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Paris is a huge city with so much to see. You may be wondering if it is worth it if all you have is a weekend. The answer is yes, but you should clarify your expectations ahead of time and plan accordingly to truly enjoy yourself. In this blog post, I will share how we made the most of our weekend in Paris.
My husband and I spent 2 nights and 2 days in Paris in June of 2019. For the first time, we both found ourselves on a business trip in Germany the same week! Since we already had to plan childcare for our children, we decided we might as well extend the work trip by a few days to spend some time together. We chose to spend a romantic weekend in Paris.
Our expectations
With such a short time in Paris, we knew that we wanted the weekend to be enjoyable and not feel rushed. We wanted to take it slow, see many sights, and take in the Paris vibe and lifestyle. Therefore, we decided ahead of time we were not going to visit any museums or take any guided tours.
If visiting museums is important to you, I suggest that you do some research to understand recommended time to visit each of them. Ultimately, I would recommend settling on only 1 museum if you are only there for a weekend.
As for the food, we wanted to experience and enjoy french cuisine but did not have to go to top Parisian restaurants. We made reservations the day of at restaurants that were well-reviewed and that had a menu that was appealing to us. That worked well for us and we didn’t have any issues with getting reservations. If you are planning on eating at some of the most popular restaurants, you might want to make a reservation several days before you arrive. Unfortunately, we took this trip before I became a blogger and I only remember 2 of the 4 restaurants we ate at. I will list them below.
Planning your trip
If you are planning a weekend in Paris, it is important to determine where everything you want to see is located. This will help you pick where to stay and determine how you will be getting around. Paris is organized in arrondissements (similar to neighborhoods). Here is a summary of some of the major attractions you can find in each arrondissement. I have put an asterisk next to the arrondissements that we visited during our weekend in Paris.
| Arrondissement 1 * | Musée du Louvre Museum, Palais Royale, Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, Jardin des Tuileries |
| Arrondissement 2 | Many 19th-century glass-roof-covered passages, street stalls and food shops |
| Arrondissement 3 | Musée National Picasso-Paris, Musée Carnavalet, many coffee shops |
| Arrondissement 4 * | Modern and contemporary district home of La Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris |
| Arrondissement 5 * | Université Paris-Sorbonne, Latin quarter, Musée National du Moyen-Age, Pantheon |
| Arrondissement 6 * | 11th-century church St-Germain des Pres, Jardin du Luxembourg, many boutiques, and restaurants |
| Arrondissement 7 * | Musée d’Orsa, Musée Rodin, Hotel des Invalides, Eiffel Tower |
| Arrondissement 8 * | Luxury shopping, Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde |
| Arrondissement 9 | Opera house (Palais Garnier), many stores and markets |
| Arrondissement 10 | North and East train station, restaurants, shops |
| Arrondissement 11 | Creative neighborhood with craft breweries, new restaurants opening |
| Arrondissement 12 | Place de la Bastille, Promenade Plantée, Opera Bastille, Bercy Village |
| Arrondissement 13 | Chinatown, National Library |
| Arrondissement 14 | Les Catacombes, most residential district, many creperies |
| Arrondissement 15 | Most populous with a mix of 19th-century and modern architecture |
| Arrondissement 16 | Largest district, Bois de Boulogne, Palais de Chaillots |
| Arrondissement 17 | Off-the-beaten-path residential |
| Arrondissement 18 | Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Moulin Rouge, little Africa |
| Arrondissement 19 | Many green spaces and music venues |
| Arrondissement 20 | Père La Chaise cemetery which is the resting place of many famous names |
Weekend in Paris – Day 1
We left Germany mid-morning on a Friday via the high-speed train. Our train ride took about 4 hours, and wow does this train go fast! I snapped this picture while we were on the train.
This trip, as I write this blog post, appears to cost about 100 Euros per person. However, the price seems to fluctuate quite a bit. The train is extremely comfortable, and wifi is included so you can work or be entertained while on the train.
We arrived in Paris and took a taxi to get to our hotel 7 Eiffel located in the 7th arrondissement. This is a typical small European hotel. It was clean and the staff was very friendly. The location was absolutely perfect for us. We did not rent a car and only used a taxi when we arrive at the train station and left for the airport. We WALKED everywhere!!! If that is your plan, bring good walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing including a poncho or rain jacket.
After unpacking, we grabbed our first meal at a cafe close to our hotel called La Source. I remember enjoying our food and being happy with the service.
Once we had fueled our bodies we set out to go see the famous Eiffel Tower. It is so surreal to see it in person. It is located in a park area with paths to walk around. We chose not to go up and simply enjoy the view from below. Here is one more picture we took.
We kept on walking, passed the Eiffel tower carousel, and crossed the Seine river to continue our exploration in the 8th arrondissement.
We walked by the Arc de Triomphe and tried to take a picture despite all the cars going around. I did not realize it was going to be that busy. We then visited the Champs Elysées and enjoyed window shopping at all of the fancy stores.
We came back to our side of the Seine and enjoyed a few appetizers and drinks near our hotel. After freshening up, we finished day 1 with dinner at A la petite chaise, the oldest restaurant in Paris. It was founded in 1680. The food was delicious.
Weekend in Paris – Day 2
Day 2 started with a walk toward the Louvre museum. As I mentioned previously, we did not go inside to visit but enjoyed walking around in the plaza in front.
We then kept on walking on the North side of the Seine in the direction of Ile de la Cité where Notre Dame is located. It was a beautiful walk with so many great views. Our visit took place after the fire that destroyed a large portion of the Cathedral. I wish we could have seen it before. It is a stunning structure with so much history.
Next, we crossed the bridge to get back onto the South shore and enjoyed a coffee at a nice cafe in the Latin quarter. I love to people-watch and take in the way people live in different areas of the world.
We continued our visit by walking to the University of Paris Sorbonne and the Pantheon. The majestic views suddenly appear out of nowhere. I did not even know Paris had a Pantheon. It was a nice surprise to discover this area.
We finished the second morning of our weekend in Paris at Le Jardin du Luxembourg. It is a large and beautiful green space around the stunning 17th-century Palais du Luxembourg. This is a must-see for sure.
After all of this walking, we were starving. While walking back towards our hotel, we found a nice restaurant and enjoyed a late lunch. We continued strolling through the streets of Paris until we reached our hotel. Before getting ready for our last dinner in Paris, we decided to take a short nap.
We finished our weekend in Paris with dinner at a great restaurant. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name. It was located near Les Champs Elysées in a hopping area.
We went to bed with our bellies full and hearts fuller. The next morning, we made our way to Charles de Gaulle’s airport to catch our flight back home.
In conclusion..
I hope that this article convinced you that no time is too short to visit Paris. All you need is the set proper expectations and plan accordingly. We had the best weekend in Paris and I look forward to going back and visiting more of this amazing city.
Bon voyage!
Cat xx