It was after 11pm when I’d finally got our daughter to sleep. Sitting at my study desk under the yellow lamplight, memories of Europe come back in flashes… Five years ago on that same summer trip to Switzerland when it was just Derek and I, with the Alps in the background and our suitcases not yet stuffed with diapers and diapersacks. And, about ten years ago on my very first European trip, when I swore up and down I’d never visit France without my soulmate. “The lavender fields of Provence,” I told my childhood friend, “I will only visit France with my one and only.” Ah, god, you are so kind to me. You granted me the dearest person in my life. But you also took ten long years to let us finally hold hands under moonlight by the Seine.
This time in year 2025, we decided to hop on a trip in France together!
Paris: First Impressions
I’ve found the French romanticism I’d once heard so much about from former coworkers to be entirely genuine. For an entire year, my French co-worker would lavish me with compliments on my outfits during meetings, bond over the most random travel scams with full-on candor, and casually mention that his nanny was “both efficient and sexy” with the added hand gestures. I was shocked at the time. And only years later, when he told me he’d been laid off but was getting 18 months of unemployment (75% of his former salary for the first year), did I understand. He was just so chill because he had more than enough time.
As for me, I’ve been daydreaming for ages about how to feel watching the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night, strolling the Louvre with Mona Lisa as a sidekick, and being dazed by fresh bread in the air on rainy streets. I’d wondered about Baroque and Haussmann and Romanesque architecture. But for a long time, too many crime stories and scams about Paris had scared me off.
Getting Around Paris
Here’s the honest truth: Public transport in Paris is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s cheap. But it can be a bit much for tourists. Pickpocketing is a hazard. The major train stations can be grungy, chaotic.
Luckily, most of the attractions in central Paris are walkable. So, after a bit of research, we decided to mix walking and taxis—racking up more than 20,000 steps a day, and only flagging a car when our feet gave out.
📌 Paris Travel Tips:
- A Paris Pass is a no-go, unless you’re actually spending straight days at museums.
- Airport transfers will take at least an hour, even more if during rush hour/rail strike.
- Bolt is usually about 20% cheaper than Uber. Don’t go for rideshare signs at Terminal 1. Instead, take the Departures level at Terminal 2F, and text your driver your specific door number.
Paris: Where We Stayed
Safety and value are our priorities when it comes to booking hotels. This is how I refined my options:
- Stick to a safer arrondissement
- Avoid expensive hotels
- Use Booking.com to find hotels with less than €250/night with ratings over 8.5
- Avoid rooms directly in the middle of touristy neighborhoods, which are often more expensive
Balcony rooms come at a hefty premium
🛏️ Hotel Cervantes by HappyCulture (€172/night)
Cosy, charmingly French, and super friendly front desk
– Basic, but comfortable rooms
🛏️ Hotel de Neuve by HappyCulture (€280/night)
Totally in the heart of the Marais with shops/restaurants on every corner
– Room was tiny, barely space to open two suitcases
Paris Shopping & Tax Refund
Paris has a surprisingly good shopping scene outside of luxury boutiques. I ended up with a ridiculously comfortable pair of tights I bought in the metro station shop for €10!
🛍️ Shopping Highlights
- The Marais is my favorite for boutique shopping
- Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are the big ones, but both felt more overwhelming than amazing
- Tax refunds: 12% refunded to card, 10% for cash
- Tax refund counters are all on Departure Hall at CDG and are super easy to find
- Don’t save your shopping for the airport. Terminal 2E shops were pretty underwhelming
3 Days in Paris – Day 1: Bonjour, Paris (and the Rain)
After a 14-hour Air France flight with no working onboard Wi-Fi, no interesting new movies, thank you very much Angry Birds for getting me through.
Customs was painless. And against my expectations, amazingly fast. We spent the night by the airport, and snagged one of the hotel balconies so we could glimpse the Paris sunset. Stunning, but not for long. Cold temperatures quickly descended as soon as the sun disappeared.
Arc de Triomphe to Eiffel Tower Walk
Jetlag had us up bright and early, so we left bags at our city hotel and started walking Champs-Élysées toward the Eiffel Tower. The streets were desolate, cold, and gray. Shops were shuttered. The wind stung through our coats.
We stopped for a crêpe at a street corner café. It was not good. But as we lingered, the clouds receded more and more until finally—blue skies.
Reaching Debilly Footbridge, we could see a crowd up ahead. The Eiffel Tower loomed into view—towering and impressive as always. People were snapping selfies from every angle, trying to cash in on the day.
⚠️ Heads up for scams: You’ll be approached by people trying to get you to sign fake petitions, donate to fake charities, and just be street hustled generally around the tower. Be careful.
Dinner Cruise on the Seine
We reserved a dinner cruise with Parisien Cruises (€250 for 2, panoramic table). Reviews were a mixed bag, and many said it wasn’t worth it—and they’re right. The food was basic, the seats were tight, the service was spotty.
But you know what?
We loved it.
The drizzle on the glass lent a soft, romantic blur to the glow of the buildings. It felt like floating through a living painting as we drifted past historic bridges, ornate facades, and the lush Champs-Élysées.
3 Days in Paris – Day 2: Spring Comes to Paris
I put on another layer after the day before’s chill, but the weather turned bright and sunny. We continued walking toward the Louvre, picking up a pastry along the way at Paul Bakery.
Paris was wide awake. People were hanging in the park, watching cherry blossoms dance in the breeze. Spring felt in the air.
Louvre Museum
We booked the 9am entry online. Entry was quick and even with an early slot, there were still lines to wait in.
🎨 Don’t over-plan. Snag a map, wander at your own pace, and rent the audio guide if you want more context.
Whether it’s Venus de Milo or Mona Lisa, every room has jaw-dropping artistry. But the museum itself, from the lighting to the layout to even the ceilings, is art.
“How come everyone loves the Mona Lisa?” my husband asked. “Isn’t that a boring painting?” I don’t know. Sometimes, fame needs a little mystery…and good PR.
Lunch at Le Violon d’Ingres (Michelin)
📍 135 Rue Saint-Dominique
€160 each for an elevated three-course meal. My husband called this the best meal of the trip. I had a hard time with the pigeon dish, but it was expert service and plating to the max.
Paris: Afternoon Wandering (Gardens & Galleries)
We walked through Tuileries Garden and saw people relaxing in those classic green chairs, and so I decided to do the same as well . We also passed by Place de la Concorde. Everywhere I looked, Paris felt like a movie scene.
We later browsed Galeries Lafayette (a bit chaotic) and walked to the rooftop terrace, a gorgeous place to see the city skyline and a distant Eiffel Tower.
3 Days in Paris – Day 3: A Quiet Sunday in Paris
We had cherry blossoms at Les Halles on our agenda this morning. But Paris had other plans. Cold winds returned. Clouds rolled in. The city seemed shut down.
And that’s when we realized a harsh Paris truth: Sundays are dead. Most shops are shut. Markets are limited. We wandered for some time before finding a mediocre café to grab brunch—nothing special, but at least it was open.
The stark difference from the day before was dramatic. The previous day was Spring. Sunday was Winter redux.
Final Thoughts
Paris is not perfect. The weather is fickle. There are scams. And everything is more expensive than you think. But for all that, it’s a place that stays with you.
Was it the art, the beauty of it all? The rain softly tapping on the roof of our boat? Or just the simple, tranquil happiness of holding hands and walking? Paris was magical in its own way.
My husband and I had time alone, while our daughter slept back home. We had time to reconnect not only as parents but as two people who love each other and the world we’re seeing together.
Have you been to Paris? Was it everything you dreamed? Something totally different? I’d love to hear your story, too—comment below.
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