Macarons, Arc de Triomphe, bateaux mouche, Versailles… this might not be your standard ‘must-do in Paris’ itinerary, but Zoe and I ticked a lot of the best boxes during our time in Paris! While we shunned a few of the top attractions (it was July after all, time of the tourist crush), we had a great time checking out many of the other fabulous things that Paris has to offer. I’ll be putting up individual posts on a few of my favourite spots (and of course my favourite spots to eat), but here’s a look what we got up to during our Parisian escape.
After the Eurostar whisked us across the Channel, we dumped our bags at our Air BnB apartment and headed out to explore. We’d both visited Paris before, so our aim for the four days was to see some of our favourite sights again, seek out a few that we’d missed previously, and of course sample lots of yummy food and drink. It might have been a bit grey and rainy, but that didn’t stop us loving this incredible city.
Gorgeous bistro Chez Janou
Our first day was all about getting our bearings again in Paris. We stayed in Bastille in the eleventh arrondissement, which was very handy to the metro stops at Bastille and Gare de Lyon, as well as a lot of bus routes – and not bad for walking either! As two girls walking around, we never felt unsafe – I definitely recommend the area as a cheaper alternative.
Hôtel de Ville
Bateau mouche on the River Seine
The line may look horrific at Notre Dame, but it did move surprisingly fast!
First up on day two was the Musée d’Orsay – located in a beautiful former railway station, it houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works in the world. It is such a privilege to be able to wander and admire works by Van Gogh, Gaugin, Monet, Degas and so many more. I also appreciated the building itself – it is stunning! If you get a chance on a fine day, pop up to the top terrace for views over the river and towards the Louvre.
Musée d’Orsay
The incredible roof of Galleries Lafayette
Beautiful Printemps
Galleries Lafayette and Printemps are two stunning department stores on Boulevard Haussman. I say stunning not only for their gorgeous building design, but also their size – put together there are over 40 floors in six buildings! We only dipped our toes in, but still managed to grab a couple of bargains in the July sales, so walked away happy. I couldn’t resist sampling a Ladurée macaron in Printemps either!
Matched to my nail polish AND jumper, of course…
I love the Arc de Triomphe, from the craziness of its roundabout where twelve roads meet, to the stunning views over Paris. Sure, you can get higher up at the Eiffel Tower, but you won’t have a view of it when you’re up there! Plus the Arc is not nearly so crowded, and gives gorgeous panoramas down the Champs Élysées. Click here for the full post!
Another of my favourite Paris viewpoints is even free, and it also features one of my favourite churches – Sacre Coeur.
The next day was ear-marked for two sights I had long wanted to see – Père Lachaise Cemetery, and the gardens of Versailles. I had never made it up the hill to the cemetery, and my last visit to Versailles had been a very speedy trip through the palace and a quick look at the park – this time we were going to do it properly!
Père Lachaise is the largest cemetery in Paris, and was established in 1804. It covers more than 104 hectares and has thousands upon thousands of graves and memorials, to everyone from Héloïse and Abelard to Jim Morrison. It was incredible to wander through – not only was it much greener than I expected, but the styles of monuments varied hugely, from simple headstones to elaborate mini-chapels. It also had some great views!
We headed to Versailles via a bateau mouche ride – the river boats were not only one of the easiest ways for us to get from our apartment to the train to Versailles, but it was also very scenic. The Batobus boats are a great option as they are hop-on, hop-off so you can visit heaps of great sites along the river.
We visited Versailles in the afternoon – while it meant that we had to be pretty time-conscious, the lines were not nearly so bad as they are in the morning, so if you’re not prepared to get yourself out there at the crack of dawn it can be a good option.
To aid our speediness, Zoe and I hired bikes, which is easy to do at the bottom of the Grand Canal, or at several entrances to Versailles. We had an awesome time whizzing around, and they came with locks so we didn’t have to worry if we wanted to have a look inside the Petit Trianon or stop for ice-cream!
Action shot!
Part of Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon, her little “English” farm
Gorgeous sunset views of Notre Dame on the bateau mouche home
Our last morning was devoted to the incredible Centre Pompidou. This modern art centre has a controversial design, with all the piping on the outside, including its escalators. I love it! Inside we were overwhelmed by the huge range of artists and styles – you could spend days there soaking it all in. As always, I also appreciated the beautiful rainy views from the top.
Have you been to Paris? What is on your personal must-do list?
Check back soon for more posts on the Arc de Triomphe, Versailles, Pere Lachaise and all the delicious food we sampled!
