I’ve wanted to visit Paris for as long as I can remember, and luckily for me, I was given a trip there this past Christmas. We flew with easyJet from Glasgow to Charles de Gaulle on a Friday morning and had arrived at our Airbnb by around 3pm. Tickets from CDG into the city cost €10 each and once in the city we each got a 5 day metro pass costing €35 – considering it was the only mode of transport we used we more than got our monies worth.
Located in the 15th Arr., our top floor apartment came with views of the vast city, Eiffel Tower included. It totalled £220 for four nights – a fraction of what hotels with a similar view cost. The Airbnb website is rather slow and outdated, which can be infuriating at times, and so I suggest downloading the app as it works far better (at least on an iPhone).
Paris, along with many other European cities, offers free access to public museums for citizens of the European Union under the age of 26. It offers concessions for the same age group from other countries and many other people – I highly recommend looking into what identification you need to present at the desk in order to gain free of cheaper access via the museums’ website.
We attended a Paris Saint-Germain vs Bastia match on the Friday evening in the monumental Parc de Princes stadium, and despite not being the worlds’ biggest football fan I enjoyed the atmosphere and more so the food.
Our Saturday began with a lunch in a small family restaurant near our apartment named Arthur et Juliette. As long as you go to Paris aware of prices, you won’t be shocked. It is more expensive than restaurants at home, but researching prices for fifteen minutes before your trip will prepare you for the menus. It’s also important to note that most Parisian restaurants have two price lists – the cheaper options are for those dining inside, the more expensive for window tables. We then visited the Opéra which is walking distance from Les Galeries Lafayette (a mammoth shopping centre). In the evening we visited Le Musée d’Orsay (for free) which boasts masterworks from many great artists, Van Gogh, Manet and Delacroix to name a few. From there we walked, put our own padlock on a bridge enjoyed dinner in our apartment (a great way to save money in a place where meals are expensive is to utilise your accommodation’s kitchen).
Our Sunday was spent in Le Château de Versailles (as an art history student this is heaven on earth), again for free, the gloriously ostentatious palace created under Louis XIV’s rule. The photographs are no comparison to seeing the building in person, the sheer size of the building and its decadence are unlike any building I have ever seen. If I could recommend any single thing to see in Paris it would undoubtedly be Versailles. For more information on admissions to Versailles, click here.
Monday was our Disneyland day – tickets cost €80 each for an adult for both parks at the gate so again be prepared as tickets can cost half of that online when booked in advance. Luckily we brought our student cards with us and so this meant we could access both parks for €54. It was not displayed anywhere and only when the cashier asked if we were students were we made aware of the discount so share! The parks were undoubtedly worth the money and after the typhoon in Hong Kong last time I visited a Disneyland I finally got to experience it properly.
Our last day consisted of us checking out for one o’clock and wandering around Paris for a couple hours before catching our flight. We visited Notre Dame and the Louvre which, of course, is closed on a Tuesday. Lesson learned; always read up on everything you want to do on a trip before you go.
The pictures are amazing 🙂
Ah thank you so much! @travelfranzi
My favourite city in the world. Thank you for sharing.
Having been to Paris several times, I can well appreciate your excitement. Now, I didn’t scroll through your total travelogue, Caitlin; however, I sure hope that you visited La Petite Palais and Musee d’Orsay. The first was the palace of a Dauphin, heir to the throne–located nearby Notre Dame, and I was amazed at its small and simple, but elegant, chapel. The Musee is a converted train station, which houses virtually nothing except Impressionist artwork.
Oddly enough, both are little-known to the average visitor to Paris; but, tracking them down is well worth the visit. Both are in Michelin, and various other travel guides.
d’Orsay is one of my favourite museums – I’m an art history major so had to visit!
Niceee!
There pictures and blog aré amazona!
I love you! Thank you!
Ah! Paris is on my bucket list and your pictures make me want to start planning that trip right now.
Very beautiful trip, as you had – amazing photos 😀
Really helpful post, im travelling to Paris in the summer and will take all of this on board. Thank you!
What an experience! Spectacular! 🙂
Beautiful pictures, what a lovely life experience!
Gorgeous skies 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your trip. I regret never having gone there, although for many years I lived within easy travelling distance. Your images are a consolation and a compensation for what I missed.
Thank you for liking my post which has led me to your blog which is truly awesome. I’m going to enjoy reading it.
Thank you!!
I do love Paris….it’s one of my favourite cities….just so pretty whatever the season, and you captured some lovely images to share with us 🙂
Thank you!!
Lovely pictures and blog! I found you through Niki’s Simple Life meet & greet 🙂
Ah thanks for checking me out! I’ll be sure to do the same 🙂
So beautiful ❤
Loved it! Happy to connect 😇
Do check out my writings too, will appreciate your reviews 💕
Thank you!!
You’re welcome! Do check out my writings too, will appreciate your reviews !!
Your photography skills are amazing, the lighting is always outstanding. We went to Paris a few years ago, amazing place
http://wanderlustus.co.uk/
Ah thank you so much – these photos were all taken on my iPhone! I’ll have a look, thank you so much for checking it out!
I have big love for Paris! Great pics.
Paris is really always a good idea, never get bored from visiting Paris!
Beautiful photos!
Your photos of Paris have brought back wonderful memories. Thank you
Hi CAITLIN,
You are having a blast, and I’m hooked and grabbing your shirttails to join you on your ride around our world. Amazing photos.
Thank you for following my photography blog: http://throughharoldslens.com. I hope you enjoy your journey.
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On behalf of the entire Creative Team at Through Harold’s Lens, my trusty sidekicks, Mr. Mirrorless Sony, Mr. SLR Nikon, his brother Mr. Pen Pal and myself, we wish you fun and safe travels.
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Harold
https://www.facebook.com/haroldmetcalfgreensr
Thanks for sharing your visit and your travel tips. Best wishes. Brick
Wow, if those are not a few dozen reasons to visit Paris..
Thanks for the strong advertising and – holy cow! – gorgeous pictures!
I adore you for taking pictures of all the details and patterns! What a lovely set, thanks for sharing~
I love Paris and these photos definitely do it justice! Thanks for sharing 🙂 🙂
Wow such stunning photos of Paris!!
Love the photo’s!
Gorgeous photos, Cait! I’m so glad you had a lovely time in Paris and were able to do so on a budget. There’s so many free or discounted things to enjoy in the city. I’m especially glad you found the discounted Disney tickets – that’s something we had to ask for as well. 🙂
What a wonderful post. Love all the pictures and the narrative. I definitely will refer to this post when I return to Paris next year. Lori
Really nice pictures!! Did you take them with a disposable camera?
Hi there! I took them on my iPhone 🙂
Nice pictures from your trip in Paris !
Thank you 🙂
Beautiful pictures 💕 Really want to go there someday.
Oh Versailles is definitely an item on my bucket list!
So I gather you are studying art history too? Whereabouts, in Glasgow? 🙂
Yes I am! I study at the University of St Andrews – what about you?
Oh excellent! What year are you in? I am at the University of Aberdeen.
Ah! I’m in second year, I took a year out before I started uni because I had no idea what I wanted to do! What about you?
Seems like a wise thing to do I reckon! Is that when you did all the backpacking? 🙂 I just started my first, had two years off – just for travel and work.
Nope I done it over last summer, and hopefully will do it every summer until I graduate!
Sounds dreamy! Have you already planned where to head off this summer?
I’ve been to almost all the same places featured on your blog so it was a real delight to look through your photos etc; revisit through someone else’s pov!
Pretty much, we’re starting in Lisbon and heading as far East as possible, hopefully making it to St Petersburg. Stopping off in Italy, France, Germany, Morocco, Spain, the Netherlands, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, CR, Austria and then perhaps some Nordic countries!
Wow! I am hoping to do a wee Europe-interrail myself this summer, perhaps I will bump into you lot at some hostel somewhere haha!
I am from Sweden myself so if you do end up going there, I’d be happy to advice you if you have any queries!
Amazing photography.
Glad you enjoyed my city!;)
Love the pictures, suggest you change the dialogue from a travel itinerary to a romance novel. Bon chance!
I live in Paris and you make me travel ahah !! Love
Lovely photos. Makes me want to get away somewhere nice and you’ve made me fancy Paris!
Fantastic photos of my favourite city! I first visited – and fell in love – with Paris when I was 16. This visit shaped my life in so many ways; career choice & more. One year, I visited Versailles in deepest winter. The fountains were frozen but looked beautiful.
http://www.fancyingfrance.wordpress.com
Paris is soo beautiful,and pictures are amazing 🙂
Gorgeous! Beautiful photography. I wish I could visit Paris. And thanks for stopping by my blog to read about my favorite towel. :- ) Always nice to meet a fellow traveler. Please come again! Jessy
You did a padlock! Fabulous. Wasn’t the Tower amazing at night?
So stunning!!!
The cover photo is stunning! It makes me want to book a trip to Paris now.
Alicja | http://www.lifeofaluxaholic.com
great pictures! The cover image looks like one of the places I’ve seen in Las Vegas haha
Thanks! Feel free to share 🙂
Caitlin, Thanks so much for liking my blog, http://www.BevilleMay.com. I stopped in to visit yours, and fell in love with your Paris post much as I fell in love with Paris when I lived there years ago. Many thanks for some of the money saving tips which I have forwarded along to my niece who is spending a semester in Spain and hopes to go to Paris. Some great ideas! Keep up the great work! Loved the pictures.
Thanks! Feel free to share 🙂
Lovely blog and beautiful photos!
Paris is a beautiful city and each time I go back, there is something new to see. I would definitely recommend that you go back!
Your tips and recommendations are great, always felt safe on public transport in Paris.
It sounds like you had a great time!
Reblogged this on The Richness of a Simple Life and commented:
One of my favorite things about Cait’s posts are the stunning pictures and this one doesn’t disappoint! Her trip to Paris is beautifully showcased in her photos and she shares some tips to save money.
Your pictures are beautiful! They make me anxious to return to Paris.
Oh my, your pictures are seriously out of this world
Ah thank you so much Lara 🙂