Bonjour! It’s time for a travel diary because it was finally time for my trip to Paris with Lotte! We booked this trip at the beginning of the year and then it seems so long before you leave… And suddenly it was Sunday July 29 and we left for Paris by train! The previous times I went to Paris, I went by plane and car so it was time for another means of transport haha. At 9:00 our train left from Rotterdam and by 11:45 we arrived in Paris! In this travel diary I will share where Lotte and I stayed, what I saw, where I ate and what I recommend doing when you are in Paris. 💕
“I left my heart under the Eiffel Tower.”
➳ Where I stayed
You might recognized some of the photos above because Lotte and I stayed at the CitizenM Gare de Lyon hotel in Paris. And yes, I have stayed at a CizitenM hotel before (here you can read more about it). Since my last stay was really nice, Lotte and I thought it would be a good idea to book this hotel for Paris as well. Besides the look of the CitizenM hotels, the rooms are very spacious, have an enormous bed and some snazzy technical features. You can change the colors of the lights in the room with the tablet, play movies on the television or even connect your own device to play music or watch Netflix. Besides all that, the location of our hotel was great because it’s near a big station (Gare de Lyon) so we could get a metro anytime and go anywhere we wanted to, within 15 minutes (most of the time).
➳ What I saw
Paris is a very big city with tons of sights to see. We were in Paris for five days, four nights, and everyday we made a plan of where we wanted to go and what sights we wanted to see. I think the most well-known sight in Paris has to be the Eiffel Tower. Of course we went to see the Eiffel Tower at two different occasions, during the day and at night (when it sparkles every hour). At Place du Trocadéro you definitely have the best view of the Eiffel Tower and you can take some very pretty photos. On our second day in Paris we went to Musée du Louvre very early. I would really recommend going early because then you don’t have to wait in line for that long (and are actually able to see Mona Lisa). Located near the Louvre is Jardin Tuileries. We had lunch here and enjoyed the stunning view of the Eiffel Tower, Ferris wheel, Louvre and the fountain in the garden.
Another part of Paris we visited, is the neighborhood Montmartre. If you’re looking for a typical French neighborhood, definitely go and walk around here. The houses are so cute and the streets are very small. Located in Montmartre is Sacré-Cœur, which you’ll have to climb to, and Moulin Rouge, near the metro station Pigalle.
When in Paris, you can’t miss the Champs Elysées. You must be familiar with this street name because it’s the large shopping street in Paris. Here we went shopping at the Nike store, Abercrombie & Fitch and of course Ladurée. On our last day in Paris we actually got a box with six different flavored macarons as a souvenir and they were so tasty! At the end of Champs Elysées you will see Arc de Triomphe. We didn’t go on top of it but one day I would like to do that as well.
If you like Mamma Mia like me, you have to walk along the Seine and sing along with ‘Our Last Summer’. When you walk across Pont Notre Dame, the name already tells you, you’ll end up at Notre-Dame. This is a big historic cathedral, which you can also see from the inside. I’ve been to Paris three times now and I haven’t seen it from the inside yet, so maybe next time? With mentioning all of these sights, I also have to mention Le Marais, which we walked around for one afternoon. Here you’ll find a lot of (unique) shops, but also very cute restaurants. If we had more time in Paris, we would’ve spend more time here.
➳ Where I ate
Every night Lotte and I wanted to eat somewhere different. Before we left, I saved a couple of dinner options and we did try these hotspots. I wanted to mention three of the places we went because believe me, you don’t want to miss them!
Pink Mamma | 20bis Rue de Douai, Paris
The first night we had dinner at Pink Mamma and the building itself is already very impressive (the pink one in the photos above). I had seen so many photos of this place on Instagram and it’s definitely worth it to wait in line to get in. I would recommend getting to Pink Mamma when it opens, just because you’ll get a table immediately. It’s all Italian food, so I got a pizza and Lotte got a pesto pasta, which we both really liked.
Paris New York | 1 Rue Perrée, Paris
On our second night in Paris, we wanted to eat something different than the day before. Lotte went online and found Paris New York. Here you can get all kinds of burgers, even vegetarian burgers (especially for me haha). 🍔 Besides that, the place is filled with pastel colors, cool prints and Supreme skateboards.
Amorino | 16 Rue de la Huchette, Paris
If you’re looking for the best ice cream in town, definitely go to one of the locations of Amorino. When Lotte and I wanted to have a dessert, we actually went to Amorino nearby and got five different flavors (cheesecake, vanilla, mango, strawberry and yoghurt). They make your ice cream into a rose and you can even add a macaron!
➳ What I recommend
First things first, when in Paris, you definitely need a Paris Visite Pass. Lotte and I got ours beforehand through the Paris Tourist Office. When we arrived at Gare du Nord, we could just walk up to the tourist office and get our Paris Visite Pass to travel through zones 1 to 3 for five days. It’s very easy to use but a little warning, don’t keep the ticket next to your phone because then it won’t work…
Besides that, there are a couple of places I really recommend going to or seeing, Les Deux Plateaux at Palais-Royal for example. It’s a very well-known art piece located in the garden of Palais-Royal. Yes, it’s a very popular Instagram spot so you definitely have to get a photo there. And if you want a very beautiful view of Paris, go to the top terrace of Galeries Lafayette. Here you can see the Eiffel Tower from a far, also Notre Dame and more.
There are two streets in Paris, you don’t want to miss. In the photos above you can see a street with a view of the Eiffel Tower. It’s a place you see a ton on Instagram but most of the time people don’t tag the street. Well, since I want you to have a photo like that as well, I will share the street with you, it’s called Rue de l’Université. The second street is a very colorful one, called Rue Crémieux. It’s filled with small houses, which are painted in different pastel colors. You’ll see more photos I’ve taken in this street in another blog post…
And now you are already at the end of this travel diary from my trip to Paris! I love this city and want to visit it so many more times. It has so much to offer, the people are very nice there and I just love croissants 🥐, so these are some great reasons to come back again. Get ready for more travel diaries because Neeltje is taking another trip pretty soon… Have you ever been to Paris? What’s your favorite sight in Paris?
Love,
Neeltje
Wow, thank you for all the recommendations! It’ll be useful for when I go to Paris in September! ❤️❤️
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Author
Ah, hopefully you’ll love Paris as much as I do! Xx
Ahhh, le beau Paris! No matter how many posts I read, pictures I see, or times I hear someone talk about Paris, I can never get enough of how much I love this beautiful city! All the way from the architecture to the history (huge emphasis on history 😉 ) to the artwork and style, Paris will always be in my heart. I admire the Parisian culture so much that when I go there I always feel a strong need to try to blend in and not look like a tourist even though I’m lugging my big camera around and taking photos every 10 feet 😉 The one thing I’m not totally sold on is the food … but not the pastries however because croissants and macaroons are just too good not to love! I’m so happy to hear you had a wonderful time in Paris – but who doesn’t, right?
http://www.beingisabella.com
https://www.instagram.com/beingisabellablog/
Author
Ah, this is definitely me as well! Paris is just such a lovely city 🙂
What a wonderful post! Paris looks lovely, hopefully I can visit one day!
http://innapishtoy.com
Author
It really is! Thank you 🙂 X
It looks amazing.. so beautiful! Thanks for sharing
Author
I am glad you like it! Thank you!
Thanks for the guide! Paris is just so gorgeous and I wish I could visit it once in my life
Tam
http://www.classictam.com
Author
Ah, I am glad you like it! X
Parijs is zo’n mooie stad he! Wat heb je trouwens prachtige foto’s gemaakt!!
Author
Heel lief! Dankjewel 🙂
Paris is indeed a great city. It’s only 3 hours driving from my home. Nice pictures by the way!
Author
Thank you!
Mooie foto’s. Parijs is een heerlijke stad en eigenlijk helemaal niet zo ver weg bij ons vandaan voor een leuke stedentrip
Author
Dankjewel! Jaa, inderdaad.
Prachtig zeg, ik ga in September naar Parijs, ben zoooo benieuwd!
Author
Ah, wat leuk! Veel plezier alvast. Xx
Wat een prachtige foto’s! Ik wil ook wel eens terug naar Parijs.
Author
Dankjewel! X
Mooie sfeerfoto’s van Parijs! Parijs is absoluut een geweldige stad, ik denk dat ik er nu een keertje of vijf ben geweest maar zou er zo weer naar toe willen. Er is nog steeds zoveel te zien en te ontdekken.
Author
Dankjewel! Dat is zeker waar 🙂
Parijs is toch maar een mooie stad zeg! Heel mooi al die foto’s.
Author
Dankjewel! Het is echt een gave stad 🙂
Ik ben behalve naar Disneyland, nog nooit in Parijs geweest. Om de een of andere reden trekt Frankrijk mij nooit zo, maar als ik jouw schitterende foto’s zie, dan lijkt Parijs me wel weer heel mooi!
Author
Parijs is echt een compleet andere wereld. Echt de moeite waard om een keer te bezoeken!
Je foto’s geven me alvast zin om heel snel nog eens naar Parijs te gaan!
Author
Ah, leuk om te horen! Dankjewel. X
Parijs is een heel mooie stad! Ik ben er ook net geweest! Maar ik was er nu wel niet echt overdonderd van. Geef mij dan maar Rome.
-xx Daisy –
Author
Parijs is gaaf he. Ik ben erg benieuwd naar Rome 🙂
Oeeeh Paris! My favorites are the Sephora at the Champs Ellysees and Disneyland haha.
Author
Ahh, the Sephora store is so big (and it was so busy) haha.
Prachtig! Zo te zien en te lezen heb je genoten 🙂
Als het goed is, ga ik volgend jaar naar Parijs. Eindelijk!
Author
Ah wat leuk! Dan heb je alvast wat om naar uit te kijken 🙂 X
Wat een prachtige foto’s heb je gemaakt! Parijs is een erg mooie stad.
Author
Dankjewel!
Love the photos, so beautiful!
http://holeph.com
Author
Thank you!
Parijs is een prachtige stad. Ik ben er al 2x geweest maar wil gerust nog 10x terug 😉 Prachtige foto’s!
Author
Ah, precies dit! Dankjewel 🙂
I absolutely adore your blog! Would love it if you would check out mine ❤️
Author
Ah, thank you so much. Xx