[bigletter]I decided to come to Paris this past weekend. It was my first time, and I came by myself. I booked the trip while in London since I wanted to take advantage of the free weekends I’ve had during my fashion journalism course. I arrived on Friday and will be back in London this evening. I took the Eurostar from King’s Cross & St. Pancras Station and arrived at Paris Gare du Nord around 6 a.m. I found a hotel near the train station (about 10 minutes on a bus) so I took an Uber there.[/bigletter]
The hotel was three stars and small, but so adorable. It had just enough of what I needed for 2 nights, and everything was the miniature size, including the elevator – built for one person at a time – not that I needed a plus 1 anyway. I was ridin’ solo. #punnotintended
My room was exactly what I needed to sit down and plan what I would do throughout the next 3 days
Know this: Anywhere in the world, you travel to, your first time should be shamelessly touristic. You should be seeing all the cathedrals and the museums and getting all that stuff out of the way. Why? So that you understand the city a bit more, its history and the culture. You’re only a first-timer in a city once…so first you familiarize yourself with the city as a tourist, so you can then experience it as a local.
I took notes in my travel notebook (one of my travel essentials) and made sure I knew where I was going and what I would be doing the next few days. Though I was highly organized on what I was going to do daily, many spontaneous plans came about. But with a notebook full of plans and my Citymapper in hand, I was ready to go.
This is what a first-time Paris visitor should see:
Last weekend I was in Munich for the first time, and though I thought it was cute, I personally feel it doesn’t compare to Paris in regards to architecture. This city is not just really beautiful to look at and obviously taking photos is a nonstop
I stopped for lunch and a coffee with one of my best friends in the whole world, Carlos. He was staying at Hôtel de Crillon so he invited me to meet him for a bite and catch up before my touristic escapade. The restaurant was really lovely and it was Paris Fashion Week this weekend, so there was such a vibe throughout the hotel. Once I finished and said goodbye to Carlos, I was off.
Eiffel Tower
This is the most visited monument in the world, with more than 8 million people flocking to Paris every year just to see it. Naturally, I was super excited as well. I would say that out of everything there is to see in Paris, this is #1 on everyone’s list. Paris isn’t exactly the safest place in the world…it’s actually quite dangerous. I had a strange experience with a man on my way to the Eiffel Tower, at 2 pm in broad daylight. The area is highly touristic, and it is flooded with people looking to fool a tourist into buying something or robbing them, or pickpocketing them while they wander around or stand by to watch a street show.
Musee du Louvre
Not only is this museum super iconic in terms of its outer infrastructure, but it also holds some of the most important art pieces in the world. *Enter our girl Mona Lisa.* There is an AMAZING restaurant in the corner of the museum, and the view of the outside of the Louvre is quite instagrammable, if that’s what you’re looking for, so I recommend stopping there for a coffee. Cappuccino + Mona Lisa + Art appreciation…all I needed was a Crepe! And right in front of the Louvre – next to the underground train station – I found the best ones in street carts! They made them fresh and warm for about 4€.
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel
Situated across the street from the Louvre’s Pyramids is this arc, which is a smaller version of the actual Arc de Triomphe. This arc specifically was built to commemorate Napoleon Bonaparte’s victories of 1806-1808. All around the arch you can see bas-reliefs created in rose marble, highlighting some of his most important moments.
Notre Dame
I took a stop at Shakespeare’s Library…had another coffee next door and sat for the most stunning view of Notre Damme. Once I finished, I walked over for a closer look. Whether you’re into French Gothic architecture or not, the details of the cathedral will leave you speechless. Standing and staring at it for like…10 minutes was my ultimate ‘pinch me, please’ moment. A mass was going on, so I went inside the church and it was a feeling I had never felt before. I will admit, I cried a little. It will now be a fundamental stop for me every time I visit Paris.
Rue Chanoinesse
From Notre Dame, I walked to the Île de la Cité; the heart of the oldest part of Paris. It’s located right next to the cathedral, and the area is packed with smaller streets, many times overlooked by tourists. Nevertheless, the coffee shop and brasserie owners are ready to serve anyone coming in. Let’s be real, the French are quite rude and non-hospitable AT ALL, so don’t expect prime service anywhere. Do expect beautiful streets full of hidden gems to eat and shop at.
Though quite unsafe Paris was quite fun to tour. I adore capturing every highlight of my travels and sharing them in hopes of helping a curious traveler with a bit of insight. If you want to see more visit and follow my hashtags #CBtalksTraveling & #CBgoestoParis to stay in tune with where I go next.
With Love From Paris…
