France

Things to do in luxurious and enchanting Paris!

When we think of Paris we conjure images of good food, delicious wine, romance and mind-blowing architecture. In person she doesn’t disappoint but leaves us with a yearning to return year after year. No wonder France is the world’s most visited country for tourism.

I spent four wonderful days in this enchanting old-world city and I can’t wait to return. My four days went by too quickly and I didn’t even get to scratch the surface. The problem for many including me is that on a first visit you want to see all the tourist sites and end up feeling overwhelmed, tired and not being able to visit even a quarter of the places on your bucket list.

There is much to see and do from the Eiffel tower, numerous museums including the Musee d’Orsay and Louvre, Catacombs, Montmartre, Gardens, Monuments, nearby castles and palaces in addition to sampling the French cuisine and meeting the locals just to name a few. The list seems never-ending and at the end of the trip, someone is sure enough to ask about a particular place that you didn’t get to even glimpse or completely forgot about. My advice is to relax and savour the few items at the top of your list then spend some free time basking in the French atmosphere with the locals in the street, by the canals or lying in the grass with some refreshments.

Transport

The level of friendliness is not on par with a village but being a huge city with millions of people and equally millions of visitors annually this is expected. Most people were quite polite when asked for directions, but I did meet a few of the snobby and unfriendly!

The tourist information workers and gendarmerie are very nice but not at all times will you be able to find them standing next to you. Most importantly, who wants to be below ground in Paris? The best option for me was the hop-on-hop-off bus which I used for 3 consecutive days. It was affordable, reliable, got me to every major site I wanted to see and many unknowns. There were four different routes with over 50 stops and each route was quite distinct. It would take me at least a year to fully explore everything that I saw. The cost of three full days of sightseeing with this bus was approximately 42 euros. You can’t even get a regular taxi for that price for an hour.

Where I stayed

I’m a woman on a mission to see the world so of course, I had to go cheap. I stayed at a hostel (more on hostels in my travel tips later). It was well located and the staff was friendly plus there was free coffee/tea, maps and tips to get the best of Paris. It was also within walking distance of the Sacre Coeur. Paris is littered with all sorts of accommodation to suit the pockets of all types from the very cheap hostels to the ultra-luxurious so one doesn’t need to be a millionaire to visit the city of love.

Things to do in luxurious and enchanting Paris

Sights

I love variety. I had a list of things I wanted to do and most of them got ticked off. Of all the world-famous museums the one I had to visit was the Louvre, I breezed in here via the underground entrance while the gigantic line above moved at a snail’s pace. Research does pay off!

I visited a few gardens, historical buildings, must-see sights and of course, drank lots of wine. Everything was mesmerizing and more than expected. Before I went on my trip I did many hours of research, so I already had a list in my brain of the main places I wanted to visit. Do note that Paris is divided into Arrondissements (neighbourhoods). There are 20, each is unique and home to particular tourist attractions. It is very easy to travel using trains or tourist buses and transportation cards are sold in the train stations.

(Photo Credit: Travel Vivi)

-The Eiffel Tower

Who doesn’t know this French icon located in the 7th arrondissement? It is a definite must. The lines are long but booking a time and date in advance can make things easier just ensure you get there for the time booked.

-Museums

I just had time for one and the Louvre (1st arrondissement), home to the famous Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and other world class works of art, was at the top of my list. I just love the sculptures in here. This is another site with incredibly long lines (on top). If you don’t want to waste hours of your precious time waiting just use the Carrousel du Louvre (underground entrance) it is easy to locate. This museum would take more than a day to fully explore. Paris is museum heaven, so many renowned ones are located here from the Musée d’Orsay,Musée Rodin to Musée Picasso and the list goes on.

The Louvre

Venus de Milo

Liberty leading the people

-Gardens

Want to have a picnic or just relax? Head to a beautiful, tree filled space in a bustling city for some tranquility and relaxation.

Luxembourg Garden in Paris

Garden in Paris

Montmartre

Home to the famous Sacre-Coeur and Moulin Rouge. This hill-top district is located in the 18th arrondissement which hosts many tourist attractions apart from the two mentioned.

Sacre Coeur

Historical Buildings, Famous Sights

There is so much to see and do….

Palais Garnier

Luxor Obelisk

Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame

Honourable mention

– Le Train Bleu in the Gare de Lyon is the fanciest restaurant I ever laid eyes on. The artwork on the walls and roof is captivating and so very in tune with the French experience. I could have spent the entire day but there was a train to catch.