Almost three months later and I am finally sharing my Paris Post. I’m sorry this took me so long you guys!! I was initially supposed to share this back in November, but got caught up in the start of the Holiday season.
So many of you all are going to Paris in the next few months and have been asking for recommendations so it was clear I needed to get this out!
There is a reason they say Paris is the most magical city in the world.
It rained almost our entire trip, but that didn’t take away from its beauty one bit.
We did a lot of walking, had a ridiculous amount of wine and too many croissants to count.
Be sure to scroll to the end to find our whole list of Where To Stay, Eat and Do!:)
We got in Saturday night and checked into our hotel. We had been traveling literally all day from Switzerland and were absolutely exhausted.
As we sat in our Uber, I was like “I’m going to go straight to our hotel and passing out, I’m so sorry!” but the moment we got there and were able to have a glass of wine on our balcony before sunset, I got a second wind.
Our first morning we had every intention of waking up early to hit the ground running but found ourselves sleeping in until almost 11:00, which we never do! When we finally got up, we found a cafe (La Cafe de la Regence) right outside our hotel to have a very late breakfast.
It was the perfect place to start our day and allowed us to relax while mapping out everything we wanted to do.
SHOP THE LOOK
After breakfast, we went to the Louvre, then spent the rest of the day walking and exploring. We walked from the Louvre to the Seine, then to the neighborhood of Saint Germain. We ducked in and out of a few cafes for a glass of wine and finally made our way to The Eiffel Tower.
Colton had never been to Paris so I wanted to make sure we did it the first day!
It was the perfect first day. We really didn’t have a set plan, we just explored, walked and drank a lot of wine – ha!
SHOP THE LOOK
Our second day, was a true rainy day in Paris.
We slept in late again but this time we relaxed at our hotel and had coffee while watching the rain. When it started to let up, we got dressed and made our way to lunch. We went to Les Ombres and it had the most incredible view of the Eiffel Tower! It was on the top floor of a building and the whole restaurant had floor to ceiling windows. In general it had the most unreal view of Paris from up above.
Afterwards we walked to the Arch de Triomphe and climbed our way to the top. Then we shopped and grabbed a chocolate croissant to get out of the rain before heading back to our hotel to get ready for the evening.
We went to see Moulin Rouge and I cannot say enough good things about it! Some may say it’s super touristy and cheesy but we loved it! The show was great and the champagne was flowing.
SHOP THE LOOK
SHOP THE LOOK
SHOP THE LOOK
Our last day was hands down my favorite though. Our whole time in Paris, all I wanted to do was have a picnic under the Eiffel Tower and since it had been raining during our entire stay, it wasn’t looking likely. Even that morning, during our Eiffel Tower photoshoot it was pouring and I had lost all hope.
That’s until about noon when the sun finally came out to play!
We grabbed a blanket from our hotel, bought a loaf of bread, some cheese and a bottle of wine before spending a few hours under the tower. It was amazing and the perfect way to end our trip.
Stay
Le Clef Louvre: We absolutely loved staying here! For Paris it is very roomy, decently well priced and is right by The Louvre and Palace Royal. It’s a super cute boutique hotel, tucked away in the street. We had our own kitchen area, living room and wrap around balcony! They have a great breakfast and tea time as well!
Eat
Le Cafe de la Regence– (Breakfast / Louvre) A cute little cafe nestled by the Louvre, right across the street from our hotel. We stumbled upon it our first morning and fell in love!
Cafe du Trocadera– (Breakfast / Eiffel Tower) The cutest little cafe near the Eiffel Tower. This is where we met and had breakfast with our photographer the morning of our shoot! It was so cute and perfect, even in the rain.
Les Ombres – (Eiffel Tower) Lunch/Dinner with a view is an understatement. Take the elevator up to the top floor and find yourself eating lunch while looking over the Eiffel Tower. The restaurant is immaculate with windows all around from floor to ceiling. They have a great lunch special that priced very well for Paris. Reservations are highly recommended!
Bar du Central – (Saint Germain) The most amazing little cafe/restaurant in Saint Germain. Very romantic and relaxed. Even trendy if you will. Go at night and while you walk down the streets, watch the sparklingly lights of the Eiffel Tower. The escargot is a must!
Les Tantes Jeanne – (Near Moulin Rouge) This was the priciest dinner of our trip but the food is amazing and it is the perfect date night restaurant before heading into a show. Very cute and very intimate!
Flora Danica – (Champs-Elysées) This cafe is so cute. Take a break from shopping and stop into this adorable cafe for a Cappuccino and a Chocolate Croissant The outside area is adorable, as well as the inside and garden area. I normally think everything at the Champs-Eylseese is super touristy, but we loved this spot!
What To Do
Of course sights like the Eiffel Tower, and Museums like the Louvre are a must, but if you are tired of visiting museum after museum, here are a few fun activities!
Get Lost In The Streets: Paris is magical. Spend an afternoon getting lost in one of their little neighborhoods like Saint Germain. Window show, dip in cafes for a glass of wine and enjoy yourself.
Go For A Boat Ride At Night: Head down to the river and book one of their many boat rides for sunset. The sights are unbelievable and when the Eiffel Tower starts to sparkle it’s absolutely magical!
Have A Picnic At The Eiffel Tower: This was the highlight of our trip! Grab a blanket from your hotel (you may have to sneak it out 😉 ), a loaf of bread from a bakery, a bottle of wine and head to the Eiffel Tower for a picnic. It’s so fun to people watch, relax and enjoy all of the towers beauty. On Sunday’s, the Towers surrounding areas are closed so pick any day other than Sunday.
Shop The Champs-Elysées: Touristy, but still fun to do! The exchange rate is great and they have some really amazing stores!
See a Show: We saw Moulin Rouge and absolutely loved it! Some say it’s cheesy and touristy but we loved it! The show was fun, the Champagne was flowing and we truly felt like we were back in the 1800’s
xo,
Lauren