It’s almost been 4 years since SGDF and I went to Paris during our Christmas vacation. We are heading back there soon (actually on the same exact dates) so I wanted to relive that trip to inspire this upcoming adventure.
Things to remember and look out for:
- For those under 26 years old, look for youth reduced fares at attractions
- Head to Madeline to find discounted musical tickets at the red ticket booth
- Similar to Rome, wander the side streets and away from the touristy areas to find amazing, cheap food
- Buy advanced tickets to the Eiffel Tower to avoid waiting in the queue, it is the same price online anyways!
- The metro will be your best friend, you can get an all-day pass or a carte (10 tickets, a bit discounted)
- Always be careful of pickpockets, especially on the metro (to that pickpocket, hope you enjoyed that map you stole)
The Day after Christmas 2012
Second Day
We stumbled upon a local boulangerie by Victor Hugosquare where I immediately went in to get croissants and a cafe au lait. There really is something magical about the croissants in Paris.
We headed to the Arc de Triomphe and went up to the top. Although this isn’t my favorite view of Paris, I think it is still worth going up to see the Champs-Elysees and the avenues. I love that it is also close to Laudree and Pierre Hermes where I ended up splurging on macarons.
We took the metro to Ile de la Cite, one of the two natural islands in Paris where the Notre Dame is located. I recommend taking some time to explore this area and near Pl Dauphine, and pack a picnic to eat on the stairs of the Notre Dame. There is usually a pretty long line to get inside Notre Dame, but it moves quickly.
After exploring the Notre Dame, we walked across Pont Notre Dame to Le Marais and the Hotel de Ville. The hotel looks like it should be in a Hallmark Christmas card with the packed ice skating rink and beautiful Christmas decorations.
We headed back to the Airbnb to get ready for a night activity that SGDF booked. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the best time management. I was so confused why he was panicking and just couldn’t call the venue to let them know we were running behind. Made sense when I found out the surprise activity was a dinner cruise on Bateaux Parisiens. We bolted down the streets of Paris and luckily we made it. After catching our breath, we looked up and enjoyed the views. We both agreed it was worth it to see Paris from a different perspective.
We walked along the quai to Pont Alexandre and towards the Champs-Elysees where we saw the Grand Palais (a fancy ice skating rink with colorful lights). We continued on to the Avenue of Champs-Elysees where there were Christmas stands and decorations. The Californian in me got so excited since this felt like that “white Christmas” I would only get going to Tahoe. We spent the rest of the night at the Place de la Concorde and just watched the huge ferris wheel with the other Christmas goers.
Third Day
We attempted to go to the Eiffel Tower mid-morning, but the queue was too long. We later found out we should have bought tickets beforehand or go at opening hour. We continued our quest to eat as many croissants and then headed to Ecole Militaire, which is the military school, and then to Musee de Larmee. We decided not to go inside this trip but the building itself is worth visiting.
We walked towards the Assemblee Nationale and continued on the Boulevard Saint Germain des Pres, one of my favorite streets to explore. We stumbled upon Cuisine de Bar (8 Rue du Cherche-Midi) for lunch and ordered tartines and soup. This must have been a good spot since Ina Garden, from Food Network, and her husband came in to eat lunch as well. It was great to see someone onscreen act the same way offscreen. She was just as friendly and personable as she is on Barefoot Contessa. They were just chatting about New Years Eve and if he wanted his favorite chocolate cake.
After lunch, we went out to explore the area and then headed to Eglise de Saint Germain des Pres, one of the oldest churches in France. We randomly stumbled upon Eglise Saint Sulpice, which became one of my favorite churches because of the architecture and gorgeous fountain.
We continued our afternoon stroll towards the Jardins de Luxembourg. We explored the gardens until closing time where the guards were literally escorting people out. I made a mental note that this would be my spot to read a book and relax one afternoon. All the walking finally took a toll so we headed to Montparnasse and searched for Creperie Josselin (it took a long time for us to find since we couldn’t remember the street name). Try one of their savory crepes and get there right when they open at 6PM!
We started to walk towards the Pantheon and to Le Quartier Latin. Our Airbnb host recommended a spot to eat in this area which seemed popular with the locals and students. We ate at Les Pipos at Place la Rue and had duck confit, veal stew, and creme brulee (it was meh, but everything else was terrific and affordable). Some of the highlights included: the cutest pug, nice french couple who helped us translate the menu, and live music. We will have to try Youlin (French/Japanese) at 3 Rue Valette next time.
Fourth Day
We started the day by going to Sacre Coeur via Abbesses stop (warning: take the elevators if you don’t want to walk up a long flight of stairs). This place reminded me of the Spanish Steps in Rome with all the tourists and aggressive street vendors. However, we found a somewhat quiet spot and enjoyed the one sunny day.
We didn’t spend too much time in Montmartre area since we wanted to explore the Louvre, including Place du Louvre and Pont des Arts (bridge with all the love locks). We caved and paid 3 euros for a lock from a street vendor. We randomly got dinner recommendations from some locals who were offering advice for 20 cents. We then hung out at the Jardin de L’oratorie before going to Madeline, another favorite since they have a live orchestra playing.
We timed it and arrived at the Eiffel Tower to queue (ended up taking an hour) to see the city at dusk. We took our time exploring each level of the Eiffel Tower and also to catch our breath from climbing all the stairs. It was hard not to stare off into the Paris city lights.
We decided to go to one of the restaurants recommended by the guys on the bridge and had dinner at Le Petit Saint Benoit (4 Rue Saint-Benoît). I still remember the food and the amazing, authentic french experience. You place your order on a napkin and sit in this crowded dining room with strong aromas of butter and wine. We ordered the bone marrow, pate of the day, special dish (seared scallops), and beef bolognese. Don’t forget to bring cash to this place. We slept like babies after that meal.
Fifth Day
This was our travel day so we didn’t have a lot of time. We decided to meet up with one of our friends from Erasmus. We met him and got coffee at the Place des Vosges, a gorgeous plaza where the aristocrats and politicians live. It was great to see a familiar face in a “new” city and get his perspective about Paris. Afterwords, we packed our bags to head back to Spain. Until next time!
Across Oceans & Travels 