At the peak of our summer travels, Ben and I added Paris to our list of destinations. We spent four days exploring one of the world’s most-visited cities and with a title like that, you know Paris has more to offer than traditional French cuisine. I've included a quick overview of our short trip, along with helpful links and tips to get the most out of Paris.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Holiday Inn, Paris Opera – Grands Blvds. A metro station is conveniently located right outside the main entrance to the hotel, allowing for easy transportation around the entire city. Rooms were more spacious than expected and completely renovated with air conditioning in every room. I didn’t realize until about a month or so before that air conditioning is uncommon in Paris. Many homes and apartments have tall windows on in the front and back of the home to accommodate for a cross-breeze. But the weather averaged 96 degrees everyday so I’m very thankful for the Holiday Inn.
What We Did
The key to combating jet lag is to continue with your day as if you were on a normal schedule. Luckily, there’s a new direct flight from Indianapolis to Paris, which lasted about 7 hours. We landed in the morning, dropped off our bags, and continued with our day. Here’s the breakdown of each day spent in Paris:
Day 1
Obtained museum and metro passes – get the Paris Pass. This comes with a metro pass and free entry to most museums.
Walked around the 5th arrondissement (Notre Dame and the “island” on which it stands). Notre Dame was closed due to the fire that occurred a few months earlier. Instead, we walked around to the back of the church and explored the Holocaust Memorial.
Lunch at L'Orangerie Paris
Visited Sainte-Chapelle
A very quick walk-thru of the Louvre - Louvre is now moving to an appointment only model to help better the flow of tourists in and out of the building. Be sure to book an appointment/time slot prior to visiting to ensure you get entry. I recommend going about an hour before the museum closes.
Drinks at La Porte Montmartre
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast at Café Le Nemours
Explored the Paris Catacombs
Stopped by the Rodin Museum
Drinks at Le Café du Musée
Visited Napoleon’s Tomb
Strolled to the Eiffel Tour
Evening river boat cruise (included with the Paris Pass)
Day 3
Train to Versailles
Explored the Versailles market
Picnic in the gardens of Versailles
Private tour of Versailles - Prior to your tour, let your tour guide know you want to have a glass of champagne in the palace. There's an exclusive bar/restaurant hidden above the ticket booth via elevator that is only accessible if you have a guided escort. They should be able to make a reservation for you and take you where you need to be.
Day 4
Tour of Montmartre with Corey Frye
Lunch at Le Moulin De La Galette
Strolled the Les Champs-Élysées
Grabbed a cocktail at Hôtel de Crillon
Shopped in the Marais neighborhood
Dinner at Les Ombres
Some key points worth noting:
Yes, we spent a full day at Versailles, and it was well worth it. Take the first train out in the morning and explore the city that is Versailles, not just the palace itself.
We loved our Montmartre tour with Corey. He is originally from New York but married his wife and moved to Paris where he now serves as a tour guide. I would recommend him to anyone.
If you’re going to splurge on a dinner with a view, be sure it’s at Les Ombres. This rooftop restaurant overlooking the Eiffel Tower at night is an incredible experience for anyone.
Uber and Lyft both exist in Paris, but I recommend trying to learn the train system. It’s efficient and half the price.
Overall, our trip to Paris in August was one for the books. It's be lying if I said it wasn't hot or crowded, because it absolutely was. However, planning ahead was the key to avoiding large crowds. I'm looking forward to exploring more of France in the coming years. Provence, Bordeaux and Nice are all high on my list!
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