If you are currently abroad or plan to go in the future, you know that weekends are for traveling. Classes are rearranged and put in the middle of the week as to optimize travel time, and any/all free time is spent thinking about your next adventure. This past weekend, I went to Paris. This is a guide for anyone who wants to do Paris in a weekend, and how to make the most of your time there.
First things first, things you definitely need to pack:
1. Rain jacket, umbrella (you never know when you’ll need ’em)
2. Sneakers
3. A cross-body bag
Day 1: After getting settled into your accommodation for the weekend, get your game plan ready. To make the most of your limited time, get a map and plan out a route for sight-seeing. What we did was start by doing everything on the far side of the river, then cross and hit the rest on the way back to our starting point. Some of the major things you’ll want to see are close enough together, so definitely bring a pair of sneakers and be ready to walk.
Major sites on the right bank:
Jardin des Tuileries: a beautiful, well-groomed park settled along the Seine
Musée du Louvre: try to go on a Friday night, it’s free after 6:00 and the crowds are thinner
Musée de l’Orangerie: stop in here to check out Monet’s Water Lillies
Champs-Elysées: shopping street, a lot like Fifth Ave
Arc de Triomphe: at the far end of Champs-Elysées, climb to the top to get the best view of the city
Pont Alexandre III: famous bridge, seen in many a Victoria’s Secret commercial and Adele’s “Someone Like You” video
Major sites on the left bank:
Musée d’Orsay: has giant clocks at the top that look out over the city, students get in for free
Latin Quarter: near Notre-Dame, cheap, local food
Notre-Dame: you know, the one with the hunchback—try Esmeralda’s behind the cathedral for incredible crepes
Day 2: Get out of the city. Go on an excursion somewhere like Disneyland Paris or Versailles. We opted for Versailles—obviously because Kimye. A thirty some-odd minute train trip from the city, Versailles is a cute tourist town with the palace standing at the center. We did not go into the gardens because it was raining, but if you go on a nice day you could easily spend the entire afternoon wandering around the perfectly-manicured paths. When you come back from your day out of the city, be sure to grab a bottle of wine (v cheap) and head to see the Eiffel Tower light up on the hour, every hour after dark.
Day 3: Since you got all of the tourist sites out of the way on day one, take the time before heading home to spend some time in local hangouts. Relax with a cup of coffee at a Parisian cafe, which, you may notice are designed for people-watching. The chairs all face out onto the sidewalk, giving you the perfect vantage point for watching people walking up and down the busy sidewalks. Wander the streets and go into local patisseries that are off the main roads. You may find that these places have more reasonable prices and better croissants than the tourist-ridden places near the major monuments. If there was anything you missed, you can use this chilled-out day to go see it.
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, so definitely make the time to go see it. You can absolutely do it in a weekend, so long as you plan ahead and prepare yourself for a whole lot of walking!