Is Paris ever too much?

Hello hello, everybody!

Welcome to my first blog post! I am super excited to start sharing some of my past experiences with you, and I hope you enjoy what you will find here.

I will admit, I am a Paris junkie, so buckle up because this is going to be a long one! I never miss an opportunity to go to Paris, and I decided to share two of my past trips to this beautiful city, I hope it can add some value to your Paris search and give you a general idea of what you can expect if you are planning to go there. If you are not, maybe this will be just a good read or eventually inspire you to start planning your trip.

I have been to Paris 4 times in my life: the first one was back in the 90's (I think), and I don't really remember anything about this trip to share with you, ahah. The main things I will be talking about are related to my trips to Paris in 2015 and 2016. I went back there again in 2019, however, it was only for two days for business purposes, so I didn't enjoy much of the city. Although I will be talking mostly about what I did and where I went 5 years ago, I will try to keep the information as updated as possible - after all, Paris is an eternal city.

A bit about the city

Paris is huge, and the city center is divided by arrondissements (their administrative districts). These districts are displayed as a snail figure, and they go on in this spiral pattern from arrondissement 1 (in the center) until arrondissement 20. So, as you can see, a big city it is!

Despite its size, it is quite easy to move around. Throughout my whole trip, I never used anything besides public transportation. It is quick, reliable and surprisingly inexpensive considering the city can be quite pricey.

Their public transportation company is called RATP, and they have some passes available that range from 1 to 5 consecutive days, and you can buy them for the Paris center (zones 1 to 3) or for the Greater Paris area (zones 1 to 5) - however, the latter will only be worthwhile if you are planning on going to Disneyland, Château de Versailles and some other not-so-visited attractions. These passes will include all public transportation networks, so metro, tramway, bus, RER and SNCF Transilien networks.

I bought the 5 day pass for the Paris center for 38.35 EUR, and on my last two days I bought the 2 day pass for Greater Paris for 38.35 EUR as well. You can check their rates here.

Speaking about the number of days, here's a disclaimer: one week is enough for you to visit all main things in Paris, but you won't be able to stop much. I will admit I am not a very culture oriented tourist, and both times I went there to visit the city I stayed for one week, I never stopped visiting sites and still missed one or two more that I would love to have seen.

Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations about where the best place to stay is while visiting Paris - I am lucky enough to have amazing family living in the Paris' suburbs that were kind enough to let me stay with them, and this is where I stay each time I visit the city. However, I am aware that some really nice Airbnb´s and hotels are available in the city center and I'm sure it will be easy to find a nice place. However, if you're travelling on a budget, don't be afraid to go outside the city center, as it is very easy to move around.

If you are under 26 years old and are of European nationality, you have the possibility of visiting most museums free of charge, which is great! Museums in Paris can be quite expensive so make sure you take full advantage of this. Many museums are also free of charge on the first Sunday of each month as well as for visitors under 18 years old.

There are many warnings throughout the city, museums and so on advising to be careful with pickpockets. I think this might depend on how careful you already are on a daily basis and in your hometown - I am used to always being careful with my belongings and making sure the things I carry are not easily taken away from me. Of all the time I spent in Paris, I never felt unsafe or went through any bad experience with pickpockets - this might be just luck. However, do be careful, and if you already have the habit of being, there might be nothing to worry about.

Where to go

I think I should start by saying that just walking around the city and doing some architecture sightseeing is amazing! Paris has a very characteristic architecture - the buildings are very similar, built in blocks next to each other, in cream and gray tones and, if seen from above, their roofs are all gray, which creates a beautiful sight. An interesting fact about their buildings is, despite the fact that Paris is one of the biggest cities in the world, there are no skyscrapers. All buildings are around 5 to 6 floors and this allows for beautiful views from some of the city's view points.

This being said, if you have the possibility to walk from one place to another, you should definitely do so. Some walks from one attraction to the other might not be short, but they are definitely worth it - the city has amazing sights and it is very easy and safe to walk around.

Tour Eiffel

Going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower is the same as going to a restaurant and not eating. This iconic monument is located in Champs de Mars, and besides being a beautiful sight, it has enormous gardens surrounding it, so you can definitely enjoy and take your time. If you are planning to go up the tower, you can get your ticket to go to the second floor (it's about halfway up) or all the way to the top.

At the time, in 2015/2016, I believe we paid 14 EUR to go to the top through the lift (we were 19 and 20 years old at that time). It looks like the fares have decreased, since now the same ticket is 13 EUR. Regular lift entries to the top are 25.90 EUR, but you can check here which fare is the most suitable for your visit.

Fun fact: did you know the Eiffel Tour was supposed to be a temporary attraction? That's right, it was built for the 1889 World Fair, to commemorate 100 years of the French Revolution. However, an antenna was built at its top to conduct wireless signals, so it was never taken down, and nowadays it is the most iconic Paris attraction.

From the Eiffel Tour, you can easily walk (about 20 minutes) to Musée Rodin.

Musée Rodin

This was by far one of my favorite museums! It was a surprise for me as I was not even planning on going there, but if you appreciate sculptures this is going to be a really good experience for you, as this is the home for many of Auguste Rodin's sculptures, as well as some of his apprentices'.

Regular tickets are 12 EUR, and reduced fare for EU visitors between 18 and 25 years old is 9 EUR. Check their website or more information about the rates and opening times.

Musée du Louvre

This is the most visited museum of the world, so you can expect some pretty long queues. It is famous for hosting La Gioconda, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace and many others. There are plenty of different collections of art for every taste. As I mentioned, I am not a very culture-oriented person, but the museum is always a good experience, even if you're there just to take a picture with the pyramids.

Pro-tip: the entry is free of charge for people under 18 years old and EU visitors under 25 years old. Since both times I went there I didn't pay any entry fees, I would go there about 45 minutes before the museum closed. At this time, you won't find any queues since people will not pay for an entry fee to be there 45 minutes, and this way you can enjoy your day in Paris and go there at the end of the day (I went there about three days in a row and found no queue to get in). Online tickets are 17 EUR and will save you a lot of time, while buying the ticket in the museum will cost you 15 EUR but you have to go to the big queues for that. Consult more entry rates here.

From Musée du Louvre, you can walk by the river for about 20 minutes until you reach Île de la Cité, where Notre-Dame, Sainte Chapelle and Conciergerie are located. If you head the opposite way, you will find Musée D'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie after about 15 minutes of walking.

Musée D'Orsay

The Musée D'Orsay building was previously a railway station, and is now home of some of the most famous art in the world, mostly french art, including paintings, sculptures, furniture and photography.

Again, admission is free for visitors under 18 years old and EU visitors under 25 years old. Full rate is 14 EUR, but other rates can be consulted here.

Musée D'Orsay is very close to Musée de l'Orangerie, about a 10 minute walk.

Musée de l'Orangerie

Another favorite. Although it has different artists displayed, my favorite thing about the museum were the Monet's water lilies. Beautiful and huge paintings!

The museum is also inside the Jardin de Tuileries, so it's a great opportunity to enjoy this beautiful garden, and also to have a walk by Place de La Concorde, which is the largest public square in Paris, known by its 23 meter high obelisk.

The museum is free of charge for visitors under 18 years old and EU visitors under 25 years old. Normal rate is 6.50 EUR (a total steal for Parisian museums!), and more rates are available, that can be consulted on their website.

Moulin Rouge

I did not visit the Moulin Rouge inside, however I could not be walking around Paris without making a pit-stop in the famous cabaret! It is located in the Montmartre area, which personally is the place in Paris that gave me the most Parisian feeling we see in movies, and is easily accessed by metro (just get off in the metro stop named Blanche). From there, you should definitely visit Place du Tertre (which is specially cozy in the evening), appreciate all the artists and walk your way to the Sacré-Coeur.

Sacré-Coeur

The "sacred heart" is the most famous Parisian basilica. Its architecture was thought of as a reaction to the excessive neo-Baroque around Paris, so it was very unique back in 1875, when it started being built. The top of the dome is opened for visits and offers a very special sight to the city. However, if you don't have the possibility to go up, don't feel bad, as the views from the ground are just as nice.

If I'm not mistaken, visiting the basilica inside is free of charge, however there are specific schedules to visit as services are still held there.

Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel in Île de la Cité, part of the former Royal Palace (along with Conciergerie and Palais de Justice). It is famous for its beautiful stained glass windows. Entry fee is free for visitors under 18 years old and EU visitors under 25 years old. Normal fee is 15 EUR, and more fees can be checked here.

Sainte-Chapelle is a great site to include on a day visit around Île de la Cité, as it is right next to Conciergerie and a 10 minute walk to Notre-Dame.

Conciergerie

Right next to Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie is an old prison that was also used as a law court. This is where Marie Antoinette was held prisoner before she was executed. Nowadays, Conciergerie is a famous attraction, and in fact there is displayed a doll (quite scary) representing the former French queen.

Free entries are no news in this post: visitors under 18 years old and EU visitors under 25 years old are free to visit the space without any charge. Regular fares are 9.5 EUR, and more fares are available on the monument's website.

Notre-Dame

The most precious jewel of Paris! This is a very special cathedral for the French capital, and the most visited cathedral in the world. It is also commonly known due to Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris (you might know it was The Hunchback of Notre-Dame).

I was lucky enough to have the chance to visit the cathedral. It is a bit confusing the fact that there is quite a long queue to go inside the church (this is what I did the first time I went there) but then there's another door, on the left hand side if you're facing the door to the basilica, that queues to go to the top, and this is where you can see the bells and have what for me was the best view of Paris.

Unfortunately, in 2019, part of the cathedral caught fire during some maintenance work, and parts of this beautiful monument were destroyed (including its famous spire). Although this fire was a heart breaking moment, it didn't manage to destroy the structure of the basilica. The French government approved the reconstruction of the damaged areas to make them look as similar as possible to the way they were before.

Since the fire, Notre-Dame has been closed for visits. When I went there, I remember this was one of the monuments where an entry fee was charged to almost every visitor - we paid around 14 EUR if I'm not mistaken. This entry fee is charged to go to the top of the cathedral. Visiting the church is free of charge for all visitors. This information was temporarily removed from their website since visits are not allowed at the moment.

Arc de Triomphe

Inaugurated in 1836 to honor the brave french soldiers that fought in the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, the Arc de Triomphe stands in the center of a roundabout, right on top of Champs Elisées. It is the second greatest triumph arch of the world, and you will for sure be amazed by its greatness when you see it live (I definitely was, I was surely not expecting something as big and detailed as this!). You have the possibility to go inside through one of the tunnels that go from the streets outside the roundabout, and climb all the way to the top. The arch has another great view of the city.

Entry is free of charge for visitors under 18 years old and EU visitors under 25 years old, and regular fees are 13 EUR. More fees can be checked here.

Palais Garnier

This place really left me breathless. If you've ever watched the movie Phantom Of The Opera, you will recognize this as the amazing Opera House that served as a scenario for this incredible movie.

The building is not only beautiful on the outside but also on the inside. Visitors are allowed to visit the opera room as long as there's no show going on, but also visit the surrounding rooms and the beautiful balcony on the second floor.

Reduced rates for young adults are 10 EUR, and the regular rate is 14 EUR. You can check more rates on their website.

Catacombs

These underground corridors are an ossuary today, that was built to help the overflowing cemeteries of Paris. It is today open to the public and a major attraction to tourists. After going down the 131 steps, you have a 1,5km way to walk within these corridors and appreciate this construction. They do have some recommendations for visitors that can be checked on their website, as well as the entrance fees (which are 14 EUR as full rate and 12 EUR as reduced rate).

Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou is one of the most interesting architectural structures you will find in Paris, as its carcass is made of coloured tubes and its escalator is on the outside of the building, going up across one of the walls. On the 6th floor, you will find another panoramic (and beautiful) view of the city.

On the inside, is home to the National Museum of Modern Art.

They have different rates depending on what you are planning to see, but all this information can be checked on their website.

Château de Versailles

This was the main royal home during the kingdom of Louis XIV, and is now one of the most sought out attractions in Paris. It is not located in the center, it is still a good train ride until you get there from central Paris - the best way is to catch the train RER C to Gare de Versailles and then it's a 10 minute walk until you arrive at the Château. The whole trip will take somewhere between 45 to 50 minutes, depending on where you're leaving from.

My favorite part about visiting the palace are the gardens: they go on for kilometers and are perfectly maintained, beautifully decorated with fountains and statues and lead to amazing buildings such as the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and the Hamlet of Queen Marie-Antoinette. There's a possibility to rent golf carts, segways and bicycles, which facilitate the walk around the garden as it can be quite exhausting.

If you are interested on the inside of the palace, you will be amazed by the Hall of Mirrors, which is the most famous room in the palace.

Visiting the Palace and gardens is free for visitors under 18 (or under 26 residing in the EU), and other rates start from 18 EUR.

Disneyland Paris

This is probably one of the main reasons people travel to Paris - the only Disney park in Europe! Just like Château de Versailles, it is further away from the city center: depending on where you start your trip from, you will take between 50 minutes to 1 hour to get to the park doors. The best way to get there is to catch the RER A until Gare de Marne la Vallée Chessy and then walk for about 15 minutes.

Tickets to the Disneyland Parks can be quite expensive: I was lucky enough to have been offered tickets from friends or family members, so I'm not exactly sure how much they could cost. They have different ticket combinations depending on how many parks you want to visit (they have two, the main Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studio Park), on how many days you would like to spend there, the season and so on. Their website has this information displayed, so by choosing the tickets you would like to purchase you will be shown the final value of your ticket.

Note: if you have the possibility to spend an extra 50 EUR per person (approximately) to buy a fast pass, I would recommend doing so as it will make your experience 100 times better.The most fun rides at both parks have fast pass - when you go to the entrance of the ride, you scan your fast pass ticket and you will receive a "fast pass ticket" to that ride saying something similar to "come to this ride between 10h00 and 10h45", and when you go to that ride at the specified time frame you will be relocated to a side queue and ride almost immediately. What I did was, right after arriving, go to all the rides I wanted to go to, take my fast pass tickets and afterwards I just relaxed, walked around, and headed to the rides at the time I was supposed to go. This made my experience much more enjoyable and stress free.

Both parks have a schedule of activities, such as character meet-and-greets, shows, parades and, of course, the famous Disney Stars on Parade, that features all the classic and also newest Disney characters in a super colorful and fun show, and The Spectacularly Sparkly Disney Illuminations show, which is a firework and lights show at the big palace.

My favorite rides were the Indiana Jones™ and the Temple of Peril, the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain at the Disneyland Park, and also the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, RC Racer and the Crush's Coaster. The last two are the only ones mentioned here that don't have Fast Pass tickets available - the queue for RC Racer was quite quick, however I was probably about 1 hour and a half queuing for Crush's Coaster, which was a bummer. However, it was one of my favorite rides, so if you have time and are a thrill fan I would definitely recommend waiting in line. All of these rides are quite adventurous and fast, but both parks are kid friendly and there are plenty of other rides that are more suitable for young kids or people who are not a speed fan like I am.

Be prepared to pay well to eat in the park, as the food there is quite expensive. But, good news, the park allows bringing food inside if you want to prevent paying a lot for meals or snacks. You can also bring your own water bottle and fill it inside the park.

There are also plenty (plentyyy) of souvenir stores in the park, where you can get costumes, t-shirts or even the famous Mickey and Minnie Mouse ear headpiece, which is what I got both times I went there. This headpiece can be quite painful after a few hours since the ends start digging in your scalp. I think my cousin didn't suffer as much as me, it might depend on your head shape (I'm not the best person to recommend this as I have a big head, ahah).

Fun fact: during opening hours, there is never more than one Mickey Mouse character, so visitors can have the illusion that the character is real and unique.

Paris is absolutely not limited to these places. Although these were the main things we visited, we also laid our eyes on the Pantheon, Pont Neuf, and many others. One of my ultimate favorite places, if you're into architecture and multiculturalism, is the Cité Universitaire. It is one of the most genius places I've seen.

The Cité is the student campus of the city, and the best thing about it is that it is a group of houses, where each house represents a country. Each house is designed with the style and architecture of the country it represents. For example, the British house has that classic English school look, and the Portuguese house is decorated with the classic Portuguese pavement.

The best thing about Cité Universitaire - the entry is free for anyone who wants to walk around and have a look.

Where to eat

Both times I traveled to Paris, I was a student, so eating a full meal out was not something I did except for one night, both times. We had dinner in Montmartre both times, however I don't recall the names of the restaurants.

Anyway, I would recommend trying the crepes and the macarrons. You can find plenty of stands in Paris street serving warm crepes with delicious toppings (personal favorite is Nutella, yum!) - Paris is very famous for this kind of cuisine. Macarrons are not something I really appreciate, but I heard that macarrons in Paris taste very different from macarrons anywhere else :)

We stopped a few times at a coffee shop by Notre-Dame that is called La Crêperie du Cloître - we had, again, some crepes with toppings and hot chocolate, and they tasted like heaven on that chilly day.

One of my favorite things in Paris was the scent (and taste!) of fresh baked bread. Every morning we would wake up and head to the bakery to get some baguettes and croissants, and yes, they live up to the hype - and these are the words of a Portuguese girl, in case you don't know, Portuguese bread is also one of the best in the world. In my opinion, heading to the bakery first thing in the morning is part of the true Parisian experience, so if you have the possibility to do this, you won't regret it!

In the end, Paris (and France in general) is really famous for its cuisine, so for sure it will not be hard to find some nice places to eat!

On my next visit to Paris

Although I had the chance to visit Paris twice, one week each time, I went with different people, so I ended up doing a lot of the same stuff (which I don't mind since the city is beautiful and every step is worth it). However, there are some places I would like to visit the next time I go there:

Grand Palais;
Petit Palais;
Palais Royal;
Enjoy more gardens such as Jardins de Tuileries, Jardin de Luxembourg and Coulée Verte René-Dumont;
Have a longer walk around Montmartre to truly appreciate its ambiance.

As you can see, this is a massive city with many things to do, many places to visit and many dishes to appreciate.

It is definitely a trip that you will need to save money for, especially if you are into cultural attractions such as museums - not that they are that expensive, but they are so many and it will be hard to choose which ones to leave out.

Overall, I think Paris is charming and, even though it might have suffered from globalization (as you will be able to see when you go there), you can still feel its classic essence and enjoy the many things this city has to offer.