With little research behind me I got us some decent priced train tickets & we were all set for our (what was predicted to be) our interesting adventure in France.
So Antonio, Deanna, Andréa and myself ventured out for a few days. We had a quick 2hr 20m train from Kaiserslautern straight into Paris. From our train stop to our apartment was less than 3 miles.
We signed up for the hop on hop off tour at the Tourist Information office inside the train station in Paris.
Then we used the nearest stop to get around the city and in walking distance to our apartment. We grabbed an Uber on the return trip near our apartment back to the train for only €10.
We stored all our belongings in a locker at the train station to enjoy part of the day without lugging around all our stuff until check in mid-afternoon. The locker area is secured win employees & they screen your bags before you can enter, like airport security. We fit all our things in one locker for about €9 for a 24 hour period. It was very safe and gave peace of mind that the bags were extra secured while we went out exploring.
The hop on hop off bus was a slow experience our first ride around the town. Traffic is atrocious and it seems to be more chaotic then organized with their lights and all the different means of transportation. Buses & cars run red lights then block intersections. There are bikes and scooters everywhere. The entire concept of driving in Paris should be avoided by anyone if it's an option.
It took what seemed to be an eternity to get to the sites we wanted to see initially on our bus. I think we had more fun walking around when we "hopped off". You can wander down just about any nearby street and find various stores, souvenir stands, cafes and brasseries.
We chose a cafe for lunch our first day that looked awesome ...and it delivered! Antonio ordered escargot here & everyone got in on the experience. We all tried it however Antonio was the one who really enjoyed it and finished it all. We had some amazing Rosé and cocktails at this place as well. Service was quick, friendly and attentive. So our first random restaurant choice kind of set the tone for the rest of our dining experiences. The bar was set high but Paris never let us down!
After lunch we were on our journey to find out apartment D found through AirBnB. It was right by the Pantheon in a charming College area. Either a pro or con depending on how you look at the College area came the Night Life. And it felt like the area never sleeps! People were loud and out and about all night! It's hot and there is no AC so your windows stay open. Even when dragging ourselves in past 2am the first night it sounded like things were just getting started outside. After the partiers calmed down you could here rummager's moving glass bottles and trash digging for some kind of gold. If we weren't so tired it would have been pretty awful, but we all slept through the obnoxious sounds.
Our place was convenient though, right around the corner from The Pantheon, The Latin Quarter, and The University of Paris. And we ate and had drinks at places we wouldn't have even seen if we weren't staying in this particular area.
There was a little cafe/bar at the end of our street called Zig Zag which we really enjoyed. Especially the Belgian beer and meat/cheese plate!
On the other end of our street we stayed at was Le Petite cafe. Amazing! & open till 2am. Another place that was quite the crowd pleaser and gatherer. It was always busy when we walked by. The food was amazing here!
We took a ride on our boat tour that was apart of our hop on hop off bus tickets. The boat was so much more enjoyable because there is little traffic on the water. We cruised and watched the sights from either side of the river while the boat captain slowly drove us to each stop.
We could get off at 9 different sights that are really all good stops in my personal opinion. The farthest landmark from the boat stops was the Arc de Triomphe and that was still walking distance. Maybe 15 minutes away on foot. And when you stop for some speculoos ice cream @ Häagen Dazs the walk is too easy.
A good tid bit of information to know if you ever visit the Arc de Triomphe is the entrance is down stairs and goes underground from the large traffic circle that surrounds it.
Therefore if you are not on a tour that drops you off right inside the circle you have to use the underground stairs. When walking up the main road of French flags, stores & cafes, the stairs would be on what appears to be the complete back side of the arc. Downstairs, after heading through a tunnel, you can buy tickets to the top.
We walked around and saw so much it's difficult to write about it all. Parisian parks and landmarks are lush, green, and the architecture on buildings is so detailed and symbolic.
The Arc de Triomphe bus stop is very close by and it heads toward the Eiffel Tower so we hoped back on the bus. A quick 10 mins ride or so and we were at the site you feel like you only would only see in movies! I never really thought I'd be standing at the Eiffel Tower!
It is completely surreal! But it's massive and amazing! The gardens behind the Tower are a beautiful area to picnic at. We were there the day after Bastille Day (a huge French Holiday similar to our 4th of July) so there were quite the haul of bottle caps and leftover tid bits of trash along the greens. Regardless it didn't take away from the beauty and views.
My neck hurt from looking up for so long! We walked back and back some more and it still felt huge!
Beautiful Clydesdale horses with a carriage stomped by and a fountain became our beautiful photo background. A red Porsche zoomed by & then stopped for a quick look at the Eiffel Tower.
From the Eiffel Tower we found ourselves walking to Napoleons Tomb. It was much larger than I had expected. We walked through every part of the Englise du Dome and soaked up all the history we could in a small amount of time.
Several family members of Napoleon are buried here. The Tomb of Napoleon was constructed by an architect Visconti & finished in 1861. However this architect was selected by King Louis Philippe in 1842. The remains of Napoleon I were transferred in 1840. A tid bit of interesting history for the day. It was really humbling to be standing AT The Emperor Napoleon's tomb!
I can't leave out the details of our very favorite restaurant we ate at in Paris. It was called Chez Clement and it was near the Musee d'Orsay. There was live music that really drew us in to choosing this place.
The food was fresh and amazing. I ate an organized and farm raised Chicken which included salad and unlimited sides, I started with Mashed Potatoes.
Antonio ordered the duck with roasted potatoes. He said it was the best Duck he's ever had! The girls had some mind blowing green beans with their meal! Everything was just amazing. I couldn't leave without enjoying the Creme Brûlée regardless of how full I was. I made everyone help out & it was so worth while! The food was reasonably priced for dinner in Paris (chicken dinner €14) and we all felt like we were in a dream sitting at this place enjoying the vibes.
I think I'd be typing for a week straight if I continue to write about all I saw and did in Paris on my first 2.5 day trip. So I'm going to wrap this up!
The boat tour was by far my favorite means of transportation. Next time we will add the Metro. It looks very similar to the Tube in London. Easy to catch on for anyone with an open mind. Can't wait to catch another quick train ride back to Paris to see all the things we didn't get to see this 1st trip!
All the cool people we chatted with or met along the way made the trip even more interesting. All our service was awesome. The Parisians welcomed us anywhere we walked into. All tourisy and all! 😆
Everything I previously heard about Paris or the French is out the window. I now have my own opinions. And they are all extremely positive! ☺️ It's been one of my very favorite places I've been in Europe this year. If you have the chance in your lifetime... visit Paris! 🇫🇷
