They say Paris is always a good idea. If you’re planning a trip to this magical city, I hope you find this helpful!
LANDING IN PARIS
We landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport and took a taxi to our Airbnb. You can also take the train to reach the city (cheaper), but with luggage I’ll recommend taking a taxi. It cost us ~60 Euros.
HOW LONG TO GO FOR?
There’s so much to do in Paris a week would be ideal! You can definitely make it a quick trip, but we like to travel slow, especially when we’re with our son (4yrs old at the time). And if you’re there for a few days, I’d recommend getting a e-sim so you can use your phone/data. The best way to enjoy Paris is to just be – take your time, wander and explore, and sit at a cafe to people watch. And, of course, get to your favorite touristy spots!
WHERE TO STAY
The city of Paris is divided into 12 arrondissements (or neighbourhoods). When deciding where to stay, it can be a little confusing for sure. It depends on your budget, and if you’re looking at hotels vs Airbnb. Paris is not the most budget friendly city, so when I found an AirBnb in La Marais neighbourhood for a reasonable price point, I went for it! We loved it. La Marais is in the 4th arrondissement, with lots to offer! We were steps away from shops, restaurants, cafes and different Metro stations that made it easy to get around. Click here for our Airbnb listing.
From my research, these are also great areas to stay in – the 7th arrondissements, Montmartre, The Latin Quarter and Champs-Elysees.
HOW TO GET AROUND
The city is very well connected by their Metro system! You can get the tickets from machines (they accept credit cards). It’s cheapest to get a set of 10 tickets. There’s so much to do, so I saved a bunch of things on Google Maps so we can walk between places in the area. For Zakariya, I’m glad we brought a simple stroller for this trip, so he didn’t get too tired from walking. Taxis and Uber is also available!
THINGS TO DO
WATCH THE EIFFLE TOWER SPARKLE – she sparkles every hour from sunset, for 5 minutes. We took some snacks, watched the sunset and waited for this magical moment to happen. Definitely a core memory for us.
LOUVRE MUSEUM – book a ticket in advance! We went in October, when it’s not peak tourist season, and barely got tickets for the day we had planned. Tickets range from 15-20 Euros. You can get the tickets here.
PARIS SEINE CRUISE – a version of the seine cruise is A MUST! We treated ourselves to get the lunch cruise with a window seat, there are also open-air trips that cost less and are shorter. Dinner is also an option!
We enjoyed lunch with a panoramic view of Paris, good music, and a 3-course meal. The experience was amazing, entree was mid, appetizer and dessert was good. Highly recommend it!
📍 La Marina Orsay Lunch Cruise
💵 $120 CAD per person
🎟️ Get tickets here
PARIS CAFES
You’ll find cafes in every corner, but here are some must-see cafes:
- Les Deux Magots
- Cafe De Flore
- Cafe de la Rotonde
- Le Dôme Caf
- Angelina
- Laduree
- Le Cafe Marly
WHERE TO TAKE IG PHOTOS
If you’re like me and enjoy photography, it’s always a good idea to wake up as early as possible to get those shots. However, when traveling with my son that is not always possible. Which is why I did some research to find these spots for photos:
Check out these Instagrammable photo spots in Paris, links to Google Maps.
- Trocadéro
- Carousel near Trocadéro
- Rue De l’Universite and Avenue de la Bourdonnais (end of the street)
HOW WE FELT AS A VISIBLE MUSLIM FAMILY
To be honest, I’ve put off visiting Paris for years because I was scared of traveling to France as a hijabi. They have some of the most Islamophobic policies, and I wasn’t sure how that would translate to me as a tourist. However, my experience was amazing.We were conscious of our surroundings and stayed in a touristy area.
I recommend always taking the necessary safety precautions, no matter where you travel.
If you have any questions about our trip, don’t hesitate to ask!
iBakeMemories 