How we got there
Well Paris was our first stop into Europe after a 22+ hour flight from Adelaide to Dubai to Paris. We flew with Emirates and were lucky enough to enjoy two breakfasts, from vegemite and bread to croissants and yoghurt.
Although absolutely exhausted from the 22 or so hours travelling the first glimpses of France had us wide eyed and on the lookout for the famous steel structure known as 'The Eiffel Tower'. However, I think being over-tired also had us thinking we were paying in Indonesian currency or something. We made our first mistake and paid for a 100-euro taxi ride for the 30-minute drive from airport to hotel.
Note to Self: Negotiate price before leaving or organise transfers beforehand.
Where we stayed
In Paris, it is a must to book inside the city and within walking distance to iconic monuments and the metro. We booked three nights at the Hotel Fertel Maillot, just down the road from the Arc De Triomphe. Having also booked our hotel within walking distance of The Eiffel Tower we thought there might be a chance of a view from the hotel but the streets of Paris are packed with very old tall buildings making a clear view of anything impossible. The hotel was old, but neat and clean, decent sized room and a good bathroom, staff were friendly, and had everything we needed.
What we did
Take Note: Most cultural landmarks in Paris such as the Notre Dame, Arc De Triomphe and the Lourve are closed on Tuesdays.
Well Paris being our first stop, unfortunately meant it was also the destination of jet lag, crashing at 5:30pm for two nights and waking up dazed at 2am. However, this allowed us to be up and ready to seize the day early and beat the line ups.
Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe
What's a trip to Paris without taking a glance or a climb of The Eiffel Tower? Our hotel was situated on the perfect route past the Arc De Triomphe and onto The Eiffel Tower, so we decided to explore Paris by foot and navigate our way through the winding roads with massive old buildings, taking in every little detail. It was a game of "Who could spot the top of the Eiffel Tower first?", and as we finally reached the Seine River, The Eiffel Tower was in clear view on the opposite side. Of course, Dyl won the game. This was when we realised we were actually in Paris.
We arrived just before 9:30am and made the short line up to climb to the second floor of the tower. Lucky for us, we were happy not taking the long line for the lift and burn off the extra calories from our French carb loaded breakfast instead.
However, the best photo opportunities in Paris need to have the Eiffel Tower in them, because how is anybody going to know you went to Paris if you didn't get a photo of the Eiffel Tower? Below the tower is unsurprisingly crowded with people, so we got a few 100 metres back where there were less people and the whole structure could fit in the photo - well almost! Also above the Arc De Triomphe has a great view, but was closed Tuesdays.
Luxembourg Gardens
We strolled around the gardens of Luxembourg Palace taking in the sights of the neat gardens and the breathtaking palace, heavily guarded by armed police officers, before stopping at a food van for ice cream - our first of many! It's a perfect spot for people watching and relaxing, every second person was relaxed on one of the thousand seats spread out across the garden - don't need to BYO deck chair for this place.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame is free entry for the ground floor, but to explore the whole building you will need to pre-book a tour, which we did through viator.com for roughly 16 euro each for a one hour tour. However, if the ticket says arrive 15 minutes before, make sure you arrive 15 minutes before and not go for a stroll to find a juice bar instead. We unfortunately made our second mistake and arrived a few minutes late and couldn't find our tour guide. Apparently, he was someone wearing a blue jacket and red shirt according to the ticket. However, it was amazing to look at, explore and ponder how they managed to build something so large with such amazing detail 100s of years ago. They certainly don't make things like they used to.
Lourve Museum and Tuileries Gardens
We took a gamble and didn't pre-book any tours or tickets hoping to save some money and it paid off. The line-up was only a 15-20 minute wait and seemed to be moving faster than the other lines. Once we got in we sat down for some lunch before making our way into the museum. Having not organised a tour we were able to explore the museum at our own leisure. We really enjoyed the ancient tombs and the old stone sculptures. But we all know the main attraction is the Mona Lisa painting. After strolling through the relatively quiet sections we entered a long hall filled with some beautiful pieces of art work, some were at least 3 metres high and others filled the ceiling. As we drew near the Mona Lisa the crowd of people just grew and grew until there was a mosh pit of people all squeezing their way to the front railing to snap a picture with the small painting on the wall. It was a bit surreal being so close to such a famous piece of art.
After we explored a bit more we took a stroll in the Tuileries Gardens just out the front of the museum. A great spot for people watching, a gelato from one of the many pop up stalls, or for a walk to the metro.
Paris at Night
For our last night in Paris we knew we had to go out and see the Eiffel Tower after dark as we heard the lights look amazing. With the lights sparkling on the Eiffel Tower we sat down on a garden ledge to enjoy the view and great atmosphere, with everyone else out and about enjoying it too. Before we headed back home we walked down to the river side under the Eiffel Tower where there were food stalls and a pop up bar. We stopped for a glass of wine and soaked in the atmosphere under the brightly lit tower, a perfect end to our first visit to Paris.
What we ate
Paris - the city of pastries.
Whilst enjoying the sights and wandering the streets of Paris, how could we not stop into the many Patisseries lining the streets. I think this is what our diet mainly consisted of during our 3 days, croissants, Nutella paninis, macaroons, Florentines, crepes and strawberry tarts, but all went straight to the heart.
Being in Europe many cafes and shops offer freshly squeezed OJ for your hit of vitamins if you need! Which we did.
How we got around
Like most major European cities, it is cheap, quick and easy to get around with the metro line. We paid 19 euro for a 2-day metro ticket. From driving everywhere back home, we surprisingly got the hang of this public transport thing quickly. Although it was a little confusing at first, as nothing is in English and its easy to get disorientated underground, you soon realise it's straightforward once you've studied the map for half an hour.