Paris is an amazing place, known for its fantastic architecture, beautiful landscapes, world-famous museums, and the Eiffel Tower, it's no wonder Paris is known as the City of Love!
48 is not quite enough time experience everything in this beautiful Parisian metropolis, but for those only looking for a weekend getaway to the City of Love, I've put together a list of some of the more notable, worthy things of interest and where to stay.
Arriving at the City Centre
When you fly into Paris, it's straightforward enough for you to arrive in the city centre from the airport!
The moment you pass immigration you'll immediately see a lot of ticket machines, these machines are self-service for buying bus tickets to Paris. I recommend taking the bus as it's a fast, convenient, cheaper option. Don't worry about the language barrier as all of the machines have an English option, if you are having any trouble, there is a service representative desk just across from the machines (pre-booking is not necessary).
You also have the choice of train, there is a service that goes directly into the airport and brings you to the city centre, because this is the most popular choice amongst travellers, you can expect it to be full and somewhat cramped.
Do not take a taxi outside the airport, the city centre is far! (roughly 1 hour) and Paris is no different than any other airport in the world, there will be tons of taxis outside, just hoping to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists.
Where to Stay
Paris can be extremely expensive to stay in, it really depends on what you want! I have had the good fortune to visit this city on more than one occasion, getting to experience this city with and without money, so I can recommend one hostel and one hotel for you to consider.
The Generator Hostel is perfect for two nights in Paris, they have dorms for as cheap as 20 euros per night and privates for 80, the hostel itself is modern and has a hipster vibe about it. It's excellently located within walking distance of Colonel Fabien metro station and Gare du Nord train station.
Hotel The Originals Paris Maison Montmartre is another excellently located hotel, that is in a prime location for getting out exploring the beautiful Parisian streets, I was pleasantly surprised with this hotel as it has everything you could want or need with a great rooftop terrace to top it off! What comes across as sleek modern and luxurious is also relatively cheap at roughly 100 euros per night.
How to Get Around
For exploring Paris you should use the metro, you can buy multi-day passes, it's so much more convenient for you, as all of the places mentioned here will have a metro station nearby, including both the hotel and hostel.
My advice for using the metro in Paris, be careful! For non-native French speakers, it can feel intimidating at first sight but don't worry, all of the ticket machines have different language options, and it's very easy to find a colour coded map which you should use if need be.
Do not hop on to the metro and hope to get lucky, you are sure to get lost in this huge city if you choose to do so.
You also have the choice of bus or taxi, but the cheaper and least intimidating option of the trio is the metro system.
Where to Eat
You have some really amazing options for some of the best eats in all of Europe in Paris! And some not so great! But here we will be taking a look at the latter, with some of the best fine dining, cabaret dinners, cheap eats and local French cuisine!
Here are some of the most fantastic restaurants offering delicious cuisine sure to delight your taste buds.
Alfio is a small cosy cafe very near the Eiffel Tower, serving up fantastic food that isn't going to empty your wallet, considering the location, hospitality, and food, this is a great place to relax and enjoy some of those amazing french croissants.
La Cantine Fabien is located in close vicinity of the Generator Hostel, so this would a great choice if you chose to stay in this hostel or area. The food and drink are delicious, with a wide selection of options from traditional French food like cuisses de grenouilles, escargot to more general European eats like pizza, hamburgers and steaks. The best thing I found to be was the generally cheaper menu in comparative with other nearby establishments.
L'As du Fallafel is quite the charming middle eastern restaurant! This place is a magnet to tourists and Parisians alike, this small restaurant is constantly busy with huge lines of people queuing up outside hoping to eat something other than French food! You can find typical middle eastern foods like falafel, kebabs and shawarma.
Auberge Nicolas Flamel is a fantastic place to eat for those who are looking to have a fine dining experience in Paris and not break the bank! This one of the few fine dining restaurants in Paris serving up amazing food for average costs. Situated inside an old historic building with beautiful architecture, this proves to be a very unique experience.
Things to Do
With this city being so huge and you only having 2 days in it, I recommend you rise early to explore Paris and try to witness the many amazing things it has to offer!
I have listed the most notable things worth seeing and doing just below, if you would like to know exactly how I recommend you see and do all of these activities in two days, I have summarized it at the bottom of this article for your convenience.
Though I do recommend you to rise early and start your adventure, I have not crowded this list with a hundred different things for you to see and do, if you rush around and don't take the time to enjoy the things on things on this list, you will find your weekend getaway won't be so enjoyable!
Notre Dame
Sadly this was first on my list of things to see and do in Paris! It's a tragedy what happened here very recently! This famous 12th-century gothic cathedral will be out of commission for quite some time, I imagine for many years to come.
Paris Catacombs
What has turned into inspiration for big-budget Hollywood films like As Above as Below and Catacombs, this location is sure to chill your bones with its eerie and haunting atmosphere.
The Catacombs are a massive network of tunnels beneath the city of Paris, which are home to more than six million bones of people who were buried here, during the 18th and 19th century.
It is known to be the biggest graveyard in the world, spanning hundreds of miles long, although most of it is restricted, you can take a tour in a small section of this giant burial site.
Eiffel Tower
A must visit for first timers to Paris, this iconic monument is a spectacular sight to behold!
As this is one of the most famous monuments in all of the world, arguably the most famous! This place is plagued with thousands upon thousands of visitors every day, if you want to visit the top and take in some amazing views of The City of Love you absolutely need to need to pre-book it!
If you value what precious time you have in this romantic city you should spend a little extra cash to skip the huge lines, you can book an e-ticket online and choose your preferred time, if you don't do this it's a guarantee that most of your day will be spent in line for this hugely popular tourist attraction.
Louvre Museum
Paris is home to multiple world-renowned, famous landmarks and the Louvre is not only one of them, but it is also the largest museum that can be found anywhere world.
The Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Lamassu, the Raft of the Medusa and thousands more of priceless pieces of art. This museum is a hugely popular historic monument located in central Paris, and also has one of the most recognisable landmarks in all of the world, the glass pyramid designed by I. M. Pei.
You could literally spend weeks trying to see everything in the amazing museum, but I think 2 hours would be adequate time for you to see and experience some of the more notable pieces of work on show.
Sacre De Coeur
This roman catholic cathedral is situated in the perfect location to take in some of the most amazing views of the city, a lot of tourists don't know this, but the top of the dome is open to the public and is the second highest point in Paris, the view is incredible.
You should visit in time to watch the sunset, it's sure to be a memory you'll take with you forever. I recommend that you stop off in a shop before you arrive and pick up a bottle of wine and some snacks to enjoy while you take in the amazing scenery, it's one of the most romantic things you can do in Paris that is absolutely free!
You'll find a lot of tourists and Parisians sitting on the steps taking in the views and having a glass of wine, so you won't be alone if you choose to do so.
Moulin Rouge
The most famous cabaret to be found anywhere in the world! If you look at the reviews it's definitely a mixed bag with opinions ranging for terrible to world-class!
However I do think it is worth a visit, and the show is very enjoyable, you have the option to arrive early for a dinner and after see the show, but I can't speak for the food as I have not tried it for myself, but I have seen a lot of comments and reviews saying it's very pricey for the quality of food that you do receive.
The show itself is also a little on the expensive side but it's definitely worth it, as the show makes a lasting impression that you are guaranteed to never forget.
Champs Elysees
One of the most famous avenues in the world that goes straight through the heart of Paris! There are multiple tourist attractions and landmarks throughout with Arc de Triomphe being the most popular.
The entire way is littered with bars, restaurants, shops and hotels. I strongly recommend walking, if possible, between The Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe, just to witness the sights, sounds and smells!
Quick Read Itinerary
I couldn't think of a better way to spend two days in Paris, if you could do everything on this list over the two days, it'll be a trip you will never forget!
Day 1.
Start early! 7 or 8 am.
Visit the Catacombs.
Go for lunch in Cafe Alfio.
Visit the Eiffel Tower.
Visit The Louvre and Champs Elysees.
Go for dinner at La Cantine Fabien and try the escargot!
Enjoy the nightlife!
Day 2.
Forget about the hangover, wake up and push through it!
Explore to beautiful parisian streets.
Be brave, try some middle eastern food and go for lunch at L'As du Fallafel!
Visit and spend the afternoon at Sacre De Coeur to take in some fantastic scenery and culture.
Go back to the hotel and change into your fancy clothes!
Go for a fine dining experience at Auberge Nicolas Flamel.
Visit the famous Moulin Rouge Cabaret Show.
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