May 8, 202010 min read

Paris

Updated: May 20, 2020

The city of love, wine, fashion, and wine. Yes I said wine twice. Personally, one of my favorite things about Paris is the fact that I can have a glass of wine with just about any meal and not be judged for it :) I had the honor of traveling to Paris twice. Once with my best friend in July 2016, and once with my fiancé in December 2019. One misconception is that if you don’t speak French, then you’re going to have a difficult time getting around. Both of my visits were quite the opposite. I discovered that not only do many of the locals understand and speak English well enough to communicate, but that they are also so sweet! Also, we ran into several employees at local restaurants that were originally from the United States or other countries. Another misconception that people often have about traveling to Paris is that it should be done in the summertime. I personally feel there are pros to traveling during both seasons depending on what is more important to you. Let’s get into the details…

When should I travel?

Well this all depends on what you’re looking for. Traveling to Paris, at least from NJ/NY area tends to be a little cheaper during the colder seasons.

Winter/ Fall

Flights are cheaper and hotels also tend to be cheaper. So if you’re looking to travel within a budget, then fall/winter is a good time to do it. Another pro for traveling during the winter is that Paris isn’t as crowded with tourists. That means the metro system also isn’t as crowded, and TRUST me when I tell you it can be a pain getting on a crowded metro. If you’ve ever used the NY subway, you’ll understand why this is important. Fewer tourists also means quicker and easier bookings to certain attractions. Although I did love the fact that the beautiful city was much quieter during the colder seasons, I am anemic and I HATE the cold. However, my fiancé does not mind the cold weather and it was much more tolerable for him. So if you’re one of those people that actually prefer walking around in colder weather rather than summertime, then you’d probably prefer Paris in the winter. You’ll also get to see all the beautiful lights around the holidays.

Despite Paris being just as cold as NJ/NY during the holiday seasons, Paris has something unique that made traveling in the winter a bit easier for me. They have heated outdoor seating at almost every single café and restaurant we walked by! I felt like I was in some romantic movie scene each time I sat outside. You couldn’t tell me otherwise! It was stunning and it DEFINITLY made walking around in the cold all day much easier. At any point I felt I was too cold, but didn’t want to go back to the hotel, we simply sat outside of a café under the heated roof and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate. Those few minutes were everything.

Spring/ Summer

Now for those wanting to travel during the warmer seasons- if you have the money to do it, and you really can’t tolerate the cold weather, then do it! I’m personally the type of person that will book several attractions and end up walking 8-10 miles a day when traveling to new cities and countries. I absolutely do not want to stay in the hotel room and “relax.” I came to explore, learn, and absorb the culture of my destination. So walking outside in nice warm weather all day really made a difference for me.

Of course there are some obvious reasons to travel to Paris during the warmer seasons. Since you are already in France, you might want to explore south of France and its beautiful beaches if you have the time. It is also simply more enjoyable to walk around with less on. Plus you'll be able to pack MORE outfits and LESS coats. If your are big on fashion, you’ll definitely want to visit Paris when it’s warmer outside. Specifically, you’ll want to visit Avenue des Champs-Élysées. You’ll have the chance to see everyone under those large coats, scarfs, and gloves walking and shopping at the most expensive shops and boutiques. Paris in the summertime is slightly similar to NYC when it comes to fashion, with a touch of elegance. You’re probably wondering what I’m talking about by saying a touch of elegance. Allow me to side track really quickly for a short story.

I can only speak on my own personal experience and boy did I have 	    an experience. Let’s talk about over-the knee boots for a second. Are they trendy? Of course. Can they be dressed elegantly? I think so. Did Paris feel the same way? Nu-uh. At least not in 2016. I thought I was so cute stepping out in a loose mini summer dress with a pair of black over-the knee- boots. Apparently, the locals didn’t feel the same. Lol. I literally had someone come up to me and ask “how much?” as I was minding my business. I really wish I was making this up, but it didn’t stop there. Everywhere we went, we had people staring, whispering, and pointing. It took us some time to figure out what the problem was. Once I figured it out, we made a stop back at the hotel and I changed into sandals. Suddenly all the whispers and stares stopped. It was definitely the boots and they definitely thought I was a prostitute. Now remember this was in 2016, and the trend has certainly changed since then. When I traveled again in 2019, much of the locals were wearing knee-high and over-the-knee boots. So if boots are your thing, you should be safe.

Where should I stay?

Paris is divided into 20 separate “districts” or Arrondissements. One Arrondissement usually includes many Paris Neighborhoods within its boundaries. Essentially, you want to stay within a district that is easily accessible to most of the Parisian tourist attractions and monuments, but also affordable at the same time. When deciding between an Airbnb vs. a Hotel- I honestly didn’t see much difference between the two in terms of prices, safety, and location. Again, it all depends on your group size and preferences. This part you’ll want to do your own research on in order to compare the two. I can help break down the districts for you to help narrow your search in deciding where to stay.

A hotel or Airbnb in any of the 1-7 districts or arrondissements are going to be popular with American tourists because it is centrally located to the main attractions (Louvre, Eiffel Tower, large markets, etc.) Either of these districts are safe, but your rates will also be higher due to these attractions. A hotel in the outer reaches of the 12th, 17th, or 20th might offer cheaper rooms than a more centrally-located hotel, but you’ll end up spending more on transportation. A happy medium, in my opinion, would be the 10th or 11th district if you’re traveling on a budget but also don’t want to have trouble getting around. Of course, if you have the means and feel like where you stay is the most important aspect of your trip, then you might want to aim for any of the first 8 districts.

How do I get around?

Metro

Lucky for most travelers, the metro in Paris is pretty simple and straight forward. Of course both of my experiences were a bit of a nightmare, but that was just my luck due to the time that I traveled. Before I even get into those stories, I just want to touch on some helpful tips for getting around. Paris Metro hours run from roughly 05:30 to 00:40 (5:30am – 12:40am) Sunday thru Thursday and 05:30 – 01:40 on Fridays, Saturdays and on days before a holiday. Paris Metro times between trains range from 2 minutes during rush hour up to 13 minutes during late night hours, holidays, and Sundays, depending on the Metro line and the Metro station.

Apps + Wifi

There are some useful applications you can download to make using the metro and busses a little easier. The one I used is called Citymapper. You simply enter your destination and it maps out the route for you. You can set it to your current location in case you don’t know where you are. Another great thing about Paris is that you can step into just about any café, and ask for their Wi-Fi. I haven’t had any bad experiences when doing so. I personally always purchased something small in return, but they still would have given me the Wi-fi passcode without doing so. Another tip is to use the map while you are at your hotel and still have Wi-fi. Keep the app open when you leave and it will still continue to run as long as you don’t make any changes to your route. The first time I traveled I was new to this and would just screenshot the mapped out directions from the app. If you are loyal to your google maps application, then you can always do the same using this app.

Car service

Another way to get around is by using Uber or Lyft. Paris has several ground transporation options which include two Lyft services and two Uber services. The cheapest service in Paris is Lyft Standard, and the most costly service is UberXL. The service with the least expensive minimum fare is Lyft Standard. Paris has no shared services at this time for splitting the cost with other riders.

Now I’m going to get into why I had some difficult experiences getting around during my time in Paris. Sharing these experiences might help you avoid the same complications. The first time that I traveled was during the World Cup Finals, and of course, France was playing. My advice to you if you are traveling during that time- just spend the money and take an Uber. My friend and I practically got trampled as people were screaming with joy, chanting, throwing glass bottles (yes, they really did that), jumped on cars, and created absolute chaos. We ended up walking an insane amount of miles while having no sense of direction or where we were going. Eventually we decided, let’s just take the metro if we ever want to get back to the hotel. Wrong move. Everyone was pushing one another, it was extremely crowded, and dangerous. The metro was barely maintaining its balance and you can only imagine the piles of sweat we were all drowning in with little room to breathe. We lasted one stop until we decided that we had to get off. Just do yourself a favor and read the crowd. If it’s really late and/or looks like too many people are entering the metro then I’d recommend just taking a Lyft or Uber. 

The second time I traveled to Paris was just as much of a nightmare for getting around. At that time the metro employees were on strike, therefore, most of the metro lines were not operating. Again, this was in December of 2019. This strike lasted longer than expected because the government and the employees could not come to an agreement. Some lines were still operating, but those were the lines that could be operated by themselves and did not need an employee to physically be there. Those lines were rare, and as expected, extremely packed. This made it difficult for locals to get to work and it made it difficult for tourists to get around as well. Of course, Uber and Lyft took advantage of this strike and decided to increase their prices. The strike also caused significant traffic throughout the city since everyone was now relying on car transport. What used to take us 15-20 minutes to reach a destination, now took us an hour and sometimes even longer. We ended up spending an insane amount of money on transportation due to this strike. Luckily for the locals (and you), this strike ended after 45 days and is now operating as per regular schedule.

Food is Life… Right?

My favorite topic of discussion- Where should you eat? I’m going to list some of my favorite places to eat on a budget as well as some fancier locations. Before I do that, you should know some of the more traditional French foods to explore while you’re in Paris. Some of these foods include but are not limited to: Baguette, Duck confit, Potato gratin, Escargots, Oysters, Steak-frites, Croque-monsieur, Café & croissant, and my favorite- Crepes! Another one of my favorites includes a ham and cheese platter to share with crackers and a glass of wine. Trust me, you can’t go wrong! Alright, so let’s get into some cafés and restaurants, starting with Breakfast/Brunch.

Breakfast/ Brunch

If you’re anything like me, then a small local bakery on any street corner of Paris will satisfy your breakfast needs. If you prefer to sit down and make a meal of your breakfast, then you should look into some of these locations:

Café Madam ($)
Holybelly ($)
Le Pain de la Bourse ($)
Strada Café ($)
Blackburn Coffee & Food ($$)
Baguette’s café ($$)
Ob-la-Di ($$)
The Hardware Societe ($$)
Du Pain des Idees ($$)

Lunch

For Lunch I’m going to include some “grab-and-go” spots as well as dine-in locations. If you’re touring Paris and have tons of attractions to visit, especially if you’re only in town for a few days, then you might opt for a quick lunch. The “grab-and-go” locations are typically in sandwich form and are the cheaper locations.

L’As du Fallafel ($)
Grenouilles ($)
Eric Kayser ($)
Au P’tit Grec ($)
Miznon ($)
Le Café ($$)
La Creperie de Josselin ($$)
Les Antiquaires ($$)
Café de l’Empire ($$)
Le Souffle ($$$)- must make a reservation ahead of time

Dinner

Dinner in Paris for me means it’s time to put on my best outfit, beat my face, and BALL OUT. This is the time to spend a little more money when it comes to food, especially if you enjoy soaking in a beautiful view during dinner. There are some dinner locations that will make you feel like you are straight out a movie scene with views of the Eiffel tower. No matter the season, you will want to eat outside or in a café/restaurant with large glass windows that make you feel like you’re outside. Paris lights up at night during the summertime, and during the winter the streets are filled with holiday lights and decorations. Worried about it being too cold outside in the winter? Don’t. Remember I said earlier that most restaurants/cafes have heaters for their outdoor seating areas. You definitely still want to bring your coat and scarf, but you don’t have to worry about freezing to death while trying to enjoy your dinner. I’ll still include some more affordable dinner locations for those low-key nights, but I’ll also be sure to include some of my favorite locations with the best views of the Eiffel tower and other beautiful sights.

Septime ($$)
Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie ($$)
Les Arlots ($$)
Abri ($$)
Le New York ($$) - Burger spot with View of the Eiffel Tower
Chez Francis ($$) – View of the Eiffel Tower
Café Du Tracadero ($$)- View of the Eiffel Tower
Girafe ($$$)- Luxurious restaurant overlooking the Eiffel Tower- A must see if you’re willing to spend!
Le Ciel de Paris ($$$$) – Panoramic View of the Eiffel Tower
Kong ($$$$)

Attractions, Attractions, Attractions

After all, this is probably the main reason you’re looking to travel to Paris. You can honestly find this list on any travel page, so I’m simply just going to list the top attractions that you don’t want to miss! In addition to these attractions, you’ll want to explore some wine, bike, and food tours if you have the time.

Eiffel Tower – typically open from 9 AM – 11 PM
Louvre Museum- purchase your tickets ahead of time online!
Notre-Dame de Paris
Champs-Elysees – walk, shop, eat- you’ll want to put on sneakers as you’ll be walking tons!
Pont Alexandre III- Considered Paris’s most beautiful Bridge, especially at night
Gran Palais
Musee d’Orsay
Sainte- Chappelle
Arc de Triomphe
Tuileries Garden
Sacre-Coeur- White Castle in the Sky
Louis Vuitton Foundation
Canal Saint-Martin- Trendy location to wander and explore
Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris