Paris, France Travel + Tips

Ahh Paris, the City of Love....*record scratching*...it was not romantic at all haha. But I also didn't go with a loved one. This trip was Part II of the College Trip (see Germany & Switzerland here). I'm not sure how many stars the place we stayed at had, but there were guys peeing in the street and I got a very 'dirty' feeling from the city. Maybe Paris was having an off week, I don't know. It definitely destroyed my preconceived notions. BUT I loved the history, the architecture, and the views.

Tourist Stops:

First stop the Eiffel Tower. Get here early the lines are insane!!! There will be people selling little trinkets, don't buy them! They will swarm you. There are gypsies all around the Eiffel Tower, keep your belongings close. -That's a good tip for everywhere you go!

The line is insane! Also there are a lot of stairs. You can take pictures all along the way. There's also an elevator, but that has longer/slower lines.

The Eiffel Tower has great views overlooking the city and inside the Eiffel Tower is a gift shop and snacks area. We didn't go all the way to the top.

We went back at night to watch the tower light up. There's a light display on the tower as well as just being lit.

View of the Arc de Triomphe.

We walked from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc. It's fairly easy to walk and see most things. There are scenic views from the Seine River. Wandering around you'll find little shops and bistros. We didn't have too much time to fully enjoy Paris, but we saw all the historical monuments/architecture that were on my list so I was happy.

Fun story. My group tried to run across the round-about of cars like tourist idiots because we didn't know there was an actual entrance that led to an underground tunnel. But also, we didn't have to wait in line so...who're the real winners here? We only found out about the entrance because we exited through it. It's to the right of this picture on Champs-Elysees Avenue.

You can climb to the top of the Arc for more views of Paris, it's a great panoramic opportunity for where the streets meet at the round-about.

From the Arc you can walk down Champs-Elysees Avenue. There are lots of shops and restaurants. The shops are expensive, so window shopping/just walking down the street and soaking in the history and culture might be the way to go.

On another day we went to the Pantheon. Next to the Pantheon is the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens.

From the Pantheon you can walk towards the Seine and to Notre Dame. (RIP)

Next is the Musee du Louvre. The Mona Lisa isn't that hard to get to. If you go early, I guess. Of course everyone is trying to get a picture with it and take selfies, so you've got to wait for your moment to do the same.

There is a ton to explore but we only went to the section with the Mona Lisa and a few other greats.

Little tip- don't eat from food carts! I got sick and that cut severely into my wandering time. (It was a crepe btw).

Next to the Louve is Jardin des Tuileries. It's a beautiful park and it houses some carnival rides.

The Royal Palace is also close to the Louvre.

Also:

There are SO MANY museums, so if that's your thing, plan plenty of time for that. You can mostly walk to them all. The other big one besides the Louvre, is Musee d'Orsay, which is across the Seine and west of the Louvre.

Wear walking shoes!

We also ate and drank wine at little bistros. The people weren't as rude as we were told they'd be. We were told to say the state we were from, not our country. I'm not sure what the attitude is now.

Places we didn't see that are famous: Moulin Rouge. The Basilica.

Cody wants to go there one day, so I imagine we'll soak it up a lot more, and enjoy it as it's meant to be enjoyed, the City of Love way.