And of course were could a European travel destinations line up start if not from Paris…
Aaah! The romance, the light, the history, the buildings and the FOOD!!!!
HOW TO GO THERE
I traveled in Paris a couple of times so far. You see, it is so close to Amsterdam so you can reach it either by plane, train or drive there yourself!
This time I went by car, during the Pinkersdaag days off.
Advice not to:
… travel on the Dutch/ Belgian highways on a long weekend. Traffic is too much for someone to handle. During these days choose the train. Not advisable to fly by plane once it actually takes much more time than the train.
Now if you are traveling from other cities, with no train service… fly!!!
If you choose the Thalys train however you try to book early. The earlier you book the cheapest the fares. One tip is if you are book early you can get great discount on the First Class seats!!
JE VOUDRAIS UNE CHAMBRE S’IL VOUS PLAIT!
The hotel I booked, I found on the booking.com website.
A very useful website but always read the quests’ reviews… sometimes the uploaded pictures are not what the case is. This was not my case though.
I stayed in this hotel the previous time I was in Paris. I liked it quite a lot so I decided to re-book there again. It is a boutique hotel, with small Parisian cute rooms, all designed accordingly and furnished from top to bottom with IKEA.
The staff is super friendly and actually speaks English (this is something you will not easily find in Paris). They were very eager to book us taxis and restaurants and also to let us stay a couple of hours over the check-out time without requesting for half a day extra fee on the room.
In the fair price of 130e per night they offered a decent breakfast in the breakfast area. A very cute and clean room in the basement of the building, with super friendly service.
Hotel Mayet, http://www.mayet.com/, is located in the neighborhood on Les Invalides. Easy to access by metro (two metro stations around the corner) and walking distance from good bistros and of course the famous St Germain des Pres area, if you fancy a drink! It is also walking distance from Notre – Dam and the Louvre if you really like walking!!!
ENOUGH SOLES TO MELT???
In Paris it is not really worth to take the metro since you’ll miss out on the best parts. It is better to walk through the city, so put your walking shoes on and start bright and early in the morning.
A LOT OF THINGS TO SEE.
One visit is not enough to see even the topline stuff.
Notre Dam
Eiffel Tower
The Louvre
Champs Elysee
Les Gardins du Luxemburg
Sacre Coeur/ Montmarte
Grand/ Petit Palais
Boat Tour
… are only the basic you need to see on your first visit there. Note that the queues in every of these sights are HUGE.
TIP: go on the websites of each museum and place you want to visit and book your ticket in advance. This way you usually escape the huge queues for tickets etc.
TIP: The Louvre: Run through it. If it is your first visit or you are not very much into art just have a plan of what you want to see. SEE: Venus de Milo/ Victory of Samothrace and Mona Lisa. Spend some time on the French paintings and the Greek-Roman Statues. They are awesome!
Two books I found super very helpful are the Lonely Planet guide and the Guide of Streets and Travel of Paris. With these two you will have a great overview of the city and you will walk around it really easy.
SOMETHING BAKED???
Eating in Paris is a delight… if you can avoid the very touristic restaurants…
Any bakery (boulangerie for the locals) can do! They do awesome sandwiches, half a baguette filled with great cheese and ham! And for the heck of it buy a plain baguette and carry it around, like Frenchmen do.
Before booking any dinner plans, I tried searching online and read reviews for the bistros. It worked. I managed to discover a couple of super cool places for dinner.
TIP: always go for the set menus they have. They come in very good prices and they are very fulfilling. In these menus you will usually find a couple of traditional French dishes and if you are into cheese, you’ll love the cheese-desert. Keep in mind to keep some wine in your glass to enjoy the cheese plate!
Bistrot L’Horloge on Rue de Cherche Midi.
Great place to eat and not very expensive. With a menu around 29 p.p. (excl. wine) you can enjoy really well cooked food and friendly waiters (who also speak English).
My all time favorite bistro is one on the hill of Montmarte. The best food I’ve tasted so far, in a progressively weird set up. The environment is like your grandmother’s kitchen. Worn out pinkish wallpaper behind old-school paintings and shelves filled with all these 60’s metal toys and books that smell old and wake up this growling sounds in stomach. The same one you always have when you visit your grandma’s house! Bistrot Le Poulbot on Rue Poulbot http://www.montmartre-paris-france.com/restaurant-montmartre-le-poulbot.php
Have a French dictionary in hand cause you’ll probably not be able to communicate in other languages. With a menu from 16,5e excl. wine you will some of the best dishes of your life in the heart of Montmarte, where most of the rest bistros offer the lowest quality in the most touristic price.
Also don’t forget to try the ice cream from AMORINO. http://www.amorino.com/. You will find those ice cream parlours serving flower shaped cones and cups, scattered through the city. Get the “yogurt” and “crema” flavor that shocked me, even though I have no sweet tooth!!!
Of course there are a zillion other things to visit, see, eat and enjoy in Paris. It is not a one-time visit city. You will need to go back again and again and definitely go there with your love. You will see the city through a completely different prism…
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