So this will sound a bit surreal, but last fall, after dedicating considerable time to entering travel contests on the Internet, I won a trip for 4 to Paris for 1 week. True story. I'm just returning from that trip. I took my partner, and my sister (who had her 30th birthday while we were there!) and my mother. Before you get jealous, let me just tell you that when you win a 'free' trip, it's not really 100% free. We had to drive to Montréal to catch our flight, and pay the taxes on the flight, which amounted to not much less than a plane ticket would've been. But anyway, it was, indeed, a prize, so that was neat. Even neater when you say Grand Prize. :)
Now, if you're not into other countries or traveling for some reason, this post will likely be boring for you as I'm about to give you my brief(ish) thin-slice travel guide of La Ville-Lumière. I was only there for a week, so my apologies to anyone who disagrees with any of the following - it speaks to my own experience. I shot about 24 GB of photos, so I've not done any editing yet because it is overwhelming, so my apologies as well for the lack of images in this post. The next one will be nothing but. Promise.
First of all, learn a little French before you go, as a courtesy. It'll exercise your brain and enable you to chat with some of the very nice local folks. French Immersion and a few times living in Montréal prepared me enough that I was excited to practice speaking another language and prior to leaving subjected a few of my friends to some Franglais while I got my bilingual motor started. :)
Paris is a very expensive city, and the most visited city in the world - you can easily spend a fortune there, so if you're on a budget, here is some advice:
Find a nice boulangerie in your neighborhood and get your food there. You can get cheap beer or wine at any little market and you will save a bundle grabbing a nice quiche or croque monsieur (really good grilled cheese with ham) and having a picnic in the park. Have a nice dinner out once or twice, but be prepared to spend more than you'd expected.
Also, if the weather is nice, and you're into active transportation, get a 1 week pass for Vélib, which has stations with rental bikes literally every few blocks. A half-hour is free so if you keep docking your bike & getting a new one, it can be dirt cheap. The bike paths are plentiful and so are your fellow cyclists. A 5-day pass for the Metro is also very afforable, about 30 Euro, and the subway system is one of the most user-friendly I've been on.
A couple of warnings: if you're someone who needs really excellent customer service everywhere you go, this is not the city for you. They get a ridiculous amount of tourists, which may or may not be the reason for the unparalleled rudeness you will encounter in shops, restaurants, and attractions regardless of the level of your spoken French. The other thing is that the bathrooms are tiny - in public places especially. There are generally no hooks either, so ladies, leave that giant purse at your table with your friend because I guarantee you there is not room for both you and it in the bathroom.
If there is one thing I love, it's a good park. Paris has these in spades. My favorites:
Parc La Villette - this is an amazing place in the 19th arrondissement. It is full of wacky modern sculpture, canals, trails, and is home to the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie and the Cité de la Musique as well several outdoor festivals including a film festival and the Grand Ramadan festival du monde Arabe et du Maghreb which we happily stumbled upon our first night in Paris.
Jardins du Luxembourg - this gorgeously manicured park in the 6th arrondissement is a joy to spend time in. There is a plethora of chairs arranged all over the park for you to lounge in - even choose from an upright or a recliner :) There is a lovely take-out cafe, fountains, sculptures and statues everywhere, and don't miss the Orangerie, which is used as a gallery space, and yes, we luckily happened upon an opening, complete with champagne and macarons. Be warned though - the grass is just for show, and there is only one designated area where you can walk/sit on it!
If you want a little more solitude, try Parc des Buttes Chaumont, which is in the 19th and is really lovely - if you have kids you can send them on a pony ride while you check out the grotto and waterfall.
What else? Take the shoes you normally wear, not the ones you think are going to be comfortable. The weather is just as unpredictable as it is in eastern Canada. If you are vegan or have a wheat or dairy allergy, stay away from the French restaurants because they will have nothing for you. Museums can be exhausting as well as uplifting so choose a couple that you really want to see, and don't try to do them both in one day. DO go down to the banks of the Seine near the Pont D'Austerlitz in the early evening for the dancing that happens there - you'll find Lindy Hop, Salsa, Folk Dancing, and much more. The people are extremely welcoming and you can take your wine down there with you.
Oh, and when you go to the Eiffel Tower, go at night. It's much more beautiful lit up, and it's open until midnight. You can pay a few Euro less to take the stairs rather than the elevator, and even though you may have walked over 20 km that day already, and your feet may be throbbing, and you can't wait to get back to your hotel, when your partner turns to you and says, "You know what, let's take the stairs!" just do it. It's worth it when you get up there. :)
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