Pictured: The Eiffel Tower, sparkling
Looking for the best things to do in Paris, France? In this blog, I'll share a few things we did, plus a few things still on my bucket list to do, and I'll be sharing a few things NOT to do when in Paris. (Based on personal experience. You're welcome for being a test guinea.)
We left the wonderful UK, sigh, and boarded the Eurail to Paris. Waved at the white cliffs of Dover one last time before we descended into the tunnel below the English Channel. The train came up for air again in Calais, France.
Oh, how I ached to slow down our trip, and to get to not just see the French countryside, but to smell it, touch it, and taste it! But we didn't have enough time, so I settled for a view of the sights out of the window of a train. The golden fields painted in yellows and reds were a contrast from the lush green pastures we'd left behind in the UK. The sun shone bright through the window as we passed sunflower fields and little country houses made of stone and clay, that looked like what I'd seen in movies and magazines. Many of them had two fireplaces, one on each side.
Since we were headed for Switzerland, we'd be going through Paris and I couldn't possibly live with it if we didn't spend the night there. I booked us a room at Mercure Paris Bercy Biblioteque, close to Gare de Lyon.
The kids and I had never been to Paris, and I was especially excited to go, because I'd studied French in high school and college, and traveling there was a life long wish of mine. But my husband had already been to Paris a couple of times and was more excited to get to Switzerland and Italy.
We arrived at Gare de Nord and managed to run into trouble as soon as we stepped off the train. A taxi driver approached my husband inside the station and said "Taxi?" We followed him to his "taxi." I was thrilled to finally practice my French with someone.
At the hotel, we found it odd that the driver didn't drop us off in front of the hotel, but instead he pulled into the back alley behind it. Then, he showed us an amount on his phone. (My son told us later we should have checked to see if he had a taxi meter in his car before we got in it. Duh.)
The driver wanted us to pay him $260 euro. My husband, Rob, refused to pay it, and my son threatened the driver and said he would report him to the US embassy. The man argued with them, until Rob finally gave him $80 US and left him shouting after us. We went inside our hotel and my husband asked the desk clerk how much a taxi should cost coming from Gare de Nord. He told us it should have been around $35 euro. Yep. We'd been duped.
This experience left us all in a bit of a bad mood. Not to mention we hadn't eaten anything in hours. But I wasn't going to miss out on seeing the Eiffel Tower while we were there. No way, grumpy cats! I made everyone go out to see it with me.
We called an Uber, and this time, we found a good driver! I got to practice my French with him, oui, oui! He pointed out Notre Dame to us, which was under construction. At one point, I thought I was looking at a palace, and I asked him if that's what it was. He said, "Non, que là -bas c'est le Louvre!"
The Louvre? I had no idea that's what it would look like from the outside. I always imagined it might look like the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Oh, no, no, no. Not even close. Everyone raves about all the paintings inside it, but wow, was the outside grand!
If that's how huge the Louvre is, I can only imagine how much more massive Versaille must be! (I was very disappointed we didn't have time to see Versaille.) The driver stopped and let us a take a photo at the Arc de Triumph before dropping us off at the Eiffel Tower. In case you're wondering, the Uber from the hotel by Gare de Lyon to the Eiffel Tower, with a stop for a photo at the Arc de Triumph cost us 26 euros.
Oo la la! The Eiffel Tower! It was sparkling when we arrived, a magical moment. There were people everywhere, walking, and riding bikes. We then strolled around, feeling very hungry and hoping to find a cafe with a view. No luck finding a place with a view, though.
We came to a corner cafe that was packed with people, called Cafe Gustave. It had a stuffed Ratatouille (like the rat chef from the film) and while we were discussing whether or not we should eat there, it suddenly began to downpour! It was like having someone dump buckets of water over our heads, that rain!
We ducked out of it under the canopy of the Cafe Gustave, and all of the people who'd been sitting out in the open beneath the night sky picked up and moved their tables so that everyone was smashed together, side by side, underneath the canopy. We decided it was a sure sign that this was where we were supposed to eat.
Keira had the most amazing deviled eggs with a hollandaise sauce and a salad, and I had the most amazing onion soup - truly it was the best. Oh, and the bread - I suppose we don't call it French bread when we're in France - it was divine. Rob said his steak with peppercorn sauce was excellent, and Nathan had the duck, which he said was his favorite.
By the time we were done with our meal, the place had emptied out. That's when I took the photo below. Every one of those empty tables had been filled only a few minutes before.
It was after midnight by the time we finished, and we walked back to the Eiffel Tower and tried to call an Uber. We had some trouble getting cell service to work, but my eighteen year old daughter finally figured it out for us. She's brilliant like that.
It was rushed, to say the least. I doubt the French would approve of rushing one's stay in their beloved city of Paris, and I can understand why, now that I've been there to see it in person. Photographs and films don't do it justice. The architecture is stunning. Grander than my imagination ever dreamt. If only we'd had more time...
The next day, the hotel served the best breakfast buffet I'd ever tasted. No exaggeration. We're talking a freshly made assortment of moist, mouthwatering breads... buttery, flaky croissants... platters of cheeses (the creamiest, most flavorful, softest cheeses, oh my heavens)... fresh fruits... the fluffiest Belgium waffles I'd ever laid eyes on... creamy and delicious yogurt... various egg dishes and omelets... an assortment of meats and sausages... and to top it off, there was a fountain of chocolate fondue. Mmm, délicieuse! Phil would be in his happy place. (Somebody Feed Phil reference, in case you're wondering).
And the coffee... oh my, so, so good.
It was time to say au revoir to Paris. We walked to the Gare de Lyon, which was only half a mile from our hotel. My knee was swollen, because at one point in the UK I twisted it, and we were walking over 25,000 steps a day with backpacks on and it was a bit chaotic for the first five minutes at Gare de Lyon as we tried to figure out how the place was laid out. There are three large halls inside the station, with many platforms in each hall.
My daughter and I needed to use the WC (restroom) and we searched for it, only to discover there was only one WC and it was all the way across the station. It cost 1 euro per person (coin, contactless credit card, apple, or google pay only) which we didn't have, so we had to walk all the way back, get the coins, and then head back to the WC. Grr. A very long walk for someone desperate to pee.
With my aggravated knee, and before we found that WC, we were all feeling a bit annoyed. But then... a real, living (definitely not stuffed) Ratatouille, or one of his cousins, ran across my path, and I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face!
I screamed.
Then I couldn’t help but laugh, it was so funny! That rat just acted like it was one of the regular train passengers running around the station. Just like the cartoon ones in the movies. Of course, the well-composed Europeans all looked at me as if I was insane, and my own family didn't see Ratatouille go by, so they were also thinking I must have lost my marbles. Which caused me to crack up even more.
After my Ratatouille moment of enlightenment, I lightened up and enjoyed our last moments in Paris. There are many stores and places to eat in Gare de Lyon. After the Ratatouille incident, I certainly had no appetite, but on our way back from the WC we stopped in Sephora and I bought my daughter a parfum in Paris. Of course, the one she chose turned out to be made in the US.
Ah, Paris! C'est magnifique. What can I say? You just have to go and see it for yourself, that's all.
Now it is time for:
The Top 5 things you should NOT do when in Paris.
5. Don't try to see the city in one night. IMHO you should give yourself two full days -minimum.
4. Don't travel there in August. All of Europe is on vacation, as is the United States and Canada, and they seemed to all be in Paris on the same night we were there, because trying to walk around the place was like trying to move around in a can of sardines.
3. Don't carry your wallet or phone in a pocket, it is sure to get picked, and don't carry your purse over your shoulder, leave it behind, or carry it strapped diagonally across you with the zipped up part in front, and treat it like it is your newborn child. Like I did.
2. Don't get in a taxi with someone if they aren't parked in the designated taxi section. Like we did. And be aware that a taxi, or an Uber ride, from Gare de Nord to Gare de Lyon should not cost more than $35 US dollars.
1. Don't scream if a rat runs across your path. (I surely did.) The mice are regulars at the train stations, and some Americans (hi!) just need to calm down.
For those of you who are planning a trip to France and are looking for ideas of what to do, here are a few things that are still on my bucket list:
The Luxembourg Gardens in Paris
The Louvre in Paris
The Palais Garnier (Opera House) in Paris
Take a boat ride on the Seine (Paris)
Two days in Versaille
Take a week to see the Chateaus of the Loire Valley
Visit the French Mediterranean
Visit the French Alps
Mont St. Michel
What about you? Have you ever been to Paris, or anywhere else in France? What are some things you recommend doing there? Or NOT doing?
Or do you wish to go to France one day? What is on your bucket list to see?
K.M. Krenik is an author and a musical artist.
kmkrenikbooks.com (books) and kimkrenik.com (music)
She also has a podcast called Creative Cliff Jumpers
