Bonjour, Paris!
After checking out of London, it was time to say au revoir to England and bonjour to Paris! 🇫🇷 We took the Eurostar direct from London to Paris, and I have to say, this might be one of my favorite ways to travel between countries. We went through a quick customs process right at the train station, grabbed some lunch and were on our way.
The station itself felt clean, organized and surprisingly stress-free—which, when traveling with luggage in another country, deserves its own five-star review.
One important Eurostar tip: BUY YOUR SEAT RESERVATIONS AHEAD OF TIME.
The Eurostar is incredibly popular, and even if you have a rail pass, you may still need a separate seat reservation. We knew this ahead of time, but you could find yourself scrambling and not get seats together, so book early!
We had a slight delay because of an issue in the tunnel, but even with that, the ride was short, comfortable and relaxing. Honestly, sitting on a train and magically appearing in Paris a few hours later? Europe, you really do have some things figured out.
Bonjour, Paris!
We arrived in Paris and grabbed a short Uber to our home for the next few days, Hotel Indigo in the museum district. For us, the location was fantastic. We could walk almost everywhere we wanted to go, which turned out to be perfect because walking through Paris became one of our favorite parts of the trip. (Full review of hotel coming soon!)
After checking in, getting settled and doing the usual hotel-room explosion of suitcases, it was already time for dinner. And we knew exactly where we were going.
The Steak Frites Worth Waiting For
Our first Paris dinner was everything we hoped it would be: classic French steak frites, a signature sauce and what felt like an endless supply of French fries.
The restaurant didn’t take reservations, so we showed up, got in line and waited. Now, let me explain something about my husband: this man does not wait in line for food. Apparently Paris changes people, because he looked at that line and was ALL IN. And thank goodness he was.
We sat down to tender steak, a delicious sauce and plenty of French fries. Then they came around with a second helping of steak. A restaurant that brings me MORE steak and MORE fries without me even having to ask? Paris and I were getting along beautifully.
We finished everything off with authentic crème brûlée and chocolate mousse, and it was the absolute perfect first meal in Paris.
If you want all the delicious details from our Paris dining experiences, be sure to check out our Paris food blog post. We ate our way through the city, and every meal felt like part of the adventure.
And Then We Saw Her
With very full stomachs, we decided the responsible thing to do was walk approximately all of Paris. It was later in the evening, which meant some of the mass-tourism crowds had started to disappear. We wandered through the museum district, past the Louvre and through the streets as the sun began to set. Eventually, we made our way toward the Eiffel Tower.
I need to admit something. I wasn't expecting to be that impressed. I've seen the Eiffel Tower in approximately 47 million pictures. I knew what it looked like. I thought I was prepared. I was not.
The Eiffel Tower is SUBSTANTIAL. It's beautiful. It's massive. And when you finally see it standing in front of you, it genuinely takes your breath away.
We hung around because there was absolutely no way we were leaving before seeing it shimmer. And when it did? Pure magic. ✨
Standing in Paris at night watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle was one of those travel moments where you look around and think, Yep. This is why we do this.
Croissants, Chanel & Chocolate Mousse
The next morning started exactly as every morning in Paris should: with a croissant. 🥐
We wandered around for a bit before making our way to 31 Rue Cambon, the legendary Chanel location in Paris. We did a little shopping—because Paris—and even had the opportunity to take a photo on the iconic mirrored staircase leading up toward Coco Chanel's apartment. Not exactly your average Tuesday.
From Chanel, our highly sophisticated Parisian cultural tour continued with...food. Obviously.
We grabbed delicious ham-and-cheese baguettes, shared a bowl of chocolate mousse and picked up macarons from a beloved Parisian patisserie.
Basically, if there was bread, butter, cheese or chocolate involved, we considered it an important cultural experience. For even more of our favorite Paris food stops, be sure to check out our Paris food blog post.
Then it was back to the hotel because this night was going to be a special one.
An American Celebration...in Paris
We got dressed and headed to the U.S. Embassy for an incredible American celebration. And when I say this was a night I'll never forget, I mean it.
We were there celebrating American whiskey—which is already a pretty fantastic reason for a party—but the evening included a special performance by Andrea Bocelli at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.
There are some nights you know you're going to talk about for the rest of your life, and this was absolutely one of them.
The Morning After...
The next morning called for emergency Parisian medical treatment: coffee, omelettes and croissants. We walked around the corner from our hotel for a quick breakfast for an authentic Parisian omelette. Then we made our way to the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral, where we had the chance to go inside.
Afterward, we continued walking—Paris will absolutely get your steps in—and eventually hopped on a boat for a ride along the Seine.
Seeing Paris from the water was such a beautiful way to slow things down and take it all in, especially knowing these were going to be some of our last views of the Eiffel Tower.
One Last Parisian Dinner
For our final evening, we enjoyed one more delicious French meal. After dinner, we did what we'd come to love most about Paris: we wandered. No major agenda. No rushing from attraction to attraction. Just walking the streets, taking in the architecture, the cafés, the lights and that unmistakable Paris feeling.
The next morning, we ate croissants in bed—which I firmly believe should be mandatory on your last morning in Paris—packed our bags and got ready for our next adventure. We weren't actually leaving Paris just yet. We were simply trading Chanel, steak frites and the Eiffel Tower for something a little different...
🏰✨ Disneyland Paris.
And that deserves a post all its own...
Little Luxe Travel Tip: Paris was one of those cities where we were glad we didn't overschedule every minute. Pick the places that really matter to you, leave room to walk, eat the dessert, stop for the baguette and let yourself wander. Some of our favorite Paris memories happened between the things we actually planned.
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