Picture you and your sweetheart savoring some rich French wine, taking a stroll hand-in-hand down the Champs-Élysées, and sharing a kiss under the Eiffel Tower. These are a few of the priceless memories that could await you on a trip to Paris!
Pairs is a quick ride (about two and a half hours) from London aboard the Eurostar, which makes it an easy add on to Great Britain. Our first task upon arriving in Paris was to find an information booth to buy two Paris Museum Passes and one carnet (a group of 10 bus/metro tickets). These came in handy for getting around the city and making the best use of our time and money. Below is a list of our favorite sights in Paris.
Our Top 5 Favorite Paris Sights:
1. Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a show stopper! While some people believe it is overrated, we disagree. This world-renowned masterpiece is worth seeing up close at least once in your life. We picked our hotel based on its proximity to the Eiffel Tower and couldn’t resist walking over for a glimpse multiple times during our stay. One night we choose to have a picnic dinner under the Eiffel Tower. We bought strawberries from a produce stand, cheese from a fromagerie (cheese shop), and a baguette from a boulangerie (bakery). Then we found a bench to enjoy our dinner with a stunning view of the Tower. After our little dinner we got lucky that the elevator line was short, so we paid for tickets to the top and headed up. The views were spectacular! We had perfect timing to see the view during daylight, enjoy the sunset, and then watch the nighttime hourly sparkle on the Tower. We thought the second story had the best view of the three floors. Keep in mind the most iconic feature of Paris, the Eiffel Tower itself, is absent from these skyline views.
2. Palace of Versailles
We woke up a little earlier one morning to take the RER C line to visit the Palace of Versailles. To skip the long lines at the palace, we went in through the side entrance and paid a little extra to take the Chateau tour. This was a tip we picked up from our Rick Steve’s travel book. Our tour group was about 15 people with an English speaking guide who took us through several different rooms privately for the next hour and a half. It was so nice to see things up close and avoid the mobs of people. Our favorites were the chapel (which people not on the tour had to view from a roped off hallway) and the hall of mirrors. It was all very fancy and lavish. Hugh paintings, golden trim, and decor of rococo and neoclassic style. Out in the gardens there were many different rows of tall groomed trees somewhat like a maze, with fountains hidden throughout. If you follow the paths you can visit the Trianon and Marie’s Domain. These buildings are much smaller and less impressive than the main palace, but still interesting to see.
3. Notre-Dame Cathedral
A stunning overlook of Paris is your reward for climbing the steep, winding staircase up to the top of the tower. You share a beautiful view of the Seine River and the Eiffel Tower with strange looking stone gargoyles. These were some of the most stunning pictures from our stay. Although the line to ascend the tower was by far the longest during our visit, it was completely worth it! There is another separate line to enter the church. Inside, the large purple and blue stained glass windows are gorgeous!
4. The Louvre Museum
Yet another iconic feature in Paris is the glass pyramids of the Louvre Museum. It’s fun to take pictures outside but once you venture in to this massive museum there are thousands of sights to behold. We entered the museum right away with our Paris Museum Pass and descended the steps under the glass pyramid. Due to the size of the Louvre, it’s best to choose only a few select areas to explore. Inside we strolled through the Denon & Sully wings seeing sculptures, paintings, the Mona Lisa, and Egyptian artifacts. The Egyptians were our favorites. Mona Lisa was tiny and hard to get close to with the numerous tourists struggling to get their selfies.
5. Sainte-Chapelle church
A few blocks away from Notre Dame is the tiny Sainte-Chapelle church. But don’t let the size of this church fool you, the entrance line is typically short and it’s absolutely beautiful inside. It’s said that this church was originally built to house Jesus’ crown of thorns. The interior of the main church is almost completely bare except for three tall walls covered entirely in stained glass depictions from the Holy Bible. This treasure is another example of the historical beauty hidden within the bustling metropolis.
Honorable mentions
Montmartre / Sacré-Cœur
There are several sets of stairs to climb in this neighborhood before you reach the top of the hill in Montmartre. Filled with cute shops, cafes, and several painters painting and selling their works, this area is a bit touristy but contains of a lot of charm. Sacré-Cœur has a beautiful view of the city and extravagant tiled artwork inside.
Musée d’Orsay
For a more genuinely French museum, venture inside the Musée d’Orsay. You’ll observe several famous works by artists like Degas, Renoir, Monet, and Manet.
Champs-Élysées / Arc de Triomphe
The famous avenue Champs-Élysées is lined with luxurious shops and ends at a large round-about circling the Arc de Triomphe. Although we couldn’t climb the arc due to construction, we’ve heard the view from the top is worth it.
