Paris is one of my favorite cities of all time! It is absolutely enchanting with the gorgeous architecture everywhere you turn. This is my second time here and it was just as awe inspiring as the first-this city never gets old.

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Cash exchange places will RIP you off with horrible exchange rates and exorbitant fees. It’s best to get cash out of the ATM, bring your own euros or use credit cards. As far as tipping in restaurants, it is already included in the price so what you see is what you get, no need to drop any extra coins unless you WANT to for excellent service.

When to go

We went during the summer the first time and the lines were ridiculous! This time (first week of November) was GREAT (in general across Europe). I believe that people are prepping for the holidays and not on school vacation so it is perfect….it will probably be cool weather-wise but will likely not be extreme (although we did get a random 20-30 minute hail downpour the day before we left that wasn’t on the weather app).

Transportation

There are many modes of transportation here from taxis to busses, metro (really easy and inexpensive if you know where you’re going…about €1.50-250 per person for the ride), ubers and my kid’s personal favorite…the tuk-tuk. Where you’re going and who you are traveling with will likely dictate which mode you use. I had 2 small kids and an old man with me so it was much easier to taxi or Uber. The metro is great but has stairs going down and the stop wasn’t always close but for young people without any mobility concerns, the metro probably be your best bet, certainly the most cost-effective. The metro is quite extensive and can even take you all the way out to Versailles if your interested.

Eiffel Tower

One of the main reasons that we returned to Paris was because the last time we came was in the summer. Anyone that has ever been to Europe during the summertime knows that it pretty much never gets dark. With small children, we were in the house and in bed well before this sun ever set so we completely missed the Eiffel tower being lit up. In my opinion it was totally worth the second trip. We hung out on the Champ de Mars until it lit up. As if that wasn’t enough; the looks on my kids faces and the gasps out of their mouths when it started to sparkle made it all worthwhile. We had a free afternoon on the day that we arrive and planned to see the tower lit up for that night, which was good because we ended up being busy the rest of the nights and never got a chance to go back there once it was dark. We did go up the tower a couple days after we arrived but that was of course during the day. The skip the line tickets are definitely worth it and do not need to be printed out. You just need to show the barcode on your phone and you can skip both the security line and the interior line at the base of the tower. The price was €25 per adult and a lesser fee for kids under 18 and free for children under four.

Louvre

This is one of those places that is synonymous with Paris. You can spend days wandering through it’s expansive halls and even more if your are an art enthusiast. We unfortunately only had a few hours carved into our schedule so we had to hit the highlights and keep it moving. One thing of note when buying your skip the line tickets (totally suggests you do) is that you can’t get in with the tickets you print out online. You usually have to go to a travel agent type of place or newsstand down the street to get the actual tickets. You will want to get there early to do this but don’t worry because they are not sticklers about showing up at 1300 for a 1200 ticket time. Once inside this massive building, get a map-although not a huge help, it will show you where the highlights are. We started with Mona Lisa which is in the ‘Denon’ area of the museum. Once in that section they are pretty good with signs pointing you in her direction. We also loved Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory, Michaelangelo’s sculptures (pretty much all of the sculptures) and a ton of other extraordinary, history making works of art.

Notre Dame

This is definitely a must see and will only take about 30-60 min once in. It is free to get in but always has a line. Church takes place at 1800 so if you’re there at that time (because they don’t shut the church down to spectators) please be respectful and quiet.

Saint Chapelle

I’m not sure how I came across this little gem but so glad I did! I luckily got the skip the line tickets (I believe about €9 per adult) because it was raining when we got there and we walked right past the almost block-long line! When we went in it was beyond disappointing…it’s a small chapel with a couple gift shops and I was so confused as to why I had originally purchased the tickets. As we sadly moseyed out, we noticed a small staircase in the corner. We walked up a narrow spiral staircase to see the chapel in all of its glory! Huge stained glass windows and beautifully painted walls (see photo). Totally worth it and made up for the initial confusion. Also, plan this on the day you are going to Notre Dame. They are about 5-10 min walking from one another.

Eats

France…need I say more? The croissants, the pastries, the crepes, the macaroons….oh my! Not to mention that there is a Starbucks (or two) on pretty much every corner. We went to one restaurant that I had been anticipating for about a year and a half. It is a cheese-lovers paradise called La Chalet Savoyard (you better have reservations because they are packed from the moment they open at 1900); they not only have fondue but also Raclette (where they give you a half wheel of cheese and a heater to melt the cheese directly onto your plate of food)-OMG! Unfortunately for me, it is a 2 person minimum so I got a steak that was highly disappointing/tough to say the least. Will definitely go back when I have a fellow cheese-aholic with me. I’m still sad about this. On a better note however, I love the fact that I can just go out my front door and walk less than a block to get melt in your mouth pastries and fresh fruit for breakfast…pop quiz: do you know the difference between croissants that are straight and the ones that are curved?

Traveling with kids

While the sidewalks are good for it, most of the major sights include lots of stairs (especially the Louvre) so are not good for strollers. I did see one very brave couple with a stroller in the Eiffel Tower (yes, I typed that correctly) but I chose to carry my child in a Tula which made things SO much easier!

More places of note

Champs de Mars, Champs Elysees, Versailles, Les Invalides (the thinking man), a Seine river cruise, Arc de Triomphe, and so much more!

Paris is magical and a definite bucket list location. I hope to be able to go back many more times because there are so many other sights to explore! Please like/follow my page for more tips on trips with me and my little ones. Thank you!!