My dream of visiting Paris finally came true. It was amazing, of course. Everything in Paris is beautiful and has a story. As I am a history nut, the week was filled with me in awe of everything the moment we stepped out the door.
We had quite a long list of to do’s and only 6 full days to complete them all. I was impressed at how much you can do and see with enough coffee and determination. We have sorted through the thousands of photos (Seriously, thousands.) and will try to communicate the amazingness that was our vacation. Here is our day by day of what we did and saw, followed by our tips/ lessons learned fro the future alllllll the way at the bottom.
Day 1:
- Notre Dame
- Pont Zero
- Sainte Chapelle
- Deportation Memorial (We tried but it was closed)
- Hotel De Ville (They put out the Olympic Rings while we were there… Cool right?)
- Toured Le Marais Neighborhood
Day 2:
- Eiffel Tower (We did not climb it.)
- Dome Des Invalides
- Musee De L’Armee
- Musee Rodin
- Jardin Tulieries
- Louvre Pyramid/ Courtyard visit
- Place de Concorde
- Night visit: Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame and walking around Le Marais
Day 3:
- Plaza Troccadero
- Versailles
- Musee D’Orsay
- Musee De L’Orangerie
- Louvre District Neighborhood Walk
Day 4:
- Musee De Louvre
- Luxembourg Gardens/ Palace
- Pantheon/ Crypt
- Arenes de Lutece
- St. Germain Neighborhood Walk
- See exterior of Institute Du Monde Arabe
- Memorial de La Shoah
- Night Visit: Louvre, more of Le Marais Neighborhood
Day 5:
- Arc De Triomphe (Climb to Top)
- Walk Champs Elysse (Skip it… Seriously)
- Grand and Petit Palais (Walk By)
- Pont Alexander Bridge
- 31 Rue Cambon (Chanel’s House!!!)
- Opera Garnier (Walked by)
- Galeries Lafayette
- Galeries Vivienne
- Notre Dame Crypt
Day 6:
- Sacre Coeur/ Dome Climb
- Walk Montmarte Neighborhood
- I Love You Wall
- Place Dalida
- Walked Montparnesse Neighborhood
- Tried to go to Catacombs (That line though!)
- Saint-Germain-des-Près Neighborhood some more
- Riverwalk on the Seine
- Night Visit: Seine River and Eiffel Tower/ Picnic
Day 7:
- Cry because you are leaving.
Lessons Learned/ Tips for the Future:
- ALWAYS stay in Le Marais Neighborhood: It is amazing, beautiful, close to what is actually happening in Paris that is not touristy, and close to trains that can get you anywhere you want to be within minutes.
- Climb the Sacre Couer to the top of the Dome: It is only 6 Euros and has the best view around. Top of the city, Eiffel Tower in view, gargoyle pictures available. I know climbing the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame is where most go, but this was cheap and amazing. I will say it is not a climb for the faint of heart or with knee/ hip issues. The climb makes you work for the view.
- Don’t sleep in: Arrive early in the morning to the key places that matter to you-Eiffel Tower/ Plaza Troccadero, Sacre Couer, Arc De Tripomphe, etc. We wanted specific pictures of us and things. We were not the only ones, so even in the off season Paris is packed with people. Plan to wake up early, get a cafe au last with a croissant, and boogie to those places. If you do so, you will get wide expanses of people free areas to look at and capture those moment.
- Paris Museum Pass: To skip lines, and accomplish all the big spots, this was the right choice for us. We chose the 6 day pass and it was only 64 Euros per person. The only place we paid entry to was Sacre Couer. For us it was the way to go. Factor in that it will not get you up the Eiffel Tower, Catacombs, and Opera Garnier. I would just say figure out what you want to do and if you would get your money’s worth. Make sure to buy it at the airport. It was easier and could immediately start accessing places once we got settled in our AirBnb.
- Comfortable Shoes: Get some Dr. Scholls insoles, and break in those shoes, pre-trip. Paris is such a walkable city, so walk it. We found some amazing things like the medieval wall section, stores, and restaurants by just walking around!
- Don’t take a cab ever: The RER train from Charles de Gaule Airport is easy and cheap. The Paris Metro is easy to use (RATP App was so handy so download it to your phone. I even had it work without internet access while around town in Paris.), and the carnet (10 tickets for local metro) can be shared. When we weren’t walking, we were riding the metro. We only had 1 not so fun train experience and we are just going to call it a fluke because the rest of the time it was amazing.
- Google Maps: Lifesaver. Seriously. Put pins into your map before you leave your accommodations for the the places you want to visit or eat at. Then put your phone on airplane mode. Even without service Google maps finds you and you can find your pins. So simple and FREE!
- Just Eat: Eat all the carbs. I’m sorry, I think you think I said eat some carbs. No. I said eat all the carbs. Crepes, burgers, pasta, gelato, pastries, croissants, etc. Just do it! You will be walking like 30,000 steps a day and climbing an enormous amount of stairs.
- Quick Food is not why you are in Paris: Just slow down, sit and enjoy your meal! It is what Parisians do, and you should too. Sip that coffee instead of gulping it down without tasting it.
- Fleux: The best store in Paris. I fell in love and wanted EVERYTHING. It was 1 overall store with many store fronts on a street. You walk in and literally, the store just keeps going. We really had to factor in how much space we had to bring anything home. Sad. We did end up getting this. which I am in love with but currently still brainstorming how to showcase.
Biggest lesson: If you prepare, with a realistic amount of time, you can see Paris. However, there is always more to see. Touring Opera Garnier, seeing more of the Louvre, spending more time at Versailles, exploring more of the neighborhoods; there is always a reason to go back.
Those are seriously some of the most beautiful photos I’ve ever seen.