Paris is a world icon. So on a whim last June, I decided to book a super cute hotel in Paris with points that I had from my credit card. It was a really good deal, so I felt like I couldn’t pass it up. And Paris was somewhere I hadn’t been before! Coming from London, I knew it was something I needed to do my first year living in the UK. Lucky for me, I had a friend who wanted to join on this one!

I’m not going to lie, you hear a lot about Paris and how the people can be super rude. We didn’t really experience that! Of course, we were only there for a couple of days, but I thought our experience was really good. One thing I will say that surprised me was the smell. Mainly in the touristy areas, there was a smell. The city itself wasn’t the cleanest, but I’ve been to worse. I’ll be going back in May this year, so stay tuned, maybe I’ll have more to say about this city after that!

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Where to Stay in Paris

Like I mentioned, I had a night in a hotel that I normally wouldn’t splurge on, but got a deal with credit card points. Unfortunately, I only had enough for one night there. However, this means I have 2 hotels that I can recommend personally because I’ve actually stayed in them. First and foremost, La Fantaisie.

La Fantaisie

This is a 5 star property, and to be completely honest, my friend Chandni and I had no idea how to act here. It was so nice! The valet took our bags up to the room, the receptionist took us up to the room, and there was a personalized thank you note, drinks, and French treats for us. I’ve never stayed at a property like this, and it was quite boutique, which made it feel that much more special. We had early check in and late check out, which was amazing. I’m not sure if they accommodated that because of how I booked, but we were so glad.

They have spa services, and you have unlimited access to the facilities even if you don’t get a treatment. There is a restaurant and bar inside and a rooftop bar as well, which we did go to because we had a credit for a few drinks thanks to booking with my card. And breakfast was included as well, which was a really great spread. Highly recommend!

New Hotel Lafayette

Second hotel, and just down the block from La Fantaisie, is New Hotel Lafayette. This is much more a budget hotel in comparison, as many would be. The only thing I would say to do is stay your first night here and then move to the 5 star. It was a bit jarring moving from super luxurious to very basic. Again, this is a hotel I would definitely recommend! But when switching from one to the other it was crazy. The rooms are pretty small here, but were perfectly fine for a night with 2 of us. The location is great and it is off the main drag so there is no noise. For a more budget friendly option this is an excellent choice!

Where to Eat in Paris

I’m not going to beat around the bush with my experiences with food in France. You can see in my trip to Marseille that I struggled with this as well. Unless it’s sweets or pastries, I have been underwhelmed both times I’ve been in France. I am hoping in May to have a change of heart, because I will be visiting a cousin who lives in Paris now! Nonetheless, here are a few places I would recommend!

Faubourg 34

I couldn’t find a real website for this, but the link at least has their address. This place was recommended by the receptionist at the hotel and was right nearby. It was a really cute aesthetic with pink flowers all over (it was summer), and it was an open air restaurant to outside, which was appreciated because it was hot. I ordered a chicken caesar salad which was nice and refreshing. Something I noticed when researching is that it is a good spot for escargot if you are interested in trying some! I’ve had it before just not in France, and it is really nice with lots of garlic on it! The texture is kind of like mushrooms in my opinion.

Artigelato

Note: It appears that they close in the winter time. This place was excellent for a gelato stop and when it was like 30 Celsius (nearly 90 F). They had a lot of options and Chandni and I tried 2 each – all were delish! This might seem like a weird one to put for food, but I recommend a stop for sure if you’re staying in this area.

Acai and You

If you know me at all, I am an acai connoisseur. On our last morning, we wanted to find a spot to have a nice chill breakfast around where we were staying. Chandni is vegetarian, so acai is truly the perfect option! This place was really good! I would put it in my top 10 acai bowls that I’ve had.

Cafe le Petit Pont

The location for this cafe is right in the touristy bit, which we honestly loved on this trip. It was a quick stop on our walk to Notre Dame, which is right down the road. We got a really yummy ice cream and a drink here. The food honestly looked and smelled really good though.

Things to Do in Paris

Keep in mind, this was my first time in Paris and it was only 2 full days – so most of what I did on this trip was touristy, and I have zero regrets!

Take a Boat Ride on the Seine

This was honestly a really fun way to see the city. We bought our tickets the day of in August through Get Your Guide, and it allowed you to go on the boat whenever you wanted throughout the day. We decided to wait until night and took the last boat. The queue was long, but the boats are really big, so it wasn’t an issue to get on. We sat on the top deck and enjoyed the city at night. It was crowded and everyone is trying to get their photos.

We didn’t realize the tour came with an audio guide, but you needed headphones to listen and neither of us brought our headphones out with us. So we missed out on that. I love a good bit of history while on a tour, so just remember to bring yours!

See the Icons

The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Louvre. They’re all around the same area, and if you are ok walking a bit, you can get to them all just by walking. There are gardens, beautiful bridges, and cafes a plenty as you go, and I highly recommend spending the whole day just wandering around this central area of Paris. We didn’t go into the Louvre because I didn’t plan ahead to get tickets, but I hope to do it next time I’m there! Same with Notre Dame – now that it is open to the public again after remodeling, I hope to go inside and see it next time. The queue to go in was insane.

Galeries Lafayette

This is just a massive department store, but it is an icon in itself in Paris. It wasn’t far from where we stayed, so we were able to walk down there. I do recommend doing this because the views from the rooftop are really great! We did a little bit of shopping and looking around, but mostly just enjoyed the views, had a drink at the rooftop bar, and took some photos. Even the inside is really gorgeous.

It’s free to go up to the rooftop here, so we counted that as a huge win!

Getting Around Paris

The train is really easy in Paris, the only thing that annoyed me was that you had 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 and load it with however much money you choose.

The trains were really efficient and clean. One thing that got us was the doors would open before the train even came to a complete stop. Felt a bit unsafe in that regard, but there weren’t any issues. We took the bus once as well which was also clean and efficient. We had no problems with cancelled trains or busses not showing, so very happy for that. The train from the airport was also super easy and inexpensive! Definitely recommend doing that versus getting a cab or uber.

So that is Paris from my perspective. As I’ve said, I’m excited to go back to explore more, see some of the museums, and hopefully have some really nice food! Have you been to Paris? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations for my next trip there? Comment or email me!