I haven't completely come to terms with the fact that this time last month I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Paris. My flat mate and I were actually dying to head to St Petersburg however with the world cup based in Russia this year we postponed and went for our runner up option. Four years have passed since I was there before (2014... what a throwback) and with a restricting university schedule I wasn't able to do everything I wanted, meaning we squeezed as much in to this six day trip as possible. Get your cups of tea at the ready for a long detailed post about how to spend six days in the city of love.
Day One
Thursday 6th September
We were one of the first out of Kings Cross making our arrival in Paris an early one with the whole day to do as we pleased. After getting a 5 day travel ticket we made our way towards Porte De Clichy where we were staying during our time there. Our hotel was the Tim Hotel literally a walk across the street from the station so in terms of getting from A to B we really were in a good location. It had everything we needed from free wifi, to a buffet breakfast (I think it was around €6.90) and the hotel has just been renovated so was a very pleasant stay with friendly and accommodating staff.
As our room wasn't ready for check in until two we dropped off our bags in the storage off from the Lobby and headed towards one of the most well-known destinations, the Louvre. We explored the museum with the helping hand of the "must-see" audio tour which acted as our guide throughout the rooms. Whilst we took in the history, around two or three hours in and only one section of the Louvre completed we soon realised we were never going to see everything. We had a look on the map for things we classed as our own "must-see's" such as the Mona Lisa. We made our own little route round to save our legs and also brains from the enormous amounts of information we had already taken in, very interesting but perhaps slightly ambitious after being up since 3am.
Tip: Most of the museums in Paris are free for students or under 25's so bring your ID or proof of age to reap the rewards of this amazing opportunity - it was a real money saver for us.
In need of a caffeine hit we picked up a coffee to take away and went and sat in Tuileries Garden a short walk at the base of the museum. This was the perfect place to people watch and absorb the Parisian lifestyle in the most beautiful setting. With a maze like layout, plants galore and water features it certainly was the calm in amongst the storm. Plus are you even a blogger if you don't take a picture on the pastel perfect green chairs!
Day Two
Friday 7th September
Before our trip this was the only thing we pre-booked which is certainly the way I would recommend it. We relived our childhood dreams by spending the day in Disneyland Paris. We booked one of the week day park and Walt Disney Studios tickets, which was actually much more affordable than I had anticipated. It was very easy to get to with the Metro working in a similar fashion to the Tube it felt like home away from home.
Tip: Citymapper is an app I swear by it in London and works in Paris too! If you haven't used it before it is basically a route planner telling you everything from the metro, bus, Uber to walking which helped us out a lot.
With one day and two parks to make our way through, we started with the Studios purely because we had read online it was better to do this in the morning, first thing. Naturally this took place after picking up a pair of ears, I opted for the 25th Anniversary edition in the navy and gold palette. We were lucky enough to match the decor just before it changed for Halloween season! Arriving at opening time was essential to make the most out of our day, we made our way through the rides including the my favourites The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror, Rock n Rollercoaster and new-ish ride Crush’s Coaster. I would say it's best beforehand to make a list beforehand or maybe during you journey of things you definitely would like to do or some form of plan to avoid wasting time and making sure you see everything you want to.
Once these completed it was around lunch so we headed for mozzarella dippers and chips to boost our energy for the rest of the day. After eating we went on the studio tram tour which shows you 'behind the magic', this was the perfect way to sit down and digest our meal but do something proactive at the same time. Finally we finished off in the park working our way around the areas, my favourite being the Pirates of the Caribbean - the restaurant in there looks insane. We managed to catch the parade and stayed until the very end to watch the fireworks. Overall these truly were the most magical moments of the day and will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon. Although in scale it is much smaller, I do not regret going and it has made me want to book a trip to Florida 10x more.
Tip: They say its best to go anticlockwise as naturally we tend to go the other way therefore you should see things should be slightly less hectic.
Day Three
Saturday 8th September
We welcomed the weekend in with some of the cities well-known sites. We started at Notre Dame and although the queue appeared long it was down much quicker than we anticipated. I find it strange how much you see of the outside but how no-one ever really shares the beauty inside some of these buildings.
Following the river we made our way to Musee D'Orsay, which I actually remember from my first trip. It was the animal sculptures outside that re-jogged my memory and was excited to see it with more mature eyes. Now I am slightly older I have a much more enthusiastic outlook on museums and the history they hold. Home to the likes of Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet you won't be disappointed, plus the famous clock tower is the picture perfect stop.
I have to say this was the day with the best pictures of the trip! Another picturesque stop is of course the Arc De Triomphe which was our third destination of the day. It was incredibly busy both the cars and people which was slightly overwhelming but simply stunning nonetheless.
Our final port of call was the Eiffel Tower, one thing I was determined to see this trip was it in the evening. We arrived at the perfect time to see it throughout all lights. It was a highlight for me to see it sparkle, even if it is for only five minutes every hour.
Day Four
Sunday 9th September
If you are wanting a slow Sunday, similar to us I would recommend the Palace of Versailles. Just a short train journey outside of Paris this royal residence has a lot to offer. The opulence was something my eyes could barely believe, each room we entered grander than the one previous. Slowly crossing off some more World Heritage sites in the process which is always a bonus. It was interesting to hear the story about how this palace turned in to a court and government building up until the french revolution. It contains 2,300 rooms which have been maintained to an incredible standard, I think the Hall Of Mirrors was the best one.
Throughout summer, from around March - October you are also able to explore the Musical Fountains Shows in the gardens. I could have watched the Mirror Fountain for ages, its movement was both captivating and calming to watch - you can catch the show every 10 minutes. The route around gardens is around 2 hours so this has the full potential to fill out your day at an enjoyable pace.
P.s - the Angelina's inside is the perfect foodie break!
Day Five
Monday 10th September
For our last full day we wanted to ensure we fully ticked everything off, we looked online for the best high point to see Paris from above and came across the Gallaries Layfette. This retailer has a roof top terrace where you can catch breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks with one of the best views about town. With some of your favourite brands also under their roof you are free to squeeze in some retail therapy.
We then headed to the Latin Quarter which is home to the Pantheon. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and now holds large crypt which accommodates the vaults of great French public figures. I would highly recommend doing the tour for this you get to see the building from a whole new perspective and also the surrounding views.
We finished the day with a Boat Tour which you can hop on just down the steps from Notre Dame, this is the perfect way to see the sites of Paris without all the leg work. We did it as a friend of mine said it was good and I love being on the water so I couldn't resist. It was good to hear some more about each hotspot and also learn about some I hadn't heard of before. As it was our last evening this was also much quicker to get a glimpse of a few things we didn't get to see. Dropping you back in the hustle and bustle we sat and had dinner watching the world pass us by (maybe a few cocktails too as it was our final night).
Day Six
Tuesday 11th September
Finally with only one morning left and time to kill what else would we choose to do but shopping on Champs Elysee. One of the most well known shopping streets with everything from Sephora, Zara to designers like Louis Vuitton you can splash your left over cash. I think it is best to leave this until last because then you aren't missing out on anything else Paris has to offer. Whether you are just window shopping or picking up all the beauty buys on your wishlist *coughs* me, it is one of the most wonderful places to shop. It was also great to pick up some Macarons to take home for treats for loved ones.
We had to leave around lunch time to collect our luggage and head back to the Gare De Nord station. The two things still on my list is Sacré-Coeur Basilica and the Moulin Rouge! The Basilica is slightly further out and we couldn't work out enough time to fit it in to our plans to fully take it all in. I did make a trip to the Moulin Rouge however even though asking advice from the online team and arrived in plenty of time they tickets sold out! Gutted but just gives me another reason to go back again, as they say Paris is alway a good idea.
Let me know in the comments which of these are going on your itinerary or if there is anything I should add for next time.
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