My second time in Paris, I met up with my cousin who has not only moved there from the US, but has been visiting and living there for months at a time for about 30 years. This trip was much different since the last time I went was my very first time. You can read about my first visit here. I learned so much about the city and had the best time! I truly can’t wait to go back. Warning: There are TONS of photos in this post. I couldn’t choose between my favourites, so enjoy.
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Getting There
This time, I took the EuroStar from London St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. The train is so convenient and a very quick 2.5 hour journey. However, the train can be expensive. If you are planning a trip to Paris, I would keep an eye out for the times when EuroStar are doing deals, and if you can, book months in advance. This will save you tens to hundreds on tickets. Alternatively, flying is usually less expensive and quick.
Getting Around
The train is really easy in Paris, the only thing that continues to annoy me is that you have to have a physical card loaded with money in order to use it. For a city as big and well-known as Paris, you’d think you’d be able to tap in and out like you can in London and New York City. You can purchase the card for 3 Euros at any of the kiosks inside the stations and load it with however much money you choose. Note that if you want to ride the trams and buses, you need to select that when putting money onto the card. We only used the underground.
The city of Paris is also extremely walkable, so be sure to wear a good pair of trainers and get your steps in! It’s also a great way to see more of the city. Who knows, you may stumble upon something incredible!
Where I Stayed
This trip, I decided to stay in an Air BnB because I wanted more options for location, and I was hoping it would be somewhere I could stay on my next trip. The location was perfect, right between the 2nd and 3rd on Rue Saint Denis. Restaurants and shops galore, right outside the door. However, the bed wasn’t very comfortable so I personally wouldn’t stay again. I will look for a place in this same area though.
Something else I learned is Paris has very strict laws about Air BnB’s, and the police are really cracking down on them. There is a limited number of days that a place can be rented on Air BnB, so you might have a harder time finding one now-a-days, and I think it could also cause people to increase the cost of them. Just something to keep in mind! If you want recommendations for hotels that I’ve stayed in, check out my other Paris blog.
Things To Do
Some of these are touristy things, but you can’t go to Paris and not see some of this stuff. It’s iconic and historic for a reason!
The Louvre
I got super lucky and was able to go to The Louvre with my cousin for free on Wednesday evening because she has a membership pass. I highly recommend going in the evening if you can though – like 6 or 7 pm. It was a lot less busy, the sunset was amazing out the windows, and the vibes were so nice! There are some truly amazing things to see in the Louvre, and it can be a bit confusing to get around. Maps are everywhere so I encourage you to keep an eye on them!
Highlights for me were the Napoleon III apartments, the Winged Victory statue, the Mona Lisa (the other painting in that room is incredible, too!), and all the Roman sculptures. There is so much to see, I think we saw 1/3 of it if that. Note: there is a room full of lockers where you can put coats and bags for free. So take advantage and enjoy!
Did you know the people who robbed the Louvre still haven’t talked about where the jewels are that were stollen? They caught the men who broke in, but none of them have talked. The room where they broke the wall from the outside is still closed off, so you can’t see in there. How crazy!
Notre Dame
Another obvious one, but especially after the fire, you really want to see this! The queue outside is very intimidating, but I promise it goes quickly. You can book a time to go to Notre Dame, but you don’t have to. You can show up and walk in whenever you want. It is really amazing to see this building restored to what it once was (albeit much whiter and brighter). The fact that they were able to save so much of the art and integrity of the original build is incredible.
The Orsay Museum
Musée d’Orsay is one of the most popular in Paris, and it is inside an old train station. When you walk inside, you can see the arched roof and huge open space. This is an art museum, so it contains a lot of works from Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Monet, along with their counterparts from those times. It is a gorgeous space, and you could spend quite a bit of time inside. My favorite that we saw was Edgar Degas’ Petite danseuse de quatorze ans (Little Dancer of Fourteen Years). There are a lot of Degas’ other works on display inside as well.
You’ll want to book this one in advance as well, though I was lucky enough again to have my cousin take me in for free with her pass.
Hunt for Street Art
You won’t have to look far for some of the most beautiful street art I’ve seen! This isn’t graffiti-like, it’s more curated than that. As you wander the streets, be sure to look up. You’re bound to see some! And not just paintings on buildings, but statues, fountains, and other art installations are littered throughout Paris. Even some of the buildings are like a work of art on their own due to unique architecture. Here are a few of my favorites that we found.
Where to Eat
Foodie vibes aren’t really me, and I was hoping my cousin would have a bunch of favorite spots to hit up, but she, unfortunately, doesn’t eat out that often. Despite that, I had a lot more luck finding really good places to eat this trip to Paris! Some we just happened upon, some, my cousin had been to before and knew would be good. We tried to avoid eating near the touristy bits, so here are a few recs!
Cidrerie du Marais
This is one we came upon while walking around looking for thrift shops. This area (Rue de Rivoli) is a great place to thrift by the way! I found so many gems and for such great prices! Anyways, back to the food. The crepes here are so good! I went all out with a chocolate, pear, and vanilla ice cream covered crepe. My cousin stuck to the basics with the sugar and lemon – both were great! We of course had little coffees to give us our afternoon caffeine boost before we hit the shops again! Highly recommend!
Odette
This is an instagram famous place according to my cousin, so I was a little unsure if it would actually be good. Luckily we were not disappointed! We went at a weird time and were some of the only people in there. It is an adorable little place with a winding staircase to the upper level and this little window overlooking the Parisian street. The owners named it after their grandmother, since their specialty cream puffs are her recipe. They have all different flavors as you can see. We tried and shared 4 – vanilla, passionfruit, apricot, and pistachio. My favorite was the passionfruit. Definitely worth a stop!
Kuccini
An Italian restaurant right near where I stayed on Rue Saint Denis, this was delicious, intimate, and super convenient! The price wasn’t bad either, and they were good portion sizes as well. We had to have a beer/wine with our meals too of course. I had caccio e pepe. I almost went back here on my last night because I liked it so much.
Cafe Français
I forgot the name of this place and had to message my cousin (what a tough one to remember). This was one of her usual spots for lunch, and it was really good! I got the Caesar salad with chicken and a plate of melon and parma ham (prosciutto) along with a passionfruit martini. Everything was so good. But it was a lot of food! It’s in kind of a cool location, right outside is The July column, which represents the French Revolution and is right next to Bastille Metro station.
Other Parisian Things to Do
I mentioned the thrift shopping. We went into like 10 different ones, but 2 of my favorites were Bobby Boutiques and The Vintage Lovers. Well worth a stop in both of these! Bobby is more high end brand consignments, so if that isn’t your vibe, you’ll probably like some of the others better. But Rue de Rivoli is the place to go!
The other random thing I did was go into a perfumery and buy a new perfume. This was such a cool experience, and the place I went was right by my flat. Nose is such a pretty shop and off the beaten path. I was looking for a specific perfume that I just ran out of. I bought it at a small boutique shop in Marseille and was hoping I’d find it in Paris. Unfortunately they didn’t have it. However, the woman helping me was able to find other perfumes with similar scents, let me smell them all and decide which ones I liked or didn’t like. From there, I was able to choose my perfect perfume!
Bonuses to shopping here – I got a tax refund, so even though it was a more expensive perfume, I got money back from VAT. Plus, now I am in their system so when I go back, they will know exactly what I bought, what other ones I liked, and I can easily find what I am looking for. On top of all of that, she gave me good sized samples of the other 2 scents that I was stuck between. So now I have 3 new perfumes and the samples are perfect for when I travel! I absolutely loved the entire experience and would recommend everyone to try it sometime!
Second time in Paris was a huge success and I am excited to say I’ll be going back later this year! Stay tuned for updated things to do, more food spots and places to stay!
