Paris – A Beautiful City To Visit (A Personal Review)
Paris is a wonderful city to visit and if you have never been, I can’t recommend it enough.
My husband and I have been fortunate to visit the city several times over the years and although I am not the expert about Paris what I can do is share some of the things we know about it and why you should consider visiting one day.
Choosing Where To Stay in Paris
There are literally hundreds of hotels in Paris, with various budgets to suit most pockets. We have stayed in three different ones and each had its advantages and disadvantages.
The best one for location that we stayed in was the 5 star Hotel Plaza Athenee, although, it was the most expensive one. It was a short walk to the Champs Elysees , the river and restaurants. A truly fabulous hotel and one we would definitely stay in again.
Paris is split into what is known as arrondissements.
The first time we visited we picked a hotel in number 15 which seemed far away from everything. There is a metro system but I am not keen on the underground so we either had to walk or get a taxi to the main attractions.
The second time was a little better and we were near to the Arc de Triomphe in number 17. We still walked to the Champs Elysees but it wasn’t too far.
Number 8 is where the Hotel Plaza Athenee was.
As you can see from the map, its important to know where your chosen accommodation is so you can decide where you want to be.
When we first visited we had no idea about the arrondissements so I hope this part helps you with your planning. If you were in a travel club, like I am, then you can be assured that they would be choosing the best place to be for everything you need. It also takes the headache away of planning and choosing from the hundreds of hotels there are in and around Paris.
Getting Around Paris
As I mentioned earlier, Paris has its own metro system. There are many taxis and there is also a tour bus that visits the main attractions.
Whatever city we are in, we always go for the tour bus. It’s a great way to get your bearings and see all those favorite sites you have been dying to see. In Paris, you can get one and two day passes for the bus that takes you all around Paris.
The Famous Sights To See In Paris
The Eiffel Tower
The Louvre Museum
The Sacre-Coeur Basilica
Notre Dame Cathedral
The Invalides
The Conciergerie
The Versailles Palace (a coach trip here just outside Paris)
The Orsay Museum
The Palais Garnier Opera House
Champs Elysees
There is so much more I could mention and I suggest you visit official sites to see a whole lot more. For instance visit this one http://en.parisinfo.com
The tour bus I mentioned visits many of the sites above and you can hop on and off all day. We have used this every time we have visited Paris.
Champs Elysees
We were warned not to eat or drink there, as it is expensive. It is, to be honest but we couldn’t resist it. It’s a magical place to be both at night and during the day. The famous Tour de France finishes the race on this very road.
There are many restaurants and cafes, with shops and of course at one end the famous Arc De Triomphe. At the other end is the Place De La Concorde.
River Cruises
There are many river cruises you can take during the day and at night you can book a meal/cruise.
We have done the day one with a company called Bateaux Parisiens. You can find details of this on the website I mentioned http://en.parisinfo.com
Our Favorite Places
We loved getting off at the Notre Dame Cathedral. You can choose to go inside and even climb to the top and view the gargoyles first hand. There is a fabulous restaurant over the road and we have often had a meal and drinks there watching all the tourists. Gift shops and souvenir places surround it.
Walking down the river side watching all the artists is a great experience and visiting the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa cant be missed.
We always do the hop on off tour getting off at Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower (a must). The Orly Museum
We visited the museum where Maria Antoinette was last imprisoned before her execution. That was fascinating.
I could go on and on about Paris. I am hoping after reading this you are considering a visit. It is well worth it. Paris is an exciting city. They call it the City Of Light for a reason. On our last visit we were there in January, straight after Christmas and the decorations and street stalls on the Champs Elysses were fantastic.
Any time of year is magic, especially during the spring too.
Negatives (only a few)
There are lots of queues for the attractions during busy times. So you have to be patient.
It can be expensive.
We flew into Charles de Gaulle Airport and each time it has been an experience to say the least. We found it busy, crowded with long lines and at times just plain chaotic. You could say all airports are like this. However, I travel a great deal and this airport stands out in my memory as the worst one I have been to. Sorry but that’s been my experience.
On one visit, we travelled through Orly airport instead. We made the mistake of coming back on a Sunday evening, which was crowded with people coming back from their weekends in Disney World, or Paris itself. We decided to make sure we travelled on a different day next time.
I hope you enjoyed my post today Paris – A Beautiful City To Visit (A Personal Review) if you did I would love it if you left me a comment below.
We will be visiting Paris again one day soon and I hope you do too. In the meantime, check out this wonderful guide about Paris from YOUR UV Lifestyle blog where they share 100 Things to do in France. CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT 100 THINGS TO DO IN FRANCE
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Great post on Paris…. thanks for sharing this… loved it when I was there years ago…
Thanks Ron, its one of our favourite cities. We have loved it everytime we have been. Thanks for commenting.
Such a lovely post on Paris! I really enjoyed reading this and the arrondissement map was very helpful. It is such a beautiful place!
Thanks Edna- when we first visited we wished we had known more about the arrondissements. I’m glad it helps you for when you may go.
Wow Lynda this review was great. I’ve personally never been to Paris but it’s a place I would love to visit one day. I’ll be sure to revisit this helpful post. Thanks!
Thank you very much Dereco, glad you liked it. Maybe you might visit one day now you know how wonderful it is. It is lovely
Great post, back there in October, 4th time in 3 years (Disney with 4 kids )
I never made it to Disney. I must try to the next time we go. Thanks for commenting Alan.