Paris needs no introduction. It is one of the most visited cities in the world and indeed, one of the most beautiful cities to visit but, the French capital is also one of the most expensive cities to visit in Europe. Regardless, millions of people visit Paris every year. Paris is known by many names such as The City of Lights, The City of Love, and The Fashion Capital.
We visited Paris this summer and spent 2 wonderful days. Here I share our 2-day itinerary with you to help you plan your travel to this marvelous city.
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HOW TO REACH?
We boarded a train from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Paris Gare de l’Est, one of the six large mainline railway stations in Paris, France which is in the 10th arrondissement. The largest international airport in France and the principal airport serving Paris is the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as, CDG.
TRANSPORTATION
We purchased the 2-day Paris unlimited travel pass from one of the kiosks at the train station which is ideal for tourists because it gives you unlimited rides on all public networks including the metro, tramway, bus, RER, and SNCF Transilien networks. You can choose between 1, 2, 3, or 5-day travel passes and between zones 1-3 and zones 1-5. Zones 1-3 give you access to downtown Paris and local attractions, whereas, zones 1-5 provide you with access to Paris and the Greater Paris area comprising airport connections, Orlyval, Disneyland Paris, and the Palace of Versailles. For more information, click this link. We highly recommend purchasing the Paris travel pass.
Paris Arrondissements
The arrondissements of Paris, also known as neighborhoods, are urban administrative districts, each comprising iconic Parisian elements of shopping, food, and historical heritage, and yet, all 17 of them have a distinct character with a specific feel and attractions.
1st and 2nd arrondissements are the oldest and most central and are home to numerous classic attractions including Palais Royal, the Louvre Museum, lovely Jardin des Tuileries, Saint Eustache, Place de la Concorde, etc.
The Eiffel Tower is located in the 7th arrondissement, the most attractive neighborhood in Paris, with tree-lined streets, banks of the Seine surrounding the Eiffel Tower, and trendy shops and restaurants to savor the taste buds.
The 8th arrondissement is where all things luxurious are located including hotels, museums, a shopping district, and the famous Arc de Triomphe.
There are a total of 17 arrondissements in Paris. For more detailed information, click this link.
WHERE TO STAY?
We intentionally stayed in the 7th arrondissement since it was close to Eiffel Tower and is considered the best neighborhood in Paris for tourists. We booked our hotel from booking.com. Hotels are pricey in Paris, especially in the 7th arrondissement due to its close proximity to all the attractions. We highly recommend booking.com for all your hotel reservations depending on your budget and necessities.
Our hotel was expensive but it was nothing special to write home about. There were 4 floors, a narrow elevator with barely enough room for 1 person, and the rooms were too small with hardly enough space for our luggage. It appeared more like a hostel accommodation with the entrance of a hotel. Moreover, the room next door was getting renovated so we were able to hear the loud banging noise. Thankfully, the hotel was clean and located in a safe neighborhood, and we needed a place just to sleep and keep our luggage. We left the hotel room early morning to explore the city and came back late at night to crash. We wouldn't recommend the hotel we stayed in but we highly recommend booking.com for hotel reservations because they have tons of properties to choose from for all budget types. Additionally, we recommend checking out Hilton hotels as well for exceptional hotel deals all over the world.
ATTRACTIONS
Day 1 itinerary - hotel check-in and boat cruise
We reached the hotel at about lunchtime and took some rest. In the evening, we went out to buy some snacks, sandwiches, and beverages for our stay in Paris and stored them in the refrigerator at our hotel. This is something that we did throughout our travel in Europe to keep our expenses under budget and to explore the local/street food that every city had to offer. For dinner, we chose a nice local restaurant from tons of options in the 7th arrondissement serving exquisite French cuisine.
In the evening, we booked a 1-hour boat cruise from here. We chose to do a night/sunset cruise to admire the panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and other iconic marvels of architecture in the backdrop of the Seine with glittering lights in the evening justifying Paris as the city of Lights. It was an incredible sight!
For dinner, we ordered a carryout for dinner from a local Shawarma place with excellent reviews on Google. It was delectable.
PARIS MUSEUM PASS
As mentioned earlier, Paris is visited by millions of people every year. Consequently, all the attractions in Paris have long queues of people trying to purchase tickets. It is not worth standing in long queues for half the day when you are visiting the city just for a couple of days. We highly recommend purchasing the Paris museum pass that gives you skip-the-line access to over 50 museums and monuments in Paris and the Paris region. You have the option of purchasing the 2-day, 4-day, or 6-day pass.
Please note that even with the museum pass, you will need to reserve a time slot in advance to be able to visit some sites such as the Louvre museum, Sainte Chapelle, and Château de Versailles. This is to ensure that these sites are not overcrowded and ensure safe and peaceful visits for everyone. The time slot reservation is free and can be booked online. Check out more details here.
Day 2 itinerary
Sainte- Chapelle/Conciergerie- 9 am
Louvre Museum- 11 am
Eiffel Tower - 5 pm
City bus tour - 9 pm
Sainte-Chapelle- A royal palace of Gothic style, built over a period of 7 years, is a magnificent display of Gothic architecture. It is famous for 15 stunning stained glass windows, each 15 meters high, that depict 1,113 scenes from the Old and New Testaments recounting the history of the world until the arrival of the relics in Paris. Whether you are a history buff or just want to admire this brilliant architecture, a visit to this palace is highly recommended.
Conciergerie- Another historical site located next to Sainte-Chapelle, it was a former courthouse and prison.
3. Louvre Museum- Built in 1793, and a former fortress and a royal palace, this is the world's most visited art museum. It boasts collections from the mid-19th century. There are approximately 35,000 pieces of art on display including world-renowned masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s Slaves.
4. Eiffel Tower- Arguably, one of the most iconic and majestic architectural marvels of its time, the Eiffel Tower is a technological masterpiece that became the tallest structure in the world upon its completion. For almost 4 decades, the Eiffel Tower remained the world's tallest building. Currently, it is one of the most-visited-pay-to-enter monuments in the world, visited by approximately 6 million people every year. It is highly recommended to purchase the entry tickets well in advance before your planned visit. We purchased the tickets online with access to the top by elevator from here. The top of the Eiffel Tower gives you an
unparalleled, breathtaking, panoramic view of the city of Paris (picture above and below).
Fun facts about the Eiffel Tower-:
After dark, the Eiffel Tower lights glitter for 5 minutes every hour giving a stunning display of glittering lights. It is an incredible sight.
People gather on the banks of the Seine river to watch the spectacular view of the sunset in the backdrop of the majestic Eiffel Tower, providing a splendid, unobstructed, and picturesque view of the Eiffel Tower.
People enjoy beverages, snacks, and live music while they spend their evenings on the banks of the Seine, watching the incredible Eiffel Tower and the boat cruise sailing on the water.
5. Bus tour- We finished our Day 2 with an amazing 'Paris-by-Night' 2-hour non-stop sightseeing bus tour by Tootbus. The open deck provides a magical experience as you witness this marvelous city come alive after sunset with glittering lights under the night sky.
Day 3 itinerary
Breakfast at a local bakery- We started early by having a filling breakfast comprising bagel/croissant, coffee, and madeleines at a local bakery near our hotel.
The Tomb of Napolean- The tomb of French statesman and military leader Napoleon Bonaparte sits in St. Jerome’s Chapel (Chapelle Saint-Jérôme) at Les Invalides, a military museum housed in a former veterans hospital in Paris. Napoleon’s tomb sits at the center of the museum complex, surrounded by at least 500,000 war-related artworks and artifacts. It is in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, about a 20-minute walk east of the Eiffel Tower, and is a must-visit for military and history buffs.
3. Luxembourg Garden- it is a large open garden perfect for a leisurely afternoon stroll with lush-green grass, breathtaking orchids, and a rose garden. The garden is open year-round, with free access to the public. It is packed with locals and tourists alike, with children running around and people taking pictures with the monumental Medici fountain in the background. It is a perfect place to spend your afternoon soaking in the sun or basking in the glory of nature with metal chairs located all over the garden and plenty of shade under the trees.
4. Pantheon- Located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the Pantheon was originally built as a church. Currently, it serves as a repository for the remains of great French citizens, including Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Èmile Zola, and Marie Curie.
5. Dinner at a French restaurant- We celebrated our last night in Paris by dining at a French cuisine restaurant called Le Roussillon located in the 7th arrondissement, within walking distance from our hotel. It had outdoor seating available in a cafe-style bar and restaurant with a wide variety of food and beverages to choose from.
The service was warm and welcoming and we had a nice casual dinner. After dinner, we headed back to the banks of the Seine with a bottle of wine to once again witness the majestic jewel, the Eiffel Tower, under the full glory of sparkling lights, under a clear night sky.
The next morning, we bid goodbye to this wonderful city with a promise to visit soon again. We checked out of our hotel around 11 am and took an Uber to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, to catch our next flight and continue our journey. If you liked this post, please leave a comment below. Please subscribe to this website and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @boardingzonethree. Thank you for your time!
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