A Weekend in Paris

This travel guide has been a long time coming. Paris was the first city I fell in love with after visiting Europe with my family in 2014. I finally got the chance to go back in 2019 when I studied abroad and Paris was actually the first city I solo traveled in: booked the flight, the hostel, and planned out a solo trip, which was totally outside of my comfort zone. I met up with my best friend while I was there, and it was basically the best trip I could have asked for. Before I get into my tips, here is a little video to memorialize my 2019 trip:

Itinerary:

I would definitely recommend staying in Paris for a full week, but since I was studying abroad and only had a weekend, I was in Paris for two nights and two days.

Day one (half day):

- St. Germain Street (a lot to see just walking around -- quaint shops, bakeries, wine shops and cafés)

- Louvre (it's free for students on Friday night)

- Sunset Canal Cruise (sunset is usually around 9:30 PM in the summer and I booked with BATEAUX PARISIENS)

- Nightlife

Day two:

I woke up around 7 AM this day and then walked to Square Rapp, a pretty photo spot to capture the Eiffel, near the Eiffel Tower and walked around this area.

- Square Rapp

- Rue Saint-Dominique

- Rue Cler (Got the tip from my local friend to go here to walk around and it was so much fun to walk around this area! Parisians shop here daily; are florist shops, markets, cafes, open air stands, and so many cheese shops)

I then met up with my friend and we went to Palais Garnier right before it opened at 10 AM.

- Palais Garnier (buy tickets in advance for $20)

We then made our way to Montmartre area to have lunch, which is so cute and colorful. It feels like a little village with Sacré-Coeur, city views, and cobbled streets.

- Montmartre

- Sacre Coeur (didn't go outside, just picnicked outside on the hill overlooking the city)

We went to the Notre Dame area after this.

- Rue Galande (one of the most beautiful street in Paris, it has the oldest sign in Paris)

- Shakespeare & Co (a very iconic bookstore and probably the most famous independent bookstore in the world)

- Sainte Chapelle (a beautiful chapel with stained glass, well worth the visit)

- Le Marias (very young area with a melting pot of Jewish, Chinese and LGBT influences)

- Rue Crémieux (a very cute, colorful street in the area, be respectful though as people live here)

- Luxembourg Gardens (you can tour the gardens for free)

Last stop is Arc de Triomphe for sunset!

- Galeries Lafayette & Arc de Triomphe for sunset ($11)

Day three (half day):

- Eiffel Tower for sunrise at the Trocadero (it is 1000% worth the wake up time - no tourists and it is beautiful)

- Palais Royal (a former royal palace)

- Back to Montmartre to visit Rue de l’Abreuvoir (referred to the prettiest street in Paris) and Rue Norvins

- Met up with my friend at Le Marias and saw Place des Vosges (the oldest square in Paris that many locals spend leisure time at)

Tips:

- Walk around Paris with no agenda. That is my biggest tip. I woke up early my second day, walked into the Eiffel Tower park by myself and just walked around that neighborhood, including Square Rapp and Rue Cler, which is a really cute neighborhood with street food and local shops.

- Go to Palais Royal early. My best friend and I got the whole room to ourselves; it was a great alternative to the Palace of Versailles (we didn't have the time). It is actually the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera book and musical.

- The famous Louvre is free for all under-26s, from any country in the world, on Friday evening from 6pm to 9.45 pm.

- I personally prefer the Arc de Triomphe view of Paris compared to the Eiffel Tower and its way less crowded. From the Arc de Triomphe, you can also see the Eiffel Tower in your view!

- Paris is so walkable. The transportation system is great and very easy, but I opted for walking almost everywhere. I stumbled upon so many gems.

- If you do a canal cruise, book a sunset time. You get to experience day and night on the river and if you time it right, you'll even witness the first light show as you pull back in to the dock (the light show is a public display that happens every hour, on the hour during the time between sunset and sunrise).

- What really struck me about Paris was all the people out and about - families, couples, friends. People really value their leisure time. Grab some cheese, bread, and wine, and picnic along the Seine River.

I stayed at the Three Ducks hostel. It was a really cute boutique hostel, with great staff, and a great location, but I didn't click with any of the people staying there. They were an older demographic for sure, so I would recommend something different.

Food to try: onion soup, macarons, croissants, and crepes

I want to make a list of the people who impacted my trip, as well because for me, my favorite part of every trip is the people I interact with.

Memorable people:

1. Alexandre: I flew from Dublin (DUB) to Paris (CDG) by myself and then needed to catch a bus to get to the city center. The people at the airport were unhelpful, to say the least. After waiting an hour at the airport bus terminal, I really thought I was in the wrong place or was just going to be stuck, and there weren't a lot of people around. I asked this young guy, Alexandre if he knew about the bus. He was a French local and musician, around my age, and we waited together until the bus came and then we talked the entire ride to the city (Opera Station to be exact, which by the way, that station is beautiful). He had just graduated from Exeter with a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and flew back from his graduation week to interview for music school on Wednesday (he got in!). He was so helpful; he even helped me find my metro station. We weren't able to meet up during my weekend, but this was the best way to start my trip. It's really the little things.

2. Bijal: Had to shoutout my best friend of course. Paris with your best friend is a trip nearly every girl dreams about. We cruised down the Seine River together during sunset, got a caricature drawn together, saw the Eiffel Tower light show, took photos at Sacre Coer and then strolled Luxembourg Gardens together and got caught in the rain at the top of Arc De Triomphe. Finally, we saw the sunrise together at 5 AM at the Eiffel and had the whole Palais Royal to ourselves for a few minutes where we snapped a few iconic photos.

3. Maxime: I met Maxime during my freshman year of college when I attended this economics summit in England through UCLA (Warwick Economics Summit) and we stayed in touch. He made me feel so at home and showed me all the local spots in Le Marias, including the beautiful Place des Vosges before we got drinks after. Our time together was cut short since I had to rush to the airport after but looking forward to reuniting soon!