Since I was young, Paris has always been someplace I have wanted to go. Having been lucky enough to go twice now, I can say that it doesn’t disappoint! Both of my trips have been relatively short (3-4 days), but with some organized planning I feel that I really saw and experienced the city.
This was stop number 2 on my mom’s 60th birthday trip, our destination after our amazing stopover in Reykjavik on Icelandair. Before we left on our trip, we decided to buy the Paris Pass, which worked out perfectly for us! It allows you free entry into numerous museums, attractions and tours around the city, including fast track entry to many of the attractions. We purchased the 3 day pass, so we were able to use it throughout our entire trip. The pass comes in 2, 3, 4 or 6 days with prices varying depending on which you purchase, perfect for any trip. If you order in advance, the pass is mailed to you so you will have it in hand and ready to go upon your arrival. Although it is able to be picked up in Central Paris as well if it’s a last minute decision.
We stayed at the Hotel Paris Rivoli. It provided breakfast daily, with made to order crepes and a variety of fresh French pastries. It is an older hotel, however it is clean and in a great location, about a 10 minute walk to Notre Dame and close to 2 Metro stations. We found using the Metro to be an easy and efficient way of negotiating the city. If you have any experience with public transportation you’ll have no problems. If you aren’t as familiar with public transportation, the maps were easy to read and very helpful and you’ll figure it out in no time.
Day 1:
We arrived in Paris around 10am and immediately checked into our hotel. As our hotel was so close to Notre Dame Cathedral we decided to head that way and check it out. Along the way we stopped and bought croque monsieurs from a street vendor and sat in the plaza in front of the beautiful cathedral to eat and admire its beauty.
From there we excitedly made our way to the Eiffel Tower. The ticket for the Eiffel Tower was one of the few things that was not included on the Paris Pass, but obviously we were not going to let that stop us. We decided that purchasing tickets to go all the way to the top of the tower to see the amazing city views was the only way to go. The ticket cost €17, however it is slightly less if you decide to only visit the first or second floors. We had to wait in line about 2 hours before finally making it to the top, but it was totally worth it. The views from every angle were outstanding. A piece of advice, however, dress warm because it is windy and cold up there. After coming back down, we took some of the obligatory pictures from the grounds before making our way back towards our hotel to grab drinks and dinner.
We ate at a restaurant called Le Tibourg, a cafe just down the street from our hotel. They had a variety of foods on the menu and delicious drinks. After dinner, we headed back to hotel and called it a night, as we had gotten up at 4am for our flight to Paris and were exhausted!
Day 2:
We had a great breakfast at the hotel and headed out for a full day of sightseeing. Part of the Paris Pass included a ticket for the Paris Big Bus Tour, a hop on hop off tour bus. We rode the bus all around the city, just taking in all the sights and Parisian architecture, stopping along the way to see the Grand Palais, Moulin Rouge, Sacré-Cœur Basilica and the famous Champs-Élysées. It’s also a great way of getting around the city if you aren’t comfortable using the Metro and/or don’t want to pay for taxis.
We stopped for lunch at a trendy pub called Pub Élysées Cafe, just off the Champs-Élysées where we were able to dine al fresco while enjoying some Parisian wine and a croque madame. The croque madame is a croque monsieur, but with a fried egg on top. They are delicious and you MUST try a croque of some sort in Paris! After lunch we headed to the Montmartre district to do some shopping in the street markets and to see Sacré-Cœur Basilica, perched at the highest point in the city. After spending some time in the Montmartre district, we went to check out the famous Moulin Rouge in the Pigalle district. We did not see a show, but it was still great to see the famous club from the outside.
After leaving the Pigalle district, we went back towards the city center to go up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe to see sunset views of the city, which were spectacular. This was included on the Paris Pass, with no wait time whatsoever. If you are short on time and waiting in line to go up in the Eiffel Tower is not possible, this is a great alternative. The views of the city are great and you actually get to see the Eiffel Tower in the view.
We stopped for dinner at a restaurant located on a street just off the roundabout around the Arc, called L’Etoile 1903. This was our favorite dinner in Paris! In addition to our meals, we had a lovely cheese plate, my mom enjoyed some authentic French onion soup and we shared the most delicious crème brûlée I’ve ever tasted, all paired with several glasses of tasty French wine.
After dinner we made our way back to the Eiffel Tower to see the nightly light show up close and personal. Seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up and sparkling was like living in a dream. It is a magical site and was perfect ending to another fabulous day. The light show is the first 5 minutes of each hour, after sunset, until 1am daily. A must see during your stay in the City of Light.
Day 3:
After another great hotel breakfast we headed out to visit the inside of the Notre Dame Cathedral. We had not thought about the fact that it was Sunday and mass would just be finishing upon our arrival; and not just any Sunday Mass, but Palm Sunday Mass. It ended up being a serendipitous stop, however, as the organ music playing was beautiful and we were given a palm branch in significance of the holy day. Bonus…admission inside the Cathedral is free!
After leaving Notre Dame we went to the Louvre Museum, where we had fast pass entry thanks to our Paris Pass. There is so much to see in the Louvre, including the Venus de Milo statue and the notorious Mona Lisa painting. I was shocked at how small the Mona Lisa actually was, but she was still exciting to see in person. It is very crowded near the Mona Lisa, but if you are patient you can make your way up to see her and take some photographs, which they allow as long as you are not using a flash. You could easily spend a day exploring inside the museum, but if you are just going in to see the Mona Lisa and a few of the more well known pieces you can probably get in and out in a couple of hours, assuming you don’t need to wait in line to purchase tickets and/or have fast pass entry.
After leaving the Louvre we stopped at the Panthéon, which was originally built as a church, however now serves as a mausoleum, where many distinguished French citizens are buried. It was under construction when we were there so we were limited to certain areas and the main dome was covered. This was disappointing, but the inside that we could see was still incredible. We left the Panthéon and stopped for a quick lunch at Café Père & Fils, where we had more French wine and cheese, before heading to our wine class.
Also included with our Paris Pass was a wine class at Ô Chateau Wine Tasting & Wine Bar. The class was fantastic and the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. We learned all about the different types of French wine, the regions they are grown in France, and tips for how to best enjoy them. We tasted 3 wines during the class, then had the opportunity to have more at the wine bar upstairs after the class was over. This was such an informative and enjoyable experience, which has since allowed me to enjoy shopping for and drinking wine so much more!
After becoming wine connoisseurs, we made our way to the River Seine for a boat ride through the city. It was rainy but perfect, with non-stop views of all the beautiful buildings and museums along the river front. When the boat ride ended, we walked over the love-lock bridge, where couples would attach a lock and throw the key into the river below, signifying that their love can not be broken. Sadly, all the of the locks have since been removed, as the weight from all of them was posing a danger to the property and the visitors. I’m happy we were able to see it in all of its glory and take a few pictures to remember it.
As the day turned to night we headed for our last dinner in Paris. We stopped at a great restaurant called Les Chimères. The waiter was so funny and we had a superb final meal (and more wine) in Paris, then headed back to our hotel to pack for our early train ride to Belgium the next day.
You will have the best wine, bread and cheese you could ever dream of in Paris, with beautiful, old buildings, cathedrals and museums as your background. It is someplace you need to visit once in your life, even if you only are able to stay a few days. It is a quick train ride from anywhere in Western Europe as well as an easy connection on Icelandair, if you would decide to do an Iceland stopover. Merci beaucoup, Paris!
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