2016 Paris

Paul surprised me with a trip to Paris for Christmas. I had absolutely no idea and he had arranged everything including my passport. A great surprise as I had never been to Paris. Video our our trip is at the end of this post. We went in January so it was very cold but once you wrap up it's an amazing city to spend time in. We stayed in an AirBnB which was situated beside the metro and in a good location. It was quirky and comfortable which I love about AirBnB.

Of course here are the major tourists attractions and activities we did with some prices.

1. We bought a bus ticket from Beauvais Airport to Paris City Centre for €17 each way. Then we got a 5 day metro ticket for our stay for around €35
2. Louvre- a fantastic museum housing major art pieces including the Mona Lisa. We met with some of Paul's past students who are from Paris. We could enter the Louvre for free with our passport as there is free entry for EU under 26 year old. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Eiffel Tour- Paul had booked tickets (€17 each) to visit the Eiffel Tower before our trip. There are long queues at the Tower so it is best to be organised and book an early time slot. Make sure you see the Tower during the day and at night. It's very pretty lit up. The views at the top are amazing and you can see so much of the city. It was built in two years for the 1889 world fair and designed by Gustoff Eiffel. It is painted every seven years with 45 tons of paint. We had lunch in the tower too.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Notre Dame (which was sadly destroyed in a fire in 2019 after our trip). Building of Notre Dame started in 1163 and took more than two centuries. It has a Gothic style and numerous gargoyles, a setting for the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 
   
   
   
   
5. Arc de Triumph- a memorial arch for those who died at war. You can climb to the top of the Arc. You can view the Champs Eilisée in all its glory. 
6. Eat crépes. They sell them everywhere. In shops, karts, vans and the small of chocolate is divine. So make sure you get some. Other things to eat/drink croissants, pastries, escargots, coffee, wine, cheese, baguettes, there really is so much! 
   
7. Disneyland (€47)- such a magical and fun place! Had to get out the mini mouse ears and take pictures in front of the castle. Rides are so much fun too. To get to Disneyland get the RER B or D to Chatelet des Halles, then the RER A4 to Marne le Vallee Chessey. It's a 50 minute journey for €14 return.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Boat ride on the Siene- this was a great activity to do at night and the tour was really informational too. You get to have a great view of the Eiffel Tower and other major landmarks of the city, with 34 bridges spanning the river. 
9. Lock Bridge- have your lock ready before you go and write your initials in permanent marker. Lock it on the bridge, throw the keys into the river and make a wish! 
   
   
10. Palace of Versailles- it is slightly out of the city but can be reached by metro. Again we didn't have to pay an entrance fee with our EU passports and being under 26. The rooms, ceilings, paintings, carpets, everything is all lavish. We got a walkie talkie tour guide of the palace which allowed you to go around at your own pace. The gardens are just as nice to visit too. 
11. Finally we visited the Sacre Coeur in Monmantre which had a fantastic view over the city.