An essential guide to Paris

First time I visited Paris was back in 1993. I was hardly 9 and was hyped about visiting Paris. We arrived by train (from Luxembourg) in Gare de l’Est and honestly as the train entered Paris – from a not-so-flattering angle and neighborhood – I was thinking that maybe the hype was just, you know, hype…My opinion though quickly changed after we took the metro to Passy (near Trocadero), were our hotel was located. The rest is history and Paris is my favorite city (*like ever*) despite the fact that I’ve visited London more times. It has an allure, openness, an aura that I honestly can’t ignore! So it was only natural for me to combine a quick guide to Paris from my point of view, and share my favorite walking routes, sights and places to eat (patisseries included)!

P.S. Be sure of one thing, a similar (and even more detailed) guide for London will follow.

See

I should start off by saying that whole Paris is a sight. Wherever you walk, whatever you see is interesting. Be it a building, a store, a bakery, whatever. Then again you have to narrow it (sightseeing) down, because I’m pretty sure that the time you have in Paris is limited!

The place/sight I like to begin my visit in Paris with is Arc de Triomphe. I never actually made it to the top, but I’m pretty sure it has some nice views over Paris. I also like it because it’s the beginning of the Champs Elysees (more on that later on). The Eiffel Tower is another favorite of mine and yes I’ve been to the top once, on my first visit in Paris about 20 years ago. I also like to admire the Eiffel tower from the Palais de Chaillot (metro station Trocadero) at the opposite site of the river. That location provides the best view over the tower. During my last visit I also had dinner on one of the restaurants located on Place du Trocadero behind the Palais de Chaillot.

High on the list are Musee du Louvre and Musee d’Orsay especially if it’s your first time in Paris. Bear in mind that there are many masterpieces to admire in these museums, so plan ahead!

Paris has many remarkable churches in all sizes and architectural styles. Of course you should not miss visiting Notre Dame. Being a fan of gothic style churches it has to be my favorite one in Paris (though I read that the Saint Chapelle is beautiful too, but never had time to visit).  Sacre Coeur in Montmartre should also be added in the must-visit list, for its peculiar style and great location (see more below).

If time permits other sights the can be added to your list may include Arc de la Defence, the new National Library of France, La Villette and Opera Garnier. 

Walk

For me, the ideal route to start your visit in Paris is walking down the Champs Elysees from Arc de Triomphe to Louvre. It helps if it’s a sunny day too. Ideally I’d stop at PAUL at No84 for breakfast or snack, then admire Citroen’s building and even cross the street to see the window displays over at Louis Vuitton (the photo in this post is from 2008).

Walking in St. Germain and Quartier Latin is another favorite route of mine: exploring the streets near the Pantheon, visiting the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg and then making your way through Boulevard St Germain until reaching Musee d’Orsay.

During my last visit in Paris I was staying in Montmartre so it was only natural to walk up its picturesque streets and reach up to Sacre Coeur. Unfortunately it was cloudy and raining, so I couldn’t take advantage of the view over Paris!

The last “walk” I have to recommend is combine with window shopping in none other than Avenue Montaigne, where all famous fashion houses are located. Plus iconic hotels like Plaza Athenee (yeap, that’s where Carrie in Sex and the City was staying while in Paris) and Hotel Costes.

I’ve combined all of my walks, the sights mentioned above and the eateries mentioned below on a lovely Google map, which you can find here.

Eat

Paris (and France in general) can be described a food heaven. During my last visit I had the opportunity to experience 2 things: having breakfast at Angelina (too bad my stomach was upset when I visited so I didn’t drink chocolate!!) and eating macarons from Laduree. But the discovery I am most proud of is Cafe Beaubourg located across the eponymous Beaubourg (Centre George Pompidou). Specifically I am a big fan of their enorme profiterole and yes it’s enormous and has the size of a hamburger!!

And now that I covered desserts, lets talk food as well. Although I don’t have much expertise in this area, I suggest Cafe Mabillon in St. Germain for a light dinner and rue de la Harpe for some traditional french dining (crepes anyone?) as you can find many restaurants there. And how could I forget! A friend of mine recommended Le Fumoir behind the Louvre Museum, which was really French and nice for lunch!

Further Reading

Of course I could’t close this post without suggesting some online resources for you whose authors were kind enough to give me tips during my last visit in the City of Lights. First stop Milla’s blog who also has resources for London as well! Next up is Unlock Paris which is written by Kim and last for my fellow Greeks there is Polina’s blog My Parisian Walkways which is written in Greek and provides useful information about Paris.

So that’s pretty much my little guide! Have you been to Paris? Tell me, what is on your to see&do list??