5 Things You Won't Want to Miss in Paris

A few things you won't want to miss!

There are plenty of things we are actually missing about Paris right now, right?! 2020 has not been a friend of the traveler, but we will be back! Sometimes, planning a trip can bring you a little hope and joy for the future.

Grab a pen, because when travel does come back around, there are a few things you will want to remember for your Paris vacation. Starting with--None of my business, but don't overpack! You don't want to carry junk around all day long wishing you didn't! It's so hard, but it's so worth it! It just makes it more stressful and you can buy anything you forget over there. There are shops!

Plan your trip before you go, but remember to be open for changes. If you're like us, don't plan every day to the T, because once you get there, you will want to fit in stuff you did't know you wanted to do. Also, we did Moulin Rouge, which is a really cool show (boobs and all ha!) but despite the choreographed and entertaining dances, I wouldn't recommend it for the kiddos!

5 Things You Must Do in Paris

1. Hop on Hop Off Tour One of the first couple of days you're there, do a hop on hop off tour. It's the best way to see all of the city, easily. I especially love it if you have never been to a city before. You can take notes and go back to places you want to hang out longer another day. Click here for the company we used.

2. Guided Tour for the Louvre Each time, before we take a trip, I always wonder what I should order online and what I should purchase once I'm there. There's nothing worse than wanting to see something and realizing you needed tickets a month before you left. I also aim to spend as little time in a line as possible. You'll definitely want to skip the line at the Louvre. And I would also recommend doing a shortened tour for the museum, unless you just love all the things and have plenty of time. We used this company to do a 2 hour Louvre tour. 

A guided tour at the Louvre (Mona Lisa, etc) is a MUST! Otherwise, you will spend an entire day wandering around and you won't even know any of the fun history stuff about it!

3. Seine River Cruise If you arrive in the evening, this Seine Rive Cruise is the absolute best way to start the trip!

But you want to do it at night! The Eiffel Tower has a light show at sunset but it's best seen when it's dark- 9pm or 10pm are the better times but it happens every hour throughout the night. If you time the river cruise right, you can see it from the boat and it is so much fun! Side note- night there is like 9:30pm-- the sun doesn't set until around then (at least it didn't in May when we went. So, grab the 9pm slot.) You can usually get those tickets once you get there. We go to the boat, get tickets for the night cruise and then just walk around the city. Bonus, you can take your own wine on the boat so stop at a store and buy some. Much cheaper. Along the Seine, there is also a fun place to stop and get beer outside, it's on the river level. The tickets at the office when you get to Paris are cheaper than they are online and it departs every 15 minutes so you should be fine to wait until you get there to buy them.

4. Versailles Day Trip Depending on how long you're going, you may not have a lot of time for day trips, but if you have time for one, go to Versailles. It is about 30 minute-40 minute RER (their train) ride outside of Paris. Buy the tour tickets online .

Get Your Guide and Paris Turismo were our favorites to buy from. Day 1, go to the Paris Turismo office (it is right to the side of the Lourve) and it the official tourism office. There, you can buy packages, like the Hop on Hop off combined with the Lourve tour may be cheaper. However, during busy times, the Lourve tour can sell out. If you are going in peak season, you may want to purchase online ahead of time. However, in off season, you can likely go by the office for the best deal.

5. Eiffel Tower at Night I saved the best for last! Both times I've gone, we took one night, grabbed bread, cheese and wine, and a blanket/towel, and went to the Eiffel Tower at sunset. We just sat and talked for hours, people watching, and watching the light show of the tower. It's been my favorite night every time!! It is so magical and laid back and perfect! Kids can run around too, so this is a great family activity with your little travel buddies! We usually save this for the last night because it's so low key. Please do this! It makes you feel local and young (ha who doesn't want that?!)

We may be landlocked for now, but go ahead and start planning your next vacation. You don't need the plane tickets or to spend money, but you do need a little hope and imagination.