I am very much a planner regardless of whatever it may be, so when it comes to travelling, even if I have been to the place before, I make sure to build an itinerary that includes my favourite places and places I've always wanted to see but just didn't have the time to go. Having seen a vast amount of Paris, I thought I ought to concoct a guide that contains a little list of my favourite places, that way you can benefit from this gorgeous city too. So here goes, my Paris City Guide: Tips From a Parisian.
- When visiting tourist heavy destinations, "the earlier, the better" is my go to motto. Not only do you get to enjoy the landmarks in peace, you also don't have a person photobombing your really nice photo. I know you may not all be a morning people but I promise you, it is definitely worth it!
- Wear your comfy shoes because most European cities tend to be walking cities, i.e. you really don't need to take the metro to get from one point to another. Doing this may even allow you to find hidden gems.
- When buying metro tickets in Paris go for the 'Ticket Jeune' if you are under 26 and travelling on weekends/bank holidays as they are so cheap and act like a travel card for each day. If you aren't travelling on a weekend, I would recommend the 'carnet' which is a set of 10 tickets that can be used for trains, trams and buses but be sure to double check how far you can travel as these are only valid within the city.
This city guide holds stuff that isn't just the typical landmark and is compromised of suggestions that are a little different which you may want to include in your trip; be it a weekend, a week or even longer.
If I had to shortlist the many museums that Paris has to offer, I would firstly suggest Musée d'Orsay. I adore impressionist art so I definitely have a biased love for it. If you decide on going, I recommend that you go when the museum opens and go straight to the top floor, so you can see the views from the balcony by the restaurant, and the clock at the end of the gallery. This way you can work your way down the museum to avoid the crowds.
Next up has definitely got to be Musée des Arts Forains. I think this is one of my favourite places in Paris, not just a museum. It holds one of two velocipedes in the world which was also in the film Midnight in Paris. Absolutely stunning and truly magical- you will feel like a kid again. They even give you fair ground tickets (as a form of money) so you can buy crepes, ice cream and other fair/circus type food.
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Musée de Louvre is probably one of the most popular tourist destination that Paris has to offer. Inevitable since it is the world's largest art museum so it can take more than a week to properly walk through let alone a weekend. Even still, it is a must!
My favourite part of the museum has to be the Richelieu Wing.
Musée de l'Orangerie may be one of the smallest museums I have been to but is home to some of Monet's waterlilies!
Inevitably, this city holds so many museums so giving a brief list made sense, especially since the Louvre could take weeks to properly see every single corner of the museum properly.
Food & Drink
Cafe de Flore-most tourists assume that this is a must place to visit since a vast amount of bloggers insist you go but to be honest it isn't worth the hype and the only thing that sets it apart potentially is the Instagrams you can get from eating/ drinking there. There are so many more cafes and restaurants dotted around Paris that will be just as good. I like the café within the shop Merci. Palais-Royale is also a must, which is convenient since it leads to the gardens, there is also a café before you walk through so you can always stop for a pick me up, and even a couple in the garden itself. Paris is flooded with cafés so don't feel like you have to go to one over another!
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Whether you're vegan or not you should visit VG Patisserie, the pastries are so damn scrumptious and is a little different to what Paris is most famous for in terms of food. Another vegan go to is Hank Burger, although a small restaurant, the popularity mirrors how good the food is and it isn't expensive at all. I also love Marcel for brunch and Gemini for dinner.
L'as du Fallafel. Put that right at the top of your list! Immediately. Coined by the The New York Times as the best falafel in Europe you really should try it out for yourselves and be sure to ask for a fork and lots of napkins; it gets messy!
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L'as du Fallafel. Put that right at the top of your list! Immediately. Coined by the The New York Times as the best falafel in Europe you really should try it out for yourselves and be sure to ask for a fork and lots of napkins; it gets messy!
Other
I recommend a visit to Palais de Tokyo. It is a modern art museum (9€-12€) which also has a photobooth on the left side of the entrance way by the spiral staircase. It prints a black and white strip of 4 pictures for just 3€; a super fun and a cute souvenir for the end of your trip in the city of lights. Typically, two people can fit in but I think I've seen groups of four make a tight squeeze. Happy posing! They also have an eclectic café which you can go to for a quick pit stop before continuing your adventures around the city.
Directly opposite the museum, stands Square du Palais Galliera, a scenic setting for the City of Paris Fashion Museum. A perfect place for an afternoon picnic and people watching whether you visit the museum or not.
Go to a live show; be it a music gig, the opera, the ballet or even a comedy club. I really enjoyed MOTHXR's gig and it was a last minute decision to go.
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| Photo found on Kitsuné official Facebook page. Photographer: Unknown |
Be sure to go through Galerie Vivienne too!
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If you're going during the Christmas season, I definitely recommend ice skating in Grand Palais!
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There is always so much to see in any city you go to so I hope this helped in letting you decide on what you really want to do when visiting this stunning city. Although, I may be a little bias.
