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Paris

The city of love and fashion can impress at any time of the year. Because Paris doesn't just have the Eiffel Tower to offer. With its many famous landmarks, Paris has something for every kind of weather. But experience it for yourself: On a shopping tour along the Champs-Élysées, a visit to the Musée d'Orsay or a stroll through the Jardin du Luxembourg!

06/06/2024

dear(travel)diary,

I can no longer understand why Paris disappointed me a bit on my first (real) visit in 2008. Because the last week and a half in Paris were just one thing: awesome! Well, Paris was love at second sight for me.

Back in 2019, when I travelled to Paris with my boyfriend at the time, I was already fascinated by the city. After being so disappointed from my previous visit, I travelled there with hardly any expectations. But then I was pleasantly surprised. However, afterwards I wondered whether I liked it so much because I was there with my boyfriend. I mean, there's a reason they say that you should explore the city of love with your love. Did I perhaps have rose-tinted spectacles on during my experiences?

The answer is very clear: no! Because this time I was in Paris without a partner. Instead, I first explored the French capital with my family and then on my own. I actually enjoyed it even more this time! After all, we already knew most of the sights. Instead, we explored the individual neighbourhoods, tried out the food and did some cool activities. For example, we sewed our own handbag in a Parisian atelier!

In any case, I am now in love with Paris. I wouldn't necessarily want to live here forever, but I would certainly be happy to live there for a while. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to improve my French either...

xx Chiara

Overview:


WHAT TO see & dISCOVER

  • My highlight: Design & sew your own bag
  • The Top Sights:
    • Montematre & Basilique du Sacré-Coeur
    • Arc De Triomphe & Champs-Élysées
    • Ferry trip on the Seine
    • Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin du Palais Royal & other parks
    • Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro & Port Debilly
    • Musée d'Orsay
    • Louvre
    • Bourse de Commerce
    • Palace of Versailles
    • Disneyland
  • Explore the individual neighbourhoods: Marias, Canal St Martin, Bastille & 11th arr., Gothic Quarter, 5th and 6th arr.
  • Less touristy: Saint-Quen flea market, weekly markets, Canal St Martin, Grande Mosquée de Paris, Rue Crémieux, Château de Vincennes, Passage des Panoramas and Passage du Grand-Cerf
  • Free fun in Paris: museums (some in general or on certain days or under 26), Cimetière du Père Lachaise, 59 Rivoli artists' studio, galleries on Rue des Beaux Arts, the roof terrace of Galeries Lafayette and Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and running in the Émile Anthoine stadium
  • What else you should have seen: Place de la Concorde, Place Vendôme, Printemps Haussmann, Le Bon March, La Samaritaine, Centre Pompidou, Louis Vuitton Foundation, Les Catacombes de Paris and Moulin Rouge, Opéra Garnier and Paris Statue of Liberty
  • For tennis lovers: watch top tennis at Roland Garros


WHere to Eat & Drink

You could spend years trying out the food in Paris and you still wouldn't have discovered all the places. Because there are plenty of cafés, restaurants and the like in Paris. From Michelin-starred cuisine to tourist traps, you'll find everything. But sometimes it's not so easy to differentiate a good restaurant from a bad one. To avoid any nasty surprises, I've put together a list of tips for cafés, boulangeries, restaurants and bars for you!


Where to sleep

Accommodation in Paris is expensive and usually not worth the price. However, as I have already tested severals in Paris, I can at least give you a few addresses that you can't go wrong with:

I felt very comfortable in all the accommodations and can recommend them.


On the go

I like to explore cities on foot - without the bus or train. This has the advantage that I get to see a lot more of the cities. That's why we also explored as much as possible on foot in Paris. But the metro is the main mode of transport in the French capital for a reason.

The city is so big that some routes would simply take hours on foot. I would therefore recommend that you buy a metro ticket. That way you can walk between nearby sights and take the metro to everything else.

It is cheaper if you get the navigo card. You can get these at the ticket machines in the stations. There you can also compare the prices between the navigo card and the normal tickets on the notice boards.


Costs

As I have now been to Paris several times, it would go beyond the scope of this article to list the costs for each trip. However, I will try to give you a rough idea of what costs you can expect.

  • Overnight stay: from approx. 45€ per person per night
  • Metro ticket: approx. 8€ per person per day
  • Entrance fees: often around €15 per person
  • Coffee and similar: approx. 5-6€
  • Food & drink in a café: approx. 10-15€ p.p.
  • Food & drink in a restaurant (normal price range): approx. 30-35€ p.p. However, depending on the restaurant, it can quickly become more expensive. But you can get a good crêpe (to go) for 5-10€.
  • Bars: approx. 15-20€ for cocktails, approx. 8-10€ for beer
  • Parking: Check out Parkopedia, we only paid 5€/day, but there are also car parks that cost 80€/day
  • Travelling: Petrol costs (there and back) approx. 150€, train journey (there and back) approx. 200€ p.p., bus journey (there and back) approx. 60€ p.p.


I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.

A Long weekend in Paris

Itinerary


Day 01

  • Arrive in Paris and check into your accommodation
  • If you have time and book early enough: Go to Pigeoncoq to sew your own handbag there
  • Then stroll through Montmartre with your new bag
  • Admire the street artists at sunset on the steps in front of the Sacré Coeur with a pizza to go

Day 02

  • For the early risers: morning run at the Émile Anthoine Stadium with a view of the Eiffel Tower
  • Take the Metro 6 over the Bir Hakeim Bridge
  • Stroll across the Trocadéro to the Eiffel Tower and climb to the top
  • Take a few photos in the Rue de l'Université
  • Enjoy a late breakfast on the Champ de Mars lawn or on the banks of Port Debilly or go to Kozy Bosquet
  • Stroll through the 6th arrondissement (including: Le Bon Marché, coffee at Cafe de Flore or Les Deux Magots, Rue des Beaux Arts, Jardin du Luxembourg & Pantheon)
  • Take a breather: eat crêpes at Au P'tit Grec
  • Walk to the 5th arrondissement via Rue de la Montagne Sainte Geneviève and explore it (including: Cour du Commerce Saint-André, The Abbey Bookshop & Fontaine Saint-Michel)
  • Admire Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral
  • Enjoy the sunset at the Pont Neuf with a drink or picnic

Day 03

  • Enjoy a pain au chocolat for breakfast in the Jardin des Tuileries or have breakfast at Baguett's Café
  • Visit the Louvre
  • Take a short break in the Jardin du Palais-Royal
  • Stroll through the Marias district and look into the individual shops (incl. Passage du Grand Cerf, free view from the Centre Georges Pompidou, design bracelets at Perlerie 22 and visit the art gallery 59 Rivoli)
  • Eat a delicious meal at L'as du Fallafel
  • Cross the Place de la Concorde to the Champs-Elysee and continue shopping there
  • Admire the Arc de Triomphe
  • Enjoy a cocktail at Les Ombres
  • Do a boat trip across the Seine at sunset

Day 04

  • Visit one (or two) of the many museums in Paris, e.g. the Musee d'Orsay, the Paris Catacombs or the Bourse de Commerce (alternatively: visit the Palace of Versailles)
  • Enjoy the view from the roof terrace of the Galeries Lafayette free of charge
  • Stroll along the Coulée verte René-Dumont and continue towards the 11th arrondissement
  • Enjoy a pain au chocolat at Du Pain et des Idées
  • End the evening on the Canal Saint-Martin

From the community for the community

Tips from the community

"The catacombs in Paris are very impressive."

maikeee_n

"Enjoying a few macarons on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower."

annkristin.la

"Eat falafel at L'as Du Fallafel!"

judithmia

"Be sure to visit Versailles, not far away and the most beautiful palace ever!"

ve_rena_wolke

"Go for a walk in the beautiful Montmartre district!"

hannicevic

"Disneyland and there in a Disney hotel. It's so cool!"

shesmercedess

"Try macarons from Paris!!!"

philineerikanou

"Be sure to make a detour to the Palace of Versailles."

ourbudgetadventures

"I recommend: Les Catacombes de Paris, the Louvre of course, a boat tour on the Seine and then there are a few really cool bars. Tour Montparnasse is also nice!"

audeistpassiert

"Definitely eat Aligot from Auberge Aveyronnaise."

lukasmorz

Do you have a tip for Paris? Or a suggestion for the blog? Or would you simply like more information about Paris?

Then write me!