Paris, France
Sunset on the Seine
There’s most definitely a reason Paris is known as the City of Love: it’s the most romantic city on the planet (though Lisbon and Rome are both a very close second). And I say this not just because I got engaged here, but because it just…well, is. Maybe it’s the light, the food, the wine, the architecture, the accent, the art…..but I digress. It’s a city of strolling and window-shopping (or just plain shopping, who am I kidding?)…or people watching…or holding a lover’s hand…or maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll get proposed to on the Eiffel like I did on my first trip to Paris, so…of course I love it! If you’ve been here, then you know what I’m babbling about; if you haven’t, well…what are you waiting for?
Now, for the info.
Paris is made up of twenty numbered arrondissements, or districts, which fan out from the center of the city starting with the 1st, home to The Louvre, The Tuleries and other major sites. We love The Marais (spread across the 3rd and 4th), with chic boutiques (check out Merci), gay bars, romantic bistros, the famed Georges Pompidou Museum and a long history as the Jewish center of Paris; and Canal St. Martin (the 9th — edgy and fun, with some cool shops, restaurants and boutique hotels — plus the scenic benefit of the canal and its pretty bridges to cross while exploring the neighborhood), but each district has its own distinct personality, from formal to funky, and almost all of them have something to see, buy or eat.
I’d also suggest a tour of the old Paris Opera House. It may not be an obvious tourist choice, but it’s definitely worth your time to see the beautiful interior (the Chagall ceiling!), besides it’s the fictional home of The Phantom of the Opera. And lastly, if you have the time, you should absolutely set aside a day for a trip out to Versailles to see the Palace (arguably the world’s most beautiful) and the Gardens. It’s only about a 40 minute train ride on the RER C Train from central Paris.
GT Tip: After a long, full day exploring Versailles and its gardens (and spending some time waiting in line in the rain) we were not in the mood to walk back to the train so we…yes, wait for it…called an Uber to pick us up at Versailles! It took about 45 minutes to get back into the city to our hotel, and did not cost a fortune.
Overall, Paris is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and you will not run out of things to do. And like most great cities of the world, it is always worth a repeat visit.
*This was part of a 13-night trip to France. To see our complete France trip itinerary click here.
The Gimlet Traveler Rundown:
All ratings are based on our experience and are on a 5-star rating system (see Site Info for more details). For mapped locations and links to the places listed here (and more) visit Google Map at bottom of page.
Gimlets: *****
Some of our friends will tell you that we are very fancy (ha!) and we do love a fancy hotel bar (no lie), and Paris provides plenty of opportunities for a gorgeous gimlet. Back in 2012 this was where I pioneered (I use that term loosely) the use of Google Translate for the purposes of translating my very specific gimlet order for bartenders. Some of our favorites: The low-lit and elegant Lobby Bar at Hotel Le Meurice, the tiny and cozy jewel-box-like Le Bar at L’Hotel in St. Germain (my husband still talks about the salted green olives) and The Hemingway Bar at The Ritz Paris. But there is a wider list of options on the map at bottom.Restaurants: *****
Thousands and thousands.This trip, we enjoyed Chez Julien in the Marais, a casual but upscale and stylish bistro with a nice covered outdoor space, Clover Grill for steaks (where we ended up getting a tour of the enormous kitchen) and we had Korean Fried Chicken and craft cocktails at the trendy Hero. For lunch, we stopped at the casual and bright La Table at the famous Bon Marche department store, under a giant glass canopy which was very pleasant. But if you love precious and elevated haute cuisine of any kind (generally not our thing), the options expand infinitely here, as in any world-class city.Sights: *****
Seriously: The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre Museum, The Arc De Triumph, Sacre Cour (those views), The Paris Opera House, and on and on. L’Organgerie Museum is worth a visit to see Monet’s spectacular “Water Lilies” and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the original Moulin Rouge nightclub (inspiration for the hit Broadway musical). There is also a fascinating new museum containing French billionaire Francois Pinault’s 5000-piece personal art collection called the Bourse De Commerce. It’s housed within France’s former Chamber of Commerce (and it will also have a chichi restaurant with Michelin starred chefs on the top floor). If you have the time, definitely set aside a day to take a short train ride to Versailles to see the Palace and the Gardens. It’s stunning, but you have to plan carefully to see both the gardens and the Palace. But really, the city and it’s various neighborhoods are simply beautiful and you can’t go wrong just wandering.GT Tip: Beat the crowds by visiting L’Organagerie right when it opens. We actually had the “Water Lilies” all to ourselves!
GT Tip: The fountains at Versailles operate on a specific schedule (when we went, the fountains could be seen on Tuesdays), and the gardens are best seen in mild weather. Once you’re there, we highly recommend renting a golf cart to truck around the enormous grounds (also: fun!), which you can do at a booth shortly after you enter the gates to the garden. They go quickly and you need to leave a deposit and a picture ID.
Shopping: *****
It’s Paris, silly; boutiques, galleries and shopping are everywhere! Especially cute stuff can be found in the Marais and Canal Saint Martin neighborhoods (the 4th and the 9th arrondissements respectively). Head to St. Germain or the Champs Elysee if you want the fancy Fifth Avenue boutiques, but you can find those in any big city. If you are a flea-market fan, Paris has one of the world’s largest: Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, known to everyone as Les Puces. It covers seven acres and is said to be the largest antique market in the world. Do research before you go, as it is quite sprawling and difficult to navigate. And be careful of your belongings; as in any crowded place, pickpockets have been known to be a problem.
Review of Hotel La Villa Saint-Germain Rating: *****
Spacious, modern and simply luxurious hotel in a central St. Germain location with helpful staff. Our room (a prestige king on the top floor) was really two rooms — a spacious bedroom w/king bed and a roomy living area, with lovely mansard windows overlooking the rooftops across the way (plus skylights with automated retractable shades). Plenty of closet and storage space, in-room safes, individually controlled a/c, dual sinks in the bathroom, and virtual silence in the room, which was blissful. There's no restaurant, but a lovely breakfast on offer for an extra charge, if that's your thing; and no bar, but they serve drinks in the lobby in the afternoons/evenings. Plenty of food/drink options to walk to in this central location. Front desk staff is very helpful with directions and advice. Lovely, classy boutique property all around.
Date of stay: June 2017
Other Hotel Choice:
•The Providence Paris is adorable and has a mini-cocktail-bar in each room.
Below is a map of hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping and sights found during our research. We didn’t have time to visit all of them during our trip, but all were of interest. Click on the icon at top left of the map to view the legend. Or you can click on the full-screen icon at top right to expand, which will also bring up the legend.
