Things to do in Paris: You can’t go to France and not visit Paris at least once. From famous landmarks such as the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, from stunning photography spots to amp up your social media profiles, Paris is a must-see & offers something for everyone!

Hi everyone & welcome back to my blog! In today’s post, I am going to talk about my weekend in the beautiful city of Paris. My best friend Jasmar had planned to film a music video a couple of months ago and I decided to join along. Paris has been on my travel wishlist for years! So needless to say, I was very excited when the opportunity came up for me to spend a weekend there with my best friend.

Somethings you should know:

▷ This is a no brainer, but Paris is huge. Make sure you plan ahead where you want to visit so you won’t waste time!
▷ The train system in Paris is very well organized and you can buy train tickets. We did do that but ended up using Taxify most of the time. It was very worth it, however, traffic can be kind of crazy there.
▷ Most of the famous landmarks now have gates surrounding them and you’d need to go through a security process to enter. For example, to visit the Eiffel Tower, you’d need to get your bags scanned and you’d need to go through one yourself; similar to the ones at airports. Only handbags and hand luggage are allowed. If you’re carrying a big suitcase, you will not be allowed to enter. This procedure came in effect after the recent terror attacks.
▷ You can’t film with professional equipment in front of the Louvre unless you obtain a permit. This might be general knowledge for some, but it came as a complete surprise for us. We took out Jasmar’s camera and his tripod and were immediately stopped by two security guards.

Getting to Paris & public transportation:

If you live in the KMC (Kaiserslautern Military Community) area, getting to Paris is relatively easy. By car, Paris is around 4.5 – 5 hours. However, I do not recommend driving in Paris. It is not the easiest city to drive in!

I got on the ICE train from Saarbrücken HbF and stopped at Paris Gare l’Est. We grabbed a bite to eat and proceeded to go to our Air BnB. The tickets were purchased from omio.com (formerly known as GoEuro). I found that is it much cheaper than buying the tickets from DB.

Another service I make use of is Trainline. Trainline is Europe’s leading train and coach app. They offer services all over the continent and work with over 200+ transportation companies to get their clients the best deals possible. Be sure to check them out when planning a trip!

As for getting around in Paris, public transportation is easy to use. You can download the official app. It made our lives so much easier! If you don’t understand those metro maps with lots of lines crossing all over each other, this app will be your best friend.

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Accommodation:

Our beautiful apartment was located in Perigny. It was 30 minutes away from the train station Boussy-Saint-Antoine. It is a bit far off from Paris city centre but we still managed! However, we did get lost one night and we had to walk through mud carrying expensive camera equipment and shopping bags filled with food. That wasn’t fun at all but it sure was an adventure!

Staying in a neighbourhood outside of Paris gave us the opportunity to see a different part of the country that not everyone really sees. Plus, it also saves you some money! Hotels and AirBnb’s in Paris are pricey.

What to do and see in Paris:

▷ The Louvre Museum:

This is a no-brainer.

Louvre was our first stop in Paris. At first, we first shot some clips (the few we managed to sneak in) for my friend’s music video and then we did a mini photoshoot! It was unbelievable seeing it that close.

The entrance fee to the Louvre is €65 to skip the line. Click here for more ticket options. If you’re an EU citizen and under 26 years old, you can get in for free. You’d obviously have to show your ID card or passport.

TIP: Plan ahead because we got there at around 9:30 am and there was already a long queue. If you’re wanting to go inside the actual museum, be there early! The museum opens at 9AM.

The face of a tired and hangry traveller.

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▷ Arc De Triomphe du Carrousel:

Located exactly opposite the Louvre, this monument is hard to miss. Not to be confused with the other Arc De Triomphe (found out about this not long ago actually), it was built by Napoleon the 1st. Furthermore, it is a symbol of victory for the French army in the battle of Austerlitz.

▷ The Eiffel Tower:

You can’t go to Paris and NOT visit the Eiffel Tower. I remember the tower being open for visitors without any barriers. However, after the recent terror attacks in France, the perimeter of the tower is barricaded. You can still go on the tower and walk around the surrounding parks, but you would need to go through security checks (more info on that above!)

We weren’t allowed in the park due to the fact we had our luggage with us but we did cross the street and find a pretty awesome spot to take some pictures and film shots for the music video!

Other recommendations:

Obviously, this isn’t everything that you can see in Paris! There is MUCH more but we were pressed with time and this is what we managed. I will definitely be back to tick these places off my list and write a blog post about it!

▷ Versailles Palace
▷ Arc De Triomphe
▷ Notre Dame
▷ Champs-Elysees
▷ Luxembourg Gardens
▷ Tuileries Gardens

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My train from Gare l’Est left at 5 in the afternoon. It was sad leaving Paris but I was excited to see Luis again. This is not my last time in Paris! I’m planning on going back & going to Versailles and the Bastille.

And that brings an end to this post. We are going to San Francisco in two weeks and yes, I am going to write a blog post on it!

Update: click here to read my San Francisco post!

Before you go, make sure you follow me on my social media and pin the below image to your Pinterest boards! Also, let me know what is your favourite thing about Paris? Are you planning on visiting someday if you haven’t already?