On our first girls trip to Europe 4 years ago, we ended our 15 day trip with two nights in Paris. I can tell you, this is definitely NOT long enough!!! But, we made the best of it. Paris was #1 on my bucket list and I can’t wait to go back!!!
We flew to Paris from Glascow, Scotland on a early evening flight. By the time we found our luggage and found a taxi to our hotel it was almost 9:00pm. But, that didn’t deter us!!
We stayed at the Hotel Bac Saint-Germain, Saint Germain des Pres, in the 7th Arrondissment. It was just about half-way between the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. The perfect location for our quick trip to Paris. Talk about tiny compared to US standards!!! The elevator only held two people with no luggage, side by side. Getting our luggage up to the upper floors was fun. One person had to get in the elevator and then slide your suitcase in with you, with your duffle bag and purse on top of that. It was hilarious!! It took us over 20 min to get us all upstairs and then back down 36 hours later. Our rooms were tiny with even tinier bathrooms. Plus, one of our rooms had an extra cot in it to save money, which made it even more cramped.
So, we changed quick for late dinner and headed out for our first night in Paris!!!! I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited! We found a cute bistro that was still open and sat outside for dinner. Even though I’ve had 5 years of French and spoke it fluently in my early 20’s, not speaking often for ten years makes you forget a lot. I had done a few quick refresher courses in the weeks before we left. But, I’m sure I still sounded awful. I was excited to order for everyone in French. But…. after the first few words the waiter informed us he spoke English. Oh well. My dinner consisted of wine, salad, bread, and escargot!!!! Yummy!!!
After dinner we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower because it really didn’t look that far away on the map. It ended up being well over a mile, but I loved every minute of it!! Each block on the map was actually four blocks. There were so many people still out and about meeting with friends. I had an amazing crepe Nutella from a street vendor that was pure Heaven!! Paris at night is pure magic!! We walked along the River Seine. The bridges are all lit up and absolutely gorgeous. Some of my best photos are of bridges and street lamps needless to say. The City of Lights does not disappoint.
The closer we were to the Eiffel Tower, the more giddy we became! Practically bouncing off the walls despite the long day of travel. You could see it peaking out above the buildings with every turn. For us small town, Midwest girls this was a big deal. My entire house has Eiffel Tower pictures and paintings everywhere!
This may sound silly to some because it’s just a big piece of metal. But, the Eiffel Tower was breathtaking!!! It’s massive and beautiful all lit up at night. On top of that, it twinkles for 10 minutes every hour on the hour!!!!!! Just like Champagne bubbles!!! We felt like we were in a fairytale. It was after midnight by the time we arrived there, so the elevators to the top floors weren’t open, but we were coming back in the morning. I bet I took 200 pictures from every angle around and under it looking up.
We walked around there at least an hour just admiring its beauty and taking pictures of each other. It was so special to be there with my mom and sisters. When we felt we had taken every possible picture, we started the long walk back to our hotel. It was late and there weren’t many people out, but wanted to walk anyways. Even window shopping in the middle of the night was fun. Like I said, there’s something about Paris at night that is just magical. Ahhhh, memories. Smiling…..
We only slept a few hours that night, not wanting to waste one moment of our short time in Paris. Getting up and ready quickly, we walked the mile towards Notre Dame, stopping for a chocolate croissant and a latte on the way, shortly past Les Duex Magots. We had done some research and decided we wanted to take advantage of one of the hop-on, hop-off buses in Paris. I highly recommend those for any big city with a lot to see. We took some photos of Notre Dame and did a little shopping in the area and then bought our day passes for the L’Open Tour Bus. It was around 30€ per person. We sat on the open, top level of the bus and enjoyed the ride all over the city!
Around noon we stopped at the Eiffel Tower for a trip to the top!!! We had to wait about an hour in line because only one of the elevators was functioning. I’ve been told that theres usually very little of a wait. Definitely the best views of the city up there!!! On my next trip, I’d like to have dinner up there and really enjoy it for longer.
Let’s talk souvenirs… I bought WAY. TOO. MUCH on this trip. But, I admit, I do have a slight shopping addiction. Some of my favorite souvenirs though are sketches done by people selling on the streets. I had bought a few pub posters in Ireland, so I had one of those cardboard tubes for shipping already in my bag. So, every night I’d just roll up my new sketches with the ones I already had and store them back in my suitcase. Easy and light!!!! I have several hand-sketched castles, several Paris landmarks, and street scenes. I love them framed and hung up around my house!!! So for my upcoming trip in June, I’m planning on buying mostly jewelry, sketches, and small items. Though we will see! I’m definitely shipping anything bigger than home!!!
We saw almost everything in Paris you can think of, but we didn’t really go in anything because of time constraints. We drove past the Louve, the Arc d’Triomphe, Montmartre, & Moulin Rouge. We can’t wait to go back and spend a few days here wandering in and out of museums. After an entire day of shopping and sightseeing, we got off the bus at Notre Dame and had pizza right across the street! I know. Pizza? In Paris? But it was fabulous with a great bottle of wine!! We sat outside and enjoyed people watching and talking over our day so far. When else are you going to eat dinner in front of Notre Dame?
After dinner we boarded our sunset river cruise down the River Seine on Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf. We had found a great deal earlier in the day and thought it would be a great way to end the day and it was!!! It was so beautiful! The boat took us all the way down the river till we reached the Eiffel Tower right at sunset. Perfect timing. Every minute it seemed to change colors as the sunlight faded. I love the little carousel by the river. I remember my camera batteries dying right as the last of the sunlight vanished, so make sure your bring a back-up battery for a fun day of sightseeing in Paris. Of course, now my phone takes as good of pictures and the battery lasts longer!! It’s amazing how much has improved in 4 years. Plus with portable battery packs, I should never have that problem again!
After the cruise we wandered our way through the streets of Paris on the way back to our hotel; barely making it on our tired, achy feet. Last minute souvenirs were bought, last minute crepes and croissants consumed, and the last memories of this amazing trip were stored away.
We awoke early again to catch our morning flight back to the US from Charles de Gaul airport. Security was a little time consuming with three different security checkpoints to clear to get to our gate. My sister, Melissa had her carry on checked three different times! I think the ridiculous amount of souvenirs we claimed looked suspicious. They underestimate the power of womens’ shopping abilities in a meager 15 days time. So excited to be home, but sad to leave we boarded our flight home. Don’t worry Paris. We will be back!!
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