Paris is Nanouks favorite city on earth, so it’s no surprise she’s been there 3 times in the last 3 years. Paris is the city of love, l’amour, and it has so much to offer. For a city, it’s the ultimate destination, as Paris is never boring and you can visit this city all year round! Michiel and I visited Paris in October 2018.
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Good to know
How to get there: by plane, train (from the Netherlands/Belgium) or car
When to go there: all year round
How many days: 3 – 5 days, depending on how much you want to see
With who to go: anybody, except small children (opt for Disneyland!)
Language: French
Valuta: euros
What to do
In Paris, there are a thousand things to do. Since it’s hard to pick some of these activities, we’ve listed a few of our favorite things to do while visiting Paris (for the first time)!
The Eiffel Tower
It’s bit of an open door, but no matter how many times you are in Paris, you should always one way or another spend some time looking (or visiting) this amazing building (that was build in 1789). Either choose to stand in line and climb the Eiffel Tower during the day (go early in the morning), or sit down in the grass at night to see the lights, you’re never wrong!
Sacré-coeur
Take metro 2 to Anvers and climb up the tiny streets to the Sacré-Coeur, situated at a higher part of Paris. The stairs up to the basilique are already worth a trip to the basilique, and once you get all the way up there, you can either opt for having a drink and enjoy the view, or queue for a visit inside the basilique.
MOntmartre
While you’re up there, walk around the basilique (to the left) and visit one of the many amazing streets and squares to sit down and have lunch (I’d advice you to visit the Sacré-Coeur in the morning). Montmartre is one of the most instragrammable areas of Paris and it’s also the perfect place to get yourself a croque-monsieur or a croissant. Feeling artsy? You can also get your picture drawn by one of the many artists!
the louvre
If you visit Paris, you MUST visit one of the most impressive musea I’ve ever seen: the Louvre! Featuring more than just the Mona Lisa, this museum has over a thousand paintings and sculptures, and it’s impossible to see everything in one day. I’d say: get a map and just pick a few halls to visit. Good to know: citizens from Europe up until the age of 25 can get in for free!
Jardin du luxembourg
Especially when the weather is good, visit Jardin du Luxembourg. This park is very popular to both locals an tourists, and it’s the best place to chill and sit down (all for free) on one of the many benches. There’s also a small pound and as a backdrop you have the beautiful Palais du Luxembourg. What else do you need?
Notre Dame
The Notre Dame has always been one of my favorite places to visit in Paris, because it’s right across my favorite bookstore and the café that has THE BEST cheesecakes in Europe. Unfortunately, a few months ago, a big part of this marvelous building burned down. The restoration will take years and years, so I’m note sure how much fun it is to visit the Notre Dame right now. Anyways, just walking across the square in front of it, is already worth it!
Shakespeare and company
This bookstore is my favorite book store in the world, and sells both English and French classics. It’s totally worth the visit and right in the middle of the city, just across the seine, just a two minute walk from the Notre Dame. Opt for the café at the LEFT (probably crowded) and have cheese cake and a coffee to get the full experience.
Cimetière du père-lachaise
You might wonder WHY in the world you would visit a graveyard while on vacation, but I promise, all graveyards in Paris are totally worth a visit. This one, the biggest and most famous one, is situated in the 19th arrondissement, just east of the center of Paris. Just take metro 2 or 3 to Père-Lachaise, cross the street and me amazed by this wonderful place. Among the famous people who have been buried there are Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. Don’t forget to pick up a map at the entrance because without it, you’ll be lost!
PS: No time to visit this graveyard? If you go to Montmartre, another beautiful graveyard is Cimetière du Montmartre, not too far away from the Sacre Coeur!
Arc the triomphe & Champs Elysees
When in Paris, you cannot skip this impressive arch at the beginning (or end?) of the most famous street of Paris; Champs Elysees. Take metro 2 to George V, walk around the arch and then go shopping at Champs Elysees. If you start at Arc the Triomphe and just follow Champs Elysees, you’ll end up in the center if the city in no time.
Other great places
If you have more time, consider the below activities:
– Go shopping at Galaries Lafayette
– Paris Catacombs (for a scary underground experience, buy tickets ahead online!)
– Luxor Theatre for and old school movie night (no popcorn there, unfortunately)
– Centre Pompidou for the real modern art experience of Paris
– The Paris Zoo
– Take a boat across the Seine (we did that, and it was super romantic!)
Where to eat
Eating out in Paris is expensive, but there are plenty of places where you can get an okay/nice dinner for about €20-€30 per person. And although dinner in Paris is not very special, I’d advice you to save your money for all the amazing cafés that serve the most amazing sweet treats!
Pizza at le cafe dome
Looking for pizza in in area of the Eiffel Tower? Choose Le Cafe Dome for a nice, inexpensive pizza. Warning: I’ve only had pizza there, and that was nice. The reviews of the other food there aren’t very good. The drinks are expensive, I had a Corona beer and it was about €6. The pizza was about €15.
Shakespeare and company café
Done with your visit at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore and dying for some coffee and a snack? The café at the left of the bookstore serves amazing coffee and the best (my opinion) cheesecake in Paris. It’s a small café, so there is a chance you don’t have a seat right away.
Angelina
Angelina is my all time favorite place to sit down, enjoy the surroundings and feel like a queen. Angelina is the oldest teahouse in Paris and it looks amazing. It is very expensive (tea and a piece of cake for about €20 per person), but it is totally worth it! Don’t forget to make a reservation before hand, because it’s a very popular spot for both locals and tourists and you don’t want to queue for an hour.
macarons at la duree
If you say Paris, you say macarons. Whether you want to take a couple with you back home, our want to enjoy it at one of the La Durée cafés with coffee, this treat cannot be forgotten when in the city of lights. What’s you favorite flavour? Mine is caramel seasalt.
How to get around
Getting around Paris is pretty easy, once you know how the system works. Depending on how much you are planning to use the metro/bus, here’s what you should now.
For more information, check the official website: https://www.ratp.fr/en/
+t tickets
These are single ride tickets, but you can use them for the metro and bus. You pay €1,90 per ticket. Only use this if you are planning on walking around all day. If you buy 10 of these tickets, you get 2 tickets for free (so you pay for 8 tickets). This is cheapest if you use 3-4 tickets per day and you’re spending 5 days in Paris.
Weekend day pass youth
I’ve you’re planning on visiting Paris over the weekend, and you’re below 26, we’ve got some good news for you! Paris has a €4,10 day pass for the youth. However, you can only use this pass on Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays. It’s also restricted to zones 1-3 (which is enough). If you wanna travel further, a 1-5 zone pass costs €8,95 per day.
Paris Visite pass
I’ve you’re in Paris for just 3 or less days, and you have to see a lot in a short periode of time, opt for a Paris Visite Pass. For €12 per day you can travel the metro and bus unlimited.
When to visit
The weather in Paris is very chageable. In theory, you can visit Paris all year round, depending on what your plans are.
January, february and march
Winter and early spring in Paris mean it’s a bit cold (8 – 12 degrees Celcius), and changes of rain or even snow are pretty big. However, this is the cheapest season to visit Paris. I’ve visited Paris in March 2018, and I had 3 days of sun and only on the last day it started to rain.
April, may and june
This is the best time to visit Paris. The weather is quite enjoyable (think: 16 – 23 degrees Celsius). There is a possibility of rain, but most of the time it will be quite dry and mostly sunny with some clouds. The crowds aren’t too big during this period.
July and august
During this period, it’s both very hot and very crowded in Paris. I’ve visited Paris in August 2016, and it was 30 degrees Celcius for four days (too hot!), and it was pretty crowded (late augustus). On average, expect at least 25 degrees Celsius if you visit Paris during these months.
September and october
September and October are actually really nice months to visit Paris. Michiel and I visited Paris in early October 2018, and we had lovely weather. We wore jackets, but at some point, we could even take them off and enjoy the sun. Expect temperatures of 21 degrees Celsius in September, and 16 degrees Celsius in October. Unfortunately, chances of rain are bigger in October.
NOvember And december
With temperatures dropping to 8-11 degrees Celsius during this period of time, only go to Paris if you want to visit shops and museums. Visiting a graveyard or a park might be a bit too cold, but for shopping, this is the perfect season. It’s not too crowded in Paris during these months. However, if you go during the Holiday season in December, expect prices to rise and crowds to get a little bit bigger.
Where to stay
There are so many options to sleep in Paris. Michiel and I stayed at Paris Louis Blanc, a basic hotel at a walking distance from Gare du Nord. We booked our stay via Booking.com. When we went, the room was about €80 – €100 per night.
All Our Travellings 