Rome or Paris? Or maybe Oslo. When my boyfriend and I considered where to go for our one-year anniversary, we were stuck with a luxury problem: From Hamburg, a city in northern Germany where we live, we can easily reach many places in Europe within an hour's flight. So we tried to focus on the question: what do we want to do? We knew we wanted to eat a lot and hike. Also, we did have one weekend, so we decided it had to be a city because it's easier for us to reach many places quickly. It was obvious to us that it would be either Paris or Rome as we talked about visiting before. We checked online. Ultimately, we decided to go to Paris because the flights to Rome were more expensive, and during our camping trip through Europe last year, we had already passed by Paris and got hooked.
Overview
Why Paris?
The most appropriate question regarding this city seems to be: Why not? Paris feels like one of these cities that are not missing on any bucket list, mentioned in every travel guide, and as someone who is in love with French pastries, it feels like my personal Mecca. Don't get me wrong: Rome is amazing! I was there a couple of years ago, fascinated by the small alleys of gelato stands and ancient ruins. But more about that some other time. Also: Visiting Paris in November when everyone has already started decorating their shops and houses with Christmas decorations gives your trip something special!
Walks
Don't 'over plan.' Put on your walking shoes and start exploring! You don't need to have a plan when you start walking in the middle of the city as we did. You only need an eye on the closest café to recharge your batteries with fresh brewed coffee and cake. On your way through the city, you might walk through districts like...
the 5TH ARRONDISSEMENTS (better known as the Latin Quartier) Pantheon, Sorbonne
the 6TH ARRONDISSEMENTS the Jardin du Luxembourg
the 1ST ARRONDISSEMENTS Louvre (less impressive from outside), Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption (Hot air ballon), Forum Les Halles, Île de la Cité
the 8TH ARRONDISSEMENTS Champs Elysees (shops, very crowded, mixes modern and ancient vibes), Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde
the 9TH ARRONDISSEMENTS La Fayette (Christmas lights), Opera, Moulin Rouge
the 7TH ARRONDISSEMENTS Eiffel Tower
the 2ND ARRONDISSEMENTS Centre Georges Pompidou, Seine riverbank
the 4TH ARRONDISSEMENTS Notre-Dame de Paris
the 18TH ARRONDISSEMENTS Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre
the 20TH ARRONDISSEMENTS Père Lachaise graveyard (graves of Édith Piaf and Oscar Wilde)
While we were strolling around the city, we found ourselves at some point in time right next to a channel. Many students and younger people sat with a cup of coffee on the riverbank and enjoyed the winterly sun. I have heard of this district before that the area close to the Gare du Nord should be avoided at night. But I would recommend it during the daytime, as I appreciate the atmosphere here. The 10TH ARRONDISSEMENTS is ideal for coffee on a Sunday afternoon!
Because it's Paris: grab a bottle of red wine and some glasses, and find your way down to the edge of the river Seine for sunset. Now sit down, enjoy the view, and wait for the magical five minutes: Once an hour, you will see the Eiffel Tower sparkling for five minutes. The last chance is around 1 am.
Overrated
Montmartre Many travel guides recommend it, but we were disappointed. The whole area around Montmartre is way too crowded. There are some spots close to which I can imagine being nice, but the number of tourists makes it impossible to enjoy. That's, for example, also the case for a small square where many artists and illustrators are busy drawing portraits of tourists. The basilica is impressive and pleasant to look at, and some street artists are performing in the middle of the crowd. This city has so much more to offer than spending valuable time for this if all you have is just a couple of days.
Not to miss Truffle Pizza at Pizza Popolare
The restaurant itself has a stylish and cozy interior design. Hundreds of bottles cover the
windows. At Pizza Popolare, they serve you amazing Pizza for fair prices (considering the location even more than reasonable). And if you have extra room in your stomach, don't miss the Tiramisu! Delicious. We went there for primetime,
and even though the restaurant was fully booked, the staff treated us patiently and kindly.
Don't forget to book a table in advance!! We came without booking a table in advance and got lucky. But if you invite your girlfriend, you better book because the line in front of the restaurant is easily 50 meters, already 15 minutes before opening. You will see it was worth the hustle when you find your way through and get a table. Do yourself a favor and check out Pizza Popolare right now, right here.
Menu á la Paris
side: Galette quattro fromage @ la crêperie (6,50€)
main course: Truffle Pizza @ Pizza Popolare (19€)
dessert: Crêpe with Ovomaltine crunchy @ la crêperie (3,20€) drink: Hot chocolate @ Café des Anges (3,90€)
Costs
Accommodation: You can definitely save some money here if you don't insist on staying as close to the city center and looking for a room in the outer part of Paris. We decided to spend some extra money and choose a hotel from where we could start our daily hikes without the need to spend time for buses or trains. We chose the Hotel de l'arcade which has good reviews (4,3 on Google). It's located very central with just 5 minute's walking distance to attractions like the Louvre or Lafayette. We knew Paris wouldn't be one of the cheaper weekend trips, but the 210€ a night for a hotel room still hard to swallow. The room and hotel were nice but appeared to get on in years. We had a bathroom with a bathtub, a TV, and a wardrobe. The neighborhood was exactly what we wanted: quiet but as central as possible!
Public transportation: A daily ticket for the metro costs 8,45€ and is valid for two zones. Don't forget to write your name on the ticket as you might be forced to pay a fine in case you forget. When you buy a daily ticket, no matter what time of the day, it will only be valid until the next day (11.59 pm). The airport Charles de Gaulle is far from the city center. It will take you about 45-60 minutes to get there with public transportation. We didn't use public transportation too often as we stayed next to the Louvre.
Flights: We paid per person 150€ for the flight from Hamburg to Paris and back. The price just included a carry-on item, no extra luggage. But for 3 nights in Paris, this was totally fine. I managed to fit everything in my trolley, and my boyfriend had his backpack. We even found some space for a pack of Pringles.
Food: We mostly bought ourselves some croissant (1-2€ per piece) on our way through the city. In my opinion coffee is the most affordable thing to buy in Paris. For a regular sized coffee we paid around 2,50€. Because we just spent three nights in Paris it's hard to say how expensive restaurants in average are. We managed to find cosy bars or restaurants with good food and close to the center and I would say we, as a couple, paid about 50€ incl. drinks and 2 main dishes like Burger or Pizza.
All in all, I would say Paris is as expensive as expected. We paid a lot for the hotel, while the flight wasn't as expensive just as the public transportation. If you keep your eyes open you will find middle-priced restaurants even in the city center of Paris.
Unexpected but...
Romantic. I must admit it's true and not just a cliché. My boyfriend and I asked ourselves how a city of cement, wood, and pigeons could be romantic. Beautiful? Okay. Historic? Yes, imaginable. But romantic? But this is exactly what we felt when we visited Paris. Hard to say if it's because of how people look at everything around them or the uncountable cafés with couples sitting and chatting. In the end, it doesn't matter why but when you will come for a visit you will feel it yourself.
Would I visit again?
Yes!!