We're so excited that our current trip pick is Paris we're devoting a whole bunch of this week's blog posts to the city!
Below please find our idea of three perfect days in Paris. And let us know - if you only had a few days in Paris, what would you do?
xo,
the jauntsetter team
p.s. photo credit of a Paris market-stand by Sarah Jane McGivney.
p.p.s. Our itineraries' time estimates/basic directions are predicated on the assumption that you are staying in the Marais district.
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Merrily Meandering in the Marais
- Start your day off with a visit to the Enfants Rouges, a fantastic covered market off of Rue de Bretagne in north of the Marais. It's one of Paris's oldest markets and the perfect place for your first meal of the day. Depending on what time it is, grab a breakfast of freshly baked croissants or crepes. Or grab lunch from one of the vendors - there are plenty of picnic tables to sit at. (If it's cold, heaters warm up the space.) Should you want something more substantial, head inside to the market's amazing organic restaurant, Les Enfant Rouges, which has delicious organic food and wine, and a cozy communal table perfect for the solo traveler.
- Adjacent to the Enfants Rouges is an amazing fromagerie, where they'll wrap your cheese for your flight home. And don't forget the wine! A few blocks away is the fantastic shop Julien Caviste, where the owner Julien loves to talk vins (in English or French).
- Where to take your picnic goodies? The Seine is less than a 30 minute walk away. Go ahead and saunter down to the river and have a lovely lunch. Any spot will do - they're all lovely - but we love walking over the bridge to the Pont Neuf for a perfect spot of quiet.
- Once there you can cross over to the Ile St. Louis and take a gander by the impressive Notre Dame.
- Do we sound obsessed with food? We apologize but we must insist that you have a salted caramel gelato at Berthillon while on the island. It's heavenly.
- End your afternoon at the Les Bains de Marais (31-33 Blancs Manteaux), where for 40 bucks you can use the various steam and nap rooms and get an invigorating massage.
- You'll be ready to head out for dinner and a later drink at La Perle (78 Rue Vielle-du-Temple), Paris's answer to Williamsburg's Union Pool. Sounds like a bad thing? It's not - the crowd is diverse, the people watching priceless, and the space small enough to make the whole scene accessible, not overwhelming.
Bread, Roses & Fashion (All the Basics) near the Luxembourg Gardens
- Wake up and take the Metro to Le Bon Marche on Rue de Sevres; it's a classic old school department store and has everything from French kitchen appliances to pretty underthings. Très belle!
- If you were ever to work up an appetite for expensive clothing in Paris, it would likely be here, but we say, hold on to your wallets and hit up the most wonderful gourmet market of them all, La Grand Epicerie, which is right next door. Splurge on a picnic lunch - you can find everything from wine to macaroons to cheese in this unbelievable culinary center.
- Now wander, meander, traipse your way over to the Luxembourg Gardens. Spend plenty of time here exploring the verdant grounds and watching Parisians at play.
- After lolling about in the gardens, think about finding your way to the adjacent Rue de Grenelle. There you'll find chi chi stores like Miu Miu, Prada and Christian Louis Bouton.
- Or - if you'd like a tea or have simply vetoed picnicking (horror!), visit the nearby Bread and Roses bakery and cafe on Rue de Fleurus. (Shopping alert: the street it's on has a great little Japanese boutique and an APC as well, if you need a fashion pick-me-up.)
- Head home and review any outfits you've bought; tonight would be a good night to hit up one of Paris's unique dance clubs like Le Baron or Batofar.
Fall in Love with the Louvre (Even if You Don't Go In)
- Wake up in the morning, have breakfast in your apartment, then set off for a healthy walk from the Marais to the Louvre.
- When you're two thirds of the way there, make a stop at Palais Royal, a gorgeous old courtyard filled with cute cafes, boutiques like Marc Jacobs, and antique stores.
- You're nearly there. Keep towards the Louvre, though you can feel free to get distracted by a shop called Colette (213 Rue Saint Honore). This is an ultra hip store, though we find it rather underwhelming. Then again, it's quite popular with fashionistas we know, so if that's your thing, definitely check it out!
- Once at the Louvre, which is exceedingly close, take a break. In fact you might even skip going in: we prefer to sit in the courtyard with our picnic (notice a theme here?). The fountains and glass pyramid are breathtaking.
- It's likely cocktail time so take the Metro back to the Marais, and stop by the library-feeling Le Fumoir (6 Rue de l'Amiral de Coligny) for happy hour. Or better yet, go to the nearby Experimental Cocktail Club for a Milk-and-Honey-esque drink. This tiny bar gets packed to the gills with Paris's cool kids around 9, so arrive early for a seat. It's time to sip something delicious while you people watch and craft plans for the rest of an exciting evening. (We're pretty sure that if you try, you'll meet some interesting folks here.)
4 comments
Wanderlust says:
I must agree here, if you are coming to Paris you should most definitely stay in La Marais! The neighborhood is chock full of cafes, bars (very GLT friendly), parks, fromageries, charcuteries, boulangeries, patisseries, and all things quintessentially Parisian. Les Enfant Rouge is indeed a wonderful market “marche” en Francaise, let’s immerse ourselves here people, as well as the quaintest park in the city Carreau de Temple. During my first visit to Paris I stayed in an apartment just a few steps from all of the sites I mentioned above. Take a look at the company’s website and see if it is available.
www.cobblestay.com
Apartment 7 was tres chic and the perfect size for me and my partner. (the flatscreen is wonderful for a movie night)
Apartment 17 was booked during our stay but it is right around corner, and since the company is focused on renting in the Marais you should have plenty of options.
BONNE VACANCE!!!
(posted on 10/01/08, at 04:08AM)
mslewis says:
Last May I spent a week in Paris with my niece. I had visited Paris before but she had never been there. We took the city buses and the Metro everywhere and got off at whatever place looked or sounded interesting. It was wonderful and we both had a blast. We took the train to Giverney and spent the day but mostly we stayed in Paris. The only problem I had is that my niece was not interested in spending her time inside museums and I love museums. I decided to do what she wanted but I’m determined to get back to Paris this Fall or next Spring . . . ALONE!! I plan to spend 4 or 5 days in Paris just going to the museums!!! I really love Paris. Wish I could afford to go everything my heart desires.
(posted on 10/01/08, at 10:23PM)
krl says:
going to paris this weekend and this is the perfect resource! merci!
(posted on 10/02/08, at 12:56PM)
admin says:
wonderful! keep checking our blog for more updates on what to do in paris. and have a fabulous trip!
(posted on 10/02/08, at 05:14PM)