In 2017 my husband and I were lucky enough to ring in the New Year on the beach in Koh Rong, Cambodia. Soon after getting back from that trip we started talking about how great it would be to ring in New Year’s Eve 2018 abroad. I obsessively scoured Google Flights and Skyscanner for the best flight deals for months. We picked a destination, or in our case destinations, and tickets were booked. We were headed to Amsterdam, Paris, and Reykjavik! We had both been to Amsterdam just after college and were looking forward to exploring the city again. My husband visited Reykjavik on a work trip a few years back and since then I could not wait to go myself. An epic European holiday was in the making.

Now back to Paris! I’ve been to Paris several times throughout my life. I'm fortunate enough to have family there, so my love affair with the city began at a very young age. My husband, on the other hand, had never been which meant making sure he got to experience as much of the city as possible. We were visiting over New Year’s so we had the challenge of scheduling around holiday closures but we had six days to see as much as we could. We crushed the sightseeing portion of our trip but not without some lessons learned along the way. So, if you are planning your first trip to Paris or your tenth here are a few things to make your trip a little smoother.

A Must Have on Any Trip

My first rule when traveling to a new city is… download the offline Google map of that city! Regardless if you plan on having cell/data service you never know when you’re down in the Metro tunnel with no service or cell coverage is spotty. You can still get directions from place to place even when you’re offline. Total game changer! I’m also an obsessive Google Map pin dropper but that’s another post.

Location

Paris is made up of 20 neighborhoods (aka arrondissement in French). The 1st is located at city center and then they spiral out like a snail’s shell clockwise. The Seine River runs through the city and divides it into the left and right bank. Got all of that? Don't worry if you don't. Check out the map to the left if you're a visual learner like me. It took me a while to get the lay of the land of Paris too.

Are museums, monuments, and tourist sites your number one priority? You can’t go wrong staying in the 1st - 7th. If eating, drinking, and nightlife are more your jam I would suggest posting up in the 9th or 10th. Paris hotels can get pricey depending on what time of year you go, and not to mention they aren't the spacious rooms you're used to in the States. Consider one of the hundreds of cute Air BnBs that are available. No matter what accommodations or arrondissement you choose, picking one within a 10-12-minute walk of a Metro stop will be key to you zipping around the city like a local.

We stayed in this cute Air BnB the 9th and it was perfect for us. We loved have a kitchen to whip up snacks and fridge for beverages, by that I mean a fridge to keep our beer and wine cool and ready to drink (priorities my friends).

Getting Around

Consider how you will be getting to your hotel/Air Bnb from the airport or train station. It may make sense to hire a driver to get you to home base, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the Metro or have bulky luggage. Roller bags and cobble stone streets do not play well together. We splurged for a car service to and from the airport and it was 100% worth it for us. But everyone’s different so weigh your options and plan ahead.

Like any large city, traffic can be awful at times, especially when you’re trying to get somewhere in a timely manner. Taxis are expensive, and the meter can run up quickly with so many one-way and tiny alley/side streets. As I mentioned above, the public transportation system can be your best friend. If you plan to use the Metro/train/bus as your main mode of transportation, which we did, you can purchase a Paris Visite Pass for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. They’re valid on all Paris public transportation networks in the city and can be purchased at any RATP station. Money well spent on our trip and no digging around for change to pay fares. Uber is also available if you can connect to wi-fi or have cell service.

Finally, embrace the French term “flâner”, which means to stroll. Put on your walking shoes and explore the city by foot. You will see and experience so much of the city heading between destinations. Don't be afraid to wander off the main drag. They usually have the cutest shops and cafes that are less touristy.

A view of the Seine River from Pont Neuf

Museums, Monuments, and Tourist Sites

Regardless of what time of year you head to Paris, you will be standing in line for museums and other tourist sites. Here are a few tips that will minimize your time queuing.

The Hall of Mirrors at Chateau de Versailles

Check out the Paris Museum Pass. It gives you access to 50 museums and monuments in and around Paris. It comes in 2, 4 and 6 consecutive day versions. Having this pass will not necessarily get you out of standing in line at some of the super popular sites but you essentially have an admission ticket. Which means you'll be bypassing the ticket purchasing line saving yourself a ton of time.

Consider purchasing tickets ahead of time online that have specific times of entrance. We had the Museum Pass which gives you access to the Chateau de Versailles but the queue was still 2-3 hours to get in. We bit the bullet and purchased time-specific tickets and cruised right in at 11:30 am.

Do a little research to find out when lines are shortest for certain attractions. For example, the Louvre is open until 9:45 pm on Wednesday and Friday. We walked by early in the afternoon and the line was down and around the block. We strolled back around 7 pm and there was no one in line.

A few sites we decided that we were okay with not paying admission to go inside. Snapping a few pictures and strolling around the outside of both the Arc de Triomphe and Tour de Eiffel were enough for us to check them off our list.

The Culture

There’s the misconception that Parisians are rude. Let's be honest, there are rude people everywhere in the world and there are even more kind and helpful people out there. Don't worry that you're not fluent in French. Learn a few conversational phrases and politely ask if they speak English. Go having an open mind and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Finally, just remember that you won't get to do everything you want. I purposefully built out itinerary with more sites than we would make it to knowing that we might choose sleeping in or lingering at a site longer. At the end of the trip we were happy with what we saw and did that we didn't regret skipping out on a few things. Leave plenty of time to circle back to sites you didn't get to when planned and allow yourself to just get lost and explore the city.

Writing this blog post is giving me all of the feels for the City of Lights. I wish I was wandering the streets of Paris right now and taking in every amazing thing the city has to offer.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Paris? Did I miss any tips you would share with someone heading there? Share them here on the blog on or connect with me on Instagram (@eat.drink.wanderlust) and using #EatDrinkWanderlust.

♥ Monica

“We’ll always have Paris.”

— Howard Koch