First time in Paris – Love at first sight

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Paris is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, and for good reason! Its romantic atmosphere, stunning architecture, delicious food and rich cultural history make it the perfect place for a weekend getaway or a longer vacation. Paris is depicted as a center of history and romance in several different films and series, the latest of which is the highly popular Emily in Paris. I have dreamed of Paris my whole life, but I have never ended up traveling there. I can’t think of a single reason for this. Fortunately, this mistake was finally fixed when in January we flew for the first time to the glow of the Eiffel Tower lights for a romantic and wine-filled mini-vacation to the Paris of our dreams.

PARIS OF OUR DREAMS

Our flight arrived late at night at the remote and small Beauvais airport, from where we jumped on a shuttle to the city center. The shuttle dropped us off after more than an hour at Saint-Denis station, from where we caught the metro to our accommodation. Our accommodation was located in a central location near the Eiffel Tower. It was already late and it was raining heavily on a cool January evening. This didn’t bother us, because we were in Paris after all.

Our accommodation was located on a street with the Eiffel Tower shining beautifully at the end. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we arrived. I had always dreamed of this moment. We left our backpacks at the accommodation and ran in the pouring rain in the dark to see the tower, as if there was no other option. It had to be done. And it was worth it. From that moment on, our first Paris adventure began.

BEST ATTRACTIONS AND AMAZING EXPERIENCES

The next two days we woke up really early and toured the sights and the city. The first morning we had booked a trip to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower (the top was closed during our trip), after which we stopped for a crepe and walked to the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. From here we headed to explore the historic and iconic Montmartre, where we had booked a walking tour with a local guide. Every now and then I like to take advantage of guided tours, because some places are worth the extra bit of information. Montmartre was worth it and it was great to hear things about the history of the area that I would never have known otherwise. Find out more about guided tours in Montmartre here.

The second morning we had booked entry to the Paris Catacombs, which I can definitely recommend to anyone interested. I would have preferred an evening tour for the vibe, but only morning times were available. The catacombs were beautiful and the history itself is interesting, which you can learn more about with the audio guide included in the tour. There are also guided tours available, which allow you to explore the forbidden corridors in addition to the normal tour, see more here.

From the Catacombs we headed to see the magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is finally open to the public after a terrible fire and the reconstruction project. The cathedral is still partially under renovation, but the interior is finished and open to visitors. As a child, I watched a movie called The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, which takes place right here. This is why I couldn’t miss this attraction.

Notre-Dame is located in the Île de la Cité area, which is really cozy. From here we also went to the Latin Quarter and finally walked along the Seine River to see the Louvre Museum. Unfortunately, the Louvre grounds were partially closed due to the president’s visit, so we didn’t get to explore the glass pyramid up close.

Pretty good for only two days, right?

FALL IN LOVE WITH PARIS WITHOUT RUSHING

Believe it or not, we also managed to enjoy our trip in peace and without a sense of rush, even though time was limited and there was a lot to experience. With good planning and scheduling the attractions with entrance tickets, we made it possible for the rest of the day to be relaxed and we were able to see the city in peace. We even managed to stop by the metro to visit our friend a little further from the center. We were in motion from the early morning until late at night, walking around and admiring, enjoying delicious lunches and dinners in wonderful French bistros and managing to do everything we had hoped for. And we weren’t even in a hurry.

There are still many more wonderful attractions and places to look forward to next time, wonderful cafes and beautiful parks. The next time is already booked, so we’ll see you again soon, Paris!

CHECK OUT THE BEST TOURS AND ATTRACTIONS IN PARIS HERE:

HAVE YOU BEEN TO PARIS? SHARE YOUR TIPS AND EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! 🙂

<3: Tiina Johanna

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*Photos: Tiina Johanna, blogger