Paris. The city of love. Which is why we thought it would the perfect choice for our adults-only getaway. A much needed break from all things baby. We woke up at Noon every day and enjoyed catching up on sleep. The weather was amazing and we could do everything at our leisure. We do a lot of research before every trip and so naturally a trip to Paris was no different. Before we arrived I knew the area around our hotel quite well, but I also didn’t want to make too many plans for us. Sometimes getting lost in the cobblestone streets, and popping in and out of picturesque Brasseries is the best way to find hidden gems. There is so much to see and do in Paris, and in four days we definitely did a lot.
Want to know what I wore? Read my Parisian Fashion blog post here.
Here’s a snapshot of our trip to Paris:
***You can scroll to the bottom to go straight to my Top Tips for Travelling Parents without Baby***
Getting there:
Airport: I am not the biggest fan of Charles de Gaulle Airport for a number of reasons, I just haven’t had the best luck there. If you experience the same, please, don’t let your first impression of Paris leave a bad taste in your mouth. The airport is approximately 1 hour away from the centre and traffic is almost always heavy getting into the city. Ideally you would want to fly in around late morning/ early afternoon to avoid as much traffic as possible.
Travel Tip: Make sure to get a hair blow out before you go so you’re not wasting your precious time washing and styling your hair. I find blowouts keep my hair looking fresh for almost 4 days!! I also use a lot of dry shampoo on vacation.
Transportation:
We walked A LOT as the weather was so beautiful. But we did take the occasional Uber. Coming from the airport the Uber cost 45 Euros, however if you take the train you can pay as little as 10 Euros. We also used these Lime Scooters which we zoomed all over the city with. The concept seemed really neat to us. All you need is your smartphone to download an app which allows you to load money onto your account and cruise. We both fit on one scooter together (yes even with my 250lbs husband :P), it was cheesy and romantic. However, they did die easily and it was a rat race to find a scooter on the street that actually worked. Considering Paris is a walking city (which was really the best way to see everything), please remember to wear comfortable shoes.
Food & Drink:
Marché des Enfants Rouges: This market was really colourful and we stopped for a small tasty bite at one of terraces. There was a wide variety of food stalls, including Lebanese, French and African cuisine. Organic food stalls and fishmongers could also be found here.
Parisian Restaurants we LOVED:
Juveniles Wine Bar: Small bistro with a cozy atmosphere. The food was incredible.
Chez monsieur: A great classic French bistro.
Farnesina: If you’re looking for some truffles in Paris, or simply traditional Italian food, this is a good spot.
Travel Tip: I was surprised by how early everything closes in Paris, and on Sunday the city shuts down. Make sure you plan accordingly so you don’t miss out on anything because of this.
Places to See:
Notre-Dame Cathedral:
Saint-Sulpice Roman Catholic Church
Park Hopping: My favorite park was Square du Temple.
Travel Tip: Even though this was a baby-free vacation, I found Paris to be very baby-friendly. The city streets are stroller safe, and there are so many city parks where small children can be entertained for hours.
Famous Bridges: On our previous trip to Paris we had purchased a lock and added it to the famous Pont des Arts bridge’s padlock collection. The tradition had it that lovers going on this bridge should buy a padlock, lock it on the bridge’s railing and throw the key in the water if they want their love to last forever. But this has changed because the padlocks were weighing and highly damaging the bridge, so they were all removed. Although our love lock no longer exists, we loved walking together along the beautiful bridges in Paris. A few of my favorite bridges were: Pont de la Tournelle, Pont Marie, and Pont Alexandre III.
Just get lost in the streets:
Areas we loved: Saint Germain, Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis
Entertainment:
Crazy horse: This was a very entertaining Parisian cabaret performed by nude female dancers. We went to the Moulin Rouge five years ago which was a more traditional cabaret, but I preferred the more modern Crazy Horse. After hours we stopped in a tiny place up the street for some afterhours bites and a bottle of wine.
Matignon – Fun supper club, turns into bottle service downstairs. I didn’t love the music.
Vverde by Yeeels supper club: Great cocktails to begin. We went for dinner which had a couple great dishes, but in season this place turns into a supper club at night. Still a good vibe if you want to have a more happening dinner.
Raspoutine: A Russian style club with great house music. It can be difficult to get in.
Shopping:
LE bon Marché is amazing. Galarie Lafayette is still a must-see if you’ve never been. I also loved the boutiques around our hotel -the chic 8th district.
Bonpoint – Most beautiful baby store I’ve ever seen!
Hotel:
Buddha Bar: The location was fabulous (chic 8th district) and the rooms were incredibly spacious for Paris. Our room was luxurious and very Asian inspired. I would also recommend looking for an Air BnB in this city.
Top Tips for Traveling Parents without Baby:
Tip #1: Four days is the perfect amount of time for alone time with your partner. It was liberating having a few days where I wasn’t scheduling my plans around nap time. But I won’t lie, after four days I started to get anxiety being away from Ben for so long.
Tip #2: Trust whomever you’ve left your child/children with. They’ve agreed to watch your child because they know they can handle it. Don’t spend your trip worrying about them, they’ll be fine, and you deserve this time for yourself.
Tip #3: Leave notes and clear instructions for your caregiver. I leave a very in depth booklet for Ben’s caregivers so he doesn’t fall out of his routine while I am away. This is helpful for the caregiver because children need routine, and when they fall out of routine they can be cranky or behave badly. If your caregiver follows the schedule you leave it makes for a happy baby!
Tip #4: Plan to leave home after you put your baby down to sleep, and arrive before they go down on your return. Not only are overnight flights cheaper, they also trick your baby (and yourself) into thinking you weren’t gone long.
I adore Paris – the simplicity of grabbing fresh bread, charcuterie and wine, and enjoying a picnic in the park, nothing is really more romantic. I hope this blog post inspires your next Parisian adventure (baby-free or baby-friendly)!
Thank you all the friends who gave us all their best recommendations to make our trip to Paris an incredible time.
Elle
I’m Elle! A Toronto-based Holistic Nutritionist. I’m a multi-passionate woman, but nutrition and understanding how the body works is really my passion. Through my own personal journey, I have trained my body to heal itself using strategic, natural tools and techniques. Now I’m ready to help others!
As a new Mom, I understand that wellbeing is a journey. I hope my expertise will inspire other parents to choose nutrient-rich foods and the right products to create a happy, healthy and sustainable home. Click Here to Continue Reading
