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With the UK roll out of vaccines continuing to reach all corners of the country, it seems like everyone is absolutely chapping at the bit to get flights booked and hotels planned, and believe me I’m exactly the same.
I’ve been thinking over all of the trips I’ve been lucky enough to go on, and the places I’ve been – now seemed as good a time as any to collate my favourite destinations into a list of ‘Where To Go’ post-pandemic, you can check my Warsaw Guide here. We’re continuing to torment ourselves over trips we’ve been on, whether it’s remembering restaurants we’ve been to, the worst ice bar in the world or just the general experiences; this time we’ve been thinking about Paris.
I know that we all have different budgets and ideas of what a holiday should be – so I’ve put together a Save, Spend, Splurge edit, to allow you to build your dream trip once we return to the new normal.
Paris always has a special place in my heart, it’s where Simon and I had our first holiday. We were both skint and instead of splurging on flights we took the Megabus for less than £50 each return – sadly I don’t think they run anymore. We spent Easter weekend in the City of Love and had the most amazing time.
The city itself, as I’m sure you’ll already know, is incredible. There’s so much to see and do, and you can easily spend a full day traversing the cobbled streets, stopping at a café for a glass of wine and a bout of people-watching before hopping back onto the Metro and making your way back to your hotel.
I think my favourite memory of Paris was sitting in an on-street cafe drinking beers and seeing a mime on roller blades skate past the window!
SAVE
The first hotel I’ve included is one we stayed at in 2017, it’s pretty budget but as we aren’t particularly fussed about staying in fancy spots it was ideal for us. We stayed as a group for Simon’s dad’s 60th so it meant we could all be in the same place and spend more on wine and beers! The hotelF1 Paris Porte de Chatillon is the ideal spot for dropping bags off and using solely to shower and sleep. As far as we’re concerned, it doesn’t really matter where in Paris you stay, as long as you’re near to a Metro station.
SPEND
The very first hotel we stayed at in Paris, before the days of unlimited mobile data and portable chargers we found ourselves stepping off a bus in the centre of Paris at 6am after a 23 hour bus ride. We couldn’t find our hotel and a small cry ensued, the best tip I can give you is to ask a Binman for directions if you happen to find one – they’re always super helpful! Hotel Glasgow was again pretty small – but unless you’re booking into a huge hotel chain, hotel rooms are generally pretty small across Europe.
SPLURGE
For some, heading to a city like Paris means going all-out. Hotel Eiffel Blomet is rated number one on TripAdvisor for Paris, so you don’t get much better! Located just a stone’s throw from a Metro station with plenty of local restaurants and eateries – there’s no end to your options. With an indoor pool and spa within the hotel, this is a seriously good choice for unwinding after a long day of exploring.
WHERE TO GO?
Before we even decided to go to Paris, I knew I wanted that I wanted to head to Le Chat Noir. I don’t remember when we first went as we’ve been to Paris a couple of times now – but I do remember feeling simultaneously overwhelmed and amazed when we visited the first time. I had a print of the famous black cat hanging in my bedroom for years so it felt like I’d kind of gone full circle. We didn’t get food here, but did grab a couple of glasses of wine. It’s somewhere I think I’d continue to revisit just for it’s notoriety and history.
Another place I can’t recommend highly enough is Quasimodo’s Café. We stumbled across this by accident on our way to Notre Dame and I hauled Simon inside. Quasimodo is obviously a famous character from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and before my Scoliosis was treated I was terrified that I’d end up looking like him, so we went for the novelty aspect – however the food in Quasimodo’s was incredible!
I had a Croque Monsieur which is a little bit like a cheese and ham toastie with extra cheese on top and a bechamel sauce, and Simon had a Croque Madame which is like the Monsieur with a fried egg on top. The café is located perfectly for sightseeing and grabbing a quick bite to eat.
Obviously you can’t only eat and drink your way around the city, you need to do a bit of sightseeing too. I think. One spot I really love is Sacré-Cœur – yes there are hundreds of steps to get to the top, but once you’re up, the view is incredible!
The whole Montmartre area itself is very cool and there’s so much to see. I found out that this is where Simon had planned to propose to me – the actual proposal is a story for another time – so it holds a special place in my heart!
I can't wait until the time comes for us to be able to return to the city of love, but until then I'll continue planning my break on Tripdvisor!