Happy Wednesday! I’m sitting here with a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau wine scrolling though pictures from the trip to Paris that Andrew and I took last month, and I thought why not share some of the things we love about Paris! I adore France and Paris is such a magical city. Andrew and I went there for the first time in 2015 and we fell in love with the city and with France overall. Since our first trip, we have visited the City of Lights three other times,  here are a few of our Paris tips for you!

Stay in Montmartre

Or at the very least explore the area, it’s a very bohemian neighborhood with lovely shops, cafes, and artists everywhere. We stayed right on Rue Lepic in a tiny apartment that made us feel like we were part of the neighborhood, not tourists in a hotel.  It was our first Airbnb experience and now we’re hooked!

You must get a pastry or a sandwich at Gontran Cherrier . The Parisian who we rented from said that they were the best croissants, he had some waiting for us when we arrived and we agree. The Jambon-Beurre sandwich is delicious, it is French style ham, butter, gruyere, and Dijon on a tasty baguette.  You’ll want to have one for lunch every day and they are perfect for a picnic in the park.

Walk up to the top of the Montmartre neighborhood and you find Sacré-Cœur, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It is a Roman Catholic church perched on the highest point in the city and has amazing views. On your walk up you’ll pass dozens of artists and merchants.  After exploring this area stop for lunch at Le Basilic, an adorable, straight out of Disney movie restaurant. The lunch was delicious and the wine even better. They do a Prix-Fixe lunch special that was incredibly reasonable and we left satisfied and ready for an afternoon nap.

Take too many photos of The Eiffel Tower

You cannot possibly go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower. You can see it from all over the city but you must visit and see it up close. It’s a beautiful piece of architecture and one of the most recognizable in the world. It’s fantastic at night as well because it is lit up and twinkles every hour on the hour.

Go to a concert at Sainte-Chapelle

This was probably one of the most magical nights we had in Paris. Sainte-Chapelle is a royal, Gothic style chapel in the heart of the city. I had honestly never heard of it because when people talk about Paris another church tends to be #1. When I stumbled upon Classictic and saw that they had an event at this church while we were in Paris I thought it looked like an interesting night out. It was cooler than I could have ever imagined! This was probably the most “touristy” thing that we did, everyone in attendance except for the performers were visitors to France, but we didn’t care it was amazing. We listened to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the most beautiful backdrop for only 68 EUR total.

 Spend a day at The Louvre

The Louvre is HUGE. We waited in line for about 20 minutes and then went on to explore this massive museum.  We of course saw the Mona Lisa but also enjoyed the outdoor spaces and the ancient art that is held in this museum. We were there about 3 hours and didn’t even see a quarter of the exhibits. Plan for an all day event.

Picnic in the park

Paris is full of so many beautiful outdoor spaces. From parks, to gardens to lovely promenades, you must take advantage of these outdoor spaces. The gardens in Paris are on a different level then here in the USA, they are so well manicured and the colors are beautiful. You must grab a baguette, a bottle, some Frenchie cheeses and meats and enjoy the afternoon like a Parisian.

It’s a great way to spend your afternoon, or just an hour or two, and people watch while enjoying your beautiful surroundings.

It’s very easy to get around Paris. The public transportation is amazing and very clean! It’s also surprisingly walkable. Check back and I’ll add some more of our favorites from around France and beyond!

Au Revoir!