WELCOME TO THE CITY OF LIGHT
If you’re only here for our Paris City Travel Guide, you can absolutely scroll down a bit. But first – a love story…because it doesn’t feel right to breeze through my love affair with Paris.
It All Started When
I studied abroad in Florence, Italy during my 2nd semester as a sophomore in college in 2011.
For my Spring break trip that semester I went to Paris for the first time with my roommates. From the moment I arrived my heart was bursting with joy, and also simultaneously aching with sadness knowing I had to leave in just 4 short days.
Paris captivated me from the moment I set foot on the metro and witnessed the Eiffel Tower sparkling from the window for the first time. From that moment on, I would dream about revisiting the city that made me feel love and so alive simply by being there.
After our spring break trip ended, I wrote an email to my mom explaining my love for the city and how incredible I thought every last detail from my experience was.
In the email, I wrote down and promised myself that one day I would return to live in Paris.
My mom printed that email and set it aside for me so that I would never forget how I felt on the trip, and to serve as a reminder to follow my dreams.
Now Let’s Fast Forward
Being able to “live” in Paris for 2 whole weeks felt like such a huge full-circle moment, and yet, my heart ached from the moment I arrived knowing that it was again only temporary.
It’s amazing how a place can make us feel so deeply, just by being consumed by the energy in the streets.
Nonetheless, it was an amazing two week experience that I will remember and cherish forever.
The best part was that we had the most beautiful apartment to call “home” for those 2 weeks, with a view of the Eiffel Tower that we watched sparkle every single night. Sometimes multiple times a night. It never got old. And to think this airbnb was a testament to our last-minute travel tendencies!
Let me explain: I had searched for the perfect Parisian apartment for weeks before embarking on this trip in May, and still multiple times a week leading up to our desired Paris travel dates. Nothing was fitting into the budget parameters or the list of non-negotiable items we stick to (WiFi, washer, kitchen, entire place to ourself, close to public transportation).
Finally one day I decided to expand the budget by just $100-ish to see what I could find. We were in Lyon and just about a week away from when we were set to arrive in Paris. Still no airbnb secured.
To my surprise, an apartment that had just been listed popped up. Herringbone wood floors, updated kitchen, beautiful living room, and a view of the Eiffel Tower. It was beyond perfect. I quickly determined if going over budget was worth it for this trip, and with Brennan’s encouragement (“it’s your favorite city, you’ve been dreaming of this…if not Paris, then where else?!”) I requested to book immediately.
The host ended up approving within the hour, and that was that. Our dream apartment in Paris was booked.
I will say that it was the best decision ever, and I would do it again and recommend to anyone to book that dream Airbnb because you deserve it and life is short. This situation was the epitome of that TikTok trend going around — “I’ll get my money back, but I’ll never be 31 in Paris with my husband and an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower.”
All that to say, never stop dreaming. Every small step is leading you in the direction of where you’re meant to be; even if it takes time.
& NOW FOR THE PARIS CITY TRAVEL GUIDE, SHALL WE?!
WHERE TO STAY
You already know we stayed near the Eiffel Tower, in this stunning Airbnb. It is located in the 7th arrondissement and about a 5 minute walk to Champs du Mars. After exploring the city for 2 weeks, we were SO happy to be in this area. It’s much more residential and quiet than other parts of Paris, but that’s what we loved about it. Our street had everything we needed on it — bakery, cheese shop, butcher, market, restaurants, and about a 5 minute walk to the metro station. We also took advantage of being near Champs du Mars by using it for morning workouts, and evening picnics. It was a much needed escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy city traffic.
If you’re doing a long-term stay, I absolutely recommend an Airbnb so that you can cook in your own kitchen a few nights a week. If you prefer hotels, here are some iconic options:
FUN NEIGHBORHOODS/ARRONDISSEMENTS
- La Marais (3rd/4th)
- Montmartre (18th)
- Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th)
- Bastille (11th)
HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS
We typically gravitate towards the Airbnb route, but here are a handful hotels on my wish-list for future trips to Paris:
- Hotel Château Voltaire – luxury boutique hotel; I wanted to stay here so bad but it was sold out while we were visiting the city
- La Réserve Paris – major luxury, impeccable design
- Hotel La Comtesse – Eiffel Tower Views
- InterContinental Paris – Le Grand – located in the heart of the city
- Hotel Monsieur Aristide – the vibes are immaculate
- Passy Eiffel Hotel – boutique and budget-friendly
- Hotel La Bourdonnais
- Hotel Regent’s Garden – located near the Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe
- Monsieur George Hotel & Spa – very centrally located, cool vibes
- Hotel du Louvre – beautiful hotel with wonderful views
- Hotel du Printemps – budget friendly boutique hotel
- Mama Shelter Paris West – unique fun vibe
- Bel Ami Hotel
- Sonder Atala Champs-Elysees – modern design with beautiful views
- Grand Hotel du Palais Royal – iconic and splurge worthy
WHAT TO DO
Paris is such a fun, happening city. There is always something going on, it’s impossible to be bored. Even if you just go for a walk, you’re sure to enjoy yourself every time you leave your home.
- Île de la Cité – Historic center of Paris where you’ll find Notre Dame on the Seine river. This is a fun small island where you can bike and have a picnic
- Giardino delle Tuileries – Garden
- Versailles – we just wandered the gardens, but I recommend booking a priority access tour or a bike tour if you’re going to go all the way there!
- Luxembourg Garden
- Montmartre – Charming village in the 18th Arrondissement on the outskirts of the city – scattered with upscale shops, cafés, and if you’re lucky, some live street music that transports you back in time
- Seine River boat tour
- Climb the Eiffel Tower – skip the line
- Paris Museum pass – this is a great way to save money and see a ton of museums in a short amount of time
- Arc de Triomphe – the 360 views from the rooftop look amazing
- Champs-Elysées – iconic street lined with high end designer stores
- Notre Dame Cathedral – insanely beautiful architecture
- Sainte-Chapelle Chapel – dates back to 1248, stunning stained glass windows
- Catacombs – underground tunnels beneath the bustling streets of Paris
- Sacré-Cœur Basilica – the view from the top of this hill in Montmartre cannot be beat
- Moulin Rouge – but of course, an iconic spot
- Get a tattoo! We both got tattoos while in the city (Brennan’s first-ever!) and they made for the best long-lasting souvenirs. We went to Julien Udz at @rayonnoirparis and also @tattoo13paris
- Book an insane culinary tour experience with our friends Miriam + Emmanuel! They launched @the_paris_culinary_experience to take you on an all-day culinary tour of a lifetime
MUSEUMS WE LOVED:
- Musée Rodin
- Musée de l’Orangerie – Monet’s Waterlilies
- Musee Picasso
- Musée d’Orsay
- National Museum of Natural History
MUSEUMS WE HAVE ON OUR LIST FOR NEXT TIME:
VINTAGE SHOPPING IN PARIS
Vintage shopping was INSANE in Paris. There were so many shops in one concentrated area, it was incredible. I scored a vintage Celine button down from the 70s, a Burberry blazer, some amazing Levi’s, Gucci loafers for 50 euro, and a cool band tee. I’d call it a success for sure. Here are all the shops we hit:
- Acid Violette
- Vintage Désir
- Pretty Box
- Doursoux
- Thanx God I’m a V.I.P – men & women’s items are separate, both massive stores, beautifully organized. Bags you bring in are held at the front.
- Mamie Blue
- Tilt Vintage (multiple locations)
- Nice Piece Officiel (multiple locations)
- Vintage Paris – lots of beautiful designer bags
- Kilo Shop (multiple locations)
- Free ‘P’ Star
- Antirouille
- Come On Eileen
- Kiliwatch Paris – had the best luck here with Levi’s
WHERE ELSE TO SHOP
- Rue Montmartre
- Rue Montorgueil
- Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
- Printemps Haussmann
- Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
- Sézane
- Nose – Perfume Store
- COS
- Soeur
WHERE TO EAT
Something we learned simply by walking around is you’ll find amazing restaurants anywhere you go in Paris. I’m a firm believer in exploring new cities with no agenda, and stumbling on spots to fall in love with, but here are the restaurants that we loved and can’t wait to revisit one day:
- Déviant — we LOVED their orange wine and aperitif
- Clamato — This one gave us a run for our money; really far from our apartment, no reservations, opens at 6 and fills up almost instantly. BUT, it’s fully worth the hype. I will forever dream about the deviled eggs with caviar. The trick is to get there early, head to Cave du Septime, their wine bar across the street, and wait until about 5:45. Walk over to get in line so you can be seated right when they open, or at least get your name on the waitlist.
- Bicoques – best seafood burger I’ve ever had
- Comptoir Gourment – hole in the wall Italian
- Dalia – Middle Eastern Cuisine
- Jaja – French Cuisine
- La Maison Rose – French
- Bambini – Italian
- Daroco – Italian
- Créature Paris – French
- Perruche – Mediterranean
- La Marine – French
- La Palette – French
- Gigi Paris – Italian
- Bouillon Chartier – French
- Early June – Tapas
- Miznon Paris – Israeli
- Papi – Italian
- Septime – Modern European
- La Plume Paris – Japanese
- L’Ami Jean – French
- Mokoloco – African
- Bouche – French
- Amagat – Spanish
- Buvette – French
- HôtelCostesRestaurant – French
- Girafe – Brasserie
- Le Café Marly – French
- Pink Mamma – Italian
BARS
- Golden Promise – Whiskey Bar
- Candelaria – Speakeasy Bar
- Experimental Cocktail Club – Cocktail Bar
- Juveniles – Wine Bar
- Bambino – Tapas Bar
- La Cave Du Septime – wine bar across from Clamato & Septime
- Clown Bar
CAFES
- Les Deux Magots – the best quiche we have ever had
- Café de Flore – I hear the hot chocolate is iconic, but the line was too long so we just snapped pics outside of this spot
- Terres de Café
- Saint Pearl
- Tapisserie – Bakery
- La Palette
- Du Pain et des Idées
- Café Kitsuné
- Café Saint Laurent – best iced americano & matcha we had in all of Europe
- Café Pigalle
- Cafe de Luce
TRANSPORTATION
Luckily the metro gets you pretty much anywhere you need to go. The Paris metro still offers paper tickets available for purchase in each station, so no tap to pay via credit card here unfortunately. You need to preload a ticket, or get one of their metro cards to load whenever you need. Super easy and convenient.
We also rented e-bikes to get around the city. After talking with our French friend who lives in the city, she laughed at our bravery navigating bikes in the city, so take caution if you are not a confident biker! The drivers are a bit crazy in Paris and don’t have much regard towards pedestrians at times.
I wish we rented a vespa here, but at this point in our trip we hadn’t tried that out yet so it wasn’t really top of mind. It would be the absolute best way to see the city, again, if you are confident navigating the streets.
Uber and taxis are available all over and fairly easy to hail on-the-go.
PARIS FAQ
Do I need to speak French?
Everyone loves to lead with “the French are rude.” In my experience, this is far from the truth if you go into each interaction with respect, patience and understanding.
No matter where we were or who we were speaking with, we always began saying kindly in French that we did not know how to speak it fluently, and asked, again in French, if they spoke English. 9/10 times the exchange was always pleasant.
When is the best time to visit?
We were in Paris from mid to late June. It was absolutely beautiful, and we experienced a wide array of weather. One day we experienced a high of 96 Fahrenheit and had to seek refuge in every museum we could find since our Airbnb lacked air conditioning (like most apartments in Paris), and the very next day we woke up to rain and cloud-ridden skies.
Be prepared for anything! If you like cozy Fall vibes, I would recommend October/November. If you prefer warmth and sunshine, it’s safe to say anytime after May will greet you with sunny skies.
How expensive is it?
Like any big city, there are definitely top-of-the-line experiences all over. The closer you get to the major sites, the more you’ll be spending for a simple espresso. Don’t be afraid to venture out and get lost a bit! Find your own hidden gems, and be open to new experiences. The more you explore, the more likely it is that you’ll find out where the locals hang out, and where the better prices are.
Do I need to carry cash?
In our experience, no. Everywhere, especially post-covid, is cashless and offers Apple Pay, so you don’t even need your wallet in most cases. It’s good to have a small amount of cash in case you want to stop by any vendors at a farmers market, but even then, we saw that most people offer some sort of cashless pay option.
I would definitely make sure you carry a Visa with you if you are an avid Amex user. Not all places take Amex, but everywhere we went accepted Visa.
Hotel or Airbnb?
We love traveling via Airbnb. We love feeling like locals for a short time and really embracing the culture of whatever city we’re in. It’s always the best way to save money by cooking most meals in, as well as having a washer to re-up your suitcase if you’re trying to keep the packing light.
Should I rent a car?
Not necessary in my opinion. If you need a car (we did opt for a car to and from the train station) then Uber is an easy option. Taxis are also extremely prevalent, and accept credit cards.
Something to think about is traffic – the city traffic was crazy and caused travel time to be way more intense via car. We opted for e-bikes if we didn’t feel like hopping on the bus or metro, which required lots of attention and precaution, but was ultimately so much fun.
If anything, rent a scooter and live your best Lizzie McGuire life!
That concludes our Paris City Travel Guide! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Good things take time, and this travel guide is near and dear to my heart.
After 4 months of traveling all throughout Europe and the UK, Paris is still one of the top highlights of the entire thing.
I will see you again, Pari xx
