Paris in 48 Hours

This spring break was a whirlwind and I was blessed with the chance to travel to France for a brief taste of the city. Though I only got to spend two days in the “City of Light”, it didn’t take long to fall in love with this city and it’s mix of romantic and historic charm. The game plan was to choose 3-4 places to see and leave a little flexibility to explore off the beaten path rather than trying to cram every monument into a short window of time.

My boyfriend and I arrived in the city on a Thursday afternoon by car and headed straight to The Palace of Versailles. Upon arrival my heart was literally beating with excitement because everything looked old, yet beautifully timeless. Could I touch the walls of the buildings?…..prob not…”Let me just chill and not look like a tourist.” Me trying to be a chill traveler didn’t last too long. I didn’t bring or walk around with a selfie stick, but I was so excited to capture the beauty of the century old palace……as if photographing it could allow me to still hold Paris in my hands upon my return to the US……but I digress. Versaille was HUGE. I knew it would be big, but seeing the place in the flesh was insane! The golden gates greeted me as I entered, as if this elite French oasis would provide a taste of heaven.

The palace is an architectural marvel and the amount of detail and care that went and continues to go into the grounds is mind blowing. Versailles has 700 rooms, 2,000 windows, 1,250 chimneys, and 67 staircases. This does not include the acres and acres of land which includes manicured gardens and fountains surrounding the palace. For the first two hours of my time on the grounds I was filled with wonder…humans actually made this and it’s so incredible. For the next 2 hours, I thought…the amount of excess all created to accommodate royal privilege is just sad. The priorities of powerful nations throughout history is something worth contemplating.

After a long day a travel and hours exploring the palace we retreated to our airbnb reservation located in Alfortville, which was about a 30 minute train ride outside of the city center. Not only was it moderately priced at about $50 a night, but our host made it a truly cultural experience. Our host was a French woman named Christine who was by far the best host I’ve ever had at an Airbnb. She made the stay so much more personal and interactive than I ever would’ve expected. Check out her beautiful listing here! She hosted us for drinks and biscuits in her living room as a welcome on the first night. This allowed us to get to know her and learn more about the stay. We learned that she has hosted people from all over the world and is also an avid horseback rider! Beyond her home, there was also a quaint and affordable bakery right around the corner from where she lived. It served the freshest and most DELICIOUS bread and pastries.

The next day was an eventful excursion in the city center. I tried to remember as much high school french as I could in asking for directions on the train. There are several trains in Paris, so know which one you need to get on because it’s easy to get on the wrong one if you have no clue what you’re doing. To enter the city center from the outskirts it was easiest to take the RER. I got a day pass for 9.70 Euros and it allowed me to travel freely between three zones where all of the main attractions were. For train info go here! Once we arrived in the city center the first stop was the Palais Garner (obviously, I had to make this opera house my first stop)! It was grand in the same way as Versailles, but much more sentimental for me as an opera singer. From here, day was spent visiting the louvre, eiffel tower and walking along the Seine river to explore the nooks and crannies of the city.
  

Observations/Recommendations about about the Center of Paris

• Paris is so diverse! There are people with so many different accents, skin tones and backgrounds which truly makes it a metropolis. There’s a place for everyone……but do know or at least try speaking French. Basic phrases will definitely come in handy, especially traveling on public transportation.
• Paris in the winter has it’s perks. Though there were still lots of people, it wasn’t nearly as congested as it would be in the summer. We didn’t run into too many long lines or wait times. There was actually space to take pictures without tons of people in every shot. Additionally, we visited on week days (Thursday/Friday) instead of on the weekend. This significantly decreased the people traffic and increased our trip enjoyment.
• Walking around the city center was the best decision! We saved time and money and stumbled upon some cool places, like the bridge with love locks and paths along the Seine river.
• Paris is a fashion mecca. I loved seeing people walk around in beautiful outfits like fur vests and skirts.
• Pack a backpack and go to a bakery to stock up on food for snacking throughout the day instead of sitting down at restaurants for every meal. Food in the city center expensive! Save your coins and enjoy a baguette sandwich or chocolate croissants.
• If you’re traveling to Paris by car account for the traffic upon entering the city limits. The city is huge and spread out with millions of people. Depending on where you’re staying, I wouldn’t recommend driving into the city center to and from attractions. The traffic is horrible and you really need to be a skilled driver who knows where they are going to get through all of the roads and round-a-bouts.  Additionally, motorcyclists have a lot of freedom on the road. They’ll be weaving all through the streets with no abandon. Walking and or taking the train, are your best options if money is tight and you don’t want to spend a lot of time in cars.
• Paris at night is pure magic! Don’t just see the city during the day, but experience the beauty of the city lights once the sky is dark. You won’t be disappointed. We ended the day by visiting the Arc de Triomphe and climbed up to the top for an awe inspiring view of the city. You can really see Paris from all angles and appreciate the beautiful city planning that has gone into this place!