‘I guess it goes to show that you just never know where life will take you. You search for answers. You wonder what it all means. You stumble, and you soar. And, if you’re lucky, you make it to Paris for a while.’-Amy Thomas
I had a milestone birthday in 2023, so I decide the best thing to do was to head to my favorite places and explore some new ones! I have winter break off, so I cashed in my airline points and headed to Paris! This would be the first stop of my 6 countries in two weeks tour. I crammed a lot into a short period but a perk of solo traveling, you can do what you want when you want. I took a redeye, nonstop flight from DFW to Charles de Gaulle via American. The flight was pretty easy and I simply took the train into the city. I have an iPhone and AT&T as my carrier. I did their international plan (it’s $10/day but caps at $100/month) and was able to use it just like I did at home. I exclusively used Apple Maps which gave me perfect directions of the transit system-what lines to take, where I needed to transfer, etc for the entire trip. Worked out so well!
I have been really fortunate in my life to have visited Paris (and France as a whole) on multiple occasions. It did also ease the burden of cramming as much as humanly possible into 3 days. My hotel was at the Place de Republique and was a perfect location, next to the metro. I am pretty basic in my needs and know Paris is expensive. I focus on having my own room with bathroom (some is a shared bath), luggage storage (for if your arrival is earlier than check in), that’s clean, safe, and close to transit and the The Originals Paris Paix Republique fit the bill but it might not be yours. My philosophy truly is I’m just sleeping there, I don’t need it to be fancy!
When I arrived, I could not officially check in, I dropped off my bags and decided to wander around. I originally wanted to go to the Musee d’Orsay but it is closed on Mondays. I walk through the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Basilica Saint Denis. If you’re a fan of The Da Vinci Code, you’ll recognize it as a key spot due to the rose line that cuts through. I ate some lunch and then headed back to my hotel where I showered and took a nap. Jet lag was not too bad going there and I did not have to worry about throwing off my sleep schedule because I had big plans the first night to do something I haven’t done before!
While I have been to the Eiffel Tower many times, I had never done it at night! I HIGHLY recommend getting your tickets early! They have timed entry, it sells out and the on site ticket queue is very long. I have to say, going in December is great. I lucked out with truly the best weather my entire trip but the real benefit was the Eiffel Tower was pretty empty. There were times where I was the only person on my side of the platform. It was so surreal! Plus, you can see the light show from the source! I am afraid of heights but do okay on the main platform, which is much bigger than it looks on the ground. The bit at the tippy top is a lot more compact but, in December, I did not feel claustrophobic or that I was going to plummet to the ground.
Most of my time in Paris was at night, I used the city as my base to spend half a day in Luxembourg and a full day at Mont Saint Michel. I never felt unsafe walking around, I stayed in the more ‘tourist’ areas and was just aware of my surroundings and it gets dark early in the winter so you have to do stuff in the evening. One shot it really worked out for was I was at the Place de la Concorde and they were doing a sound check for an outdoor concert. Between the sunset, the stage lights and smoke plus the Eiffel Tower, my photo looked like the sky was on fire (I assure you it wasn’t).
One the way to my favorite Parisian activity, I stopped by the Christmas Market at the Paris 2024 Olympics hub. Paris doesn’t scream Christmas but the l’Hotel des Ville was cool! i ate some pretzels and apple cider. Then headed back to the Eiffel Tower and the Seine for a nighttime river cruise. You should ALWAYS do this! The price is always reasonable and Paris is the City of Lights so where better way to see them then on the Seine! I pre-booked by ticket via Get Your Guide for one of the last boats of the evening. This is less important during the fall and winter when it gets dark so early but very important in the summer when it does not get dark until 10ish at night. Since it was the winter, much of the outdoor seating was closed. I was so surprised that when I boarded no one was sitting on the exterior benches. Yes it was cold but not frigid and I am here to look at the views, not at someone’s back or through a window. I started a trend because others joined. It truly is one of the best ways to see the city.
What was a bit bittersweet was seeing Notre Dame for the first time since the fire. I love this church and not because I’m religious, I’m not, it’s just beautiful. I love the stained glass and how the blue envelopes you. I love the Pieta in the front with little Louis on the corner. I love that you can touch the remnants of the Revolution. I got as close as I could to the cathedral, now covered with scaffolding and bright lights. The good news is that much of the restoration should be completed by the fall and she will be open again. I can’t wait to go!
I deeply love Paris. I know what people say about the French but that has never really been my personal experience. Everyone has been really helpful and kind but I am also not an entitled traveler. While I took years of french in high school and in college, I barely speak it now (and my pronunciation was never good) and no one cared. Nearly everyone spoke English, so don’t let that be a deterrent. Eat all the food and just wander. Paris was meant to be explored. I have been four times and have still not seen enough.