​Je t’aime Paris! 

Last stop on our European vacation…..

The City of Lights! We flew from Split, Croatia and just had to add Paris as a final destination before heading back to reality. This place did not disappoint. In fact, I can’t wait to go back and really take it all in. Doug…If you’re reading this then I’m thinking a no-kid-trip soon please LOL. We were only here for 3 days and with the kids, so you can imagine touring places like the Louvre and Versailles was kept at a bare minimum. 

Paris was STUNNING! So much beauty here. Food was so delicious, the farmers market was insanely cute, the alleys were quant, the crepes were on point, and the history and architecture was out of this world. What was so enjoyable about this trip were the picnics we had. We went to the farmer’s market to pick up food, laid out a blanket, sipped on wine, and ate all the bread and cheese we could get our hands on. It’s a great way to really take in all that Paris has to offer.

Because we were traveling with the kids, we chose to not do the Museum Pass which is about $55 per person and lets you in MOST museums and sights. (See Rick Steves book for info on passes).  We figured it would be a lot to try and commit to with the babes so instead, I booked a few separate tours on my own through another company which I’ll talk about further below. 

So if you read my Split travel guide, you already know Doug, my hubby, was sick with a stomach bug that entire trip. He was feeling better but not 100% on our first day in Paris so he took it pretty easy. Plus we had a special pre-paid dinner at the Eiffel Tour the next day so he wanted to rest up so he can really enjoy his last 2 days here. My mother-in-law was feeling tired from all the traveling so she and Doug stayed back in the hotel to rest and let the kids hang out and play. This worked out well because 1) it gave me and my sister/BFF some sissy time, and 2) we are able to squeeze in a lot more than we had planned because we didn’t have a stroller and kids to worry about. YAY…sorry boys.

Helpful Book: I mention this with each of my travel guides, but buy the Rick Steve’s Paris book off amazon. So incredibly helpful with your planning process, metro tips, tour times, etc… 
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Where we stayed:
First off, we attempted an Airbnb for this trip, however, it did not work out nor was it even kid friendly as advertised. Location was perfect though, but other than that, it was small and claustrophobic, the stairs leading up to the 5th floor was completely dark not to mention old and small (kids were freaking out), and the apt had one step leading from the living area to all the bedrooms and bathroom and it was broken. I literally mean it had a shank sticking out and it was completely unavoidable. We could seriously have injured ourselves with the stick hanging out. Needless to say, we were disappointed, annoyed, and worried about the little ones, that we booked a hotel right next to the Louvre and it was perfect! For those curious, Airbnb refunded 50% plus gave us a credit for future bookings. NICE!

Here is the Airbnb link: I don’t recommend this place. Host was awful but we did end up getting a refund.

Stay here at Lempire Hotel instead. This hotel was literally a 4 min walk from the Louvre, Tuileries Garden, and Palais Royal. The staff were so friendly and very helpful and the rooms were nice and perfect. We even had breakfast at the hotel each morning and the food was great. Highly recommend this hotel and perfect location. I plan on staying here agin because I LOVED it that much and it was close to everything.

Things to do:
EVERYTHING if you have the time. We still did so much with kids and only being there for 2 1/2 days.

Notre Dame and Saint Chappelle: Absolutely stunning. If you had the Museo Pass going inside was included but my sister and I just wanted to take pics outside of both places mainly because we didn’t have the kids with us and we really wanted to squeeze in as much sightseeing as possible without them. So we hustled from one place to the next. Next time I plan on coming without the kids so I can really see it all. 

Socre-Coer: This is a must see.  This church is located at the top of a hill with an amazing view of the city. People were just hanging out on the steps below the church eating and drinking, hanging out. We even went inside since there was no line to see what the church looked like and it was stunning. Such a cool area to just hang out and see the beautiful architecture of the church.  Behind and below the church there were a ton of shopping and restaurants. It’s a very artsy and beautiful area. we shopped, and walked over to Moulin Rouge.

Moulin Rouge: How can you go to Paris and not see the Moulin Rouge? We wanted to see a show so bad but it didn’t start until after 10pm and we were so exhausted and had to wake up early the next day. So we took pics in front of it. Such a cool little spot. Beware it’s definitely in a more raunchy area with a lot of sex shops and clubs. 

The Louvre: Duh….must do this. First off, so cool seeing the famous triangle in person. You hear about it through other people’s travels, so to see it in person was very exciting. Since we had the kids, we were limited with our time inside but I did make it a point to see the famous Mona Lisa. 

Tip 1: If you have a pass, go first thing in the morning. We went at 9am and it was not as crowded. However, around 10am, we noticed it was starting to get very crowded inside. The earlier the better, at least in our case. 

Tip 2: If traveling with kids, bring your stroller! We by passed the entire line and went straight in. They have elevators throughout the museum so no worries about not being able to see anything. By passing the line, also worked at all the airports (Rome, Croatia, Paris). Very helpful especially when you see the lines for customs. Phew, we got lucky. A lot of meltdowns could have happened. 

Tip 3: Fat Tires was a company I wish did tours everywhere because this was awesome. We booked the audio and Skip-the-Line tour for the Louvre and it was perfect for us because we had the kids and doing anything guided would be too much and money down the drain. See link below. They do tours of everything and any time of day.

Picnic by the Eiffel Tower/Champs De Mars Park: Again, another wonderful thing we did through Fat Tire Tours and it worked out nicely. From the Louvre, we went over to a local restaurant near the Eiffel tower to pick up our lunch order. It includes breads, salad, meats, cheeses, lot’s of wine, fruit, blanket, and disposables. We walked over to Champs De Mars Park to have our picnic with the view of the Eiffel Tower in the background. We also walked up to the Eiffel Tower after and there were even more parks there. My husband and I went inside the Eiffel Tower because we had dinner reservations there. Finally getting to see the Eiffel tower in person was kind of emotional. Cristiano was also so obsessed with it and still talks about going back to see it till this day.

Place de Trocadero: Please go here. If there is any picture you want to have in Paris, it’s a pic at this location with the Eiffel Tower in the background. We went during the day, next time I would do both day and night.

Arc de Triomphe: At least go there to take a pic of the famous spot. If you have the Museo Pass it’s included to go up.

Champs-Elysées: The best shopping in town but also very touristy. I did however score an amazing gift from the mother ship: Louise Vuitton. And the hubby of course had to get something from Mont Blanc.

Versailles: Probably the coolest tour we did in Paris. First off, it was a bike tour through Fat Tiresand let me tell you, this was the best and easiest way to get around. Walking would’ve been exhausting as Versailles is pretty big. MUST DO!!!  Kid friendly with the buggy and lots of stops. 
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Here are the tour highlights:

  • Versailles Open-Air Market
  • Entrance into Marie Antoinette’s Hameau
  • Entrance into the Grand & Petit Trianons
  • Picnic Lunch along the Grand Canal
  • Guided Tour of King Louis XVI’s Private Apartments
  • Skip-the-Line Access to Château de Versailles (complete with audio-guide)
  • Hall of Mirrors
  • Access to the Formal Gardens

Eats:
Shakespeare and Company: We stopped at this famous café for an iced coffee and because it was so close to our hotel. It’s so cute and quant. You’ve probably seen this is a few movies like “Midnight in Paris” or “Julie and Julia.” But this place actually has more history then being shown in movies. Since the first day of business, writers, artists & intellectuals have been invited to sleep among the shop’s shelves and books on small beds that doubled as benches during the day. Since then, it’s estimated that 30,000 artists have stayed in the bookshop (including Ethan Hawke and David Rakoff). Pick up a classic like “The Sun Also Rises” in the same spot where Hemingway wrote his famous novel, and be sure to get your book stamped with the Shakespeare & Company seal for an unforgettable souvenir. 

Picnic: Picnic everywhere day and night. Eat at the steps below of Place de Trocadero at night to see the Eiffel Tower lite up or at Champs de Mars Park.

Café De Flore: Famous café area where Pablo Picasso frequently ate at. Go for breakfast. 

58 Tour de Eiffel Tower: This was inside the Eiffel Tower where my husband and I ate at. The view and ambiance was amazing. Food was good but not anything that I felt worth ragging about.  You’re paying for the view and location. The food wasn’t terrible, don’t get me wrong, it was just not amazing.

Well I should really stop here because I really could go on and on….So much to be said about this wonderful magical place.

​Xoxo!