I traveled to Paris with my best friend Ashley. We spent 8 days in the city of lights and it was remarkable. Luckily Ashley has family that lives in Paris so we were able to stay for free! (Amazing, I know!)
Day 1:
Our first stop once we got off the plane was to the Louvre. It was a Friday night and so if you are under 26 you get in for free from 6pm to close. This was an offer we couldn’t pass up! We went straight to the Mona Lisa, of course!
I wish I could say it was life changing to see this piece of art, but in all reality you are actually like 100 ft away surrounded by 900 tourists. It was beautiful, but this picture was zoomed all the way, so it was actually hard to see in person.
Day 2:
One of the coolest places we went to was the catacombs. It has the bones of over 6 million bodies!
This was the most surreal moment of my life. They had created designs with the heads, and as cool as it was, it was also extremely creepy.
Day 3:
We spent our third day just walking around and acquainting ourselves with the city. We stopped in St. Germain, the cutest little area. It’s filled with cafes and bakeries. This is when I had my first macaroon, and I fell in love at first bite. I swear I survived the entire week on wine, cheese, and macaroons.
I saw the lock bridge and it was so beautiful! The idea that all these people who put up locks are in love, it made me so happy.
Day 4:
Today was the day I had been looking forward to since we arrived in Paris. Today was the day that we were going up the Eiffel Tower. Ashley can attest to the fact that every time I saw the Eiffel Tower in passing, I would freak out. We had to wait for good enough weather to go up to the top, and when it was finally nice out, I was over the moon. In case you don’t believe me, here is a picture to show my excitement.
Going to the top was insanely cool, and also kinda scary. You could see everything, which was a really extraordinary moment, to see the city you are exploring from all angles.
Day 5:
We went to Versailles, which is only a 40 minute train ride out of the city. Luckily Ashley knew how to take the Metro, or else we would probably still be there today!
The gardens were beautiful! They went on for miles, and it was so weird to think that this was somebody’s backyard!
My favorite part of the estate was Marie Antoinette’s private section (because apparently a massive palace was not enough space for her).
It was like being transported back in time– like being in Ella Enchanted’s village!
Day 6:
On this day, we explored the “ritzy” part of Paris. We walked along the streets with Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Dior stores popping up at every corner. We saw the hotel Kim Kardashian where was robbed, and the place that Princess Diana died. (This was exciting, but in a truly sad way.) We got wine and cheese for lunch at a fancy restaurant across from Louis Vuitton, and I totally felt like hot sh*t.
Even the cheese looks expensive!
Day 7:
During the day we went to Notre Dame and climbed to the top. I saw so many gargoyles and a view that took my breath away.
This night we went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle. We almost didn’t make it in time, but we ran up the stairs (not our best move) and made it just in time.
This was definitely my favorite view of the trip! I could see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Basilica, and everything else that makes you think of Paris. It’s a must stop if you ever find yourself in the city!
Day 8:
It was our last day in Paris, so we decided to go out with a bang. We started the day with a visit to the Palais Garnier, the opera house that Phantom of the Opera was based on! It was stunning!
To close off our trip, we drove to see the Basilica and Moulin Rouge. (The show at Moulin Rouge is not the same as the movie, which was a bit of a disappointment, but the building was still beautiful.)
Day 8:
We were supposed to leave to go home this morning. That did not quite go as planned. Go check out Ashley Jurus’s article on that adventure!