Bonjour! Paris was a great location to close out our trip.
The magical city had so much to offer. From the world famous Eiffel Tower to the chocolate croissants on every corner, Paris did not disappoint.
See below for some of our recommendations. Leave a comment below if you’ve been or plan to go!
transportation
- Take the Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris. If you book it early, you can get it for 30 to 40 euros per person. If you book last minute, you could pay up to 100!
our stay
- Book an AirBnb to save money for your stay. Keep in mind, downtown Paris is really expensive so if you’re trying to save some money, your place might run small. Tip! Do your research on who the host is, what the sq. footage is and how many flights of stairs there are…we had 6, yikes!
food
- Check out “Au Rocher De Cancale”. I ordered the potato salad w/ goat cheese toast and Bert got the steak with mashed potatoes.
- Check out “Popelini” for the best dessert pastries! There are several locations – they are the perfect sweet treat because they are so small. Just the right size to beat your craving!
- Check out “Norma” and ask to sit at the bar so you get Walter as your waiter! Tell him we sent you and you want the espresso martini shot…on the house 😉 Oh! And he translated the ENTIRE menu to us.
- ALSO, their sister restaurant “La Massara” is across the street. Although we didn’t eat there, we heard you can get the best pizza there. Go go GO!
- Check out “Cafe Limo” in the hot neighborhood of Pigalle – we ordered the burrata and pizza with egg and sausage (sorry, don’t remember the name!)
- Always check out the street vendors for cheap food! I ordered a crepe with Nutella and Bert ordered gelato with a macaroon. We found these vendors on the street “Rue Notre Dame de Lorette” near the famous Italian spot “Pink Mamma”
- For Pink Mamma, pay attention to their opening time for dinner, a line will start to form down the road so get their early! Reservations are not accepted.
- We also went to Paperboy for a casual, hipster vibe with the BEST eggs & salmon benedict
- Check out The Broken Arm for some shopping AND coffee
- Finally, we forgot to mention another good brunch we had. Visit “Le Voltigeur” for an authentic French experience. We ordered the quiche and gazpacho combo plate…did not dissappoint!
things to do
- Check out the historic monuments! We went by foot since they are all pretty close…we made a walking tour out of it and picked up different snacks on our self-guided tour. Also, get to the historic monuments as early as possible to beat the crowds!
- We were able to see the Lourve, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame
- We LOVED the entire neighborhood of Pigalle
- Check out the basketball court and their store across the street
- With a lover or not, buy a lock on a Paris bridge and lock in this moment forever! We were on the “Pont Des Arts” bridge.
Click on the image below to PIN to your travel board 🙂
final thoughts
Wherever you go to visit, always have an open mind. Things will not go your way and unexpected delays, costs, etc. will always happen no matter what. When traveling, adopt a “roll with the punches” mindset and remember you are able to be there right now.
In case you missed it, read about our Amsterdam and Germany trips!