Now, quite obviously, it would be impossible for even the most fervent and experienced traveler and explorer to thoroughly trek across an entire city in just forty-eight hours. However, when it comes to the iconic and absolutely beautiful and romantic city of Paris, if you are prepared for a lot of walking and to receive little sleep, you can certainly immerse yourself in the best sights, sounds, and experiences that Paris has to offer.
With that being said, continue reading to learn how to do Paris in just a long weekend.
1 Friday
Naturally, depending on the area of the world from where you are traveling, your flight time, or indeed train time, could be anything from just under an hour to six hours or more. However, if you aim to arrive at your hotel by lunchtime or early afternoon, you will still be able to maximize the amount of time you have to explore on your first day. However, you should certainly make sure you don’t miss out and book items like your Eiffel tower tickets ahead of time.
As the city of Paris is relatively small when it comes to checking off tourist attractions in a certain area, there are lots of places to choose from which are perfect for a centralized base, with one of the most iconic being around the Saint-Michel metro area.
Once you have dropped your luggage off and had some refreshments, it is time to get started exploring, with the perfect place to start your adventure being the gothic church Saint Chapelle. As with all attractions in Paris, to avoid waiting in long queues and even disappointment, it is certainly worth booking your tickets in advance online.
After Saint Chapelle, cross the River Seine and head along the Bouquinistes, for a more authentic shopping experience for Parisian souvenirs before arriving at the wonderfully impressive Notre Dame cathedral. Although it is unlikely you will meet Quasimodo hanging from the bell tower, you will be absolutely enthralled by the architecture and the atmosphere of this iconic and beautiful building.
For your first night in Paris, there is nothing better than enjoying the lights, sounds, and feelings of ascending the Montparnasse Tower before collapsing into bed and setting an early alarm for the next morning.
2 Saturday
As you wake up in the most romantic city in the world, the first thing you must do is to consume a large breakfast, not to mention several cups of coffee, as today will certainly be a day of walking.
Saturday is the day to ascend the magnificent and truly impressive Eiffel Tower. As an approximation, the tower opens at nine in the morning throughout the summer months and nine-thirty during winter.
After you have filled your smartphone with photographs of your Eiffel Tower experience, it is then time to visit the boat docks, where you can grab a crepe du chocolat before stepping onboard a river cruise along the Seine. Be sure to bring a sweater, as somewhat inexplicably, the windchill along the Seine is always harsher than you will probably expect.
Directly opposite the boat docks is the Trocadero, which offers a truly unique view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the center, and afterward, head down the Champs-Élysées to enjoy the spectacular Arc de Triomphe. To finish off your incredible day in the center of Paris, head to the artist quarter of Montmartre, although you may want to pay for the lift, which will take you up the side of the steep hill, rather than choosing to take the 222 steps.
3 Sunday
After two full-on days exploring France’s capital, Sunday is a day for shopping and art, with your day beginning at the Louvre Museum, unmissable due to its large glass pyramid situated at the entrance.
Once you have experienced the impressive, yet surprisingly small, wonders of the famous Mona Lisa, it is then time to fuel yourself with a large cup of proper French coffee and a croissant or two before finishing your Parisian weekend with shopping down the Champs-Élysées.
The famous shopping street is absolutely the best way to finish off your amazingly hectic Parisian experience, with people all over France and beyond regularly describing it as the ‘world’s most beautiful avenue.
