Guide to Paris
To say I loved my trip to Paris would be an understatement.
I had the pleasure of flying to Paris for my first weekend trip outside of Spain. I had faint memories of the city (I last visited 8 years ago) and very high expectations (it´s PARIS). I can happily report that Paris is just as energetic and beautiful as I recalled. I'm already itching to go back. I had such a wonderful time that I could truly picture myself living in this city, and that is RARE of me to say. The biggest perk of going to Paris was visiting my sweet boyfriend who is studying abroad there. I was so thankful to have him as my tour guide and travel buddy this weekend. We laughed, explored, and ate all weekend long, aka my favorite activities. I'll be sharing some highlights from the weekend, suggestions, and tips for traveling overall.
General Observations
Check the weather. I knew it was going to rain all weekend and still brought my spring whites and my light coat. Don’t be me or you’ll end up buying clothes to compensate. I guess that’s not really that bad hehe.
Make sure you arrive at least one hour before your boarding time. This may be common sense to some, but I tend to arrive at the airport at boarding time in the US. There is no such thing as “pre-check” or Global Entry for flights between European cities. Some flights will board an hour early and some will board 30 minutes before. Security lines can be very long or empty and speedy. People will just hover around the gate desk because they don’t board by group. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get through security and to your gate.
Transportation
Paris is huuuuge but very pedestrian friendly. You can basically walk anywhere. This is the best “free” activity in Paris hands down, along with the various gardens/parks. We spent a lot of time sitting in parks, walking to and from neighborhoods, and strolling through gardens.
You will also see many, many people using electric scooters to get around. It was quite comical seeing families, couples, and friends scootering along the Seine. There were also the brave souls that rode with two people on one scooter. If you’re into that, download Lime and Bird so you can travel via electric scooter. They are on every corner and work really well.
I would highly recommend avoiding taking taxis and/or Ubers as a main source of transportation. They can get quite pricey, but this obviously depends on the distance and time your trip takes. The metro and buses in Paris work really well; getting across town can cost you €1.90 on metro versus €16 with an Uber and take the same amount of time. There are also really great ways to get to and from the Paris airports (specifically ORD and CDG) on public transportation.
Sightseeing
For neighborhoods… spend time in the 7th Arr., Saint Germain, and Le Marais. We also walked around the Champs-Elysees area on Sunday afternoon. I absolutely loved the 7th Arr.. It has so many stores to shop in, restaurants, streets to get lost in, and great people watching.
For free outdoor activities...walk along the Seine, hang out at the Touleries, visit the Palais Royale, and the Luxembourg Gardens. Walking along the Seine (at water level and above it) was my favorite activity. It’s not the most beautiful river appearance wise, but its´s so peaceful.
For a museum… visit the D’Orsay. This is the only museum I got to explore. I love neo impressionist and impressionist art, so this was truly art heaven for me. There was no world in which we could have seen it all in a day, so we focused on the third floor and the Van Gogh area. If you have a student visa for the EU, you can get in for free! Just make sure to take a picture of your passport or bring it with you and a second form of ID.
Restaurants
This was my favorite part of the trip. Parisian food is TO DIE FOR. All the restaurants we went to were in the medium price range (€€), making the culinary experience delicious and affordable for Paris. I’ve come to realize it is quite unnecessary to eat at super fancy restaurants in Europe. There are plenty of delicious and affordable local spots. This is not to say I don’t love a fancy meal. Les Deux Magots is on the pricier side, but the breakfast menu was not.
Season (1 Rue Charles-François Dupis, 75003 Paris, France): Healthy, Aussie style cafe. Waited for such a long time. It was really crowded. Although the food was delicious, I don’t think it was worth the wait. I ordered a chicken quinoa salad, one of the better salads I’ve had in Europe. Sebastian got eggs benedict that I barely got a look at because he ate it so fast. We shared yummy, fluffy pancakes.
Il était un square (54 Rue Corvisart, 75013 Paris, France): Rated #2 most popular restaurant in Paris on TripAdvisor. We went with a reservation, it’s necessary. The servers were so welcoming and kind (as they were everywhere, honestly). Loved the fact that we were from New York/Florida/South America. We both got the Max Burger. Don’t expect an American style burger, but do expect an incredible cheese situation. I personally would have preferred my burger a little warmer and a little more cooked. Overall experience was fantastic.
Les Deux Magots (6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés, 75006 Paris, France): Stopped here for breakfast after being turned away from Claus because they were fully booked (very sad). Very traditional French cafe situation with the outdoor seating and many carb options. I got a ham and cheese omelette with a croissant. Sebastian ate so much I can’t remember exactly what he ate...except that it was all different breads.
Bouillon Racine (3 Rue Racine, 75006 Paris, France): Classic french bistro vibes. Came here for dinner on Saturday night and it was POPPIN and PACKED. Sebastian got the duck and I got the vegetarian dish. I’m so glad we ended up coming here. We were both so tired and lazy but wanted to go to a nice sit down spot. The highlight of dinner was the crème brûlée stuffed waffle. Honestly best dessert I’ve had in awhile. Thank god Sebastian insisted we each get our own waffle.
Le Relais de l’Entrecôte (15 Rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris, France): a Parisian classic. You cannot come to Paris and not eat here. Truly the best steak frite in the world. We waited for 30 minutes in line before getting seated - this was at one pm on a Sunday. Service was stellar and food was even better.
Hope you enjoy this guide/ suggestions. Can’t wait to share more! Stay tuned for my Milan & Como guide!