Planning a trip to Paris?

Here are some of my favorite spots in Paris. My first trip to Paris was about 20 years ago and it has had my heart ever since. I was there for the first time winning a sales contest with Vector Marketing, which was my first time to Europe. Since then I have been back numerous times with my sister and one solo trip. There is so much to do and I can’t wait till my next adventure to Paris. When traveling to Paris I have learned to pick one or two things a day that I want to visit and then see what the I see along the way. Having fully scheduled day, I have realized you miss the real Paris. Some of the best places I have found have been from getting “lost” in Paris. You can check out my many blogs about Paris here.

Knopf Mapguides: Paris is my favorite guidebook. It is small enough to put in your purse and has foldout maps of the different arrdisomonts. There are so many great resources. One of my favorite Paris podcasts is The Earful Tower, which has so many great tips about Paris. A couple of years ago I started following A French Frye in Paris on Facebook. He does weekly live tours around Paris. When I was undergoing chemo it was my escape Paris!

Safety in Paris. As with any major city, you need to be aware of your surroundings. Paris is no different. Here are some of the things I have learned the main tourist attractions have lots of pickpockets. They will approach you asking if you lost something that they show you. While you are distracted, someone else will steal from you. I have seen children playing games used as ways to distract you that are pickpockets. Also, I have seen two people fighting and that will get your attention. That will distract you and they will pick pocket you. For women, I would invest in a good crossbody purse with a zipper to close.

As I write this, Notre Dame is currently closed due to a fire that occurred in April of 2019. It would be top of the list, if it weren’t closed. One of my bucket list items that I didn’t even know was on my list was attending Christmas Eve mass at Notre Dame.

Eiffel Tower

In my opinion, everyone should visit and go up the Eiffel Tower once when visiting Paris. When we first visited Paris in 2011, it was raining and I wrote a blog about it in the rain. Since then it has become one of my most popular blogs. I will visit the Eiffel Tower at night and love to see it sparkle, which it does on the hour. When planning a trip to Paris and wanting to visit, I recommend buying timed tickets, so it cuts down on time standing in line. Other great places to get a view of Paris are the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette and Sacré-Cœur.

Sainte-Chapelle

One of the most beautiful places I have visited in Paris is Sainte-Chapelle. The most amazing stained glass windows I have ever seen are located here. The church has undergone a complete restoration recently.

île Saint-Louis

Did you know that Paris has two islands? One of my favorite areas of Paris is the island île Saint-Louis. It is located right behind Notre Dame and Cafe St. Regis is a great place to sit and people watch. They have good food and drinks. My goal is live in Paris as a photographer and live on the island. I could spend the whole day on île Saint-Louis exploring the island.

Cooking Class in Paris

On a solo trip to Paris, I did a cooking class at La Cuisine. I chose to do a croissant making class. After learning how to make them, I decided I was good with buying them. It was a fun time, even though I learned how time intensive it was to make them.

Gardens in Paris

There are more than 400 parks in Paris. Some of the famous ones are Luxembroug Gardens and the Tulleries, but so many to discover as you walk around the city!

Restaurants in Paris

There are so many! We have loved finding them just walking down the street. Also, we have had great recommendations from our hotels concierge. The tips I have is to download The Fork. It is similar to open table and when you make your reservations on there, you can get a discount. Below is a photo from one of favorites Le Reminet, which is located near Notre Dame.

Montmarte

The Montmarte area has so many hidden areas and fun to “get lost.” It is the artist area and lots of galleries all over for you to either have your portrait done or buy your piece of Paris to take home with you.

Paris Opera House

During one of our trips, my sister and I visited the Paris Opera House for a tour. It really is amazing. One of our goals for a future visit is to see a Opera there.

Seine River Cruise

When I was in Paris for my solo trip, I was there over Christmas. I spent Christmas Day doing a lunch river cruise. It was so much fun! I recommend Bateaux Mouches for their river cruise. The food, wine, and music were great!