My First Trip to Paris

Bonjour! Hope everyone is enjoying their spring and getting ready for summer. So guess where I just got back from?? (Hint:it’s in the title). If you said Paris, you guessed it right! Woohoo! Continue reading about my first trip to Paris.

Have you ever heard of the saying that Paris is a magical city? Whoever said that was absolutely right! Paris is truly a magical city and you will find out why.

However, it wasn’t easy for me to get there and let me tell you why. The snow gods woke up on the day of my flight and decided it was a perfect day for a blizzard. Everything was shut down because of the blizzard, flights were being cancelled all around the Northeast region, expected snow fall was 4-15 inches, aka bad news all around for my first trip to Paris. I tried to reschedule my flight, but the next available flight was not till March 20th which meant no more going to Paris. I was determined to go to Paris, I had been dreaming about this for years and I wasn’t going to let frozen crystalline water ruin my dreams.

I kept a close eye on the weather reports, March 14th and the flight was still on. We drove through the storm, once it stopped snowing, the roads were being cleared up and there was no one else on the road…well because there was  a snow storm. We arrived to NY by 7:00 PM giving us plenty of time before our flight scheduled for 12:55 AM. The flight took off on scheduled time and I was on my way to my first trip to Paris!

March 15, 2017 1:05 PM, ladies and gentlemen I was in f***ing Paris! It was just as beautiful and amazing as I imagined or even better. My first impressions were it was a very sophisticated city with trendy coffee shops and bars in every corner, well dressed commuters heading to the nearest bus or train and at night you have the well-lit Eiffel Tower.

Click here for my favorite comfortable walking shoes.

Our first night in Paris was spent exploring the Louvre Museum. I couldn’t wait to explore the amazing art there and of course the Mona Lisa. When planning your first trip to Paris, check out the hours of the museum, it is open till 9:00 PM on Wednesdays. We got there around 7:00 PM and lucky for us, the crowds had died down by then. As you walk through the different hallways at the  museum, be prepared to be in awe and amazement. Every piece of art is simply phenomenal and I can only wonder what went through the minds of the artists when creating these paintings. Check it out!

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We started the next day with some fresh chocolate croissants and French coffee from a local bakery. The French and I love desserts! Look at them, how can anyone say no to them? My friend Lanette did an amazing job capturing these images. Yum!

We took the metro to the Notre-Dame de Paris. This medieval Catholic Cathedral is simply stunning. Considered as one of the finest examples of French Catholic architecture, it is a must see in Paris. We hopped on a bus and headed back to the Louvre to explore the area in daylight. Another historical monument to check out is the Arc de triumph. Roughly 3.5kms from the Louvre, it honors those who died during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The Arc is located at the end of one of the most famous shopping spots, Avenue des champs- Elysees. Some of the famous luxury brands that can be found are Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Tiffany & co., Hermes, Chanel and many more. My favorite had to be the Guerlain store. That store is simply the most beautiful and royally decorated store. The last spot for the day was…drum rolls…Eiffel Tower. This stunning monument stands gracefully as a reminder that you are in Paris.

As we prep for our journey to the next destination and say goodbye to Paris, I had a fabulous time exploring the city. So to the answer the big question, how did I make this trip happen? And how can you do it too? Firstly, my flight from New York to Paris was under $400 round trip (yes it really was), $365 to be exact. Norwegian airlines offer some really inexpensive flights to Europe. Do keep in mind the flight itself is inexpensive but there are additional costs such as $65 per checked baggage, $60 for inflight meals etc. Now there are ways to avoid these costs, such as by packing light and travel only with a carry on or sharing the luggage space with your fellow traveler, bring lots of snacks for your flight, etc. Once you get to Paris, familiarize yourself with their metro train and bus systems. It is very easy and inexpensive to get around the city, a daily metro train and bus ticket costs around 7 Euros. Uber is also an option to get around the city. The Paris Pass is a good option if you plan to explore in-depth, since I was there for a short period I skipped it instead bought individual tickets which are under 20 Euros. There are also some great places to see which are free of charge such as the Notre Dame de Paris. As much as I love French cuisine, dining in is expensive there. Staying in an airbnb rented apartment, I was able to cook half of my meals at home.

And as we made our way to Milan, traveling within Europe is fairly inexpensive. My roundtrip flight from Paris- Milan costs me $48! Check out Ryanair for inexpensive flights. For now salute from Paris. Stay tuned for my Italian adventures!

"Paris is always a good idea"- Audrey Hepburn