Honeymoon Guide: Paris

Welcome to part three of the Honeymoon series! If you’ve made it this far, you’re either a champ who has read all three parts or are just interested in Paris. Either way, I’ve got info for you! Paris is somewhere I have always wanted to visit. I studied French from middle school through college and always dreamed of studying abroad there (spoiler alert: I didn’t, but that’s a story for another time). So, when Kev and I began planning the honeymoon, I pushed and pushed for Paris. It was a place I had been dying to visit since I was an awkward preteen and I was thrilled when we finally booked it. I may have even cried when we got there and I saw the Eiffel Tower. However, looking back now, I definitely think this could have been part of another trip. Transitioning from the beachy, island vibes in Greece to the more city and touristy feel of Paris was tricky, but nonetheless, it was an amazing few days!

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Where we stayed: Hotel Le Littré

Our hotel was a very typical European hotel, in my opinion. Nothing crazy or exciting to report about it (especially after those we had in Greece). However, it was decently central to most things!

What we did: We actually kept ourselves very busy in Paris! We spent a bit of time on tours and sightseeing, but also spend a TON of time picnicking and riding Lime scooters all over the city (truly my favorite way of getting around). Here’s a little highlight reel:

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-Dinner in the Eiffel Tower: this was the FIRST thing that I booked when I found out we were going to Paris. It was definitely a splurge experience, but it was so worth it! We took the lift to the first floor, were greeted inside the restaurant with champagne and a view of the Trocadero as the sun set, and then dined on the tasting menu. More on the food below!

-Picnic on the Champ de Mars and in the Luxembourg Gardens: we picked up a small blanket for 10 euro at the Monoprix (what someone described to me as the French version of Target lol), stocked up on cheese, crackers, veggies, and of COURSE a Jambon-Beurre (ham, cheese, and butter on a baguette) from a local bakery, and headed to our picnic spots…occasionally by Lime scooter.

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-Fat Tire Tours Bike Tour: this was something I was a little hesitant about, but it ended up being one of my favorite parts of the trip! We took beach cruiser style bikes around the city with a tour guide to see all the major sights. We stopped for just enough background/historical information from our tour guide and then proceeded on. We did this our first morning in Paris and I think that was a perfect time because it helped us to get our bearings of the city!

-Louvre: okay, hear me out here. I hated this. Sure, it was cool to go because it’s Paris and you feel like you should wander around and see everything inside. However, I’m not a huge art person, so I didn’t love it. I was more interested in the historical artifacts and the architecture of the building. It’s also HUGE so you have to really know what you are looking for. And don’t even get me started on the entire room of people pushing through just to see the 8×10 Mona Lisa. If you’re into art, this is likely the place for you…it just was not for me.

-Musee d’Armee des Invalides: Kevin and I tend to lean toward museums that have more to do with history, so we decided we wanted to check out the Army Museum. It had a TON of cool stuff, but we had been walking around all day and our feet hurt so bad that we could barely enjoy it. I probably would get an audio tour for this (if they have one) because most of the info is in French.

-Paris and Montmartre Night Tour (with Champagne): picture this – you’re basically Lindsay Lohan in Herbie Fully Loaded and are riding in the back of the French version of an old VW bug without a roof riding through Paris at night. Your tour guide shows you around the sights of the city as the sun is setting, then drives you up to Montmartre where you get out just in time to watch the sun go down over the city with a glass of champagne in your hand. Sounds romantic, right? Well, you hop back into the car with a bottle of champagne between you and your new husband (or wife) and you’re eager to see the rest of the city lights. Only, the car doesn’t start. The engine won’t turn over and the driver jokingly says we might have to push it up the hill in front of everyone sitting outside Sacre-Coeur watching the sunset. Except he’s not kidding. So, you and your husband (or wife) climb out of the back seat and, with the help of a random Frenchmen, PUSH THE CAR UP THE HILL UNTIL IT STARTS. The car putts away and you chase it down, hop back in, and chug champagne as you drip sweat and drive around Paris until you return back to your hotel. If that sounds like your type of thing and you want a potentially hilarious story to tell, sign yourself up. Honestly, though, we did see some cool spots of the city that we didn’t see on our bike tour, but we probably could have done so without Herbie.

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-Bonus: sunrise photoshoot! We had a friend who has a photography business who happened to be in Paris while we were, which turned into a magical sunrise photoshoot by the Eiffel Tower and through the streets of Paris. 10/10 would recommend!

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Our favorite spots to eat:

-Any local patisserie or café where you can grab a pain au chocolat in the morning!

-Some of the many crepe stands: our favorite Nutella crepe was from Café de la Place but we also got another yummy one (along with a ham and cheese gallette) from a cute spot along the walking path of the Seine)

-La Cantine au Troquet: this might have been the best meal we had in Paris. It was a small spot near our hotel recommended by our bike tour, with a menu written only in French on a chalkboard (I finally got to put my French skills to use here!). The steak was unbelievable and so was Kev’s pork chop. Honestly, my mouth is watering thinking about it.

-Café les Deux Magots: the BEST cappuccino and pain au chocolat combo for breakfast! We stopped here after taking photos and it was delicious!

– Le Relais de l’Entrecôte: if you are in the market for steak frites, this is a must! You sit down and they literally only ask you how you’d like your steak cooked. It’s served with a yummy sauce and perfect shoestring fries. Oh, and don’t be alarmed when they come back with round two!

-58 Tour Eiffel: this is the restaurant on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower! We did the 9:30pm seating and did the tasting menu, which we decided just to lean into and try everything (although I could NOT stomach the foie gras…ew.). We had a truffle ricotta tart, squid ink pasta (delish), lamb, and an unreal hazelnut dessert. The menu changes seasonally, however, so you don’t know what you’re going to get! It was a fun experience!

-Laduree for macarons: self-explanatory.

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Well, that’s it! You’ve made it to the end of our honeymoon (and so have I, so now I’m sad). Paris was a magical city and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

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Again, if you have any questions, feel free to comment below or reach out on Instagram or email! Happy Honeymooning!

 

 

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