Weekend in Paris

Paris is a great weekend trip from London or any major city in Europe. From London you can grab the Eurostar or a quick flight from any of the London airports.

Once you get to Paris, the metro can get you from the airport or the Eurostar to your accommodation where you can freshen up and leave your bags. 

Next you want to get your bearings, the best way to do this is with a trip along the Seine River. If you head to Bateaux-Mouches they run a ferry around every 30 mins and you can purchase a ticket from the machines (or a person if you prefer) outside the terminal. The journey is around one hour and you get to see key sights along the river with commentary. 

After your boat ride, you must try some dark tourism. The Paris Catacombs run under the city and were started in the 18th century after there were health issues in the city’s cemeteries. This tour must be booked in advance and is known to sell out. An added bonus is on a hot day the tunnels that you explore are nice and cool. 

From the Catacombs, jump back on the metro and head to the Eiffel Tower. At the Eiffel tower you have a few options, you can head up and get a view of the city, there are two options here: either climb the stairs or get a lift pass. A time saving tip, buy a ticket on your phone when you are at the tower, this will save you time waiting in the lines. If you don’t want the climb, head to a supermarket nearby, grab a wine, cheese and bread and head to the grassed area in front of the tower. You can enjoy your wine and treats while the sunsets and the Eiffel Tower starts to light up.

On day two, you must start the day with a coffee. Most corners in Paris have a coffee shop where you can sit outside and watch the world go by.

You can then head to Versailles Palace, the ‘Golden Palace,’ this is another must book in advance location. The palace is a metro ride from the centre of Paris, we would recommend getting a return ticket from Paris as the station at the Palace is not well equipped for buying tickets for the volume of people using this stop. The Palace has many state rooms for you to explore and lovely gardens with musical water shows.

For the rest of your day before you head home, you can visit, Pantheon, Cathedral Notre-Dome, Sainte-Chapelle or the Hotel de ville. Then there is the classic Musée du Louvre where you can look round for hours or just see Mona Lisa and head on.

Don’t forget to try Escargot – Yes that is snail! And it is a great dish.