By a stroke of luck, I won two Business Class tickets to Paris, France from work! Gifted them to my parents, and we got to spend 9 days in Paris. My sister also joined us as well.
I am not going to lie… I didn’t have very high expectations and while I still don’t love Paris, I really did enjoyed my time there. The city is as beautiful and romantic as Hollywood movies make it out to be, and you can easily spend more than a week visiting all the museums, sight seeing, and staying in cafes. Don’t think I need to be back anytime soon, but ya know, won’t say no to free tickets to Paris again. ;)
Itinerary
November 2018 - 9 days @ Airbnb in Paris, France
Beautiful apartment, and we were able to save a few $ with the host!
Highlights
Taking a tour of the Eiffel Tower. It is so beautiful! Really glad we got both the front of the line pass and guided tour. Saved us almost 2 hours waiting in line and feel like I learned so much. Parisians originally did not want the Eiffel Tower as a permanent fixture in Paris, but after the positive response from the World Fair it became a permanent fixture. Because the Eiffel Tower is made out of iron, it needs to be repainted every 7 years.
After 6pm, first five minutes on the hour the tower is lit up in sparkles
Eating uniquely Parisian food. A few must tries… Even if you’ve had it before in the states, it’s definitely worth to try here:
Crepes, love savory crepes.
Salmon, so much salmon everywhere (!!!)
French Onion Soup
Foie gras
SO MUCH FONDUE!!!!
Macarons, I prefer Pierre Herme over Laudree, which I hear actually uses frozen macarons!!!
Cheese + Wine (Loved Galleries Lafayette Gourmet for huge market / small restaurant shops… think Eataly but French)
Really good Mediterranean food.
Night cruise along the Seine. Took a great boat tour along the river, and really enjoyed all the scenery and lights.
Watching a burlesque show. We saw both Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse. In my opinion, I much preferred Moulin Rouge. Snakes, horses, and the original founding of the can-can dance! Great show and uniquely Paris. Crazy Horse is a bit more intimate and less “show-time-y”.
Reading books at Shakespeare and Company. An amazing bookstore that far trumps any other bookstore I’ve been to. Plus, Aggie the Cat is gorgeous!
Spending the day at the Louvre. On top of the famous Mona Lisa, there are SO any wonderful paintings.
Making crepes with a True Parisian! Booked an Airbnb Experience and learned how to make both sweet and savory crepes.
Enjoying delicious drinks in bougie atmosphere. Great nightlife that ranges from chill lounges (listed below with a few speakeasies!) to really fun dancing.
Experiencing true cafe culture. I LOVE how many wonderful cafes there are in Paris. It’s amazing to be able to sit outside late at night with a cocktail and catch up with friends. A few favorite cafes…
Window Shopping. I’m not a huge name brand gal tbh, but couldn’t resist NOT window shopping along some of the most famous shopping in the world. A few great places to stop by…
Tulieries District (near the Louvre)
Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Elysées: Strung up in lights, it’s like an enhanced version of Rodeo Drive
Galleries de Lafayette (head to the rooftop for cute igloo bar!)
Embracing the amazing skyline.. Paris capped a rule that buildings can’t exceed over 7 floors. It’s an amazing opportunity to appreciate the skyline and the beautiful scenery all over Paris. A few favorite places…
Arc De Triomphe
Notre Dame
Lowlights
Falling asleep during the Illumination Tour. Large tour bus that drives you around Paris, meh. Pass. But it was part of the Moulin Rouge package.
Pickpockets will get you every time. Somehow while at Shakespeare and Company, my sister got pickpocketed! Her bag is a huge MESS and she was never in a really crowded area.. Truly goes to show you really do have to be aware at all times. (Peep my “Packing List” for my fav bag to use!)
Dealing with aggressive scammers. They will follow you and try to grab you, I just try to walk forcibly or start talking to them in Chinese. A few common scams I witnessed:
The friendship bracelet: Men holding strings will try to be charming and tie a “friendship” bracelet around your arm for free. Then they’ll demand from you.
The women beggars: Women will come up to you, begging for you to sign their petition. 4-5 women will literally swarm around and grab onto you (scared my mom soo much!) and while you’re distracted attempt to pickpocket you.
Getting really poor customer service. This was actually one of the top reasons why I was so nervous about coming to Europe (Paris in paricular). I really don’t love feeling unwelcome in places. I will say, while I did experience my share of poor customer service experiences (including a few who refused to serve me / were snooty and talked back) it was offset with a few really kind folks (a lady who spoke French who translated for my sister when she lost her wallet, kind gentlemen at fondue restaurant who charged my phone for me, and the kind restaurant keeper who kept his store open late for us to finish eating our gyros).