3 steps for a stress-free trip to Paris

19th February 2017

so many books have already been written about this beautiful city, so many songs, so many posts and photos one can find on the internet. Yet, millions of people come to this magnificent city EVERY YEAR in order to find their own Paris.

Paris is a city of love, art and tourists! :)

Below you may find 3 easy steps for the stress-free first trip to Paris:

1. neighborhoods

When I planed my first trip to Paris, first of all I checked where to stay. I would say, it’s one of the most important points.

Good to know:

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (neighbourhoods).
The neighborhoods are counting in a spiral from the center, which is district #1, to the outside of the city.

I stayed in the neighbourhood called Le Marais (district #3rd/#4th) at the Hotel Caron.

It was a right choice. The Hotel Caron was a nice three star hotel, with helpful staff, compact, but nicely organised rooms, simple, but fresh breakfast and great location. I would defiantly recommend this district for everyone, who is visiting Paris for the first time. It’s an absolutely charming area, which is centrally located and has nice attractions around.

Some attractions at the Le Marais neighbourhood:

Centre Des Monuments Nationaux
The Centre Pompidou
Opera Bastille
Place de la Bastille
The Hotel de Ville
Picasso National Museum and others

In addition, Notre-Dame de Paris and Louvre Museum are just a few minutes by subway or taxi. I actually walked to them from the hotel. It took around 30 min, but gave me an opportunity to discover streets and places around the neighbourhood. Le Marais is also perfect for shopping, because its streets are full of small boutiques and nice shopping mall located next to the Hotel de Ville. Moreover, there are a lot of cosy cafes and restaurants.

Coffee break at one of the charming cafes in Paris

Another nice neighbourhood for staying is St. Germain (district #6).

I haven’t stayed there, but visited and really liked it. It’s located on the Left Bank of the river Seine, and has character, style and amazing architecture. You may find interesting shops and famous restaurants there.

The location is also convenient for walking to Notre-Dame de Paris, the Louvre Museum, the Musée d’Orsay as well as The Jardin du Luxembourg.

Where NOT to stay:

Outside of the 20 main neighborhoods;
Close to the airport;
Next to a certain attraction (transportation system and taxi services are good, plus main attractions are full of tourists);
Close to the Eiffel Tower because the prices for hotels and apartments are way too expensive, moreover, Eiffel Tower can be seen from all around the city;
At, around or close by to Champs-Elysees because it’s overload by tourists. Definitely worth visiting, but the worst place for staying.

2. Transportation and Food

French, I think, have a special attitude to food. It’s an art and passion for them.

They are very thorough in the matter of cooking. Everything should be proper: ingredients, cooking method, the way it looks and how it’s served.

You will have a wide choice of restaurants and cafes all around the city, and most of them have an excellent food.

My favourite restaurant in the St. Germain district was L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. The restaurant has two Michelin Stars ** and recommended by Gault Millau and Zagat guides as a proof of the excellent quality and delicious cuisine.

Transportation system gives a lot of possibilities for moving around the city.

Subway – is a good option, but a bit confusing for me because of the language. There is an App called “Paris Metro Map”, which will help you to find correct lines and trains.
Bicycle – always a great idea to see the city in summer, especially on weekends when some of the roads along the river are closed for cars and used only for driving bicycles and walking.

There is a great bicycle renting system called Velib. It’s available 24/7 and allows you to take and leave bicycles from any of 1800 bike stations located every 300 meters all around the city. There is a short-term subscription: 1-day ticket for 1.70 € and 7-day ticket for 8 €.

Taxi – I used only Uber during my trip to Paris. It was comfortable, safe and fast service.
Renting a car – also a nice option if you like to drive. There is a renting system for cars, called Autolib’. It is an electric car sharing service. In addition, there is also an App for smartphone called Autolib.

3. Attractions

How many attractions you can visit depends on how long you’ll stay in Paris.

Each museum will take at least 4 hours for exploring.
The Notre-Dame de Paris may take a bit less, but it will depend how big queue will be for visiting the top and inside of the cathedral.
The Louvre Museum as well as a trip to Versalles will take a whole day.
If you want to visit Disneyland Paris, it will also take a day.

Details, useful information and travel tips for Disneyland Paris you may find in the article -> DISNEYLAND PARIS – MAGIC IS REAL

The Eiffel Tower is the most visited attraction in the world, and obviously, always overcrowded with tourists, so you should be ready to spend a couple of hours in the queue.
Spare one of the nights for a cabaret. There are two main cabarets in Paris – Crazy Horse and Moulin Rouge.