7 THINGS YOU MUST DO IN PARIS

Hello lovelies,

thank you so much for reading and I hope you are having a lovely summer!

I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful city of Paris last month and I absolutely loved it. It is my current favorite city for many many reasons and in today´s post I wanted to share some.

BEFORE YOU COME TO PARIS:

Watch out for scammers! I got scammed in different ways. Pay attention and follow my advice so it doesn’t happen to you:

-In the centre of Paris, some people will approach you asking to help them fill a form. They are scammers and want to distract you with their papers so they can rob you. Be careful when strangers approach you, specially if you’re travelling alone.

-In some restaurants that display food through the glass, make sure you ask for the price per grams. I’ll explain: I went to a restaurant and the plates had prices attached so I assumed that was the price per portion. FAIL! I ended up paying so much money for not asking first.

-Outside the Louvre Museum there are people trying to sell tickets at a cheaper price. I have no idea if these tickets are genuine so I wouldn’t risk it. Remember that if you are a EU citizen under 26 you get free entrance to most French museums, including the Louvre. Just carry your passport with you as a proof.

-Next to touristic places such as the Eiffel Tower or The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, there are people that will try to sell you necklaces, key rings, drinks… Don’t talk to them if you’re not attempting to actually buy something, otherwise they will stick to you until you buy from them and it gets so annoying! I got into different arguments!

Once you know about the scammers, let’s get started.

Here are the top 7 things you must do if you come to Paris. If you are traveling alone,  then this post is perfect for you:

1- Join free walking tours!

Don’t just travel to Paris for the pictures, learn something about this beautiful city. There are so many free tours in Paris and you will learn a lot about the culture and history. This is an amazing choice, specially if you are traveling alone and don’t know where to start. It is also an amazing way to meet people on the go.

The best part is that these tours are completely free (usually people tip the tour guide at the end of the tour).

I recommend Discover Walks, which is the company I joined. You can learn more about them on their website.

2-La Place Vendôme

Here you will find some iconic places such as the Ritz hotel or the first Coco Channel store where she used to work. It is one of the most luxury areas in Paris with very expensive shops such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton… Even if you do not intend to purchase anything, I still recommend you to visit this iconic place.

3-Museums, museums, museums.

In Paris there are some of the most important museums in the world and most of them are free for European citizens under 26. All you need to do is show your ID or passport at the entrance.

The museums I visited are:

-Musée D´Orsay

This museum use to be a railway station and it holds French art from 1848 to 1914. It houses the biggest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces including Van Gogh and Monet.

-Louvre Museum

It is the largest museum in the world. It use to be a royal palace and some of its most celebrated art includes the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo.

-Musée De L´Orangerie

It includes impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. You will be able to find paintings by Cézanne or Pablo Picasso,among others.

4-Have a picnic!

In Paris, specially in spring-summer the weather is amazing and it can get super warm. I recommend you go to a supermarket, get a baguette, some cheese and wine and have a picnic. My favorite was the garden in front of the Louvre Museum. There are fountains, grass and even chairs!

5- Have brunch in a vintage coffee shop

Most of the restaurants and coffee shops offer the option to sit on a little table outside, which I absolutely love. I recommend you to sit alone, disconnect from social media and just relax and observe everything around you. You can enjoy some freshly made French bakery, which I totally recommend.

6- Visit the Secret Art Galleries

These rooms are called Gallerie Vivienne. I only discovered them in one of the tours. It is a secret gem that not many tourists know about.  It is close to the Palais Royal.  There is a beautiful glass roof and colourful mosaics on the walls. Definitely super Instagrammable!

7- Join a prayer at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart!

This cathedral is absolutely stunning. Did you know that you can join them for prayers? Even if you do not speak French, they provide you with the lyrics of the songs so you can follow up.

If you join the prayers you won’t be able to record/take pictures, so keep that in mind!

Paris is my favourite city and I hope to come back soon! There are plenty of things you can do in this magical city so these are only a few of them!

If you have tried any of these, comment below and share your experience with us!

Thank you so much for reading,

Until next time,

Aby