How We Fell in Love with Paris in Four Days
Paris is one of those cities that you can never get enough of. It has so much to offer, from its iconic monuments and museums, to its charming neighborhoods and cafes, to its rich culture and history. We had the opportunity to visit Paris as part of our 10-day trip to France, and we fell in love with it in just four days. In this post, we will share with you our highlights, tips, and photos from our amazing Parisian adventure.
Day 1: Arrive, get settled, fight jet lag & crash
We arrived bright and early and ready to seize the day. Well, not quite, our one goal was to find our Airbnb, get settled and wander around as long as possible before we all crashed from jet lag. We chose to stay in the 15th arrondissement, a residential area on the left bank of the Seine, south of the Eiffel Tower. We found a spacious 2 story apartment, with a courtyard separating us and the owner’s quarters. It was spacious enough for my family of 5 and my parents. When booking online, it can be really hard to get a feel for the neighborhood and ambience but this place was perfect – we loved the neighborhood feeling, the friendly locals, and the quiet atmosphere. It was close to the metro station, supermarket and a street away from great restaurants and shops. After dropping off our bags and chatting with our Airbnb hosts, we set off to see the Eiffel Tower. There was quite a line for the elevator so our group split up, half took the elevator up to the top and the rest avoided the hangry state and ate nearby. For my daughters, the highlight was bartering for mini-Eiffel Tower keychains but my favorite souvenir was the old-time newspaper clipping with our family photo (we stumbled across this photographer on the main street bridge, near the carousel and she will print the newspaper on the spot). Of course, we couldn’t pass up a ride on the double decker carousel. After a day full of travel and walking, I am surprised no one fell asleep as they went around and around in circles.
Dad Tip:
Don’t ever try and pack the kitchen sink, remember kids live in every country, you will find what you need! Our oldest daughter has had occasional motion sickness on planes but this flight it hit another level and we started to worry she had the stomach bug. Lucky for all of us, once her feet hit solid ground, she started to feel better. We stocked up on nausea medicine as soon as we found the first pharmacy. Fun fact- in Europe, pharmacies are separate brick and mortar buildings, they are not combined with the supermarket like they are in the United States. We spoke with a pharmacist that helped with the best over the counter option, used google translate to double check the dosage and we were on our way.
Day 2: Paris by Metro: From Luxembourg Gardens to Champ de Mars
There was a bit of overcast in the morning, and the sailboats were not out but we still enjoyed the flowers, fountains, and statues. We rode the metro to get to each attraction today, but we also went out of our way to see another view of the Eiffel Tower. If you take line 6, you will see an excellent view as the metro crosses the Seine between the stops Passy and Bir-Hakeim. We seemed to walk for miles and miles today, seeing the attractions, popping into shops here and there and resting our feet for a late lunch near Bastille. Surprisingly the kids didn’t mind all the walking. We explored the area around the Louvre without actually going inside and then headed to Jardin des Tuileries, and another Carousel, of course. The best place to see the Eiffel Tower at night is the Champ de Mars. Treat yourself to the mulled wine, it is great to sip on as you watch the tower sparkle on the hour every hour for 5 minutes.
Dad Tip:
Life happens, water spills, glasses break but Paris is still magical. We would have loved to capture the picture-perfect moment of the girls’ sailing boats at the Luxembourg Gardens but the boats weren’t available to rent today. Instead, my favorite core memory was when my littlest daughter fell asleep in her stroller as soon as we were sitting down for lunch. Spaces in Paris restaurants can be tight, and there wasn’t a good spot to park the stroller but the server didn’t want us to wake her so he tucked her back by the bar – giving us a thumbs up every couple minutes to let us know she was sleeping. And guess what, she stayed sleeping even after our older daughters spilt water and broke a glass. The kind server still didn’t kick us out!)
Day 3: A morning with the locals before a Seine River Cruise
Paris is one of those iconic cities where you pause and think to yourself “wow, people get to live here.” We started our morning at Grenelle Market, the local market within walking distance of our place. When our bellies were full, we started walking back toward the Eiffel Tower but stumbled upon a cute neighborhood park (Square Franck Bauer) where our girls ran around without an agenda. Eventually, we resumed our journey again towards the main attractions and quenched our thirst with freshly squeezed orange juice on the way. The only touristy thing we planned today was the Seine River Cruise which was a perfect way to see the city from a different perspective. We passed by many landmarks, such as the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Pont Neuf. We saw the gothic architecture of Notre Dame from afar and although the Cathedral remains closed to the public, it is set to reopen in December 2024.
Dad Tip:
Don’t try to cram too much in, or you will miss out on the simple joys. People were so kind in Paris, especially to the kids. At the market, the elders kept saying “coucou (pronounced “koo-koo”) as a term of endearment and a sweet way to say hello. They showed the girls local delicacy and even taught them some dance moves. The girls loved the attention from the locals, and the smiles all around made our day!
Day 4: Bring on the tourist attractions – carousels, artists’ square and shopping
We rode another carousel and played at a small playground at Square Louise Michel. Of course we were hungry, so we ate crepes and soft pretzels before riding the funicular up to the Sacre Cœur. Luckily the artists’ square at Montmarte was just steps away. Many artists will draw portraits or caricatures of you, but be careful or you will be bothered by the artists. Nearby you’ll find the “I Love You” Wall and Moulin Rouge. The kids needed some time to play so we headed back to Luxembourg where there is a fantastic playground for the kids for only 1 euro a person. We also walked along the Champs-Élysées, the most famous avenue in Paris, lined with shops, cafes, and cinemas.
Dad Tip:
Leave room for spontaneity and discovery, it will lead to some unexpected joys! The girls were amazed to see all the different languages at the “I Love You Wall.” Later, when we were shopping, they each picked out a children’s book written in French. Maybe someday if they are fluent in another language, we will reflect back on this day.
And That is How We Fell in Love with Paris
We knew we couldn’t see everything in Paris in four days, especially if we wanted the kids and my parents to travel with us again, so we prioritized the attractions that we wanted to see the most (and we will keep the Louvre and Versailles as a reason to return). We felt like we experienced the best of both worlds: the classic and the modern, the touristy and the local, the planned and the spontaneous. Just remember, as you are planning your trip to Paris, it will look different than ours, but it will be equally as charming and unique like the different views of the Eiffel Tower.
We hope you enjoyed reading about our trip, and we would love to hear from you in the comments. Have you been to Paris? What did you love about it? What are your tips and recommendations? Let us know!
Stay Tuned:
On our way out of Paris, we rented a 7-passenger car (also described as 5 passenger with 2 spaces for luggage). It was certainly a game of Tetris, trying to fit the luggage, 4 adults and three kids but luckily we didn’t leave anything, or anyone, behind. After navigating the city traffic and roundabouts, we were soon on our way to Normandy.
Spoiler Alert: We may have been hungry but I swear we weren’t hallucinating when we came across a pizza vending machine on the side of a country road (of course, we had to stop and try it out).
