A Week in the City of Lights: Bonjour Paris!
Paris is a beautiful city. It’s full of spectacular architecture, delectable eats, and an ambiance that sets that perfect tone of European travel. It’s also, of course, the city of love.
If it’s your first time traveling to Paris, I’m going to provide you with some structure so that you can make the most of your time there. Whether it be a day, a few days, or a few weeks, here are some of my favorite spots in this glowing city.
Having visited Paris many times, I have become accustom to refinement each time. My first trip there was well planned, yet it still felt frantic. Each following trip felt a little better. One piece of advice that I find myself circling back to, time and time again, is to slow it down. Each new city tempts me to rush to each site and cram it all in. This may be a proper protocol for some, but most others will benefit from a more relaxed pace. I suggest you choose which items stand out the most to you and create a hierarchy, even if it’s only in memory.
You also have to adapt with the flow. You may get lucky and hit no lines. You may fall into the typical routine of waiting in hours of lines. Pre-order tickets online, if you can. It really depends. You can use this guide to create a plan A, B, and C as well. One thing is for sure, you can grab a crepe everywhere. So, if you don’t feel like waiting in that line, go eat a crepe and smile.
Crepes
You really don’t need anything else 🤣
Depending on what you have planned, there are several great ways to start. You may be coming from another city, such as London via the Eurostar, or you may fly directly into Paris, etc. If you are arriving by train, you’ll probably be arriving at the Gare du Nord station. This enables you to set a nice path forward to some sites which can be seen consecutively.
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1) Eiffel Tower
2) Champs-Elysees
3) Arc De Triomphe
4) The Louvre
5) Seine River Cruise
6) Walking the city
7) Notre Dame Cathedral
8) Walking tours ($20) and fantastic
9) Luxembourg Gardens
10) Pantheon
11) Disneyland
12) Catacombs
13) So many museums: Muse de l’Orangerie, Muse d’Orsay, Louvre, etc.
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1) Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center (slightly more affordable)
2) Moxy Paris Bastille (for younger, single travelers, or duos) more of a hostel feel, yet safe
3) The Westin Paris – Vendome (expensive, middle ground)
Once you hop off the train, you can make your way to Luxembourg Gardens. This is a massive piece of land. In the center of it is the Luxembourg Palace. The cool fact about this is that it was built in the 17th century by a Medici (Marie de’ Medici; the widow of Henry IV), and her goal was to copy the Pitti Palace located in Florence, Italy.
You can enter the palace on certain times. However, I always enjoy exploring the gardens most of all. The water feature is awesome to lounge by. There are places to grab snacks within, and it makes a nice atmosphere for a sunny walk.
Once you pass through the gardens, you’ll stumble upon the Pantheon. It is an official looking building, with large columns that decorate the entrance. The architecture will drive you to walk inside. It is definitely reminiscent of Greek and Roman designs. It is equally impressive inside, and it houses some fine artwork, if that’s your thing. Before you go, be sure to check out the Pendulum and the Crypt, which houses some of the late writers, philosophers, and scientists of the nation.
You’ll keep going, and you’ll ultimately end up at the Notre Dame Cathedral. I went in many years ago, yet on my last visit, the inside was damaged by a fire. This is when I took a cruise, and that was the closest you could get to it. The cathedral is beautiful inside, as most are. It’s also stunning from the outside, with intricate detail and large colorful windows. You can pay extra to go to the top, and I recommend doing it. There are so many great views of Paris, but why not compare them all and find your favorite? If you’re still interested in a dinner cruise, this would be very near common pickup locations for some of the best ones.
There are many museums in Paris, in fact, more than I think I’ve seen anywhere else. That being said, if museums are your thing, you can make a week of that alone. To truly indulge and absorb museum content, you need time. I will list a few of the ones I’ve been to (in the dropdown above), but this is to mainly focus on the broader sites. Everyone will have different tastes, so a little variety can go a long way.
There are a few ways to see things. You can catch a taxi/Uber/Lyft, you can walk, or you can attempt to navigate the underground.
Side note, even if you’re confident with underground/subway/tube systems, be prepared for France. France will have routes that differ by train, times of day, and direction. I won’t even begin to fully comprehend it, but I can give you some advice. When you’re looking at a destination and the train route is set to go there, make sure the train will go the entire route. Several times in our history, we’ve gotten on the correct underground, correct direction, correct connection route, only to find out that the train stops halfway. On top of that, the announcements are only in French and usually so faint you have trouble extracting the words. You can attempt to be friendly and ask for help. If you can, try to catch the names of stations they call out. Some of the new cars have screens, but I still haven’t seen this fully updated (such as London). A decade ago, they had a light system on the walls. Some stations may still have this. The bulbs will light up to the stop they terminate at. This is how you must plan your travels. Sometimes, it may be safer to walk or Uber. If you’re limited on time, and not too tight on a budget, it may be best to find alternate means. However, don’t be discouraged. Sometimes getting lost can be fun.
For a single day in Paris, I recommend one thing: a cruise
For 2-3 days in Paris, I recommend: Eiffel Tower, Luxembourg Gardens, Pantheon, Notre Dame, Louvre (extra time here), and whatever else you want to fit with your pace…
One week in Paris: Here we go!
You certainly should visit their version of Disneyland. Whether you’re a Disney fan or not, there is no question here. Disneyland Paris is nearly a direct copy of Disneyland California, as far as size and offerings. However, it has substantially better versions of the rides. For example, instead of an interactive jeep ride, Indiana Jones is a full-on roller coaster. The Pirates of the Caribbean ride is an entire boat and island with a giant skull cave that you can explore. Make sure to grab a photo in one of the eyes! Even Space Mountain is significantly better. You feel as if you’re in a trance with the mesmerizing lighting. You do even more twists and turns, and you actually flip upside down. Space Mountain is so smooth, you cannot even tell which direction you’re going. It’s a blast. Another small hint, Disneyland Paris is amazing at Christmas time. They have a completely digital show on the castle that you don’t see in California, and the vibe is like being in a movie.
If you have more time, you may also spend part of the day, or a second day, in the adjacent park. The park is called Walt Disney Studios Park. It is similar to California Adventure in California, but only in terms of being separate from the main park. It doesn’t have as much to do, but it gives you a vibe of California. If you’re from California, such as I am, it’s not that interesting. If you’ve wanted to see a studio and such, go there. They also have decent food and some unique kids’ stuff to grab photos with. It’s worth the park hopper price. However, I would spend most of my day (or all) in the main park.
Tip: Even on Saturdays, Paris closes down earlier than any city I’ve ever seen. Even food can be difficult to get after midnight. Keep this in mind and be prepared by having snacks in your room. If your hotel or Airbnb has a fridge, stock it! My first trip to France, in 2013, consisted of something that made this ring clear. I’m a night owl by nature. 10-11pm is not late to me. My first night in Paris, I was walking after 10pm. I could not find food places anywhere. There are no gas (petrol) stations or Walmarts here. After walking an hour or so, I finally found a tiny market. The owner said it was closed, but I pleaded with him a bit. He let me in to buy some stuff. I hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours, so I was happy for anything. I grabbed cheese slices, an apple, and some cookies. That was 3 of the 9 items in this tiny market 🤣. It ended up working out, and I was thankful. Ever since then, I have something stocked in my bag for Paris, always. And yes, even take away, delivery, and pizza places are mostly closed within delivery distance to main areas. Hopefully it has gotten better in the past few years 🙃
The Eiffel Tower is as tall as it is grand. You can’t visit Paris and not see this fantastic piece of architecture. It’s no longer the tallest structure in the world, but it’s still a marvel. There are multiple levels, 3 in total. You’ll want to determine your time there to select how far up you’ll want to go. The cost isn’t too bad, so I recommend going to the top. Typically, I’ve not had long waits here. Even if the line is long, it’s never been too bad. If you’re feeling agile, you can take the stairs all the way up to the first 2 levels. The stairs are narrow and small, so I do not recommend doing this in the rain at all. The elevator will fit a small group in it at a time, but it’s pretty efficient. It’s also a unique experience, as the elevator is quite different than what you may be used to.
Eiffel Tower
Every floor, all good
Initially, you’ll reach the largest level, the first floor, which is huge. You can capture really amazing photos of the city from here because you’re above, but not so high that you need to zoom. Fun fact: you can see the Trocadero Gardens from the tower. If you’ve ever seen Rush Hour 3, you’ll recognize it instantly. On the first level, you’ll have a gift shop and food options from the restaurant. You can also look straight down through the transparent flooring, which is really unique.
The second highest floor is next, and it’s also a great intermediate view. The 3rd floor will have fencing around it, so you’ll have to maneuver your camera through it. It will also show in the background of portraits. The second floor will allow clear views and backdrops, use it wisely. Depending on the time of day, you’ll probably get more detailed shots from here as well.
The third floor is much smaller in space. It’s an experience in itself. If you do it right, you’ll snap most, or all, of your photos on the second level so you can just relax and take it all in up at the top. There are even small ticketed events that give you a nice glass of champagne to top off the evening. I know many people skip the top, but I really enjoyed the experience. If you have the time and money, do it. If you’re afraid of heights, it’s so subtle, you won’t really notice it. So, do not worry. It’s beautiful and a bit magical up there. Keep in mind that it can be quite cold up there, as opposed to the ground. Come prepared. Ideally, you’d want to come to the tower an hour before sunset. You can grab photos in the daylight, and experience the top in the dark. This situation is the best, and the view is stunning with all the lights.
Tip: you can also use a student discount (or Teacher’s ID) to get discounts in many places, or sometimes even free. You may have to relate it to art to push that agenda, if you catch my drift.
The Catacombs. These are amazing when you consider the effort behind them. If being underground with millions of dead bodies scares you, maybe skip this one. However, it’s well trailed, lit to a degree, and safe. It’s very interesting to walk through and realize just how fractional we are in comparison to history, the world, or even the universe!
Once you enter, you begin to descend. You walk through parts of the entire city, but you’re underground the whole time. Don’t worry, it’s only something like 70 feet down. You will be on a path, but this is a maze at its core. Lots of access ways will be blocked, yet you can peer through cracks and orifices and see for long distances. There is no flash photography, so don’t turn on your phone light. The catacombs house over 6 million people. It was initially built to compensate for crowded cemeteries. While it may not be the top of your sites-to-see list, it’s certainly interesting. I still recommend doing it.
The Louvre Museum, the ultimate museum experience… or, at least one of the good ones. If you love, or if you hate, museums, you have to respect this one. Its size alone is impressive. There are multiple entry points. There are tens of thousands of pieces on exhibit. If you’re an advocate of history and art, you may want to spend a few days here. If you want to see what you can see, spend half a day here. The tickets are affordable, and the museum isn’t really crowded. However, the lines outside can be a bit of a wait.
There are so many paintings, it’ll be difficult to gaze at them all. You’ll want to see the Veronese’s Wedding Feast at Cana which is the massive 700 square foot painting. Personally, I prefer the statues, but the art is very nice as well. You have to understand that most of the people that come here will be coming for the Mona Lisa. There is a roped off area as well, so you can’t touch it. However, you can get close enough to get a selfie without others in it (if you time it right). Some of the jewels, coins, and historical devices are really interesting to read about too. You’ll also get to glance at some preserved royal settings where they actually lived.
The Arc de Triomphe is about 30 mins away from the Eiffel Tower, if you’re walking. This is a special place to see. You think “hey, it’s just an arch,” but you can actually go inside of it! More so, you can view the Champs-Elysees from the top, and it’s really grand at night. When you go to the Arc, you can access some of it. However, you’ll have to pay or show student ID to get to the top. Get ready for a stair climb, and it’s the only way up. At the top level, you’ll see some historical stuff and a small gift shop. Go up one more floor, and you’ve reached the roof. Here you have a 360 panorama of the city. It’s not as high as the Eiffel, but it’s still beautiful. You can also look down and see the cars circling you because the Arc is the center of a roundabout! It’s fun to sit atop this structure and enjoy a bit of the evening. If you’ve seen the city during the day from the Eiffel, you only need to come to the Arc after dark. Fun fact: once inside, there’s also a camera you can view that faces directly downward from the ceiling of the Arc.
What is the Champs-Elysees? These were my exact sentiments when I came. Is it a bottle of wine, is it a sporting goods store? No, it’s giant, sparkling street of shops. It’s well known for its posh offerings. It’s also known for hosting parades, events (like the Tour de France), and just being pretty to look at (especially after dark). Is it a complete necessity to go to? No, it’s not. However, it’s always fun to poke around shops. It does have restaurants, cafes, and theaters too. If you’re in the area for a while, it could provide a nice night out. You may want to taxi back to your location after the night is over.
My top 3 favorite things in Paris
Going up on the Eiffel at night, exploring the Louvre, and the Seine Dinner Cruise. It’s amazing to experience it all. We all have different tastes, but Paris allows you that newfound excitement, no matter how many times you return.
My first trip up the Eiffel, I was side by side with an older traveler that was doing the solo 3rd floor experience. This is back in the era of mini point and shoot cameras, the early iPhone days, where cameras were not great or as used. We got to chatting. She was retired and traveling to experience some things she’d never got to do. Eventually, I reached out and said let me capture a photo of you for a memory, especially with this view. This may seem normal now, yet back then it wasn’t as common place. She seemed a bit lonely and sad, which was an unusual reaction for such a beautiful place and experience.
After a short time with my friend and I, she warmed up. We captured some great photos of her so she could share with her family, and we learned her story. We parted ways after we finished our 3rd floor walk, but she thanked us for our time, conversation, and making her evening more memorable and pleasant.
The takeaway here; if given the opportunity, create happiness. Make someone smile, lend a helping hand, listen, hold a door, do a little positive gesture, or just give a friendly hello to someone who is looking glum. It’s the little things in life that make a difference. When you’re traveling, it’s a great time to work on personal growth as well as your impact on the world around you.
