Romantic Paris with Artsy Indulgence

The Plan

Ah Paris, the city of lights! This was certainly true when we traveled there during the holiday season! After celebrating Christmas with our families in Toronto, Milan and I flew to Paris on December 26th to spend a better half of a week soaking up the Parisian culture via the history, the food, the arts and of course the wine!

I've put together my trip planning process in the hopes it makes your travel planning less burdensome.

Our Flight

We booked our Air Canada flights 6 months in advance so we were able to upgrade to Air Canada's new Premium Economy offering on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner for a very reasonable price (which I highly recommend).

The Arrondissements of Paris

The city layout of Paris is set up as a spiralling circle, and each broken up into segments know as arrondissements. The image below showcases the city layout in conjunction to famous landmarks, so that you can plan the best place to stay for your itinerary. Since this was Milan and my first time in Paris, we chose to stay in the 7th arrondissements near the Eiffel Tower, Hotel Invalides & Rue Cler (beautiful cobblestone market street) and within walking distance to many fantastic museums.

Accommodation Research

There are many different places to stay in Paris, you can live like a local with airbnb or book a hotel with a stunning view. Just know one thing about Paris, if you stay in a hotel your room will expensive and it will be small. Unless you are wildly rich of course. You'll want to stay closer to the downtown core, which is safer and you will be spending more time enjoying and less time commuting. Situating yourself close to the Metro will allow you to get around the city with ease.

Getting Around

Side note on train traveling in Paris: I have to say that with a little bit of research ahead of time, it is super easy to get around Paris. We debated getting a metro pass, but decided against it as we planned to walk a lot (and cab when in a rush) and would really only take the train to Versailles (zone 5). This worked out for our travel-style. We ended up taking a cab whenever we had luggage as it was difficult to carry up the stairs in the metros...especially since I brought two large suitcases and a hefty carry on...no, I have not quite mastered the art of "less is more" in the packing department, but in my defence, how can one pack light in one of the fashion capitals of the world?!?

The Paris Museum Pass

If you love art galleries and museums, but despise waiting in line, the Paris Museum Pass offers a convenient solution that will save you money & time. You have the choice of purchasing the pass for 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days. We ordered ours online and had it delivered to Canada before our trip began, but there are various places you can buy the pass including Charles de Gualle or Orly airports that allow you to ship the pass directly to your hotel (for a fee). You will get to bypass the lineup at most museums with this pass (i.e. The Louvre, Notre Dame, Musée D'Orsay) . However, there are some iconic spots (i.e. Palais Versailles) where you will still need to wait in line unfortunately.

Essential French

The Parisians are flattered when you at least try to speak their romantic language, it demonstrates your appreciation for their culture. Be sure to slip in a few of the following phrases, where applicable, and they locals will be very appreciative:

Bonjour - hello

S’il vous plaît - please

Merci - thank you

Excusez moi - excuse me / sorry

Pardon - pardon me / sorry

Je m'appelle.... - My name is...

Bon journée - good day

For more essential French phrases and an audio samples of the correct pronunciation, be sure to check out this site.

Relevant Apps

Paris Guide - ($3.99) all offline information about the city of lights

Tripcase - a great place to store all of your reservations, tours & confirmation numbers taht you can pull up offline

Google Translate - In the event you need to ask a question, this can be a lifesaver

Daily Art - which features artwork and the stories behind the impressionist masterpieces from the Musée D'Orsay

Louvre HD Free - gives you a sneak peek into the galleries, so that you can further appreciate seeing them in real life

Off We Go

Paris

Where we Stayed

Hotel du Cadran

Cost: $165€+/night (approx)

Pros: Breakfast included (continental buffet), location is fantastic, Daniel Mercier macaroon & chocolate shop on site in the lobby, had a small refrigerator in the room to keep fresh fruits, cheese and wine cold (we took FULL advantage of this), modern design

Cons: Teeny tiny "petite" room, breakfast couldn't compete with the delicacies on Rue Cler, nowhere to really eat in the room

Review: It was perfect for what we were looking for, and we were welcomed in our room with a beautiful box of macaroons complimentary from the hotel, ooooh la la! they were absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious

TIP:Before you start your day, be sure to leverage the hotel's wifi so you can take screen caps of any necessary google maps that you will need to access offline (unless you have invested in a European mobile plan)

What We Did

Rue Cler

First stop, was one block from our hotel, the wonderful little market street known as Rue Cler. We found a little pâtisserie, Artisan Boulanger Pattissier, where we devoured our first croissants. I opted for a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) and within minutes I had a giant smile on my face and was covered in flaky pastry pieces, (as well as surrounded by plump, well-fed pigeons ready to clean up after me)! Every ‘breaditarian’s” dream! We continued down the charming Rue Cler and got familiar with the local boulangerie, fromagerie and vin shops.

Palais Versailles

We departed the train and found ourselves in the heart of Versailles. For some reason, I thought I would walk out of the station staring at a palace, but I walked out onto a pleasant cobble-stoned street, that faced a Starbucks. Once we navigated the touristy train station area, we walked down a pathway that led us to Le Palais Versailles.

TIP: We had decided to purchase the Paris Museum Pass for 4 consecutive days days, which is worthwhile, not only for the cost savings, but also for the line bypass it offers at MOST of its museums. Versailles' cost was covered by the Museum pass, but it was NOT included in the line bypass list, so we had to wait in a long (long doesn't even begin to describe it) line....a small part of me died when I saw the length of the line, but another part of me smiled at the fact that we had with us something that would help us ease the blow and potentially "enjoy" the line (in the bitter cold). This something, was actually a combination of two things 1) Milan had bought me these awesome bluetooth headphones / ear warmers; and 2) Rick Steeves audio podcasts (ok secret: I'm an audiobook / podcast nerd and HIGHLY RECOMMEND equipping yourself with pre-downloaded material before you set out on your trip). Milan and I simultaneously hit play, wearing our matching headphones (the people around us were probably gagging in hindsight, but we were loving life).

A full hour and a half later, we made our way through all of the Rick Steeves' podcast on Versailles and had taken 50+ selfies in front of the castle. We learned that Louis the 14th was the first king in France to say, "I don't want to roam around France, I want to set up shop in a castle and live the good life". Luckily this worked out for him because the people loved him and was known as the Sun God whom everything he touched turned to gold...however, rich kid syndrome (ok, not a real thing, but should be) kicked in and when his decedent Louis 16th was in power, he married Marie Antoinette (re: Let them eat cake)...they stopped ruling altogether and rather focused on living lavish lifestyles while the poor starved. This led to the revolution. Yet the castle and abundant gardens remain and are maintained to provide a small glimpse into their living quarters.

It was great to walk into this setting with this information, as it really set the tone for how we took in the space. It is truly a beautiful place (watch out: it is also a crowded space, be sure to have secure purse as you may be pressed up against a few people for a duration of time, particularly when you are viewing the thrones).

There are well-executed 3D renderings of the palace and videos of the space, glorious art is hung on the walls (so much wonderful art). you will never be bored. Every orifice of the space was slathered in opulence! Truly stunning! A must see for sure.

We ended up being too cold to venture out into the gardens, but stopped to take a few pictures. We vowed to come back one day and fully appreciate the vast outdoor space, which is arguably more superior to the indoor space.

We left felling truly cultured and in need of something to satiate our hunger. As we walked back to the train station, we stumbled on the quaintest little skating rink (as a childhood figure skating, I LOVE THIS!). We had to grab a sneak peek. All lit up in white lights the space was out of a movie (although too small of a rink to be a dream in a figure skating movie). Milan and I smiled at this sweet setting and saw that they sold crepes and mulled wine...and so it was...we purchased our crepes. Afterwards, we headed back on the train and Milan, who is much more directionally sound than I, mapped out a route to the Latin Quarter. We wanted to check this part of town out and meet up a local friend.

Where we Ate

Le Petite Cler

Hours: 8am -11:30pm (daily)

We enjoyed brunch here, while we waited for our hotel room and we were fully transported into the Parisian way of life (and are now fully spoiled as a result). Everything tasted so fresh, so interesting and different. Great people-watching spot too.

Favorite dish: 3-piece cheese platter

O Chateau

Hours: 12pm - 9pm (daily - open until 10pm on Friday & Saturday)

A wine bar and restaurant, where they also offer experiences & wine education. I surprise Milan, by booking The Wine Tasting Dinner (99€/pp), where they served up a four different wines (1 sparkling, 1 wine & 2 reds) from various regions paired with a different courses off a prix fixe menu. Upon arrival, we were led downstairs to a beautiful wine cellar with a long table that could easily sit 40 people. The group was rather small and intimate, which I preferred, there were about 15 of us total and included people from all over the world: Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Canada & US. Our sommelier was phenomenal, he led the session in English, taught us about the various wine regions of France, the food and the wines were fantastic, the session was interactive and leisurely.

Favourite Wine: L’effrontée Côtes du Roussillon Grenache Blanc

TIP:The Champagne, Loire, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Languedoc regions are hours away, if you do not have the time for an actual wine tour, this is an excellent alternative to get a great cross-section of wines along with some wine education within the city. If you do you have time for a tour O Chateau offers tours as well! And to top it off you can buy wine on site too!

TIP:There is a Paris Pass that may be worth your while and includes amazing experiences at O Chateau. Information on the pass here. Information on the O Chateau tours included here.