The Ultimate Paris Travel Guide: Things To Do In 5 Paris Neighborhoods

The Ultimate Paris Travel Guide

Bonjour, everyone! Our trip to Paris last month was absolutely amazing. We had the best time! We went with such a fun group of people. My best friend, Ailee, was the best tour guide EVER. She’s basically a Paris pro and created the most amazing itinerary/guide for us to follow, so we thought it would be fun to team up and share what we did, ate, saw, etc + some of the things she loves & recommends. She is the best & I am so excited to share her amazing tips today! If you haven’t checked out her blog, you must! ( http://www.snapshotsandmythoughts.com/ ) We stayed in Paris for the whole trip and I really loved doing it that way to take in everything and really get to see Paris! Ahhhh just writing this already has me missing that incredible city. The trip was such a dream!

Culture:

Parisians typically don’t love loud Americans who don’t even attempt to speak the language. But you can win over most by endearingly attempting to speak French – even the smallest phrases show you are willing to try!

Simple Phrases in French:

“Je voudrais” (jeh voo dray) is I would like – as in “Je voudrais la salade chevre” – “I would like goat cheese salad.”
“L’addition, s’il vous plait” (“lad-ee-see-on, see voo play) is “I would like the bill, please”
“Un verre d’eau” (un vehr doh) is “a glass of water”
“Merci” (mer-see) is “thank you”
“Bonjour” (bon-joor) is “hello” (literally good day, but used as a greeting during the day)
“Bonsoir” (bon-swohr) is “good evening”
“Bonne journée” (bon-joor-nay) is “have a good day!”
“Bonne soirée” (bon-swohr-ay) is “have a good night!”
“Au revoir” (aw-reh-vohr) is “goodbye”

French people are in no rush. Don’t expect to stop in at a cafe for a quick 30 minute breakfast. It won’t happen. So instead of impatiently waiting for the waiter to come by with the bill, plan your day accordingly. Also, you are not expected to tip, but a little bit of a tip is always a nice gesture.

Getting around:

Ailee is a huge fan of the metro! Uber wasn’t around when she lived there, so it’s easy for her. She recommends going to the ticket counter and asking for a book of 10 tickets (“Dix billets, s’il vous plait” – “deez bee-lay, see voo play”). We also used Uber during the trip, and it was very convenient, just more costly (and sometimes took longer due to traffic). Sid and I mainly used Uber to meet up with the group each day!

Where to stay:

Ailee always looks for places to stay in St. Germain des Pres. She’s stayed in multiple Airbnbs in the area and also at the Hotel Bel Ami, which is perfectly located near the best restaurants and is a very short walk to the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay. Another good area to look for apartments in is the Marais. Look for apartments located near places on this Google Map. You can also reference Nessy’s (who wrote “Don’t Be a Tourist in Paris”) Airbnb wishlist here: https://www.airbnb.com/wishlists/112104048. Sid & I stayed at the Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador Hotel. We LOVE hotel staying- clean towels, room service, beds made… we are suckers for that during vacation! The hotel was so nice & we really enjoyed our stay there.

Paris with kids:

Ailee traveled to Paris with her daughter, Isla, when she was 11 months old, and despite the hassle of carrying the stroller up and down the metro stairs (few have elevators!), it was a great trip. Restaurants aren’t full of kids in Paris like they are here, but for the most part, they will happily give you a high chair for your kids to sit in. Isla rode around in the stroller while we did most of our sightseeing, but here are a few good ideas of things to do with kids in Paris:

Fete des Tuileries: Every June through August, over 80 attractions come to the Jardins des Tuileries – most are family friendly (and it’s free!). Bumper cars, ghost train, etc. – perfect entertainment for kids.
La Cite des Enfants: An interactive science exhibition space for kids within the La Cite des Sciences et de l’Industrie.
Jardin du Luxembourg: Isla took some of her first steps in this gorgeous garden. It’s full of kids running around. You can sail toy boats or go on the antique wooden carousel too.
Parc Zoologique de Paris: The zoo sits in the Bois de Vincennes in eastern Paris. There are over 1,000 animals inhabiting the zoo.
Aire de Jeux Park in Nelson Mandela Park: This colorful park is full of activities for kids old and young. Although it doesn’t appear on the map, it is in the southern park of Nelson Mandela Park, near Les Halles.

GERMAIN-DES-PRES

Neighborhood summary:

Ailee’s favorite place in Paris to stay is St. Germain des Pres, due to its proximity to everything! She is also a big Hemingway buff, so loves that all of the artists in the 1930s hung out in this area (you’ll find me a Les Deux Magots – their favorite coffee shop – multiple times during a view to Paris). We had some of the yummiest ice cream there after dinner our first night there. It was such a fun atmosphere, too. Definitely recommend. The Latin Quarter (slightly to the east) is historically where all of the universities were in Paris – less so now, but still houses the Sorbonne.

To Do

Panthéon: A building originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens. It is an early example of neo-classicism, with a façade modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, surmounted by a dome that owes some of its character to Bramante’s Tempietto. The Panthéon looks out over all of Paris.
Musée D’Orsay: A museum which housed the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
Sorbonne: “Harvard of France,” or at least, that’s how I think of it! A gorgeous university which is one of the most difficult to get accepted to in the world. It was beautiful!
Luxembourg Gardens: The garden was created beginning in 1612 by Marie de’ Medici, the widow of King Henry IV of France, for a new residence she constructed, the Luxembourg Palace. The garden today is owned by the French Senate, which meets in the Palace. We bought hot chocolate here and walked around- I can only imagine how beautiful it is in the summer & spring!
Chatelles: The chicest, customizable shoes in colorful patterns with adorable tassels.
Shakespeare & Co.: A world renowned book shop on the Left Bank which Hemingway frequented while living in Paris.
Paris Walks (paris-walks.com): Various options for the area, including St. Germain Des Pres, Hemingway’s Paris and “ Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Left Bank Writers”, during which you walk the old streets of Montparnasse and St Germain, and the attractive Luxembourg Gardens. See where Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein lived, the famous cafés where they met in the 1920s, and where Sylvia Beach had her celebrated bookshop, Shakespeare and Co.

To Eat and Drink

Favorite breakfast and lunch spots: Les Deux Magots, Cafe Flore, Eggs & Co., Treize, A Baker’s Dozen (the sweetest American baker opened this fun, southern-vibed cafe), Boot Cafe (an old shoe repair shop which was converted to a coffee shop), Beaurepaire (little restaurant with string lights right ] off the Seine River – perfect place to grab a drink and people watch)
Favorite bakeries/desserts: Amorino, Chocolaterie Cyril Lignac, Patisseries Secco, Maison Mulot, La Grande Epicerie (think Whole Foods of France – perfect spot to make a picnic to take to the Champs de Mars!)
Favorite dinner/bar: Cafe Le Buci, Cook’n Saj, Maison Sauvage, Lipp Brasserie (featured prominently in Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast and mentioned during Midnight in Paris!)

THE MARAIS & TWO ISLANDS

Neighborhood summary:

The Marais is the trendy, cool neighborhood of Paris. Ailee loves shopping at the trendy shops in the Marais, and I’ve done multiple walking tours in this area through ‘Paris Walks.’ There are important cultural and historical landmarks everywhere you go. It is most LGTB friendly part of the city and it has also been historically the Jewish neighborhood of Paris (known for having many delicious falafel restaurants!). The two islands (Île Saint-Louis and Île de la Cité) are the oldest areas of Paris, where the city was founded by its original settlers (very, very long ago!).

To Do

Centre Pompidou: The Centre Pompidou houses the Bibliothèque publique d’information (Public Information Library), a vast public library; the Musée National d’Art Moderne, which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe; and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research. Because of its location, the Centre is known locally as Beaubourg.
Place des Vosges: The oldest planned square in Paris which straddles the dividing-line between the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris. It was a fashionable and expensive square to live in during the 17th and 18th centuries, and one of the central reasons Le Marais became so fashionable for the Parisian nobility.
Carnavalet Museum: Purchased by the Municipal Council of Paris in 1866; it was opened to the public in 1880. By the latter part of the 20th century, the museum was full to capacity. Make sure to visit the gorgeous gardens outside!
Diptyque: My favorite candles in the world – I’ve only bought them online before, but shopping at the actual Diptyque store in Paris was a (heavenly scented) dream! The store was so tiny, but smelled amazing! Definitely a fun little stop.
Clothing shopping at Comptoir des Cotonniers, Les Kooples, Bobbies, and other cute shops in the area. We also stopped into AllSaints & I bought a beautiful classic trench!
Fleux: The most gorgeous shop for all things party, decor, gifts, etc. I was in heaven shopping around Fleux!
Park at Aire de Jeux (72 Rue de la Boucle, 75001 Paris): A perfect park for kids – this colorful space has all sorts of activities for the little ones! It doesn’t show up on Google Maps, but it is in Nelson Mandela Park at the southern most part.
Notre-Dame Cathedral: A medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité which is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and best-known church buildings in the Catholic Church in France, and in the world.

To Eat and Drink

Favorite breakfast and lunch spots: Kitchen, L’As du Fallafel, Cafe Loustic (dubbed a “Franglais” coffee shop, there is a mixed crowd seeking out the much-loved lattes), Cafe Beaubourg, L’Improbable (whimsical cafe inside an old Parisian garage – there is a camper van inside – they serve fresh juice, warm soups and healthy sandwiches), Louis-Philippe Cafe, Cafeotheque de Paris,
Favorite desserts: Amorino (favorite gelato – choose as many flavors as you’d like! The gelato in a cone looks like a flower – it’s gorgeous and very photo worthy!), Berthillon Ice Cream (worth the wait!) I didn’t get to try this one, but Ailee says it’s a must!
Favorite dinner/bar: L’As du Fallafel, Pink Flamingo, Petit Fer a Cheval (small Parisian bar famous for its unique horseshoe shaped bar – there is also a hidden dining room at the back!)

MONTMARTRE

Neighborhood summary: Montmartre is the highest part of the city – up on a hill. It was originally it’s own village until Paris grew and grew and absorbed it. It was the place to be in the early 20th century, and you’d find Picasso, Dali, Monet, Van Gogh and other famous artists living there at that time. It is the home to Sacre-Coeur and has the best views of the city from the steps in front of the church. This area was probably one of my favorites of the trip! There were so many charming spots & this day was just the best.

To Do

Sacre-Coeur: A Roman Catholic church and minor basilica which is a popular landmark in Paris. The basilica is located at the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.
Place du Tertre Market: A fun little market filled with artists selling paintings – many of the area.
Maison Rose: Stop by this iconic pink restaurant for a photo opp. It’s so, so cute!
Villa Leandre: A gorgeous cobblestone pedestrian cul-de-sac filled with beautiful, unusual shaped houses.
Duperre Basketball Court (22 Rue Duperré, 75009 Paris, France):
La Petite Collection: The most gorgeous baby clothing, bedding, sleep sacks, etc. ever! Perfect neutral, classic pieces. I picked up two precious dresses for Tatum here that I am obsessed with!
Moulin Rouge: The iconic cabaret house is worth seeing from the outside.
The “I Love You” Wall: A blue tiled wall with inscriptions of “I love you” in every language. You know we took advantage of a cute photo in front on this 🙂
L’Objet Qui Parle: A tiny, tiny little antiques shop with a store front that is treated like an art installation.

To Eat and Drink

Favorite restaurants or lunch or dinner: Pink Mamma (the dreamiest restaurant in history – I am literally obsessed and it is so worth the wait!!), Creperie Brocalandier, Sacrée Fleur, Soul Kitchen (an adorable vegetarian cafe in Paris!) BUT SERIOUSLY… go to Pink Mamma! It was all around amazing.

CANAL ST-MARTIN

Neighborhood summary: Historically, the area surrounding Canal St-Martin has been home to many different nationalities and there are quite a few sketchy parts – we encountered one when we got out of the metro (so take an Uber if you don’t feel comfortable with walking through a gentrifying area to get the canal). This area is very much like Brooklyn in New York – it’s rapidly changing and is known for being the ultra cool, super trendy part of Paris. There are a lot of amazing cafes and it’s best to enjoy this area during the day in my opinion.

To Do

Walk the canal: It is so gorgeous! It makes me feel like I’m in Amsterdam.
Shop at Antoine & Lili: Or at least, take photographs in front of the colorful row of stores.
L’Exception: A designer outlet store worth browsing through!
Rue St. Marthe: A row of colorful shops-turned-houses – totally Instagram worthy! Just a heads up – it’s an area being gentrified.

To Eat and Drink

Favorite breakfast and lunch spots: Ober Mamma, Sol Semilla, Holybelly 5 and 19, The Broken Arm
Favorite bakery: Bontemps
Favorite dinner/bar: Hero (pink-inspired Korean BBQ restaurant), Pink Flamingo, Siseng, Ober Mamma, Candelaria (famous for their tacos – also for their hidden speakeasy at the back of the bar), Le Cave a Michel, Little Red Door, Mary Celeste

EIFFEL TOWER + SURROUNDING AREAS

Neighborhood summary:

The areas right around the Eiffel Tower are understanding swarming with tourists, so be careful of pick-pockets here. I love seeing the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero versus being right below. It’s also fun to sit on the grassy park nearby – the Champs de Mars – and enjoy the view of this iconic landmark from there. There is a lot of high-end shopping nearby, as well as one of Ailee’s favorite museums – the Rodin.

To Do

Rodin Museum: A favorite museum with gorgeous sculptures inside and out of the palace. The Thinker is the most iconic of them all in the beautiful outdoor garden with views of the Eiffel Tower and Military Museum (Les Invalides).
Bateaux-Mouches: Regularly operated boat tours. I’ve done them a number of times at night and love sailing down the Seine, taking in the magical sights in the dark. It’s magical.
Scarlett: Luxury high end vintage shopping!
Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe: The iconic shopping avenue (with the Louis-Vuitton store!) ends at a crazy roundabout, looking out to the enormous Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Jardin de la Nouvelle France: A camouflaged entrance to a serene garden, cocooned by evergreens, bamboo, lilac, maples, etc. A secret garden!
Eiffel Tower: Ailee recommends that you walk to Trocadero Square to see it and also sit on the Champs de Mars with a picnic to enjoy the views
Fromagerie Griffon: Ah the cheeses! Buy some, grab some bread or crackers (or low carb it up with just the cheese!), then go to the Champs de Mars, sit on the grass, and stare at the Eiffel Tower while eating your delicious purchases. I really wanted to do this! But trust me, we had plenty of cheese plates at dinners!

To Eat and Drink

Favorite breakfast and lunch spots: Carette, Pages, Cafe du Trocadero
Favorite bakeries: Stephane Secco
Favorite dinner/bar: Carette, L’Avenue, Rosa Bonheur

THE LOUVRE + SURROUNDING AREAS

Neighborhood summary:

Ailee loves the area surrounding the Louvre – especially since the Tuileries Garden is her favorite park, L’Orangerie is my favorite museum and the Ferris Wheel (Carrousel) is the best way to view the entire city of Paris. Although it’s a busy tourist area, it doesn’t feel overly touristy – except right in front of the Louvre. Get lost in the Palace Gardens, enjoy tea and macarons at Angelina, drink hot chocolate at Kitsune, shop at the gorgeous Apartment Sezane. There is so much to do in this area.

To Do

Palace Gardens (Palais Jardins): Known for the beautiful tall trees and iconic black and white columns!
Louvre Ferris Wheel: Ah, the views from this are incredible! I love the view from Sacre-Coeur too, but being on the top of the ferris wheel in a small glass bubble is a way more intimate way to view all of Paris.
Tuileries Garden: Massive gardens stretching from the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde, which then marks the beginning of the Champs Elysees. In the summer and spring, the flowers are in bloom and this garden is truly a magical place to walk around.
L’Orangerie: My favorite museum in the world – the two oval shaped rooms that house Monet paintings are the most serene spaces in the city, in my opinion. I cannot recommend this museum enough!
Louvre: The world’s largest art museum, which is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to the urban expansion of the city, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function and, in 1546, was converted by Francis I into the main residence of the French Kings. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1682, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection. The Louvre is definitely worthwhile visiting, if only to see the (tiny) Mona Lisa! Be prepared for an onset of tourists taking selfies!
Apartment Sezane: The most beautiful French store ever. Ever. As Nessy stated in “Don’t Be a Tourist in Paris,” it’s “like hanging out in a fashionista’s dream apartment for an intimate masterclass in Parisian style.”
Opera: I’ve never been to a performance, but walking around this gorgeous building is worthwhile. You can also do a guided tour of the public areas of the Opera.
Galeries Lafayette: The most incredibly gorgeous department store I’ve ever seen. You could spend hours and hours in here without even purchasing a thing!
Olympia Le Tan: An accessories designer with a charming dollhouse boutique and a pink front door!

To Eat and Drink

Favorite breakfast and lunch spots: HAND, Ellsworth, Cafe Marly, Claus,
Best coffee/bakeries: Angelina, Pierre Herme, Telescope, Cafe Kitsune (delicious hot chocolate!)
Favorite dinner/bar: Les Fines Gueules (book a table on the terrace at Les Fines Gueules – well known for their tuna tartare and cheeses), Pizzeria Popolare (moodily lit bottles line the restaurant and it creates the best atmosphere – plus, their pizza is to die for!) This dinner was so much fun for us + the food was delicious. The vibe there is SO good, too!

NOTEWORTHY OUTLIERS

There are a few worthwhile-to-see places that don’t necessarily lie in the major must-see neighborhoods, for example, Instagrammable Rue Cremieux, which is Paris’ version of Notting Hill with the colorful houses, and Jardin des Plantes, with gorgeous florals everywhere you look.

If you’ve got a strong stomach, visit the Catacombs where thousands of skeletons line underground passageways under Paris (yikes!). One of Paris’s newest museums is the Louis Vuitton Foundation, which is a cultural and art center in Paris’ westernmost neighborhood.

At the northernmost part of the city, you’ll find the Marche aux Puces, which is a well-known flea market, with a wide range of finds. This is a very useful guide to navigating the shops.

Three delicious restaurants to try in the Bastille area are Chez Paul (famous for their boeuf bourguignon – great food, not a ‘cute’ restaurant though), Pause Cafe (huge terrace in the warmer months – great people watching opportunity!) and Septime – very famous (ranked #1 contemporary French menu by many local sources), but you almost have to book a reservation exactly three weeks in advance (when they open up spots).

Septime has a 4 and 7 course tasting menu and is definitely a ‘hot spot’ in Paris.