It’s been more than a month since we returned home from France and I think I’m finally ready to sit down and write my French travel guides. For those of you who don’t know, Tom and I joined his parents on a two-week vacation to France at the end of May and it was absolutely amazing. France wasn’t necessarily at the top of my travel bucket list but it far passed my expectations and I was so happy to have the opportunity to truly explore the country.
We actually started the trip in a little village called Eze, which is in the French Riveria and made our way north to Paris. More on Eze and the French Riveria later this month because today we are diving deep into my favorite places in Paris.
If you’ve read any of my past travel guides, you know that they only use iPhone photography. We are usually out of the hotel first thing in the morning and don’t return until very late at night, so lugging around my camera just isn’t realistic so I hope you enjoy this snapshot of my time in Paris!
Where We Stayed
Our hotel in Paris was the most low-key out of the 4 different hotels we stayed out throughout the trip. We stayed at the Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel, which was only steps away from some of the biggest attractions Paris has to offer but not at all crowded or overwhelming. We were able to walk everywhere from the Champs Elysees to theSacré-Cœur but the hotel was closet to attractions like Galeries Lafayette (only ~2 blocks away) and the Paris Opera house.
Overall, the hotel was extremely comfortable and everything I needed after walking miles every day in France. The room was super spacious with a bathroom I’d love to have in my own home. Lastly, while we are usually hesitant for settling for a hotel bar (especially at an American hotel), this one was super casual and comfortable that we found ourselves there twice throughout our week in Paris.
What We Did
What didn’t we do?!? We were in Paris for a total of 5 days and we didn’t miss a MINUTE.
Day 1 | For our first full day, we were up early (out of the hotel by 8:30a!) and off to the Louver for a private tour. After a quiet and actually very memorable first walk in Paris, we arrived at the Louvre around 9 AM only to find out that the staff was on strike (very Parisian of them). After waiting about an hour hoping the museum would open, we forfeited and our private tour guide took us on a little walking tour around the Louver, which was actually an unexpected but appreciated introduction to Paris. After the mini-tour, we grabbed lunch and were off exploring for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. We walked up and down the Champs Elysees and even found ourselves by surprise at Rue de l’Université, which was one of my favorite places to take photos in the entire city. I was also especially happy because this spot became a construction zone not 24 hours later.
Day 2 | On our second day in Paris, we actually took a day trip to the Loire Valley and visited the Château of Chambord and Château of Chenonceau. Both were absolutely beautiful and definitely a worthwhile experience, especially if you are a history buff. While Tom and I aren’t too keen on the history of it all, we do watch shows like Reign that give a glimpse of what life was like when both of these Châteaus were in use, so to see that slice of history in real life was pretty cool. That said, this day trip requires many hours in the car so if you are only in Paris for a few days, I’d pass on this trip and save it for when you have some more time.
Day 3 | What was planned to be a pretty low-key day (after a crazy day trip the day prior), this day soon became chock-full. After sleeping in for the first time in a while, Tom and I actually spent the morning drinking mimosas at a local cafe and then met up with his parents to finally have our private tour of the Louver. This tour was INCREDIBLE, our tour guide was so knowledgable and passionate about every piece of art he shared with us, making it so much worthwhile than what we could have done on our own. Not only did we see iconic works of art like the Mona Lisa, but we also learned a lot about life at the Louvre through generations of French royalty. While the tour was truly amazing, the tour was almost 4 hours, which was WAY too long. By the end, my feet were killing me and I was exhausted, so the only possible way to make the day better was an Aperol spritz and a charcuterie board.
Day 4 | On the fourth day, we were supposed to go on a private tour of Versailles but Tom woke up not feeling well so we used it as an opportunity to sleep in and take it a bit slower. While I would have loved to tour Versailles, I chalked it up to being a great excuse to come back to Paris one day. Around noon, we ventured out of the hotel and grabbed afternoon tea at Laudree (one of my favorite Parisian cafes here in NYC) and again some random exploring/shopping. After dinner with Tom’s parents, Tom and I climbed the Arc de Triomphe (in the last 30 minute it was open) to watch the Eiffel Tower light show. It was absolutely magical and a must-do on any future trips to Paris.
Day 5 | On our final day, it was all about revisiting our favorite places and having a chance to live like a Parisian. First thing in the morning, we made our way up to the Sacré-Cœur, which brought us through quintessential Parisian streets. With a brasserie on every corner, we grabbed croissants and coffee and enjoyed breakfast overlooking the city of light. It was absolutely GORGEOUS but definitely a tough walk so be warned! On the way back down, we stopped at a brasserie for a baguette and a local shop for the makings of the perfect charcuterie board. We then took these goodies to the Eiffel Tower for a picturesque picnic overlooking the icon. After our little picnic, we spent the rest of the day picking up presents for family and friends back at home at the Galeries Lafayette.
What We Ate
We had so many amazing meals in France and especially in Paris, but I’ll share my top three if you are traveling to Paris in the near future.
1| Le Recamier. On our last night, we probably had one of our most French meals of the entire trip. This Michelin-starred restaurant was best known for its soufflés and oh my god were they delicious. I had TWO full soufflés to myself to bid Paris farewell and it was one of my better decisions of the trip. As my meal, I enjoyed the Henri IV soufflé, which was mostly cheese and chicken, so what’s not to like and for dessert I had the Caramel soufflés, which was to die for! This was the only restaurant we went to on the left of the Seine river so it was also nice to explore a different area of the city.
2| Angelina. You can probably find Angelina’s on every Paris tour guide, but it is a goodie! I actually never heard of Angelina’s before visiting Paris and I was so happy we stumbled upon it. Not only was the hot chocolate just as amazing as everyone says it is, but you also need to get a Millefeuille as an afternoon pick-me-up. I’m not a huge pastry person, but this one was by far the best I’ve ever tasted.
3| Daroco. I know it is kinda embarrassing, but one of my favorite meals of the entire trip was an Italian restaurant. 😋 I had the burrata ravioli and it was seriously life changing! We ate at Daroco on one of our first few nights in Paris and I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t want to go back multiple times throughout the trip. This restaurant is also located in a historic and beautiful part of the city, right in the heart of the Galleria de Vivienne making it a beautiful place to take photos before or after dinner. They also have a little speakeasy in the back of the restaurant that serves the most delicious drinks in an even more beautiful setting (I’m talking fresh roses everywhere!).
What I Wore
Last but not least, what did I wear! Since this destination was a complete surprise to me (yes, Tom’s parents didn’t tell us where we were going until we showed up at the airport!), I didn’t exactly pack the best for the weather. I was expecting to be a lot warmer than it actually was, which meant I wore jeans a lot of my time there and actually bought a few maxi dresses when I arrived in Paris because I wanted to feel a little bit more dressed up than I did in the other French cities that we visited. I was in Paris for god sakes, a fashionista’s mecca!
While a put together an outfit of jeans and a cute top definitely does the trick, I definitely recommend bringing a few maxi dresses along with you so you can feel a bit more Parisian. I felt so much more comfortable after I made these purchases easily right from a Zara on the Champs Elysees.
Above all, I recommend a comfortable pair of shoes and a lot of layering. I wore my Sperrys pretty much the entire trip because they are both comfortable and more fashionable than a pair of sneakers (at least in my opinion). In terms of layering, I found the weather to be a bit all over the place. One day you would see people walking around in winter coats and the next you would see sundresses, so a little sweater or a cute rain jacket is definitely essential.
Woof, well that was A LOT!! This trip was absolutely one for the books and I could not be more thankful and appreciative to Tom’s parents for letting me tag along on their family vacation. Stay tuned for more about our French trip in the coming weeks!
Au Revoir!
