Everything you need to know before going to Paris
I feel confident in saying that I grew up like many of us who had adventurous hearts and dreamt of traveling to Paris one day. I believe it was actually the first foreign city I was ever aware of. Whether that was due to the Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Aristocats, or Madeline, I’ll probably never know. To me, Paris was the ultimate representation of all things posh and romantic. It was actually the reason I ended up taking three years of French in High School, I was hoping some of the glamour would rub off on me (Spoiler alert, it didn’t). But as time went on, my obsession with Paris started to dim. As I fell in love with destinations that were wrapped in mountains, forests and hike-able terrain, the city of love fell further down on the bucket list. That was until…Emily in Paris. My spark was relit watching these thirty minute episodes. Although I’m well aware that this quirky Rom-Com is completely fictional, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the beautiful people, the steamy and intimate scenes and the full loaves of bread that seemed to come with every meal. So, when my husband and I started planning our honeymoon to Europe, I sat myself directly in the driver’s seat to put Paris at the very top of our itinerary. And this is the post where I tell you all about why or why not Paris is really the most romantic city in the world.
Before arriving, we had purchased ourselves Paris Passes through GoCity. I’ll make a separate post on this to go into more detail. With the pass, I was able to pre-booked our trip to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Palace of Versailles. If you intend on doing any of the main tourists attractions I highly recommend buying your tickets in advance! There were extremely long lines everywhere we went, and you will lose hours of your day waiting if you don’t plan accordingly. It often turns out to be more cost-effective as well!
What I Wore
We spent four full days in early May of 2022, the temperature ranged from 52°F-74° F (this would be 10°-23° C) and we were fortunate enough to have days full of sunshine while we were there. Our second day, while waiting to head into the Louvre, the sun was beating down on us to the point where I regretted wearing my turtle neck. This is why layers are so important if you know you’ll be out all day. What I needed to be wearing at 8a.m. when it was much cooler was not the same as what I needed by 3p.m.
I did a bit of research on what to wear before packing because I prefer not to stand out as a tourist. We were backpacking to four other cities in the UK after this so I chose pieces that I could mix and match quite easily. Out of the small collection that I brought, this is what I ended up wearing.
- A black turtle neck
- A red maxi skirt
- A casual maxi dress
- Black Skinny jeans
- Plain white t-shirt
- White tennis shoes
- Black booties
- A black crossbody purse
I felt comfortable but also felt cohesive with the style of the city.
Where We Stayed
We used Airbnb, and ended up selecting a little studio apartment in Batignolles, which is a small district on the outskirts of Paris. It had a major Boho-vibe and there were plenty of trendy bars and cafes. We did not come across any other tourists and did not hear a drop of English in this area. It made for a more authentic experience so we were able to step right outside of the apartment to get coffee and croissants every morning and grab fruits and veg from a local vendor right around the corner. I was also informed after the fact by a friend who had lived in Paris for years, that this area experiences a bit more crime than others. Although, we did not have any unfortunate encounters, it is something to consider when choosing where to stay! If you’re looking for lodging that is more accommodating for English speakers, a hotel closer to the city center is probably a better option for you. Paris is known for having some of the most beautiful and famous hotels, including Hôtel Plaza Athénée which was featured on the final episodes of Sex in the City. I fully intend on staying here at some point and pretending I’m Carrie Bradshaw for a few days, I’ll report back.
The Eiffel Tower
Day one we were out in the city for a total of 13 hours and I think we had walked 18 plus miles. Surprisingly, didn’t notice until the end of the day. We started with Americanos and Croissants (this will be a recurring purchase) and made our way over to the Eiffel Tower. We had tour reservations at 9a.m., and if I’ve learned anything with travel, it is better to do the big activities earlier rather than later to avoid crowds. When I made the booking there was an option to take either the elevator or the stairs, and due to the fact that I am a wild child, we took the stairs. We were in a group of about 15 people and had a tour guide who escorted us up landing by landing. We learned various fun and historical facts about the city, buildings, and important figures. I am a total history nerd so I soaked in every word.
Many of you may already know this, but since I didn’t, I will share. There is a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty in Paris and it is positioned in a way that both statues point directly at each other from across the world!
The tour takes you up to the third floor, and there is an additional €20 for each of us to go to the summit. We decided to go all the way up, and although it was crowded, I’m glad we did. There’s only standing space, but if you can find a spot to soak it all in, it’s a really cool experience. I even got a little teary-eyed being at the top. As I stood at the very top of a structure known by damn-near everyone in the world, I got a little teary-eyed feeling a surreal mix of emotions as I took in the stunning view.
Originally we planned on getting champagne at the top to celebrate…until we found out it was €60 a glass. It’s not that we’re not willing to splurge, but we all pick and choose right? After enjoying the view with a lovely Irish couple and getting some tips from them for our next stop, we made our way back down to the second floor. We ordered glasses of rosé for €16 each instead and finally sat down to enjoy the view away from the crowd. Honestly, I felt like it was a better way to end our Eiffel Tower adventure.
The Louvre
After stopping at a lovely little cafe that lured us in due to the cat sitting in the window (my husband and I are crazy cat parents) we made our way over to The Louvre. Our reservation was for 4p.m. and the Louvre closes at 6p.m. considering we are not huge museum people two hours was plenty for us. But, if you love art or museums in general, you could truly spend all day in here and still not see everything, so keep that in mind when choosing a time. Again, I could not recommend making a reservation enough, the lines were absolutely insane and at this point it had gotten much warmer outside with the sun beating down on us. Our whole fifteen minute wait I was patting myself on the back for purchasing our tickets ahead of time. If you’re anything like me, you’ll love the major Da Vinci Code vibes while waiting outside though.
I won’t go into major detail about the inside since we all know there is A LOT of timeless pieces, but I will explain parts of the experience. When you first go down the escalator to the main area there will be a Visitor’s Center, restrooms, and multiple corridors. Use the bathrooms in the lobby, all of the bathrooms in the exhibits were super busy with long waits. We primarily stayed in the painting’s department, but also saw a bit of the sculptures as well, only because we got horrendously lost on the way out. This place can end up being a maze if you don’t follow the signs closely.
I know most people’s first thought when it comes to the Louvre is the world famous Mona Lisa painting by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci. I am writing this knowing I am a total disappointment to you all…I did not stand in line to get a picture with her. Although we saw her from the back of the room, I couldn’t justify spending thirty-plus minutes in line just to get a closer look. There were so many gorgeous paintings in this museum I didn’t feel the need. If that is your thing though, totally valid, just not for me.
Fun fact: Part of the reason the Mona Lisa is so famous is because it was actually stolen out of the museum back in 1911. It wasn’t reported missing until the next day and was not returned until two years later.
Overall, I’m glad we went, we had a lot of fun taking a walk through history, creating narration for the paintings, and spotting all of the 20-something-year-olds clearly posing in front of the art for instagram photos. Everyone has a right to do their own thing, but if this is your thing just be respectful, this art means A LOT to some people, and we can’t be blocking it from other’s views for 10 minutes while trying to get the perfect photo. That being said, at this point the museum was closing and we had one more stop to make.
Notre Dame Cathedral
I don’t know where my fascination with Notre Dame came from. It very well could have manifested through Disney’s heart-string-pulling story telling. I grew up with a disabled brother who was often concerned that he wouldn’t be accepted due to the way he looked. I think from a young age, I saw a lot of correlation between Quasimodo’s story and my brother’s. I witnessed firsthand how people are often cruel towards those who are different. I learned that it’s important to understand that different doesn’t mean wrong, it just means different. The story gave me hope that anyone can find happiness, and opening up your heart may be risky, but makes life worth living (kinda deep for a 5-year-old eh?). So, more than anything I probably associate the Notre Dame with the feeling that film gave me when I was little, and I wanted to stand before it to feel it all as deeply as possible.
The visit was emotional for me, and the stars aligned for this experience. Due to the fire in 2019, visiting the Notre Dame is a bit different than it used to be. As of May 2020 you can tour the crypt but the towers are closed to visitors. We were told construction of the cathedral will be complete by April 2024, and I have full intention of going back to visit! We chose not to tour the crypt, instead we took some time to just take in the scene before us.
Not only was Notre Dame as beautiful as I had hope, the energy surrounding her was almost indescribable. There was a street violinist performing sad, yet hopeful music in the courtyard (I’m not kidding, it was almost too perfect). People sat around eating pre-packed meals just enjoying being in the Notre Dame’s presence. It made me realize how much this beautiful place meant, not just to Paris, but to the world. A building, no longer in its full glory and under major construction, still drew so many people in, and I felt as if they were all there for “the feeling” like I was. It was something I had never experienced before. And being a hyper emotional human, I teared up for the second time that day, out in the open for everyone to see and I didn’t care. I was having one of the moments that encompass the whole reason I travel, to feel awe and wonder and a sense of connection with other humans that I have never met before and will probably never see again. It’s overwhelming yet grounding all at the same time, every so often we are blessed with moments where we find that we are exactly where we are meant to be, and this was one of them for me.
We stayed for probably 30 minutes, but it was my favorite 30 minutes of the trip and I reflect on it often. You may not have a whole backstory attached to the Notre Dame like I do, but whether you go to Paris tomorrow or in 2024, please go see her. She is everything you’ll hope she’d be and more.
The Palace of Versailles
On our last day, we headed to Versailles with plans to see one of the most famous palaces in the world, but we ended up having a whole adventure before we even got there. The night before our day trip we were determining transportation. Initially, we were going to take an Uber which would have been €60. I did a little more digging and learned that we could take the train for €7,3 each for a round trip. I figured it would be a different experience since public trains aren’t really a thing in Las Vegas, and we’d save money! The train ride would be about 30 minutes and our reservation was for noon, so we got up early, stopped at a cafe for our americanos and croissants and headed to the train station.
We were able to switch over to English at the kiosk to purchase our tickets. Looking back I still should have done more research on what specifically we needed, but I figured we were intelligent individuals and could figure it out. There wasn’t anyone around to help, so we were flying by the seat of our pants (or in my case a dress). We ended up purchasing the “Paris Plus” ticket, thinking this would encompass all stops and assuming plus meant better, right? We bought four in total, one each for the way there and the way back. We actually really enjoyed the train ride, it was a great way to see the beautiful towns outside of the city and the various landscape we may not have viewed otherwise. Everything was going really well, until we actually arrived…
We exited the train and went to the next set of ticket barriers, but when we put our tickets in both of our machines made a beeping sound and the lights flashed red (talk about embarrassing). A security guard called us over and started speaking to us in French, my husband tried his best to communicate a response but eventually we switched to English. He informed us that we had the wrong tickets and asked if this was our first offense. Everything was happening really fast and we were trying to clarify what exactly our tickets were for and where to go from here. He asked again if this was our first offense. We told him yes and asked if we needed to go back to purchase the correct tickets. He responded by telling us “no”, that since we illegally rode the train it would be a fine of €35 each. We looked at each other a bit shocked , still not sure what tickets we had exactly purchased. He emphasized that what we had done was illegal and repeated the fine price. We apologized and took out our payment method (Note, public transportation here does not take American Express) but while we paid we asked what ticket we would need to get back into Paris, and what was wrong with the tickets we had purchased. Another security guard, who had been listening in, explained that the tickets we had were valid for anywhere in Paris. We needed specific tickets for the Versailles route, and vice versa for the return journey She also informed us that we’d be able to use our tickets for a bus ride back (we ended up being too nervous to even try and with the help of a super friendly employee, we bought the correct tickets for the way back)
Needless to say, this did put a bit of a damper on the first part of our morning. On the walk there we talked out our feelings and complained about it. We understood that being in a new place doesn’t make us exceptions to the rules, but it still sucked. My plan to save money was a total bust. We were able to cool down a bit and even came across a big local farmers market in the center of town, so we got some fruit for the walk. The whole street was blocked off and there were so many great vendors, apparently this is a weekly thing! The city itself was also very beautiful and it brightened our spirits. We had to shift where we were at mentally and it did take some effort. I tell this story, not to complain to the internet, we honestly joke about it now, it was our mistake and this is how we learn. It’s more in the hopes of 1. You not making the same mistake, and 2. To show that things like this happen. Travel can look totally romantic and flawless on the internet, but things do go wrong even for the most experienced travelers. You are most likely going to hit a snag or two during your trip, whether it comes in the form of flights getting cancelled, personal items being left behind, or cultural misunderstandings. Do your research yes, but these things happen and YOU decide if they ruin your trip. We had our walk to be upset and talk about how much it sucked, but then we moved on. We had a palace to see.
The best word to describe the Palace of Versailles is grand. There are maps available when you enter and as you move from room to room you are able to follow along with an audio tour that is provided through the app. It explains each room, who resided there, and gives some details about the decor. I personally was most excited to see Marie Antoinette’s room since I went through a weird obsession with her in middle school. I also was pretty stoked to see the door she escaped through when she was fleeing the palace. The rooms themselves were beautiful but the best parts could be seen when you looked up. I’m talking about the ceilings. Almost all of them had a backstory and many were dedicated to various gods. They were simply breathtaking.
I really couldn’t tell you which room we started in and which room we ended in, due to the fact that it was extremely crowded and we pretty much moved with the flow of traffic. But without a doubt, the room we spent the most time in was the Hall of Mirrors which is hands down, the most famous room in the palace. I can assure you, it’s for good reason, it is absolutely insane! The room holds 357 mirrors and you can only imagine the amount of mirror selfies we saw being taken while we were there (Yes, I took one too, but it didn’t turn out that well so we’ll pretend it didn’t happen). The Hall of Mirrors was meant to demonstrate the prosperity of the King due to the expense and luxury of it. It was primarily used for ceremonies and rare occasions. In 1919, the Peace Treaty that ended WWI was actually signed in The Hall of Mirrors, so even outside of the royal family, this room remains saturated in history.
We decided to forgo touring the gardens once we finished with the palace. The gardens are free to walk through except during high season on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday when they have the Musical Gardens, and Saturday and Sunday when they have the Musical Waters. We saw beautiful views of the garden from the windows and determined that, outside of choosing not to pay the extra 10€ each (we went on a Sunday), our legs were thoroughly sore from walking around for over 3 hours. We were also famished, and although they do have food for sale at the Palace of Versailles, it’s pretty pricey so we opted to find a cafe elsewhere.
The palace did feel more like a museum than I had expected. I appreciate its spectacular design and the history the palace is tied to. Whenever I’m somewhere that holds history like this, I always try to imagine the people of that time being there and the events that unfolded; but I genuinely could not here. It was too outside my own realm of reality. I could not imagine that a magnificent palace like this, one that was large enough to truly get lost in, was someone’s home at one point. But it was, and that’s what makes it all the more intriguing. I’d say, it’s a place you need to check out at least once! I’ll be going back to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and probably even the Louvre, but the Palace of Versailles was a one and done trip for me.
Before my trip, I heard mixed opinions about Paris: some claimed it was overrated, dirty, and unwelcoming. While I occasionally felt the truth of the latter, I reminded myself that Paris is, after all, a city. Like any other city, it has areas that completely captivate you and places where you’re merely passing through. You’ll encounter both kind, warm-hearted people and those you’d rather forget. But everyone’s experience is unique, shaped by their perspective.
For me, Paris was magical. I reveled in its historical architecture, marveled at its iconic attractions, and felt the city’s allure. Famous places earn their reputation for a reason, and Paris is no exception. Despite any fleeting doubts, I’ll never regret saying, ‘Yes, I’ve been to Paris.’ And who knows? Maybe one day, armed with more French lessons, I’ll return.
