spontaneous BFF trip to paris
During my recent job transition last fall, I took two weeks off with the intention of relaxing and recharging on a mini staycation. However, my plans to do nothing in my sweats for 14 days didn’t last long when my spontaneous friend Kristina suggested we use her travel perks for a short last-minute trip to Paris. Kristina’s dad was a pilot, so she and I got to fly standby using her status and a buddy pass (for a pretty reasonable fee). The trick to flying standby internationally is flexibility and patience (including not booking our hotel until we arrived in Paris!), neither of which I would use to describe my typical travel mindset. But considering the timing and my situation, I put my “whatever happens happens” hat on and we were off to Paris!
We started our trip off on the best note by getting lucky with two first class seats! Flying first class is definitely not a regular occurrence for me, and let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like it, especially on a long flight. We were hoping to get a little sleep on the flight, but for better or for worse, we stayed up the whole time watching movies in our reclining seats, taking way too many pictures and trying (failing) to pretend like we belonged up there. When we arrived in Paris, the real adventure began!
Read below for details about where we stayed, where we went, and what we ate!
Where we stayed
The view from our room!
Paris is made up of numbered districts, which start in the city center and count up in a spiral around the city. We knew we wanted to stay close enough to the heart of the city and major attractions, without being in the most touristy location. Luckily we found a gem right between the 5th and 6th arrondissements (districts) called L’Hôtel Europe Saint-Séverin.
When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by incredibly nice front desk staff, who, upon learning that we booked the “Classic Room” for the two of us for 4 days, promptly gave us an upgrade at no charge. Apparently the room we booked was only a 10x10 ft room (oops!) so we completely lucked out with the upgrade! Our upgraded room had a mini loft and a view of the Notre Dame out our window, so amazing! Once we got our bags put away, a handful of other travelers started checking in, solidifying our luck in getting the upgrade by arriving early.
Lesson learned: When booking a room in Paris, make sure to read the room details, especially the size of the room. A lot of hotel rooms in Paris tend to be smaller than what we’re used to in the states, so while it’s always great when you can find a deal, make sure you know what you’re getting into!
Our adorable (yet spacious) hotel room! Check out that lofted bed and we even had closet space!
Just outside our hotel was a smattering of corner shops, cafes, crêperies, and restaurants, all in a pedestrian only area, making for a terrific place to wander and get lost. So now that we got settled into our room, on to the good part: where we went & what we ate!
Where we went
We had about four days to explore and since our trip was so last minute, we had a few must-do’s on our list but for the most part we made up our days as we went. Since both Kristina and I had been to Paris before, we left off some of the big touristy things on our to-do list, like visiting the Louvre and going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. If it’s your first time to Paris, I highly recommend both!
The Musée D’Orsay was such a fun museum to start off our trip. I’m not typically a huge museum buff, but I’m always open to museums that are a little more unique. One of the best parts of the Musée D’Orsay is the structure it’s in - an old train station with a huge beautiful clock you get to see from the inside. We spent a few hours wandering the exhibits, which are chock full of incredible impressionist paintings. At the top of the museum, inside the clock, there’s a pretty cafe that serves drinks and snacks (for museum prices, aka not cheap). If you want a picture with the clock in the background, your best bet is to order something simple from the menu (we got iced tea) and use your time in the cafe to get the perfect shot.
When we got our tickets for Musée D’Orsay, we were able to save some money by buying a two-pack online for Musée D’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie, which we could use on separate days. The best part of Musée de l’Orangerie, and really the main reason people visit the museum, is the full-sized Monet water lilies. Let me tell you, they do NOT disappoint. The waterlilies each cover the entire wall and are absolutely incredible to see up close. Plan for this trip to be a short one, there’s a few other exhibits but it won’t take you nearly as much time to get through it as other museums.
Montmartre
Montmartre might just be my favorite neighborhood in all of Paris. Situated at the top of a giant hill overlooking the city, Montmartre grew as a home for artists, and while it has become incredibly touristy over the years, walking around the area still gave off such a wonderful, artsy feeling that I absolutely loved. If you have a few days, I highly recommend spending a half day in Montmartre, with little on your agenda other than to walk around and explore.
We biked to Montmartre using the Velib bikes that you can rent throughout the city. After stopping at a cafe for some morning snacks and a mini photoshoot, we visited the Wall of Love, a painted wall covered in “I love you’s” in more than two hundred different languages. It’s a little bit tricky to find - it’s kind of tucked away in a little garden, but it’s a fun detour if you’re in the area. My favorite part was how all of the tourists from different countries found their language on the wall and took a picture in front of it.
We also stopped briefly to marvel at the Sacre-Coeur Basilica, perched atop the hill, and to listen to the street artists playing music out front. Be warned, this area is really crowded in the middle of the day and the steps are filled with people. If you’re looking for less crowds, I’d suggest coming up here early in the day or even closer to the evening. On a prior visit to Paris with my college roommates during the summer solstice, Montmartre was flooded with people drinking and partying in the streets at night, making for the best block party we’d ever been to.
During the rest of our time in Montmartre, we marveled at the street artists’ work (I bought two paintings that I love so much!), wandered into little boutiques, and ate baguettes on the steps of the basilica. Be prepared to get hassled by people wanting you to buy their work or pose for a drawing, and definitely keep an eye on your pockets (Kristina unfortunately got pick-pocketed & lost some cash). Luckily those minor downsides were such a tiny blip on this otherwise wonderful morning in this adorable neighborhood.
As a teenager, I was absolutely obsessed with the film The Moulin Rouge. I’m not sure if it was the amazing costumes, the romance, Ewan McGregor’s voice, or all of it combined, but I loved it so much.. I’ve definitely seen the movie dozens of times. So I was super excited when I mentioned to Kristina that I wanted to go and she said she had been thinking the same thing. We bought tickets for an 11pm show and let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. The costumes were down right incredible and the performers were all so amazing. It was worth every penny!
Eiffel Tower at night
After our amazing dinner at 6 New York (more below) we walked onto the bridge to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night. The lights come on after dusk, and then every hour, on the hour, the lights start sparkling for five minutes. Even if you only have a day or two in Paris, be sure to catch the show at least one of the nights, it’s really one of the most beautiful sights.
Since I couldn’t bring my fiancé with me on this trip, I thought I’d capture a bit of him (my engagement ring) in a shot with the Eiffel Tower!
Where we ate
The dining room at Monteverdi.
As a happy coincidence, two of my friends were also traveling in Europe last fall, and their Paris trip happened to line up perfectly with ours! We met up with them for dinner on our first night at a cute corner cafe in the 6th arrondissement and sipped on some fancy cocktails while we talked about their travels. Once we got hungry, we wandered deeper into the 6th and found this amazing restaurant called Monteverdi. It’s an Italian restaurant that feels like you’re eating in a rich aristocrat’s study. The walls were lined with dark wood bookshelves, there were plush velvet seating, and a pianist serenading us all night long. Plus the food was delicious!
After an afternoon spent boutique hopping, we wandered the streets, famished, looking for a spot to eat. We happened upon a little corner cafe called Le Progrés. One of my favorite parts of Paris is how easy it is to find a cafe with delicious food (lots and lots of pomme frites for this girl), wine, and of course, people watching. I never knew how much french fries and wine went together, until we ordered them both at pretty much every cafe we went to.
If there was an award for most Instagrammable restaurant in Paris, Ralph’s would certainly make the top of the list. Ralph’s is the restaurant attached to the Ralph Lauren Flagship Store, tucked away in a lush but immaculate garden with ornate table settings. It was pretty pricey and the place certainly wasn’t packed (though we did go at that awkward period in the afternoon, not quite lunch, not quite dinner time) but the restaurant itself is beautiful.
Le Consulat is an adorable bistro in a rather busy part of Montmartre on your way up the hill, which makes it a perfect spot to have a snack, sip on some refreshing beers, and people watch while you’re resting your legs from the climb. The inside of the restaurant is pretty dark, so the outdoor seating is definitely the way to go. This is probably Kristina’s favorite spot in Paris and she actually made this amazing painting of it!
We wanted to have one dinner with a view of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, which is how we found 6 New York. We were somehow able to snag a last minute reservation and while our table wasn’t directly against the window, we still had an amazing view for the hourly sparkle show the Eiffel Tower puts on each night. The food was incredible, definitely on the modern side and the plating was beautiful. As a plus, the chef came out several times during the evening to chat with the guests as well as take our order! It was such a terrific experience, I can’t wait to take Sean (my fiancé) here someday.
On our last night, and the night we went to La Moulin Rouge, we wanted to find a dinner spot near the theater. This dinner ended up being one of our favorite, if not our favorite meals on the whole trip. Petite Fleur is very small and cozy, and definitely not a touristy spot, but they made us feel so welcome and were so patient with me as I ordered for us in mediocre French. Kristina ordered the beef tartare while I had the flank steak and both of our meals were incredible. This was such a little gem and my mouth still waters thinking about that steak!
I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip! Looking back on it, I’m pretty amazed with how much we got to do and see (and eat!) in just a few short days in Paris. You know, they say Paris is for lovers, but I say Paris is for besties! Visiting the City of Lights with one of my closest girlfriends made for the most unplanned, lively, and memorable trips ever!
(Want to know more about our trip or have suggestions for future travel posts? Comment below! And make sure to follow along on Instagram @Being.Brigitte)
