11 will allow you to sight see, walk and be in the heart of Paris. Fun fact; my favorite shoe designer, Christian Louboutin, named the Pigalle heel after district 9's name.
Also keep in mind a good hotel in Paris is going to cost you money yet you won’t have a space that you might be used to but it’s OK because you’re not in Paris for the hotel, you’re in Paris for the adventure. Below are the two hotels that I stayed at
- Hotel Brittany ( super tiny rooms, good location but still a hike to most attractions , price around 100 EU per night
- Hotel Ille de France Opera ( a bit pricer than Hotel Brittany, but bigger rooms, solid location right by the Opera house and 10 min walk from the Louvre)
For food junkie in me, the food in Paris is fantastic and one of my favorite cuisines. I highly encourage you to venture out of what you’re comfortable with and try some amazing delicacies. Even the basic baguettes and croissants will blow your mind.
A side note : In Paris, the locals speak French (I know, obvi) and keep in mind, they do not want to talk to you in English. Always approach them with bonjour or bonsoir and then you can continue on letting them know that you don’t speak French and asking them if they speak another language...That’s of course if you don’t speak François :)
When visiting Paris, there is so much to do and see and unless you are there for a week plus ( who has that time?! not me...) I recommend narrowing down what you are looking to do...you can have an art trip, a history trip, a food trip, a sightseeing trip, a fashion trip... for both of my trips I had a hybrid approach (food/sightsee/art)...as I usually try to cram everything I want to do intro a couple of days..I call it #travelmaxamization
Below are some of the highlights of my trips :
The Seine river cuts through Paris ...what a great sightseeing platform! There are few companies that offer tours on it, my preferred one is the Batobus tour which hits the top 8 attractions along the river and it's a hop off, hop on style. If you decide not to hop off, its about a 2 hour journey around the river. Maybe I am biased as I love boats, but I found it such a cool way to see the city but also to use it as a transport...as it takes you anywhere from Notre Dame to Louvre to the Eiffel Tower to Champs de Elysses. You buy from 1 to several day passes at about 20 EU a day.
Tour d'eiffel - tops the chart as the world's most visited paid monument in the world as of 2018...as well as the tallest building in the city of Paris. More fun facts - now one of the most recognizable landmarks - the French did not want it built in first place, they thought it was the ugliest "tower" they had ever seen and petitioned to get it taken down. Expect somewhat of a wait to go up, but the views and the experience of being on top of Paris are completely worth it...for me. There are restaurants as well as an observatory area where I sipped on champagne while enjoying a 360 view of Paris...fatastique!
If waiting in line is not your thing or you simply don't have the time for it, you can enjoy the view from the green right underneath or my favorite, Place du Trocadéro , right across the street from the Eiffel Tower. Locals and tourist hang out there and pop a bottle of bubbly...at night, you can witness the beautiful light show which happens every 30 minutes. When I went at night, there were also musicians performing songs upon request to entertain the crowd between the lights show.
Arc de Triomphe is a popular destination and you can easily walk to from the Eiffel tower, It takes good for 30 to 45 minutes but it’s worth the walk to be able to explore some of Paris’s beautiful neighborhoods. The arc was built to honor the French that fought and died during the Neapolitan and the French Revolution war.... and guess who ordered its construction?! Neapolitan himself, even though he was abducted mid construction and never got to see the completion.
Arc de Triophe is tied right to Avenue des Champs Elysee - the fifth avenue of Paris. It is one of the most popular streets in the world and there are a good amount of songs written about it...just ask my mom as she didn't stop signing them along with " I am on vacation...cause I love my occupation " :) . There are plenty of stores, restaurant, cafes and cinemas, just be on the lookout - a lot of them are tourist traps but none the less a fun experience. Along the Champs Elysse, nature called ( or I had too much champagne ) but I was in luck as they have V.I.P. bathrooms. For a couple of Euros, you will escorted by your private bathroom attendant, get to pick out the toilet paper and seat of your desire....
Through my previous posts you might have noticed that I am a big walking fan...my family and friends always have something to say when I tell them oh we can just walk there..yet its 30 minutes away :) Anyways, it could be the New Yorker in me or the fun of getting lost on the way...window shopping anyone?! So, "down the block" from Champs Elysee is the world's largest museum, the Louvre. The Louvre is full of history, art and jaw dropping exhibits...its also the home of the Mona Lisa. You absolutely need at least a day to explore...which is perfect for a rainy spring day in Paris. If you don’t have the time or desire to go inside, the surroundings are stunning as well and there’s so much to see and do around including a Ferris wheel that gives you beautiful views of Paris and Champs Elysse
(see below).
Don't let my walking scare you...Paris has a great transportation system that will take you around town plus taxis/ubers are all at your fingertips
I have mixed feelings about the Sacré-Coeur, don't get me wrong, its a stunning church with a great backstory from a religious and political perspective...it just didn't meet my "views" expectations. I seem to be always chasing views so when I found out that the tallest hill in Paris was where Sacré-Coeur is located, I talked my girlfriends into a once again walking adventure from Hotel Brittany. I mean , we could see the church from our Hotel, how far could it be? It was far, not only was it far, it was literally an uphill battle to get there. Our idea of drinking champagne on top of the city and overlooking all of Paris's districts was not met. When we finally got to Sacré-Coeur, we couldn't see any of Paris as it was blocked my apartment buildings... it did have a beautiful garden and the walk did burn plenty of calories from the baguettes and foie gras that we had consumed.
Notre Dame - the world famous cathedral that took almost 200 years to be built portrays some of the best Medieval architecture I have ever seen. Entrance is free of charge and the lines aren't crazy long..usually
A trip to Paris is not complete without some nightlife excitement! Below are my top restaurants/ venues ** something to keep in mind, Parisians usually take the month of August off for a holiday, therefore some restaurants are closed **
Yeels - one of my favorite venues where you will have a fantastic dinner and then around 11 o’clock, shot start flowing and the music starts getting louder...don't be surprised to see people dancing on the tables!
Lavomatic - a speak easy visited by locals and tourists...and as you guested it, its Laundry themed! You literally walked into a laundry mat and have to go through a washing machine to go upstairs where everything is similarly themed - great drinks and snacks!
Le Comptoir de La Gastronomie - duck heaven! Make a reservation as the froie gras ravioli have people waiting for hours...the menu overall is fantastic and you can munch on some escargot !
Le Potager du Père Thierr Wow! Don't judge a book by its cover as this hole in the wall will blow you away with its simple yet fantastic menu. Make reservations ahead of time as they have 2 seatings, 7pm /8pm and 10pm on and they are only open for dinner ! I had the foie gras appetizer and the duck breast with honey sauce. Phenomenal taste, light but full of flavor ! Do desert , you can't go wrong with Gabriel's white chocolate mousse, I was ready for seconds ...yummy ! P.S. the restaurant is close by the Sacré-Coeur , quick work out after dinner?
Until next time , Paris...au revoir
OMG! Your one of my favorte travel bloggers! Thank you for the inside peak into so many places. Keep up the hard work and keep traveling the world. ~BTW