Paris – here we come!
“Paris is so very beautiful that it satisfies something in you that is always hungry in America.” ― Ernest Hemingway
Having European roots and living in the States we understand the accuracy of the quote. However, we believe there are many places in Europe that the same can be said about.
My husband and I visited Paris more than thirty years ago, each for individual reasons. While I stayed with my aunt for one month of summer vacation, my husband traveled with the folk dance group. Even though we experienced the city in completely different ways, we both dreamed of coming back.
Now, with the kids somewhat grown, we decided to take on a challenge of traveling to Europe. Without much thought we decided on a destination.
Traveling to Europe requires a great amount of planning which we started at the beginning of the year. There is a lot of research to be done and pros and cons need to be weighed when choosing airlines, hotels, local transportation and finally places to visit in a planned time. We went through numerous websites and videos shared by travelers and residents on customs, cuisine, attractions, and dangers of the great city of Paris.
There are many providers to choose from, but we travel on a budget and Norse Atlantic Airways was a perfect choice ($1,850 for four tickets). We were very happy with an affordable but very modern and comfortable flight experience. A direct flight from JFK airport to CDG (Charles de Gaulle) in Paris lasted seven and a half hours. We chose a midnight departure thinking that being tired, we all would sleep through the flight and land fresh and full of energy. It did not quite work that way as the excitement took control and short naps was all we got. Nevertheless, the same excitement made it possible to conquer the neighborhood after we checked into our hotel.
We stayed at the Provinces Opera hotel in the 10th arrondissement. Here again, we chose a hotel with affordable fees (five nights $1,251) and within a close distance to public transportation. One should remember that many hotels in Paris are not newly built but rather utilize the historical buildings. You may need to climb the narrow, spiral stairs to the second floor apartment (if the only elevator is fully occupied) but you rarely hear your neighbors as the walls are thick and almost sound proof.
Breakfast was initially not included in the price of the hotel but a buffet was open and for a fee of 17 € per person, we had an option of dining in, in case we were time restrained. We greatly benefited from it on the day of our departure and were overwhelmed with the variety of choices. Multiple kinds of bread, cheeses, cold cuts, pastry, teas were served and replenished as soon as they were finished.
Despite the close proximity to public transportation, we did not use the metro or buses as we were determined to see as much as possible and experience the city on foot. We did not want to miss the elegant boutique windows, welcoming outdoor tables of numerous cafes and restaurants, the aroma of freshly baked pastry or brewed coffee commingled with chit chats and laughter of french passerby. On occasion we called for an Uber or traveled by train to locations outside of the city of Paris.
While planning the trip, we have purchased the tickets for the main attractions on-line to secure the entry and avoid long lines.
Louvre
The museum is half an hour walk from the Provinces Opera hotel. At the time of our visit, General Admission tickets were 17 € per adult 18+. Our tour was reserved for noon, so we had some time for breakfast in the area and a nice walk to the museum. Highly recommended La Creme de Paris, was a creperie restaurant close to our hotel with delicious crepes, waffles, and smoothies that we visited twice during our stay.
Visiting the museum should be scheduled for many hours, depending on the interests of the tourists of course. The website provides very detailed information about hours, admissions, entrances, directions, available galleries, and the museum map can be downloaded as well. I would advise going over available materials to make the visit less chaotic and to be able to see everything intended. I probably should mention that the area where the Mona Lisa is located is usually very crowded and time for each tourist to take pictures is limited.
Eiffel Tower
The main attraction of the following day was the Eiffel Tower. We purchased our tickets in advance with the entrance at 11 am. The tower is located in the 7th arrondissement which meant a walk from the hotel longer than an hour.
As we had the morning to spare though, we stopped for a delicious breakfast at 46 & 3rd.
Then decided to take a stroll to the Notre Dame Cathedral and visit the nearby bookstore, Shakespeare & Co, located on Paris’s Left Bank in the Latin Quarter. This legendary English-language book store was founded by American George Whitman at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, Kilometer Zero, the point at which all French roads begin. From there we were taken by Uber for a ride to the Eiffel Tower. Visiting the tower does not require a long time, especially with pre-purchased tickets, and having many hours left, we decided to see the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. I have to admit that this was my favorite place during the whole stay in Paris.
Before we headed to Montmartre however, we had dinner at a very nice place called Bistrot de la tour Eiffel. While opinions were mixed, we really enjoyed the variety of dishes served and the great atmosphere.
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre
Five days in Paris is a really short stay which allows you to see the main attractions but is not enough to fully enjoy the city’s neighborhoods. Even though we tried to walk as much as possible, we did not have much time to spend wandering the streets of the romantic and artistic Montmartre. Regardless, a visit to the basilica was my favorite, as the beautiful sanctuary and the panoramic views of Paris make the whole experience absolutely wonderful.
Versailles
Visiting Versailles, which is located 12 miles outside of Paris, requires the whole day. As we relied on public transportation, we had to add to the rides the extra time for getting to and from the train stations. Purchasing tickets at the automatic vending machines is quite easy. We just needed to make sure to indicate that we wanted seats next to each other. To travel from Paris to Versailles we bought Île-de-France (IDF) point-to-point tickets at 4.95 € each one-way. Perhaps this is the right place to mention that public restrooms cost from 0.50 € to 2.5 € (at least those we visited) and those at the train stations are not exceptions.
Despite buying tickets in advance, we had to wait in the long line to the gate where our bags were thoroughly checked. The palace entry ticket including the fountain shows or musical gardens cost $28.50 per adult.
The palace is quite large and easy to get lost in.
While there are many art pieces decorating the walls, to our disappointment, there is not much of the furniture left to admire. During the French Revolution, many pieces were sent to government buildings, but most of them were put up for public sale to help pay for the mounting costs of the Revolution.
The main and probably most known attraction, the Hall of Mirrors, is truly spectacular but very crowded. We found an escape from the flood of other tourists in the palace gardens. They offered, however, very little shade on the very hot day we chose for our trip to Versailles.
I would like to mention here that there are fountains placed throughout Paris with drinking water so a refillable bottle comes really handy.
One day from our stay we spent with family living on the outskirts of Paris and had an opportunity to see how beautiful the French countryside is. While Paris is a vibrant city attracting tourists from all over the world, small towns offer the charm and tranquility so often needed to relax and escape the city’s chaos.
As usual, we promised ourselves to return to this magical city, as there is so much more to explore!