Paris was our final stop on the grand tour of Europe. I had pretty high expectations for Paris and many of them were met. We originally had 3 and a half days in Paris, but lost one and a half to accommodate Dustin's futbol game. I think it was a great choice, but I would absolutely schedule a few more days in Paris if we had the opportunity. I would say we did squeeze A LOT into those 2 days though, and boy were we exhausted when we left! When people say that the French do not fancy those who are not French they are not lying. Many people spoke French only and did not make much effort to speak English or any other language. We made do with a few phrases, and many of the places we went were touristy and someone spoke some English. On one hand it was a bit annoying, on the other hand, I respect a country who takes so much pride in their language and heritage. Although I would attempt to get to know another language if someone was visiting for an extended time, I am not sure if I would learn many languages just to be able to communicate with tourists (more like I don't think I have the time to learn a bunch!) Overall, we really enjoyed Paris, although it was expensive. It was a romantic and perfect final stop.
Days in Paris: 2
Transportation: We used all public transportation (RATP), to and from the large airports, and even back and forth from Versailles. I had heard that using the public transportation was somewhat of a nightmare. However, we did not have many issues with this. I downloaded the App onto my iPhone and used it to get around. If I was concerned about the directions it provided, I would show it to the attendant at the station and they typically could provide some vague type of feedback. We bought the 10 pack of t-tickets as soon as we got off the plane at the airport as well as our Paris Museum Pass and need to by 2 more. We bought the longer more expensive trips as we went.
Accommodations: We stayed at Axel's Airbnb. It was in a lovely location, but the water was pretty cold, and overall I think if we were to make the trip again we would spend more time in hotels. I would recommend his place (very small but fine for 2 people) for the price. The airbnbs were nice, but it was difficult to communicate with hosts, store luggage, and have issues resolved quickly.
Things to Know: We bought the Paris Museum Pass, and found it to be pretty helpful throughout our trip. Similar to other passes/packages you just need to determine what all you want to do and if it is worth your money to be able to squeeze in so many activities. In 2 days, we absolutely got our money's worth!
In case you have not already caught my drift, we love Rick Steves. His walks were some of the best parts of all of our vacation. This walk started at Notre Dame. We walked through the beautiful church, and waited in line for about an hour to climb to the top of the tower (included with Paris Museum Pass). We got in line about 15 minutes before the towers opened and it still took about an hour. But the views, wow - they were totally worth it! Also you should be forewarned there are a million steps in skinny spiral staircases. My mantra was slow and steady completes the walk and I did not stop, but was not quick! It was neat to see the bells from the famous Disney story and all of the infamous gargoyles. We continued the walk and visited Shakespeare's Bookstore, which was one of my favorite parts of the walk. We finished up by visiting Sainte Chapelle with the beautiful stained glass windows and the Conciergerie where prisoners were kept prior to their execution.
Day 2
Versailles
This was a bit difficult to navigate, as it was an hours train ride outside of Paris but totally worth it. I used the RATP website to plan our trip and we made it there with no problems! We got to Versailles right when it opened and did not have to wait to buy a ticket because the Paris Pass covered it, however the security line was CRAZY long and we waited at least an hour. They only had 2 metal detectors! Yikes! Once inside we were enamored with the beauty! I was quite disappointed that the Queen's half of the palace was closed for renovation, but not much we could do about that. We grabbed sandwiches and snacks at a little cafe inside the palace before heading out the the gardens. Then once we got to the gardens we had to pay an additional 8E each to walk through them because the "fountains were on for 1 hour" of which we only caught 10 minutes. I was a bit bummed at the extra cost, but we only had one opportunity to see the beautiful (normally free) gardens. After our lunch in the gardens, we walked out to Marie Antoinette's Estate and the Grand Trianon (included in Paris Museum Pass ticket). They were interesting and the history was even more interesting. We used Rick Steves book to learn more about the entire palace and grounds, and it was very informative! There was a bus that picked us up outside of the Grand Trianon and dropped us off at the Versailles train station - could not have been more perfect! Be forewarned it only comes once per hour and the stop is awkwardly under a tree. We asked around for what exact time it showed up- and they were correct.
Dinner Cruise on Bateaux Mouches
Although the reviews were mixed, and most people commented on how touristy the glass boat cruises were, we really enjoyed our evening cruise at sunset. We dined on fine French cuisine (pretty outside of my box) and were able to see the sights in both daylight and lit up in the evening. It was incredibly romantic and lovely. It was a wonderfully romantic ending to our trip! The cruise was about 3 hours and we were serenaded with lovely music and made friends with two kind women who loved traveling the world together. This was an unforgettable evening. <3
Eiffel Tower
Before our dinner cruise, we walked around the base of the tower, people watched, and shopped. After our cruise, which I thought took off and landed at the pier at the base of the tower and boy was I wrong, we had to RUN from the pier to the tower. It took about 25 minutes to walk and we only had 15 minutes to get to the tower before our reserved time (I had purchased pre-determined time tickets way ahead of time online). So we were the first ones off of our romatic relaxing cruise, and immediately started sprinting towards the Eiffel tower. After about 5 minutes, I was already exhausted and we decided to hail a taxi. It was absolutely worth the few euros we spent. And of course they were letting people in way after the reserved time, even though earlier that had told me they would not let anyone in after 11:01pm. Oh well! We had a great story to tell of our sprint to the tower. We rode the crowded elevators up to the second level and enjoyed a gorgeous view, basking in the romantic ambiance of our last night in Paris. It was a picturesque ending to our trip.
Days in Paris: 2
Transportation: We used all public transportation (RATP), to and from the large airports, and even back and forth from Versailles. I had heard that using the public transportation was somewhat of a nightmare. However, we did not have many issues with this. I downloaded the App onto my iPhone and used it to get around. If I was concerned about the directions it provided, I would show it to the attendant at the station and they typically could provide some vague type of feedback. We bought the 10 pack of t-tickets as soon as we got off the plane at the airport as well as our Paris Museum Pass and need to by 2 more. We bought the longer more expensive trips as we went.
Accommodations: We stayed at Axel's Airbnb. It was in a lovely location, but the water was pretty cold, and overall I think if we were to make the trip again we would spend more time in hotels. I would recommend his place (very small but fine for 2 people) for the price. The airbnbs were nice, but it was difficult to communicate with hosts, store luggage, and have issues resolved quickly.
Things to Know: We bought the Paris Museum Pass, and found it to be pretty helpful throughout our trip. Similar to other passes/packages you just need to determine what all you want to do and if it is worth your money to be able to squeeze in so many activities. In 2 days, we absolutely got our money's worth!
French Onion Soup
Macroons from Laduree
Courtyard at our Airbnb
Lovely doors into the complex
My FAVORITE chocolate pastries. I think I ate 200 while in Europe. This one was the best!
Day 1
Rick Steves' Historic Paris WalkIn case you have not already caught my drift, we love Rick Steves. His walks were some of the best parts of all of our vacation. This walk started at Notre Dame. We walked through the beautiful church, and waited in line for about an hour to climb to the top of the tower (included with Paris Museum Pass). We got in line about 15 minutes before the towers opened and it still took about an hour. But the views, wow - they were totally worth it! Also you should be forewarned there are a million steps in skinny spiral staircases. My mantra was slow and steady completes the walk and I did not stop, but was not quick! It was neat to see the bells from the famous Disney story and all of the infamous gargoyles. We continued the walk and visited Shakespeare's Bookstore, which was one of my favorite parts of the walk. We finished up by visiting Sainte Chapelle with the beautiful stained glass windows and the Conciergerie where prisoners were kept prior to their execution.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Gargoyles at Notre Dame
View from the top of Notre Dame
Bells of Notre Dame
View from the top of Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Some of the stairs from Notre Dame towers!
Notre Dame
Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
Saint Chapelle church
Saint Chapelle church
The Louvre
After a brief stop for lunch at a cafe along our walk, we headed to the Louvre for the afternoon. We were supposed to be following the Rick Steves' tour of the Loue, but after stop 3 or 4 we got off track and completely lost. Rick mentions being lost and pooped out in the Louvre and we really felt that. Nothing is in English at all, and most of the museum workers do not speak English to help you navigate. I made a cardinal mistake of not taking a map, so we were really in big trouble. It took us about an hour to just figure out where we were, and I was losing patience by then. We made our way to the Mona Lisa, which was awesome but about 2 feet by 1 foot and surrounded by a million people. We took a selfie from far away and attempted to find the exit. I think visiting was something that you should absolutely do, but in the future I would either stick very carefully to the organized tour or book one with a human. Also, it is crazy huge, so if you aren't an art person it is worth a stop, but extremely overwhelming. Luckily, the museum pass covered our admission.
Loving on Dustin's face. I am sure it was sunny haha
inside the Louvre
Louvre
Losing focus in the Louvre
Lost in the Louvre. Losing hope.
Louvre
The Mona Lisa is that small square in the upper righthand corner. A million people stood between us and blocked the portrait in the other 6 of our selfies haha
Closer to the Mona Lisa
Inverted glass pyramid at the Louvre
Champs-Elysees & Arc de Triomphe
After the Louvre, we started out on a long walk along the Champs-Elysees. We stopped many times for pastries, shopping, and people watching. This 1+ mile walk barely felt that long as we took in the sights, sounds, and food around us. Once we reached the Arc, we climbed another million stairs to the top. Another incredible view and also covered by the Paris Museum Pass. Afterwards, we caught the changing of the flowers and flame ceremony for the unmarked soldier at the base of the Arc. We headed home and stopped for dinner somewhere that was not worth mentioning, and passed out after walking over 13 miles!
Walking the Champs-Elysees
Walking the Champs-Elysees
The Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe
View from the top of Arc de Triomphe
View from the top of Arc de Triomphe
View from the top of Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe changing of the flame and flowers ceremony
One my the many crepes consumed along our walks
Versailles
This was a bit difficult to navigate, as it was an hours train ride outside of Paris but totally worth it. I used the RATP website to plan our trip and we made it there with no problems! We got to Versailles right when it opened and did not have to wait to buy a ticket because the Paris Pass covered it, however the security line was CRAZY long and we waited at least an hour. They only had 2 metal detectors! Yikes! Once inside we were enamored with the beauty! I was quite disappointed that the Queen's half of the palace was closed for renovation, but not much we could do about that. We grabbed sandwiches and snacks at a little cafe inside the palace before heading out the the gardens. Then once we got to the gardens we had to pay an additional 8E each to walk through them because the "fountains were on for 1 hour" of which we only caught 10 minutes. I was a bit bummed at the extra cost, but we only had one opportunity to see the beautiful (normally free) gardens. After our lunch in the gardens, we walked out to Marie Antoinette's Estate and the Grand Trianon (included in Paris Museum Pass ticket). They were interesting and the history was even more interesting. We used Rick Steves book to learn more about the entire palace and grounds, and it was very informative! There was a bus that picked us up outside of the Grand Trianon and dropped us off at the Versailles train station - could not have been more perfect! Be forewarned it only comes once per hour and the stop is awkwardly under a tree. We asked around for what exact time it showed up- and they were correct.
Versailles
Outside the gates of Versailles
Versailles
Versailles
Versailles
Versailles - The King's bed!
Versailles - Room of Mirrors
Versailles
Versailles
The gardens at Versailles
The gardens at Versailles
The gardens at Versailles
The gardens at Versailles
The gardens at Versailles - fountain show to music
The gardens at Versailles - HUGE fish!
The gardens at Versailles
The gardens at Versailles
Grand Trianon
Grand Trianon
Marie Antoinette's Garden
Marie Antoinette's Estate
Dinner Cruise on Bateaux Mouches
Although the reviews were mixed, and most people commented on how touristy the glass boat cruises were, we really enjoyed our evening cruise at sunset. We dined on fine French cuisine (pretty outside of my box) and were able to see the sights in both daylight and lit up in the evening. It was incredibly romantic and lovely. It was a wonderfully romantic ending to our trip! The cruise was about 3 hours and we were serenaded with lovely music and made friends with two kind women who loved traveling the world together. This was an unforgettable evening. <3
Cheers!
Foie Gras (Duck Fat)
Crab Cake with Poached Egg
Selfie
Veal and Mashed Potatoes
Professional photos taken on cruise
Professional photos taken on cruise
Professional photos taken on cruise
Sparkling Eiffel Tower
Dessert
Eiffel Tower
Before our dinner cruise, we walked around the base of the tower, people watched, and shopped. After our cruise, which I thought took off and landed at the pier at the base of the tower and boy was I wrong, we had to RUN from the pier to the tower. It took about 25 minutes to walk and we only had 15 minutes to get to the tower before our reserved time (I had purchased pre-determined time tickets way ahead of time online). So we were the first ones off of our romatic relaxing cruise, and immediately started sprinting towards the Eiffel tower. After about 5 minutes, I was already exhausted and we decided to hail a taxi. It was absolutely worth the few euros we spent. And of course they were letting people in way after the reserved time, even though earlier that had told me they would not let anyone in after 11:01pm. Oh well! We had a great story to tell of our sprint to the tower. We rode the crowded elevators up to the second level and enjoyed a gorgeous view, basking in the romantic ambiance of our last night in Paris. It was a picturesque ending to our trip.
Whew! We made it but are looking rough!
Sad it was time to go back down
Au Revoir Paris! Hope to be back soon!
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