My friend, Norbert Guery, grew up in France. After moving to the states and following his destiny to become my always hungry, sports obsessed college roommate, he would go on to compile a list of 5 things to do and places to see for my trip to Paris just 2 weeks ago.
Another friend, Camille Burkhart, lives in Paris. She’s from Lyon, France, and our paths first crossed as flatmates while studying abroad in New Zealand. After years of travel, she found herself back in France and working at an entertainment law firm in Paris.
Between Norbert’s list and Camille’s guidance, I became the local’s tourist. The following, are the 5 must see sights for the first (or second) timer in Paris, and the best ways to experience them.
1) The Eiffel Tower
Dinner and a show. The restaurant on the first level of the tower is amazing and often easy to make last minute reservations if you’re up for the 6:30pm dinner seating. My girlfriend and I were able to get a table, booking it just 40 minutes prior, because most of Europe prefers to eat much later.
At night, the Eiffel Tower light show is every hour on the hour. It’s stunning and is a total must see. Actually my first time witnessing this was back in 2010, from the rooftop of a friend’s apartment while playing guitar, snacking on baguettes and cheese, and drinking French wine. This time, there was no cliché Parisian night, but the Eiffel Tower lights were epic nonetheless.
Then across the street and under the bridge, to the right side, is the boat tour, the Bateaux Mouche. It costs 11 € and is totally worth it.
2) The Church of Notre Dame
Notre Dame is located on the second island on the river. But ironically enough, not at the Notre Dame stop on Metro line 12. If you get off there (like me), you won’t be far, but you won’t be at the church.
Actually, by getting off the wrong stop, we unexpectedly discovered the Jardin de Luxembourg – a beautiful garden with an incredible palace. The correct stop for Notre Dame is actually Cité on line 4, or Châtelet on line 1 works too. This will drop you off right next to the town hall, Hotel de Ville, which is another amazing site to see.
Don’t be deterred by the gigantic line in front of the church. The inside is huge, and people don’t linger, so the line moves tremendously fast. You will be in the church within minutes, no matter how long it looks. It’s free, but does close at 5pm. You can also venture up into the towers for a spectacular view if you pay or if you have the Museum Pass, which for 20 euros/adult lets you skip all the lines.
Just south of the river where Notre Dame is you’ll find the St. Michel quarter, also known as the Latin quarter. This is where a lot of young people in the city live and is a very lively area with great food, including crepes!
3) The Louvre and Orsay museums
The Louvre is largest museum in the world (3 miles if you walk the perimeter) and houses one of history’s most impressive art collections, including of course, the Mona Lisa. And the Orsay competes. They are both along the north side of river and must visits if you enjoy learning about cultures of the past and interpreting Medieval and Renaissance art.
I love to visit art museums, but honestly I get more excited about architecture. Seeing the building and it’s surrounding grounds is enough reason to make the Louvre a must see stop on your Paris tour!
4) The Arc de Triomphe
If the line at the Eiffel Tower is too long, don’t wast your time. Located at the end of one of Paris’ most famous streets, Champs Elysees, the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe is just as good if not better. In fact, in Norbert’s (and my) opinion, it’s the best view in Paris.
Reason being? You have a 360 degree view of the entire city with all roads leading to you. It’s quite stunning. And for the aspiring photographer in all of us, the Eiffel Tower will be in your shot, of course making that Instagram post about your travels even more recognizable.
I was staying just 3 miles away and decided to make the journey to and from the Arc de Triomphe part of my morning run. If you’d rather take the metro, it’s the Charles de Gaulle stop on line 1.
The arc is surrounded by an insanely busy rotary, and after a bit of curiously confused pondering, I discovered the underground tunnel which allows you to cross the street without risking life and limb. The ticket to climb the Arc de Triomphe is only 8 €.
My favorite part? The 284 step spiral staircase leading to the top!
5) The Moulin Rouge
Go to the Pigalle metro stop, and then grab some food and drinks at Pigalle. Yes, the bar shares the same name as the metro stop, and is one of the coolest restaurants I went to in Paris. Everything about the vibe of this place was just spot on. From the plush brown leather chairs that line up next to the street-side patio, to even the bathroom sink. Just go, you’ll know what I mean.
After, continue walking past all the sex shops and strip clubs and you’ll arrive at the Moulin Rouge. The theatre tickets are crazy expensive, (I didn’t go), but seeing the iconic red windmill is still pretty cool on its own. Below, Camille, Jason, and I are getting our cheese on.
And next to that, in walking distance to the right, is Montmartre. In Montmartre, there are stairs you will climb to go up to go to the Sacre Coeur – the Basillica of the Sacred Heart of Paris. You can also use the “telepherique,” or cable car, for free with your Paris Visite card or T ticket.
After you’ve taken in the view and caught your breath from the stairs, walk left from the entrance to church and you will find the most amazing little artists square. Shops, vendors, cafes, and cobblestone streets abound. When you think of the quaint, romantic, Paris of old, this is the spot you’re picturing. Add a mime and an accordion and, well, that’s a wrap.
Honorable mentions: Worth the time if you have the time
1) A short walk from the Hotel de Ville is the Baubourg, a famous museum made of giant pipes adjacent to a big bustling square. This is a fun place to kill some time!
2) The opera building, Palais Garnier, is a marvel of architecture which was finished in 1875.
3) Les Invalides is hard to miss. This is the huge building with the golden dome and it’s where Napoleon is buried. In it, is the museum of the Army.
What did I learn in Paris?
The metro is your best friend. Paris public transportation kicks ass. I didn’t take them much, but the buses are great too. For example, bus 72 will help you cross the city horizontally while staying along the river most of the time. Either way, stick to public transit in Paris, and basically all of Europe.
Frog legs and snails are delicious. Andouillette, is not.
Ask a local. This is true for anywhere you travel. I was fortunate and had not only a check list of must sees from Norbert, but I had Camille guiding the way around her city. This was amazing and allowed me to quickly and easily check off all the major must see tourist spots. Some I had already been to, but my girlfriend hadn’t, and after 5 years, I didn’t mind the refresher.
Hopefully, even if you don’t have a local guide, the above list will make it easy enough for you to explore Paris, checking off not only the famous must see spots, but also discover the small cafes, side streets, creperies, and characters along the way. Remember, it’s okay to get lost and embrace the detours.
*Special thanks to Norbert for contributions to this post and Camille for the guidance through Paris.
