A Day in Paris

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I’ve always wanted to go to Paris! I feel like it’s a pretty common travel destination. The Eiffel Tower is so well known, I’ve always wanted to see it in person. I actually saw it two years ago when I flew through Paris Airport. Granted, I saw it from a plane and some may say it doesn’t count, but I was very excited at the time. I’m currently in Walldorf, Germany for work and have been searching and trying to figure out weekend trips I could make to other cities. Paris actually didn’t come up on my radar as somewhere close enough. I randomly decided to check how far away it was and as soon as I saw that it’s a 3hr train away, I knew I 100% had to go. I debated on how long to spend there but I finally decided to spend one day in Paris. As I only had a few hours to spend, this trip was aimed for tourism purposes only.

Getting There

Staying in Walldorf is really not as accessible as big cities in Germany like Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich or even Mannheim. Anyway, I knew I had to make it work. I wish there was an easy way to search up trains to “anywhere” just like with Skyscanner or Kiwi for flights, but that’s not the case. I literally just had to check out cities nearby on the map and figure out which is under 5 hours away by train. The closest airport is over an hour away from me and costs some serious $$ to get there. As a result of this, for my first trip, I wanted to stick with train.

I booked my train with go euro. It has a cool interface and costs the same as if I booked from bahn website. Because it was an international trip, the trains were pretty nice. The screens inside displayed the speed of the train and it was typically more than 320km/hr and I had no idea if that’s faster than other trains I’ve been on. I booked my trip from Wiesloch- Walldorf Station. I had exactly 7 hours to spend in Paris- arrival at 11am & departure at 6pm.

Arriving at Gare de l’Est, there were a few custom officers standing by the exit. They don’t talk to everyone. They just choose a few people for random questioning and I was one of the random people. I think it’s because most people had suitcases and I just had a very small purse on me. At least, that’s my theory. I showed them my passport and said I’m from America and I’m visiting Paris for the day. They looked at my passport and I was good to go. That was the only need for my passport throughout the trip and I’m really glad I carried it! (Obviously, when traveling to another country, it makes a lot of sense to have your passport on you- Just my thoughts)

Getting Around

Throughout my time in Paris, I got around by either walking or taking the metro trains. I could have used Uber or Taxi but I really didn’t find a need for it mainly because I can’t stand being in traffic and they’re expensive options. The subways costs 1.90€ for a one way trip, no matter your destination on the metro. Gare de l’Est only accepts coins and cards to buy tickets -Cards for a 1€ extra charge. All other stations I went to accepted bills (notes) and I don’t know why it’s like that in a huge station like Gare de l’Est.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPENDING A DAY IN PARIS

1.  THE Eiffel Tower

I don’t think anyone understands my excitement to go to the Eiffel Tower. I had someone tell me Paris was overrated before I went on the trip. However, the moment I saw the Eiffel, I don’t know why, but I felt so satisfied in life. This was the first place I went to after arriving in Paris. I took the metro from Gare de l’Est to Ecolé Militaire, which is near the Tower- This was because I wanted to walk through the large park that’s by the Eiffel, Champ de Mars, before actually getting to the tower. I loved that I got to see it from a distance and then walk through the park to get closer. It made it that much magical. I’m so glad that this was my first stop. Is it really possible to travel and spend even a day in Paris and not visit the Eiffel?

2. Trocadéro

This is right across the Eiffel (about a 15mins walk). There’s a large park in-between this area and the Eiffel. I suppose the park is usually really pretty but because it’s winter, there were barely any leaves in sight. This was on my list of places to check while spending a day in Paris because it was very close and I was interested in checking out the park. What I didn’t know was that this was a very popular place to take pictures with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I saw the steps where so many travel bloggers have posed before me and I thought that pretty exciting to see. There was even a bride having a photoshoot. It did have a really nice view of the Tower and I would recommend just chilling there with the Tower in sight.

3. Arc de Triomphe

It’s about a 20 min walk from Trocadéro to the Arc. On the way, I stopped in a cafe to get crepes & hot chocolate-both were delicious and overpriced. The Arc was definitely underwhelming compared to all the other places I went to. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Paris so I wanted to check it out for myself. I got there and just thought it’ll be more glamorous- some gold here or there on the Arc would have spiced it up a bit. I don’t know what I expected but I’m glad I checked it out and would recommend to check it out if you have a day in Paris.

4. Louvre

This was the second place on my must visit list. It is presumed to be the largest museum in the world, so I didn’t even try to go in because I spent so much time already walking that I didn’t think it would be worth it. However, I do want to see the Mona Lisa so I would probably go to the exhibits on my next trip to Paris. The Louvre Pyramid looked as beautiful in person as it does in pictures. I have never seen a picture of the inside of the pyramid. It looked so beautiful and I couldn’t understand why there aren’t more pictures of it. Anyway, I’m really glad I got to see the structure and with more time I would check out some of the exhibits.

5. Dinner

I had dinner at Le Pré aux Clercs. I really wanted to have my favorite dessert, Crème Brûlée while in France. In order to serve my needs, I checked online for restaurants in a walkable distance from the Louvre. It was slightly difficult because a good number of restaurants nearby were either closed until 7pm or didn’t have an online menu. Despite those few challenges, I was determined to find Crème Brûlée. When I sat down in this restaurant, I honestly didn’t care too much for what entrée I would get. I was just really excited for my dessert.

The waiter took so long to take my order and I was very hungry at this point, I was almost regretting my decision to come to this restaurant. I got the cuisse canard confite (duck legs with potatoes) and I wish I had the words to describe how delicious this meal was. I almost cried. This probably sounds very dramatic but it was one of the most delicious meals I have ever had at a restaurant. I literally didn’t want the food to finish because I wanted to stay in the moment of happiness and satisfaction. After my entrée, I wasn’t even as excited anymore for my dessert because I felt satisfied in life already. The dessert didn’t disappoint at all. I recommend this place 11/10. I still dream about the duck and potatoes.

Accommodation in Paris

I spent a day in Paris so there wasn’t any need for accommodation but here are some options of places to stay:

If I had more time, I would have…

1. Taken the elevator up the Eiffel Tower
2. Seen the Mona Lisa
3. Eaten more French Meals
4. Taken a sightseeing Seine river cruise

I’m so happy I decided to spend a day in Paris solo. It was such an amazing decision because it was one of the best trips I’ve been on. From getting to see the Eiffel Tower to having the most amazing dinner, I can definitely say this is a trip for the books. I love how convenient it is to travel to other countries in Europe. This is my fourth country of the year and it’s still January. 2019 is definitely looking nice. I mentioned that Germany shares border with 9 countries & I’m glad I’ve been able to take a trip to one of them. Have you been to Paris? Have any questions about my trip? Let me know in the comments!

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