If you follow me on instagram, then you know we recently went on a whirlwind trip to Paris. This trip was actually a very last minute decision, but it was the best decision! We absolutely loved our time in Paris, that city is truly magic..it is big and bustling but at the same time feels so slow and serene. If you’ve never been, it is a non-negotiable must for your bucket list.
We did a lot in our three days in the city, but at the same time it didn’t feel rushed and we spent a lot of time sitting back and just soaking in the culture. Which is exactly how I like my traveling. So without further adieu, here are all of my favorites and tips! (We did also vlog the entire trip as well, so if you’d like to see everything we experienced in action you can watch that here!)
+ Where we stayed
We stayed in this AirBnB, and we loved it!! It’s in an incredible location – 5 min walk from Trocadero/10 min walk from the Eiffel tower, located in the 16th arrondissement. There are tons of little cafes, boulangeries, etc if you step outside and head left down Rue de la Tour. It is definitely small, but totally fine for two people. It’s also on the ground floor (so no spiral stairs to climb each time!) which can be hard to come by. I hope the host keeps this listing up for a long time because we had an awesome experience there and would highly recommend.
+ Trocadero / Eiffel Tower
One of the most iconic areas of the city, of course! The Eiffel Tower is absolutely stunning and I love that you can see it all throughout the city. She’s truly a majesty. Make sure you don’t miss her sparkling lights at night! Also, Trocadero is right across the Seine river from the tower and offers the most incredible view. If you want really nice pictures here, I recommend getting up early before the crowds. We headed over around 8am and there weren’t too many people at that point. Otherwise, the whole area is filled with tourists and you’re likely to have a photobomber..or twenty! It was so worth it going early, we were able to get some beautiful pictures & take in the views of the tower during sunrise. After that, we headed across the street to Carette for a crosissant and cappuccino, it was delicious! Perfect little French cafe that surprisingly (for the touristy spot that it’s in) was brimming with locals.
+ Montmarte
Spending the day wandering through Montmarte is an absolute must! It’s technically part of Paris, but has a totally different vibe – think narrow streets, colorful buildings, little parks, and tons of charm. It’s kind of a dream!
Food Tour – We actually did this food tour in Montmarte, and I would definitely recommend it! I’m all about food when I travel, so I’m always down for a food tour, but it was especially nice to have a guide through Montmarte to share more of the history and get a lot more out of our wandering. Plus, the food we tried was delicious! I will say – it was not that much food, more like a few tastes of some French classics (chocolate, coffee, choquettes, madeleines, escargot, some cured meats and cheeses) so I wouldn’t go hungry. Out of everything we did try though – hands down I would recommend grabbing a choquette from Les Choupettes de Chou Chou. They were insanely delicious! They are a very light pastry filled with a very light cream, and at this little place they fill yours up with cream right as you order them. Talk about fresh! Matt and I were dreaming about them the rest of the trip (still are lol). This a foodie must – just make sure to go earlier in the day when they are at their freshest!
La Bonne Franquette – this was our final stop on our food tour, where we sampled wine, cheese, meats, and escargot! This restaurant was originally known as a meeting place for artists in the 19th century, and it’s motto “love, eat, drink, and sing” captures the spirit of this place – to bring community together in a cheerful, friendly, and non judgmental way. I wish I could have seen the menu/tried more of the food to give a more thorough review, but this place does have a really cool history and at the very least it’s a good spot to have some delicious wine and give escargot a try.
La Bohéme du Terte – this was a cute little cafe we stopped at to enjoy a drink outside and people watch (this is one of my favorite things about Paris!). It’s right next to the “artists square” so there are lots of live artists painting, sketching, etc. It’s really cute and quaint – I definitely recommend grabbing a seat outside and a drink / a bite to eat so you can soak it in.
Sacré-Coeur – the iconic, white basilica in Montmarte. We didn’t get the chance to go in since we just passed by it on our tour, but it is definitely a must see and I hear it is beautiful inside!
Insta worthy spots – If you’re looking for some cute spots for instagram photos in Montmarte, they are no shortage because it’s absolutely adorable. But some of the more famous ones are La Maison Rose and Le Consulat.
+ Cruise the Seine
The Seine is the iconic river that runs through Paris. There are tons of different boat cruises you can hop on, and they are such a great way to see the city! This experience was definitely on our list and we decided to go with this tour that was actually a champagne tasting as well! We tried three different champagnes and saw many of the iconic Paris rights from the water. It was only about an hour, and we headed to dinner afterwards. It is at night – but you are inside the boat, which was perfect as it was very chilly outside!
+ Cafés and Restaurants
Here are a few of the spots we dined and that I would definitely recommend you check out!
Café Kleber:
I wouldn’t necessarily consider this a must, but this cafe is in an extremely convenient location – right across the street from the Trocadero. We visited here a couple times, once for a glass of wine and crepes outside in the afternoon (bliss) and another time we ducked in here for some french onion soup. Definitely pricey due to location, but if you’re in the area and want to stop, you can’t necessarily go wrong here.
Le Relais de l’Entracote:
I totally recommend you check this restaurant out for dinner. The whole experience of it is so cool, not to mention the food is delicious! Speaking of food, they only serve one thing – steak frites! Which is steak with french fries. This place is pretty popular, and it is first come first serve, so I recommend getting there about 30 minutes before it opens to wait in line. We got in on the first wave, but even if you have to wait, I’d say it’s totally worth it. They also serve a salad too (with this really delectable mustard dressing) as well as dessert. And here me loud and clear here – you must order the Vacher in Glacé for dessert. It is basically stacked meringue & ice cream smothered in chocolate fudge, and it is incredible! Matt ordered the creme bruleé, and loved that as well!
Linette:
We did a lot of cafe hanging during our Paris jaunt (this is my favorite part about this city – taking time to just be still and soak in the city in the afternoon is a very welcome change compared to our faster paced schedules here in the US) but I have to say this bistro was my favorite. We stumbled upon it by accident on Avenue Rupp, it’s so charming and adorable with a great menu (think salads, main plates, quick meals, with some organic options as well). The staff here was the friendliest we had encountered during our stay, and even though you are right around the corner from the Eiffel Tower it feels anything but that – it’s quiet and away from the crowds. It’s also next to a cute little flower shop, so pretty much a picturesque Parisian situation! *I was not able to find this cute little place anywhere online so I can’t link it, but if you stroll down Avenue Rupp near the Eiffel Tower, be on the lookout for it’s bright red awning!
Bistrot d’Henri
This restaurant was recommended to us by a friend and I’m so glad we went! Perfect little spot for an authentic French meal. It’s very small, cozy, and family run – the type of restaurant that should always be on your list when traveling so you can get an authentic experience. It truly was one of the best meals I had ever had – I had the sea bass (it was mouthwatering) and Matt had lamb chops. The prices are also very fair which is always a major plus. They have a selection of wines as well, although we had their house red and it was delicious. Lastly, there were lots of bars all around this restaurant, so if you want to experience some of Paris’ nightlife, this could be a good spot to hit for dinner before a night out on the town. Also a tip – we made a reservation online through a third party app but turns out they don’t accept those – so make sure to show up on the early side so you can get a table!
+ Champs de Elysees
One of the most famous streets in Paris, and a really fun one to stroll down. We stopped in Laudree for some macarons, grabbed some crepes from a street cart near the gardens, and made our way down to the Pont Alexandre III, which is a really beautiful, ornate bridge. There is also some really high end shopping along this street (we stopped into Louis Vuitton just for the fun of it) so if you’re looking to make a designer purchase this is a good area for that!
+Museums
You probably notice there are no museums so far on this list…and that’s because we didn’t visit any, woopsie! Paris is obviously a mecca of historical art pieces, and there is so much to see – the Louvre being the most famous. I actually visited the Louvre on my trip to Paris while studying abroad, and since Matt and I are not super interested in art history, we decided to leave it out of our short trip. Although if we were there longer I’m sure we would have gone! And also just a tip – the Louvre is open late (till 9:45pm) on Wednesday & Fridays, so you could go late and lose the crowds. Another tip – I often hear people say (who are also not visiting Paris for the art necessarily) that the Musée d’Orsay is a better visit while in Paris as it’s not as expansive or crowded. So just a heads up!
+ Travel Tips
Getting around: if our destination wasn’t walkable, we used Uber mostly. They are everywhere and you don’t have to worry about communicating to the cab driver where you are headed in French. That being said though, there are cabs everywhere and they are super easy to grab. I would just show the driver the address on my phone instead of butchering it in my terrible french, haha! And if walking, whenever we were on wifi we would look up directions our next destination and screenshot them along with the map overview of our walk. Made it super easy to get around! We didn’t even attempt the metro haha but if you plan to I’m sure there are apps that make it much easier to navigate!
Ordering in restaurants: I was really nervous about this because you always hear that the French can be very rude. I didn’t want to come off as a stupid America tourist lol but here’s the thing..in my experience it is absolutely okay to order in English. However, the biggest rule to follow is to always say bonjour when entering a restaurant and speaking with your server – the French will be much more likely to be friendly to you and respect you. And just always be polite in general when ordering and conducting yourself and you should have no issues.
Tipping: When dining out, the tipping situation is a bit different, as the servers in Paris receive living wages. The general rule of thumb is to tip between 5-10%.
Cautionary tale: In the very first restaurant we went to upon our arrival, we got taken advantage of big time! I wanted to pass this along so that you don’t make my mistake. What happened: when the server brought the credit card machine over to charge us for our meal (this is totally customary, credit cards are always run tableside) he asked us how much we would like to tip on top of our bill (strange, they usually don’t ask this) we nervously spit out a number since we were caught off guard (and tipped way too much haha) and it wasn’t until he handed us our receipt that we saw he not only added the large tip amount to the bill but added on another 10 euro. Notttt cool dude. We were not happy but also didn’t really feel like pushing it in that moment so decided just to leave. So moral of the story – if someone asks you how much you are going to tip, just say you are going to do so in cash after you pay your bill with your card and avoid that sneakiness.
Okay friends! That’s a wrap on our recent trip to Paris. I hope you find this guide helpful, and if you are planning a trip to Paris I hope you have the best time!!!
