I was afforded a do-over for Paris and I couldn’t have been happier. I felt I missed out on so much the first time, and I was nowhere near as experienced of a traveler as I am now. I still have a lot to learn, but I’ve come along way from my first transatlantic trip to France.
Arriving in Paris after a six and a half hour direct flight from Toronto, six hours ahead of EST(eastern standard time), I was picked up in a..yes..Mercedes cab, compliments of a family friend who drives them. They’re quite common in many cities throughout Europe.
Besides the transportation, another blessing was in the accommodations. Through a Booking.com recommendation from a good friend, I landed a gorgeous condo in the Hotel De Ville section of downtown. I definitely felt as if I redeemed myself from the hotel mishap from my first trip. The condo was fully furnished and equipped with a full kitchen including dishes. The neighborhood grocery store aaaaaaannnnd a liquor store across the street, helped your boy kick his feet up and make Paris REALLY feel like home for a few days. It’s all about traveling smart!
France too uses the Euro as their currency like the majority of Europe, so I advise anyone traveling outside of North America to have the currency on hand of the destination you’re traveling to. Paris is wonderful with taking credit cards, however, a growing number of retailers around the world are either eliminating American Express or frowning upon taking it for purchases. Keep that in mind wherever you travel! Enough of the preliminaries, I did quite a bit on this trip and I want to get to it.
I had been dying to go back to The Museum Louvre . For 15 euros, you can see many of the worlds greatest art collections, including the world renowned Mona Lisa. The Louvre’s structure is remarkable itself. Comfortable shoes are recommended because each wing is massive.
This time, I was able to explore wings of the Louvre that I didn’t get the opportunity to previously, such as the ancient Egyptian artifacts.
Less than an hour outside of the downtown core is Versailles. There I was able to visit the breathtaking Palace of Versailles. This should be a half day tour at the least, and make sure…again… you wear comfortable shoes for the amount of walking on this tour. I’m thinking I’m pretty healthy, but it wore me out towards the end. For the cost 18 euros, you can get both the palace and the spectacular gardens that’s a maze. It’s well worth seeing.
I promised before that I’d go into some of the nightlife…however… you give some and keep some..lol. You can’t tell EVERYTHING!! But I will say that many of the nightspots are open till 5am during the week and 7am on weekends. The Parisians know how to have a good time. Not too far from the condo was a joint named TaTa Burger that was non-conventional in appeal and service, with great food, but for sure a spot that is a haven for the liberally sound.
Within a year’s time I’ve visited 10 countries and France is the only one that I’ve returned to within that time and …Deservingly So! I always encourage people who want to take a once in a lifetime trip abroad, to consider Paris, France as that trip, or for new travelers to include it in their itinerary. Paris to Europe, is what Tokyo is to Asia in my opinion…the crème de la crème of their respective continents.
I'm Out Of Town 