Paris Travel Guide

Paris is always a good idea… and this year we took the leap to turn our dream of living abroad into a reality. We said goodbye to our life in Los Angeles and made the decision to test out living abroad for three months – starting with a month in Paris. Truly, living the dream! We are so fortunate that our work and lives collided in a way that made this possible.

After a month of living in the heart of the city (more on this below!), we came out of the experience with even more love and appreciation for all it has to offer than before. The month has flown by, and we both agreed we could have spent years in Paris without ever getting bored. It will be hard to leave, but we’ll be back soon (hopefully sooner than later)! In the meantime, I wanted to relive my time in Paris by sharing all of my favorite things to do and see in the city.

Paris Guide and Tips

As far as European destinations go, Paris is very easy to get to – most major US airports will have a direct flight to Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG). I prefer to take a flight that lands first thing in the morning so I have a full day ahead to get settled and sightsee to help me get over jetlag quickly.

+ Getting into Paris

Be prepared to spend up to a couple of hours in customs – if you can, I highly recommend booking a transfer into the city in advance. G7 is the official taxi booking app in Paris, but we always use Welcome Pickups which is available more broadly across Europe. After a long international flight (and potentially very little sleep), there’s nothing better than being able to get into a preassigned car and mindlessly get into the city to check into your hotel or Airbnb. It’s much more expensive than public transportation, but a splurge that is 100% worth it in my opinion.

+ Getting around

My favorite way to see any city is by foot, I think you just stumble across so many more hidden jewels than if you take a car or train everywhere. Some of our favorite days in Paris were spent walking around the city aimlessly and coming across the best *insert item/activity here* we had never heard of. Even though it rained most days we were in Paris, we still made a point to walk as much as possible (pack an umbrella!) – averaging over 10 miles a day. Make sure to pack comfortable shoes!! More on that later :).

+ Language and Cultural Barriers

There is a lot of misinformation on the ease of getting around Paris without speaking the language (you can easily get around without speaking French), and whether or not the French are rude to Americans (in my experience, it’s a resounding NO they have always been more than polite and kind). On the language front, in recent years many Parisians have learned English and you will rarely find yourself in a situation in the main tourist areas where there is no English spoken or used. Of course, it never hurts to learn some basic French phrases before visiting or looking up common phrases/words using a language app when traveling around. When in a pinch, Google Translate is fantastic.

+ Business Closures

Watch out for bank and local holidays during your visit. We were in town on May Day (May 1) which is a national holiday and most businesses are closed. If you are staying in central Paris, you will still find many tourist restaurants and cafes staying open, but more businesses (many museums, shops) will be closed than usual. Also, many businesses will be closed on Sunday and Monday, so always do your research in advance!

+ Make Reservations in Advance

On that note, I highly recommend planning as much as possible in advance if you can. Museum and tourist site tickets should all be booked at least a week in advance, and most restaurants will strongly encourage or require a reservation (especially if you are visiting during the summer or peak season!). If you prefer to have a more laid-back itinerary that is fine as well, there are definitely restaurants and museums you can walk into any day of the week, but you can expect more of a wait.

Where to Stay

One of the best things about Paris is how livable the city is – it’s surprisingly small and thankfully very easy to navigate. The entire city is only 6 miles across, and main tourist area is even smaller. Paris consists of 20 arrondissements (districts), each of which is unique and charming in its own way. If you’re visiting the city for only a few days and choose to stay in the more tourist central arrondissements, you’ll be able to get to most sights by foot (my favorite way to see the city!) or the metro easily.

We’ve stayed all over the city – most recently for our month long stay we found an apartment on the edge of the Marais. Although we loved how central the location was to everything we wanted to do and see, we did find that the Marais got overwhelmingly busy on the weekends – and this was in early April! I expect the city to be even more crowded once summer rolls around.

While truthfully you really can’t go wrong staying anywhere in central Paris, these are some of my recommendations on neighborhoods to stay in for a visit.

1st, 6th, 7th, and 8th are most popular arrondissements for tourists. 1 is where the Louvre and other central sites are. It will feel VERY touristy and busy! But the area is great if you are visiting for the first time or for only a couple of days as you’ll be close to all of the main tourist attractions. 6 and 7 are still central, but much quieter – these are very quintessentially charming Parisian neighborhoods. Saint-Germain-des-Prés is where I would recommend staying if you want an old-school Parisian feel. 8 is another good choice that is very close to the Eiffel Tower and where many luxury shops on Avenue Montaigne and Champs-Élysées are. Note that accommodations here will be a bit higher than in other areas.

The Marais (3/4) is another popular choice, I really love this area for family or couples trips. There is so much to do and the area is incredibly charming. This is where we spent the most time recently and where many of my recommendations below will be.

Last year we stayed in the 9th for a week and it was my favorite neighborhood to date – it felt very authentic and local, which we loved. If I was to spend more time in Paris long term, my first choice would be the 9th or 7th arrondissements.

What to Do

One thing I loved most about Paris is despite how touristy many attractions are, they are still magical and absolutely worth seeing. The perfect example – the Eiffel Tower! I never got sick of seeing the Eiffel Tower during the day or night (make sure to catch the hourly show on the hour). I’m including typical “tourist” activities along with more general things to do below, feel free to choose the activities that look most appealing to you to create your dream Paris itinerary.

+ Museums

The Louvre and Musée d’Orsay are must-visits for anyone – be sure to book timed tickets in advance. Both are always busy so your best bet is to book a 9 am timeslot during the week. There are also so many incredible smaller museums that are absolutely worth a visit as well – my favorites are Musée Rodin and Musée de l’Orangerie. You could easily spend a month in Paris visiting museums and not even scratch the surface.

+ See the Eiffel Tower

If you are staying in central Paris you will most likely end up seeing the Eiffel Tower every day. Here are some of my favorite places to view the Eiffel Tower for photos 🙂

• Ave de Camoens
• Rue de l’Universite (always busy with people taking photos)
• Any of the bridges along the Seine – Pont d’Iéna, Pont de l’Alma, Pont Neuf,
• Along the Seine between Pont d’Iéna and Pont de l’Alma
• Metro Line 6 between Passy and Bri Hakeim
• Trocadero

+ Gardens

There’s nothing better than heading to one of the many beautiful gardens in the city on a warm, sunny day to read a book or have a picnic with friends. You’ll see many other locals and tourists doing the same exact thing! My favorites are Jardin Palais Royal, Jardin Tuileries, and Jardin du Luxembourg.

+ Shopping

Paris is my favorite place to shop no matter what your budget. For luxury brands, I love Avenue Montaigne and Rue Saint-Honoré for the individual stores, but Parisian department stores are also worth a visit (if nothing else but to window shop or admire the design!). My favorites: Le Bon Marche, Galeries Lafayette (there is an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower and the city from the top floor), and Samaritaine. I also highly recommend La Grand Epicerie for food gifts to bring home for yourself or others. The best way to describe it is a French Eataly – we will be bringing home lots of jams, tea, French mustard, madeleines, and butter. Don’t forget to claim your VAT refund for purchases over 175 euros 🙂

+ Walking Everywhere

There is so much to do and see, and it is all best done by foot! My favorite places to walk in the city:

• Along the Seine river
• To and around Montmartre
• Rue Saint-Honoré and through Jardin Tuileries
• Around the Latin Quarter and Saint Germain
• Through the Marais
• To Parc des Buttes-Chaumont – a bit off the typical tourist path, but a beautiful park just outside the main area. Bonus – there’s one of the super popular Fotoautomat vintage photo booths in the park, and because it’s less frequented by tourists there’s no line (unlike the one in Montmartre that blew up thanks to Tik Tok).

+ Crazy Horse

A modern cabaret show, we’ve been twice and each time has been so much fun!

What to Eat

I can (and will) do an entire post on my favorite restaurants and meals – because one of the best parts of visiting Paris is truly the FOOD! I believe it’s genuinely very hard to have a bad meal in Paris – whatever your budget is, you’ll be able to find incredible food in the city. Over our past few trips we have had so many amazing meals – here are some of my favorites below (more to come here!).

+ Restaurants:

• Le Bon Georges
• Relais de l’Entrecote
• Clown Bar
• Le Petit Lutecia
• Jais
• Pompette
• Deviant
• Clamato
• L’Avenue
• Le Fontaine de Mars
• Cafe Charlot
• Carette
• Cafe Marly

+ Casual/cheap eats:

• Miznon
• Udon Kunitoraya
• Foderol
• Biyo Durum
• Song Heng
• Chez Alain Miam Miam
• L’As du Fallafel
• Le Pain Retrouve (my favorite bakery in all of Paris!)

And of course you can’t forget coffee shops/cafes! I’d heard the coffee scene in Paris was not great, this could not be further from the truth. We had amazing coffee everyday in Paris, but be warned the good stuff is priced the same as LA. Also I know everyone goes to Cafe de Flore or Les Deux Magots, these are fine to visit once for the experience but between the long wait and the overpriced coffee I wouldn’t go back again (the people watching is excellent though!).

• Noir
• Laize Sainte Avoye / Laize Palais Royal
• Recto Verso
• Cafe Kitsune
• Residence Kann
• The Coffee
• Merci
• Telescope
• Maison Fleuret

Cooking in Paris is also an experience, and one we thoroughly enjoyed. Stopping at the various markets for ingredients became part of our daily routine: Carrefour for pantry items and staples, our local boulangerie for baguettes, the fishmonger or butcher depending on what we were making for dinner that night, and the neighborhood fruit and vegetable stand. Yes, it’s many more stops and way less convenient than back home, but we loved getting to know our local vendors and couldn’t believe the freshness and quality of food in Paris. Also, our Airbnb kitchen was tiny, to say the least – and didn’t even have an oven! So we had to be a bit creative with meals at home. With that said, we enjoyed simple meals of fruit and yogurt in the morning, ham and butter baguette sandwiches for lunch, and AJ mastered sole meunière for dinner. Delicious!

What to Pack – Wardrobe Essentials

Although the spring and fall months are my favorite months to visit Paris (the weather is generally milder and the city is much less crowded), the weather can be incredibly unpredictable. Even though I checked the weather forecast obsessively before our trip (looking at past years’ data and the forecast for the upcoming weeks), it turned out to be almost entirely wrong. It rained almost the entire time we were there and was much colder and windier than anticipated. While Paris is the best place to shop for a new wardrobe, if you bring the following essential capsule pieces you should be set for most situations. Also, don’t forget an umbrella!!

Trench coat

The classic and iconic spring/fall jacket in Paris. Everyone wears them! You can’t go wrong with a tan/beige version, if you want something with a little more spice I would suggest a leather version! COS makes incredible trench coats that won’t break the bank. I also love this one – it’s more expensive but will last forever!

Trousers

Ffor whatever reason I am not the biggest denim on vacation fan, I usually leave them at home although I did pack a pair this trip thankfully (they were much warmer than my other bottoms!). However, my go-to pant in Paris is typically a pair of trousers. I have these (only $65!) and also love these (want them in every color!).

Blazer

Great on its own for warmer days or layers well underneath a jacket when it’s cooler. This one is my favorite, I have it in two colors and I’m so tempted to get it in more!

Sweater

I love a striped sweater for Europe, this one is a great price and so flattering on everyone. Side note – I’m obsessed with ARKET, there aren’t any stores in the states and only a handful in Europe but there is a location in Paris in the Marais that is fantastic!

Matching lounge set

Parisians don’t wear sweatpants or leggings in public, but these matching sets by Naked Cashmere serve as comfort and style. They also keep you warm during transitional weather and are super lightweight in your suitcase!

Comfortable walking shoes

I don’t care if I look like a tourist, if I am walking over 10 miles a day I will always wear sneakers during the day. Most Parisians do as well! Of course, if you want to wear other shoes

I could go on for days… so please do not hesitate to reach out with ANY questions! And of course, I would love your best Paris recs to add to my list for our next visit. I hope this was helpful – stay tuned for even more travel guides!! xx