72 Hours in Paris

From what to see, to where to stay, what to wear, mistakes to avoid and more - here’s everything I’d recommend for a first time visit to Paris, France. 

Paris Fashion Week had come to an end, as I was sitting in my seat on the plane, eagerly anticipating my departure. Soon enough, I would be in Paris for the first time. As the flight crew prepared us for takeoff with safety announcements, I noticed they put their own Parisian spin on it. Air France used fashion references to spice up the typical pre-flight announcements. Videos showed people strutting the runways with "exit" written all over their shirts to denote the plane exits, as the flight crewmember spoke via overhead announcement. Paris is the fashion capital of the world, after all. 

Art, fashion, history, architecture, food, and romance are just a handful of reasons why Paris is consistently one of the most visited cities on earth. I’d highly recommend spending at least three days here to be able to see and experience all the main sights and points of interest. Here are some of the top highlights that you can’t miss for your first visit to Paris:

1. The Louvre: a world famous art museum located in Paris’ 1st arrondissement. It’s home to world famous art pieces such as the Mona Lisa, and is a must-see while in Paris.
2. Palace of Versailles: the former royal residence built by King Louis XIV. The palace is located in Versailles, which is about 10-15 miles away from Paris. I would personally take an Uber or taxi to get to and from the palace. 
3. Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre: also known as The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur, is a Roman Catholic church and basilica in Paris dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is free to enter. You can also get great views of Paris from here since it is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point of the city. 
4. Walk along the seine and get views of the Eiffel Tower during the day, at sunset and at night. Once it’s dusk, the Eiffel Tower lights up until 11:45 PM, and every hour, on the hour, the lights will sparkle for about 5 minutes. The last time the tower will sparkle is at 11:00 PM, since the lights go off at 11:45 PM.
5. Stroll the streets of Montmartre: this is a lovely neighborhood of Paris (more on Montmartre below). 
6. Explore the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood: there are several notable cafes here like cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots.
7. Arc de Triomphe: a monument that honors those who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars. It’s an iconic monument, located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle. I would definitely go to the top for amazing views of Paris, ideally around golden hour/sunset time.
8. The Catacombs: an ossuary containing the remains of over six million Parisians. The Catacombs offer a very interesting way to learn about the city’s history and remember those who lived and died in Paris over the centuries. 

Where to Eat: 

We had our first dinner at Le Royal Bar, which we walked to after taking in views of the Eiffel Tower at night. We had French classics like French onion soup, duck with mashed potatoes, a charcuterie board and crème brûlée. 

On our second night, we had dinner at Didon: this restaurant is not specifically French, but the vibe was stylish and cozy, located within the Saint-Germain-des-Prés region, and all the food we had was amazing.

We had a nice breakfast at Cafe Tabac. This is a cute cafe in Montmartre that was also great for a quick bite.

Ladurée is a macaron shop originating in Paris, and is one of the most renowned shops for macarons in the world. There are many locations within Paris to choose from. 

We had our last dinner at Pink Mamma. This is a popular Italian restaurant in Montmartre with a lovely atmosphere. If you like to use Instagram for travel inspiration, you will see many people recommending this restaurant because it’s very charming and picturesque.

Other great view points throughout the city to get amazing photos while in Paris:

1. For Eiffel Tower views: Avenue de Camoens, Rue St Dominique and the Debilly Eiffel Tower viewpoint
2. The terrace at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann 

Where to stay: 

We loved staying in Montmartre. We stayed at Hôtel Monsieur Aristide, a charming boutique hotel in the heart of Montmartre. I'd highly recommend staying in this region to get more of a "village" feel in Paris. Montmartre is filled with cobblestone streets and cute, colorful restaurants, cafes and buildings. We got great views of Paris walking around here because it's also the highest point in the city. Montmartre is known for its artistic history, for being home to the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur, Moulin Rouge, and for its nightlife. We stayed in Montmartre for two nights.

On the last night of our trip, we stayed in Batignolles, which is a hip, up-and-coming neighborhood that is walking distance to Montmartre. This is not really a popular neighborhood for tourists to stay in, but we stayed here simply because it was a more affordable option for the last night of our trip before flying home to the states the next day. It is a little grittier than other parts of the city, but I didn't feel as though it was unsafe. It seems to be more of a region for locals, with a low key vibe. While this region would not be my first choice to stay for the bulk of my trip, due to it being a little further away from most points of interest in Paris, it was a good choice for a more affordable one night stay. 

I felt that Paris was somewhat expensive compared to other European cities I’ve visited in Italy and Spain. Therefore, if you are concerned about affordability, this is something to keep in mind. You may notice that hotels in Paris can be a little more expensive in comparison to those in other European cities. 

Additionally, compared to other European cities I’ve visited (including Milan, Venice, Zurich, Barcelona, Madrid and Seville), I felt that Paris is not quite as walkable of a city because many points of interest are spread out from one another. I cannot speak on public transportation, since I didn't get to try it on this trip. We mainly relied on Ubers to get to and from some of the further attractions. 

Therefore, if there's one tip I can recommend to save you time while in Paris, it's to give yourself extra time to get to your activities, and book Ubers/taxis/etc. in advance! We had a difficult time trying to schedule Ubers at the times that we needed them, and it sometimes resulted in us being much later than we anticipated! 

If I were to pick an ideal time to visit Paris, I would personally choose the month of September as my first choice, and May-June as my second choice. Late September to early October is also a good time to visit if you love fashion, because Paris Fashion Week typically takes place around this time. I visited Paris in early-mid October, which was great for this particular trip because Europe had been warmer than normal for this time of year. However, by the end of our trip, it began to get quite cold. I believe that May, June and September would provide the best weather overall, as it would generally be warm, mild, and pleasant. That being said, I would still bring long pants, jackets, coats and scarves because it would get cool in the evenings. 

I wore warm, stylish coats, such as our beige Double Breasted Notch Lapel Overcoat.

Paris is a beautiful city with a lot of charm, so it is easy to see why it is one of the most visited cities in the world. I would highly recommend visiting if you get the chance, and I hope that my experience can serve as a guide and source of inspiration in your journey.

Have you ever been to Paris? If not, is it on your list? Let us know in the comments below!