Paris is always a good idea
Along the Ponte Alexander III
Paris, je t'aime
We first traveled to Paris in March of 2014, so when we booked our trip to the French Riviera, there was no question that we had to return to Paris. Grant it, this time around we only spent two days in city, but it was well worth every second.
Where we stayed
We flew from Nice to Paris via Air France, then Uber-ed our way to the 6th arrondissement. We stayed at Hotel Baume, an adorable yet stylish boutique hotel nestled in the St. Germain neighborhood. Our hotel was in close proximity to Notre Dame, walks along the Seine River, Jardin du Luxenbourg and endless options for wining and dinning.
things to do
With only two days in the city of lights, we wanted to make the most of our time. We started our first day with a walk from our hotel to the Avenue of the Champs-Élysées. Along this beautiful avenue are shops, restaurants/cafes and five star hotels. Paris in the summer is hot and a bit over crowded, so to make the trek more enjoyable, we made plenty of stops along the route. My favorite stop of them all, macarons and wine at Ladurée. Note to self: order wine! Believe it or not, it's more cost effective to drink wine than to have some fancy coffee drink.
Located on the western end of the Champs-Élysées is the Arc de Triomphe. It's a gorgeous monument to admire, but if you have the time, buy tickets to go inside and climb the arc to get some of the most beautiful views of Paris. Warning: the climb is long, get ready to get your workout in!
The last time we were in Paris we were able to cover a majority of must-see places, like the Eiffel Tower, Orsay Museum, Chateau de Versailles and the Louvre. But, since one can't really see the entire Louvre in one take, we decided to spend our second full day at the Louvre.
With summer being peak season in Paris, the Louvre was extremely crowded. Despite the crowds, we were still able to move around easily. Obviously, the Mona Lisa is one of the main attractions, if you haven't seen her yet, beware there will be mass crowds all around her and she is actually much smaller in person, so don't give up fighting the crowds, you need to see her up close.
Midnight in Paris
There are endless options when it comes to a romantic dinner in the city. Instead of sitting in one location for dinner, we opted for a dinner cruise with Bateaux Parisiens . We did some research before selecting this option for dinner, because we wanted our last night in Paris to be special...since we didn't get to celebrate our anniversary this year. The ambiance and dinner were great, especially cause we had the chance to see the city pass us by at sunset.
Bateaux Parisiens port is located walking distance from the Eiffel Tower, so naturally we decided for a midnight stroll once we returned to land. It was a bittersweet stroll since it was our last night in the city of lights, as we walked we were in awe of the Efiffel Tower..I mean really, how could anyone ever tire of seeing her?
Tips & Tricks
If you have the chance to visit Paris more than once -- visit once during off season like January, February or March, so you are able to enjoy the city with less crowds. Then return for a summer experience.
We highly recommend the Louvre, but if you go, opt for a tour guide and go in the evening. This way the museum is less crowed, since most people are heading to dinner. Chances are if you're lucky, your guide will give you private access to areas of the museum that others are not allowed to see.
Take a cruise around the Seine, preferably on your first day so you get oriented with the layout of the city. Most cruises are 30-60 minutes and are well worth it!
Use the metro as much as possible. Instead of buying individual tickets, buy the one day pass -- its more economical and nearly pays for itself. And be sure to download the metro app, it's a lifesaver!
Don't take a taxi, use Uber.
Be prepared to go through security pretty much wherever you go --even to see the Eiffel Tower!
Drink all the wine you can -- its so worth it!
Most importanlty, have fun, soak up the gorgeous views as you fall in love with Paris!