The city of love & the perfect destination to make the most of your weekend!
When a Ryanair flash sale presents a cheap city break opportunity, it would be rude not to take it (so I tell myself). Before I could even check accommodation, we had our flights secured, an 8am departure from BHX airport Saturday morning and a return flight 7pm the following day! The opposite to a relaxing weekend for many, but for fellow travel lovers, the perfect opportunity to tick another major city off the bucket list...
We flew into Paris Beauvais Airport which is a quaint airport just over an hour from central Paris. After a classic Ryanair landing, we were through boarder control within minutes and head straight to the coach station. We prebooked our tickets with Aeroport buses for £25 return each, but there were ticketing stations to purchase a ticket upon your arrival, although I believe they were a little extra. (There are two bus options, Disneyland Paris or Saint-Denis University). The coach to the uni took an hour and dropped us right outside the metro where we hopped on (13) to Champs-Elysees before changing to (1) direct to Palais Royal - Musee Du Louvre.
The journey couldn't have been easier, especially when you compare the French metro to London, but if you're planning a weekend city break and budget isn't as issue, I would recommend traveling via Eurostar as it will drop you in a central location and save the additional journey time.
One of the biggest perks of working in the travel industry is the travel discounts! So, making the most of an amazing offer I booked us a premium room at the Hôtel Mercure Paris Opéra Louvre, just a 10 minute walk from the Louvre museum. We opted for a room with a large terrace overlooking the city, picturing a morning filled with warm croissants and fresh orange juice, instead we were welcomed with ...
GREY SKIES AND NONSTOP RAIN !
POV you only pack summer clothes for your city break and it rains the whole time
So ultimately the extra 'treat' of a terrace went a little to waste, but it wasn't going to ruin our weekend away. We managed to bag an early check-in once we arrived, so we dropped our bags and head straight to the Louvre to explore. To be completely honest I was a little underwhelmed with the Louvre, but that was my own fault for building a picture based off my own inaccurate thoughts ... did anyone else always think the museum was in the pyramids?! I was baffled when I realised they are actually quite small and merely a design in the roof of the museum! But for those who are art and history lovers, visiting the Louvre is a MUST. Tickets are available to prebook online or to pick up on site, but based on the crowds planning ahead is definitely the better option, especially when time is of the essence.
After tourist spot number one was ticked off the list we head back towards our hotel on the look out for a café for a light lunch and wow did we come across the perfect place! Biancas is a restaurant/ bar with a trendy aesthetic and a mellow vibe, perfect for a casual bite. We ordered a four cheese pizza and a portion of seasoned fries and of course, two glasses of pinot, perfection.
A few hours and half a bar of milka later we were changed and ready to venture into the 7th arrondissement for a boat cruise and an obligatory Eifel tower photo! But first, a quick stop at Le Cardinal for a happy hour cocktail... or a 1L sex on the beach. After mentally preparing myself for a pricey weekend of fine dining and fruity cocktails, €21 for 1L didn't seem to bad, not to mention it came at the perfect time, right as the sky turned grey and the rain made another appearance. We sat for around an hour people watching and soaking in the French ambiance before making a run for the metro and heading to Monttessuy, a 2 minute walk from the Eifel Tower.
With every intention of browsing the streets, strolling along the river baguette in hand and capturing the city as its corporate streets turned to hustling cafes and lively bars, we actually ran straight to the closest restaurants and did no such thing. As much as the rain merely showed us the city from a cloudier angle and wasn't going to ruin our trip, we did decide it was better to sit out front of a restaurant with yet another glass of rose than aimlessly wonder and end up soaked! And I can not say I regret that choice in the slightest!
La Grand Corona is a cafe/ restaurant no more than a five minute walk from the Eiffel Tower and offers the most delicious French onion soup. We each enjoyed a bowl of the French delicacy, accompanied with a warm baguette and resided on a table made to watch the world go by. As the plates were cleared and our glasses sat empty, we decided to embrace the down pour and head toward the right side of the river in search of a last minute boat tour. Luckily it was one of spontaneous plans that actually come together quite well and made for the perfect evening in the city of love.
I believe our tickets were €16 each with Bateaux Parisiens and they had tours leaving every hour. We purchased our tickets from their machine and joined the queue ... just in time for the heavens to reopen AGAIN. The tour head down the river for around half an hour, finishing around the Notre Dame before turning around and heading back to give us the view of both sides of the city! But for me, the experience was made by a complete coincidence of being in the right place at the right time! We passed a couple on a private boat, mini golden lights and a crisp white dress, and I can only assume the question every girl dreams off as they float through the city. A fairytail scene made perfect as the rain fell and a new adventure began ... with a boat load of tourists to witness!
By the time we disembarked the sun had set and the Eiffel Tower was golden, but it would have been a waste not to see it sparkle while it held the Olympic rings, so we waited, and waited AND waited! We couldn't have timed it any worse but it was worth it. Stood across the bridge with a clear shot, we soaked in the moment and ticked off another bucket list memory before heading back to the metro.
A short journey later we were back, so of course it was time for the obligatory foreign McDonalds check! I ordered a big mac pitta (basically the same as the burger but in a flatbread) with cheesy potato wedges and a sprite ... I wish I could say it was as delicious as it sounds but in all transparency it was not good. I'd go as far so say Polish McDonalds is untouched in top place .
We spent the rest of the night watching Bridget Jones and unwinding ahead of a second full day of exploring! At around 9am we head to Starbucks for a quick coffee before wondering towards the Louvre to find a cute spot for breakfast and wow did we find one!
These pancakes deserve a whole section. Y U M. Strawberry pancakes topped with jam and fresh fruit with a fair sized helping of cream, what better way to start a Sunday in Paris?!
The best breakfast and a hot chocolate later, we head back to our hotel to check-out and grab our things before heading to the Arc De Triumph, an infamous memorial to those who fought during the French Revolution. When we first arrived the roundabout wasn't too busy, I assume due to it being a Sunday morning, but within half an hour of taking a few photos, the road was in full use. After posting a TikTok about my time in Paris I found out there's an underpass to enter the monument, blonde travel agent moment! But non the less the view from this side of the road was perfect, and added one more landmark to the list.
Is it just me or is being a tourist hungry work? It had only been a couple of hours but fries were calling me, so we head up the highstreets past Louis Vuitton and found a little café for a snack and a farewell glass of wine, but you could have probably assumed that based on the trend of this blog and the weekend in general! Before we had to leave for the airport it was only right to squeeze in an hour if shopping, and that obviously meant treating myself to a new pair of shoes too :) Spending euros on holiday is all too similar to playing monopoly and the jury is still out on whether that is a good or bad thing!
And just like that my night in Paris was over, 9 stops on the metro, an hour bus and a 50 minute flight home, tucked up in bed and ready for work on Monday. The perfect city break to escape and live out my Emily in Paris episode!
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