Paris a popular European city to visit. It’s known for many things including art, fashion, and gastronomy. In addition, it has famous landmarks like the River Seine and Eiffel Tower. In this Paris Travel Guide, I cover all of these can’t miss spots as well as where to eat and drink during your visit.
During our last trip to Paris, we also visited London, Barcelona, Berlin, and Amsterdam. One of the many reasons European travel is so fun is because of how easy it is to get around. Check out Ashlee’s 36 Hours in Paris and this guide for even more info on European travel.
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Best Credit Cards to Use in Paris
Fees are a killer when you’re talking about earning points and airline miles. The value of your points and miles is diminished the more you pay in unnecessary fees like foreign transaction fees. With that said, it’s beneficial to bring cards on your Paris travel that haven no foreign transaction fees.
The AmEx Gold, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Citi Premier check the boxes for me. You earn 4x points on dining and US grocery stores with the AmEx Gold. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers earn 3x points on dining and travel. As a Citi Premier cardmember, you earn 3x points on airfare, hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores.
How to Fly to Paris
Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Orly Airport (ORY) are the two primary airports that serve Paris. Both of these airports offer nonstop flights between the US and France. Generally speaking, Charles de Gaulle Airport is the airport that is likely to be easiest to fly into from the US.
Air France, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines fly nonstop between the US and Charles de Gaulle Airport. Delta and Flying Blue are award programs to consider using to book Air France and Delta flights. You can use American, Cathay Pacific, and Iberia to fly American. Aeroplan, Avianca, Turkish Airlines, and United are programs to use to fly Star Alliance airlines like United to Paris.
Where to Stay When Visiting Paris
Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott have properties throughout Paris. And this makes sense right? It’s a metropolitan city serving tourists from all over the world. This is fantastic news if you have points in any of these programs. It’s even better news if you have cards like the AmEx Hilton Aspire, World of Hyatt Credit Card, IHG Premier, and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant AmEx.
Properties to check out include the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme and the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. The Le Roch Hotel and Spa, Paris is a Marriott property that looks solid. IHG’s Hotel Indigo Paris – Opera is an interesting property. A Hilton hotel to consider booking is the Maison Astor Paris.
Where to Eat and Drink When Visiting Paris
Coffee/Breakfast
We stayed in Le Maris and found two gems next to our Airbnb. Le Temps des Cerises is a cafe across the street from a bakery called L’Atmosphère 3.0. Le Temps des Cerises does not serve breakfast so the owner allowed us to bring baked goods into the restaurant. This was a perfect way to start the day while we enjoyed our cafe au lait!
Lunch
Patisseries are the way to go when you’re wandering around Paris. Simply google “patisserie”, confirm it has a high rating, order a cheap sandwich, and enjoy the people-watching from the restaurant. We never went to a sit-down restaurant for lunch which allowed us to spend more time walking the city.
Dinner
Chez Janou has the atmosphere, customer service, food, and wine that you’re after. This is such a fun spot. Restaurant David Toutain, Le Grand Restaurant, NOMICOS, La Scène Thélème, Le Chiberta, and L’Oiseau Blanc are restaurants on our list to check out next time.
Things to Do in Paris Travel Guide
If you’ve read about or visited Paris, you know there’s a near limitless list of things to see and do. Luckily for you, I’ve got an itinerary, and video above, that won’t wear you out and give you plenty of time to see everything there is to see.
Day 1
First, rent a bike and start riding along the Seine River towards the Tuileries Garden. Once there, snap a pic of the Eiffel Tower from a distance. Next, ride towards the Arc de Triomphe along the Champs de Élysées.
After seeing the Arc de Triomphe, walk back down the Champs de Élysées and grab a macaroon at Laudurée. Lastly, grab dinner and then head to the 10 pm Eiffel Tower light show. Bring a bottle of wine, a blanket, some disposable cups, and kick back to relax under the lights.
Day 2
Start your second day by visiting Versailles. It’s a 45-minute train ride to the Palace from Paris. As an FYI, you have to wait in line even if you buy your Palace tickets online. After entering the Palace, spend time in the gardens outback. Grab a sandwich at a patisserie near the palace before closing out the day in Paris.
Common Paris Travel Questions
Is Paris safe to visit right now?
We never felt unsafe at any point during on our time in Paris. Even at night, the city was perfect to walk around.
Is it safe to visit Paris 2020?
Refer to the latest CDC guidance and the International Air Transport Association travel map to determine if it’s safe to visit during COVID-19.
How much is the average trip to Paris?
Paris is on par cost-wise with the big cities in the US like Los Angeles and New York City. Expect to pay what you would pay when visiting these cities.
Conclusion on Paris Travel Guide
Paris is a special destination in Europe. As you can see in this Paris Travel Guide, there’s plenty to see, incredible restaurants to visit, and is a perfect city to spend hours wandering around. In short, it’s hard to go wrong with a trip to Paris.
What do you think of this Paris Travel Guide? What other things do you recommend doing? Please let me know in the comments below or by sending me an email on my contact page.
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