Top Places to Visit in Paris
Bonjour!!
PARIS– just a mention of the word is enough to get goosebumps rolling through the body and the air get filled with excitement. Yes – and that’s exactly what I am going to talk about and take you to see this beautiful destination – all through my eyes.
I always had this trip on my mind right from
my childhood. It’s indeed, the most romantic and picturesque city!
One can do lot of things in this city….it has something for everyone. Shopping in the stores, trying macaroons, exploring roman architecture, wandering around the French gardens – a perfect place.
We started our journey on a weekend and took a direct flight from Mumbai to Paris. After a day long flight, all I was looking forward was to have a light dinner and crash to bed – there was a lot in store to be explored the next day and I wanted to build up my energy to absorb it to the maximum. The very first observation was the bright Sun still shining while I was getting under my blankets at 10 @ night….
The City tour started early in the morning after typical French breakfast – Croissants, fruits, multigrain bread, brown eggs and milk - which was no-where near what an Indian breakfast is like.
We hopped on to out bus and headed straight towards our very first & the most sought after destination - “The Eiffel Tower. You haven’t been to Paris if you haven’t seen the magnificent Eiffel Tower.
Eiffel Tower:
It was a lifetime experience for me. The closer you get to the structure, the bigger it gets. The famous metallic structure is a true engineering marvel with a touch of modern art. No wonder it is one of the Seven-Wonders of the world. The tower has primarily 3 levels where visitors can climb up to and take pictures with the splendid city in the background. There are high speed lifts to take you to each level. The higher you go, the costlier it gets. All the 3 levels give you a 360 degree bird eye’s view of this circular city. We decided to visit all the three floors as I did not wanted to miss any bit of this iconic architect. Starting from the 1st floor which has a transparent floor - yes you can walk on this glass floor, there is ample space to move around, take coffee and even lighten up in washrooms.
One can do lot of things in this city….it has something for everyone. Shopping in the stores, trying macaroons, exploring roman architecture, wandering around the French gardens – a perfect place.
We started our journey on a weekend and took a direct flight from Mumbai to Paris. After a day long flight, all I was looking forward was to have a light dinner and crash to bed – there was a lot in store to be explored the next day and I wanted to build up my energy to absorb it to the maximum. The very first observation was the bright Sun still shining while I was getting under my blankets at 10 @ night….
The City tour started early in the morning after typical French breakfast – Croissants, fruits, multigrain bread, brown eggs and milk - which was no-where near what an Indian breakfast is like.
We hopped on to out bus and headed straight towards our very first & the most sought after destination - “The Eiffel Tower. You haven’t been to Paris if you haven’t seen the magnificent Eiffel Tower.
Eiffel Tower:
It was a lifetime experience for me. The closer you get to the structure, the bigger it gets. The famous metallic structure is a true engineering marvel with a touch of modern art. No wonder it is one of the Seven-Wonders of the world. The tower has primarily 3 levels where visitors can climb up to and take pictures with the splendid city in the background. There are high speed lifts to take you to each level. The higher you go, the costlier it gets. All the 3 levels give you a 360 degree bird eye’s view of this circular city. We decided to visit all the three floors as I did not wanted to miss any bit of this iconic architect. Starting from the 1st floor which has a transparent floor - yes you can walk on this glass floor, there is ample space to move around, take coffee and even lighten up in washrooms.
Visit this site for rates http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/preparing-your-visit/rates-and-visiting-conditions
We then headed up to 2nd level
Finally, if you are adventurous enough, I would highly recommend visiting the top level of the tower. It cost around 25 € per person and you should have some patience to stand in a long queue.
Its gives you a stunning view of
the city. Priceless!
Stepping out from the tower we
then took Big Bus hop and hop bus tour which covered the other major
attractions. We had already booked online tickets from https://www.bigbustours.com/en/paris/red-classic-route-paris/.
This is the largest operator of open-top bus sightseeing tours in the world. We
bought a Classic ticket costing around 31.5 € per person. You just
need to show the e-tickets, which can be downloaded on your handsets, to start
the tour.
What we covered next in the
French capital included Champ de
Mars, Opéra Garnier, The Louvre Museum, The Notre-Dame Cathedral, Musée d'Orsay
, Champs-Elysées , Grand Palais , Trocadéro
Champ de Mars:
It is a giant green park in front
of Eiffel tower. Good place to take pics of Eiffel tower or just lay down on
the grass.
Opéra Garnier:
This is the one of the largest opera
house in the Europe.
Things to do here ⬇️
✅ They had a restaurant L’OPÉRA RESTAURANT where you can enjoy
delicious French food.
✅ Near the Opera House, there is a boulevard which is the best place to go shopping in Paris.
✅ Near the Opera House, there is a boulevard which is the best place to go shopping in Paris.
The Louvre Museum:
This is the world’s largest
art museum and also known for the famous Mona Lisa painting. Best place for art
lovers. If you have less interest in seeing this museum you can just clicks
some pics at the pyramid.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral:
It is a medieval Catholic cathedral and Great of
place of art work.
Champs-Elysées:
Champs-Elysees which is the main shopping street in
Paris. It has luxury fashion stores, cafes, restaurants and theatres. Waking on
this street is really enjoyable even if you do window Shopping.
Another way to get connected to this
beautiful city is walk down the roads on your own. All you need to do is to
pick city map, mark destinations you want to cover and simply start walking
from Eiffel tower.
The closest to the tower is Alexander
Bridge which spans across Sienna River and provides a perfect backdrop for
photography. We continued walking thereafter and kept wandering from one
street to other looking at aesthetic architecture, luxury fashion brands,
beautifully flowered balconies. My search for exotic Berries finally
ended on one such streets which was full of fruit shops stacked with colourful
varieties. Although cost is a little on the higher side, but, WOW is the only
word that comes out the moment you pop in fat & juicy cherries,
apricots and plums! The fresh exotics were also energy boosters and we got back
on our feet for the want to explore more....
After roaming around a bit further, we
then headed back to the river front to witness the highlights of the evening in
Paris.
It was already 7 in the evening and though we were very tired, but I really did not want to miss the Sienna River cruise and Eiffel tower light show.
Sienna River cruise:
A must do ride! Cruising through the
romantic city, night view of Eiffel tower and the fresh air breezing through
the hair - is still fresh in my memories.
These are short rides which take you to
some famous landmarks such as Notre Dame and the Louvre. There are many
companies offering these rides. Price on an average ranges from 10-15
Euros for adults and 6 Euros for children.
Eiffel tower light show:
The "not to be missed" event
before calling the day off is the enchanting 10 mins light show. Every
night, every hour on the hour, the tower is covered in golden lights and
sparkles for five whole minutes while the Eiffel Tower’s beam lights up the
city. It’s an amazing experience and a perfect way to finish a day in Paris.
Paris Tips for Tourist:
- Carry a city map or download the map on your mobile in your preferred language.
- If you are a vegetarian, then ensure to pack some quick bites, energy bars and snacks.
- For ground transportation, Metro is a cheaper option compared to Cab. There are automated machines where you can select English as language of choice.
- Beware of pic pockets, especially at the Eiffel tower. Have a secured hand bag or back pack.
I hope my blog was useful to plan your
trip to Paris. Enjoy your Travel and do share your experiences.