Top 10 Activities to do in Paris
- Take in the Eiffel Tower at night on a Seine River cruise! We did this paired with a bike ride. This was the best view of the Eiffel tower and it was lit up at night. There were also some amazing views of Notre Dame at night from the river.
2. Take a bike tour around the city towards the evening. I enjoyed some champagne ahead of time which made the bike ride pretty fun and full of giggles. Fat Tire Tours was what we went with and Jack was our guide. He was a young guy with lots of knowledge and jokes. He could a ride bike with a flat tire faster than anyone in our group without flat tires. At one point during the tour, we stopped for gelato on a bridge where a man was playing the piano. It was very peaceful.
This is the bike tour guide, Jack:) He was awesome.
3. If you are looking for vibrant night life, stay in the Latin Quarter by Notre Dame. We stayed in St. Germain which is very close to the Latin Quarter, but just a bit quieter. We would then venture to the Latin Quarter for the fun (see picture below of Latin Quarter). Both are great areas.
Kacey peaking out of our window at our hotel:)
4. Visit some of the smaller museums like the Orsay Museum. That is where they house all the impressionist Art. This museum was less crowded (even on a weekend), cheap to get into, and had lots of space to venture about. I am a fan of Van Gogh and Monet and there were plenty of those paintings to take in at the Orsay. The kids and I read some children’s books about Monet and Van Gogh before we left for Paris, so they were super excited that I brought home a large book of the painting in the museum and some kid versions to color.
5. Saint Chapelle has some of the most beautiful stained glass in Europe. It is a small little chapel where King Louis IX kept his Christian relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns when he was crucified. Those thorns have now been moved to Notre Dame. The stained-glass panes depict 1,113 scenes from the Old and New Testaments recounting the history of the world until the arrival of the relics in Paris.
6. Visit Shakespeare and Company. It is the only English book store in Paris. It was the second version of the original Shakespeare and Company that closed during WWII during the German Occupation. The one still in business was opened in 1941 by George Whitman, a world traveler and literature lover. He would allow writers and artists to stay there (on cots intermingled between the bookshelves) in exchange for a few hours of work in the book shop, reading a book a day, and writing a one-page bio before leaving. George’s daughter, Sylvia Whitman now owns and runs the shop. The original Shakespeare and Company was opened by Sylvia Beach in the Saint Germain district, and was the local hangout for Earnest Hemmingway and Scott Fitzgerald. Sylvia Beach was the only one to take a chance on James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses, by publishing the book which ended up being banned in several countries. If you are a book lover, you will love this place! It also faces Notre Dame and the Seine River. It has multiple levels and rooms that are supposed to represent chapters in a book.
7. Visit Café de Flore and Leaux Dux Maggots, they were famous hangouts for past writers and where movies were filmed. I thought Café De Flore was spectacular. Maggots was pretty busy and had security there like crazy when we went because there was a celebrity couple eating there.
8. Visit the location where they filmed the pick-up spot for the movie Midnight in Paris (I love this movie by the way). It is right across from a British pub on the steps of a beautiful church. We actually hung out on those steps quite a bit before retiring for the night.
9. Visit Jardin de Luxembourg. This garden is so beautiful! You can see the Eiffel tower, gorgeous flowers, glistening water fountains, and awesome statues. It is a fun place to kick back with a few beers and chat.
10. Take a Ferris Wheel ride at the park by the Louvre. The views are amazing and I can truly say it was magical. We got our bearings down by taking in the view on this ride. It was one of our first activities we did in Paris. Obviously, you want to visit the Louvre too. The Mona Lisa was there; but the museum was crazy busy.
Underwhelming Activities in Paris
- The bell towers at Notre Dame. I enjoyed Notre Dame on the inside and outside though! I did not think the 60 Euros (total for both of us) was worth it to walk all the way up to the top. The best views of Paris are on top of the Eiffel tower and Sacre de Heart Church.
2. Crazy Horse. We saw the Las Vegas version twice and they do it bigger and louder. The original Crazy Horse started in Paris, but there was a lack of excitement to it. I liked the cozy cabaret feel, but the rest was pretty generic.
3. Champs De Elyse. It is a large and historical shopping district. We did find some delicious macaroons over there at a little stand, but it was crazy on a Saturday and a waste of time in my opinion. I much more prefer the cute little boutique shops we found.
3. Champs De Elyse. It is a large and historical shopping district. We did find some delicious macaroons over there at a little stand, but it was crazy on a Saturday and a waste of time in my opinion. I much more prefer the cute little boutique shops we found.
Crazy Horse and Champs shopping.
11 Random Paris Discoveries
- Restaurants and grocery stores close early. I had read ahead of time that the French eat late dinners (between 9-10pm), however, we found that we really had to plan ahead when eating after 9pm which happened often because of the activities we planned. Also, if we were looking for a snack, we had to buy it before 9 or 10pm unless we found a food stand in the Latin Quarter to hit up.
- Paris was a safe and friendly place. Everyone we encountered spoke English and were friendly, despite the rumors that the French are rude and/or annoyed by Americans. The only place I did not feel safe was outside of the Eiffel Tower. There are larger crowds and lots of vendors selling cheap Eiffel Tower statues. Anytime I wanted to stop and take a picture, Kacey would often tell me to keep moving and not get distracted until we found a safer spot. Kacey is 6’2” and he joked that it is impossible to get pick pocketed when you are tall and you keep your backpack zippers up. Oh, Kacey😊
Chilling at a cafe in the Eiffel Tower.
3. There seems to be a lack of pizza cutters and shower curtains in France. It appears that the French often don’t put shower curtains in their hotels or homes. In doing some research, there are a few reasons for this. 1. Shower curtains are hard to keep clean. 2. The French like to take baths and/or are not sloppy while they shower. 3. French are conservative about their water usage due to the history of water being scarce during the war. 4. There are drains in the middle of the bathroom floors and toilet paper guards to keep the toilet paper dry, so if water sprays, it drains.
4. We were told many places are closed on Sundays; like retail stores. We actually did some pretty good shopping at some cool boutiques on a Sunday. Also, all museums are free the first Sunday of each month. Be ready for crowds if you plan this way.
5. I knew ahead of time that Europeans like to drink tiny espressos many times throughout the day. Kacey and I enjoy a nice big mug of coffee (most of the time two cups) each morning. I learned to order Café American when ordering coffee if I wasn’t in the mood for an espresso. The espressos were delicious and fulfilling most days, but I found that I liked to spend more time drinking my coffee as I sat in the cafes.
6. There are so many cafes! All of them seem to have cute little bistro tables too. Every corner you turn, there is somewhere to get a drink and a snack.
Our favorite Cafe, Le Rostand. I think we ate omelets and drank Espresso or Cafe Americans there almost every morning.
7. The 1664 French beer was the popular choice in many of the bars/cafes. It was fun to come back home and buy some for my weekend nights and reminisce.
8. One of the most popular meals in Paris was this inside out type of ham and cheese sandwich called the “croque monsieur” which means Mr. Crunch. It had ham and sometimes cheese toasted in the middle with melted cheese toasted on the top. Kacey and I really liked these sandwiches and even made them when we came home. But I can now say I am sick of them.
8. One of the most popular meals in Paris was this inside out type of ham and cheese sandwich called the “croque monsieur” which means Mr. Crunch. It had ham and sometimes cheese toasted in the middle with melted cheese toasted on the top. Kacey and I really liked these sandwiches and even made them when we came home. But I can now say I am sick of them.
9. The Eiffel tower was originally red.
10. I had a love/hate relationship with the shoes people wore there. They seemed to have thick soles and look sort of sporty and out of place with nicer outfits. It didn’t seem to match the more dark and plain attire I saw native Parisians wearing. I would see women in cute outfits and these gaudy shoes. I then became intrigued and bought a pair that were toned down and different than anything I could buy here. After coming home with them, I realized that they will not go with much; see what I mean? Love/hate. Kacey found some really cool shoes there too.
10. I had a love/hate relationship with the shoes people wore there. They seemed to have thick soles and look sort of sporty and out of place with nicer outfits. It didn’t seem to match the more dark and plain attire I saw native Parisians wearing. I would see women in cute outfits and these gaudy shoes. I then became intrigued and bought a pair that were toned down and different than anything I could buy here. After coming home with them, I realized that they will not go with much; see what I mean? Love/hate. Kacey found some really cool shoes there too.
Shoes I didn't like.....
11. Umbrellas, ponchos, Google maps, and Uber came in handy! It rains a lot in Paris. I thought it would be hotter in the summer, but it really wasn’t. I am glad I brought some sweaters and jeans with even though it was summer. Uber was way more convenient than taxis. We didn’t use one taxi while we were in Paris. I didn’t see many around either. Also, the Uber app keeps a tally of the minutes it takes to get to your location. You get a fixed price no matter how long it takes. We had reservations for a lot of our activities which means we sometimes had to book it, and walking wouldn’t cut it. I think it is funny that I mastered Uber while in Paris, and not in America. I also wonder how the heck I was able to get around Europe while studying abroad and revisiting during our honeymoon without Uber and Google Maps.
All in all, Paris was amazing! It was so fun to visit this amazing city with Kacey minus the kids. We thought that it would be a little sad visiting Disneyland without kids (see separate Disneyland post after this one); but we had a blast. We got to ride the more scarier rides, wait in line without hearing anyone complain, we could actually talk to each other without interruptions, and we could eat without wiping someone’s butt, breaking up a fight, or listening to complaints about the food. We paid extra for skip the line entry for most of our activities in Paris. It was so worth it. The Robbie Williams concert that we saw while over there was an experience we will never forget since it’s been Kacey’s favorite band since 2003. It was surreal and he puts on a great show. Just walking around, taking in the sites, and experiencing something new together is the reason this trip will go down as one of my favorite trips together. We’ve been to Rome, England, and Scotland together in College and for our Honeymoon, and one of the things we joked about was how did we ever get anywhere without Google Maps and Uber! I went on a girls trip to Amsterdam and Venice once too, and I am surprised we made it out alive without this! I remember our Honeymoon in Rome, we would wander around the city until we found a cool bar to hang out at and we hopped rides with new friends, and somehow made it home each night in one piece without really knowing the way. In England, while studying abroad, we had no cell phones with, and film cameras that we would drop off at the corner store and wait to get the pictures developed. I can say we had one old school night this go around after the Robbie Williams concert where we wandered around the Latin Quarter and took everything in without technology and that is my most vivid memory of the whole trip; hanging with my best friend with nowhere to be and all of the time in the world. The other fun night that goes down in the books is after the bike tour. It was midnight and we found an old pub by the train station that was sort of a dive (if you know me, I love dive bars) but offered 1664 and croque monsieurs. We stayed there late and listened to some cool music.
When we got home, we had a Paris themed night with the kids which included watching Ratatouille, eating croque monsieur sandwiches, drinking sparkling lemonade out of Paris mugs, drinking 1664, and giving the kiddos their gifts. Beckham made sure to throw our nice Disneyland glass ornament off the balcony in our bedroom that we worked so hard at keeping in one piece on the train. We most definitely will go back soon! Next time, I want to hit up Monet's garden and home in Giverny, and the Palace of Versailles. Both are outside of Paris, but not far and for sure would have made it on the top ten list had I visited these locations.
All in all, Paris was amazing! It was so fun to visit this amazing city with Kacey minus the kids. We thought that it would be a little sad visiting Disneyland without kids (see separate Disneyland post after this one); but we had a blast. We got to ride the more scarier rides, wait in line without hearing anyone complain, we could actually talk to each other without interruptions, and we could eat without wiping someone’s butt, breaking up a fight, or listening to complaints about the food. We paid extra for skip the line entry for most of our activities in Paris. It was so worth it. The Robbie Williams concert that we saw while over there was an experience we will never forget since it’s been Kacey’s favorite band since 2003. It was surreal and he puts on a great show. Just walking around, taking in the sites, and experiencing something new together is the reason this trip will go down as one of my favorite trips together. We’ve been to Rome, England, and Scotland together in College and for our Honeymoon, and one of the things we joked about was how did we ever get anywhere without Google Maps and Uber! I went on a girls trip to Amsterdam and Venice once too, and I am surprised we made it out alive without this! I remember our Honeymoon in Rome, we would wander around the city until we found a cool bar to hang out at and we hopped rides with new friends, and somehow made it home each night in one piece without really knowing the way. In England, while studying abroad, we had no cell phones with, and film cameras that we would drop off at the corner store and wait to get the pictures developed. I can say we had one old school night this go around after the Robbie Williams concert where we wandered around the Latin Quarter and took everything in without technology and that is my most vivid memory of the whole trip; hanging with my best friend with nowhere to be and all of the time in the world. The other fun night that goes down in the books is after the bike tour. It was midnight and we found an old pub by the train station that was sort of a dive (if you know me, I love dive bars) but offered 1664 and croque monsieurs. We stayed there late and listened to some cool music.
When we got home, we had a Paris themed night with the kids which included watching Ratatouille, eating croque monsieur sandwiches, drinking sparkling lemonade out of Paris mugs, drinking 1664, and giving the kiddos their gifts. Beckham made sure to throw our nice Disneyland glass ornament off the balcony in our bedroom that we worked so hard at keeping in one piece on the train. We most definitely will go back soon! Next time, I want to hit up Monet's garden and home in Giverny, and the Palace of Versailles. Both are outside of Paris, but not far and for sure would have made it on the top ten list had I visited these locations.
The kids' "gift basket".