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A 24-Hours in Paris Travel Guide
Paris, France is one of my favorite European cities to visit. This charming city takes my breath away each and every time. Paris does a great job of making you feel like you are immersed in their culture with the numerous landmarks, stunning buildings, and delicious French cuisine. Paris was the beginning of our two-month Europe backpacking trip, and I couldn’t have been more excited.
Why only 24-hours?
We were not planning on visiting Paris at all during our two-month Europe trip because we had both spent some time in the city prior. We found cheap flights from New York to Paris that we could not pass up. Our plan was to head straight to Prague when we crossed the pound but there were not many flights to Prague until the next day. We thought we would make the best of our one night in Paris.
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Transportation
Getting to Paris city center from the Orly Airport can be a bit tricky. We chose to use the air tram and metro which included two transfers and cost us €15.80. This was the most cost-effective for the two of us. Depending on where your accommodation is, taking an Uber may be a better option.
Metros are the main form of transportation throughout Paris. A one-way metro ticket will cost you €1.90.
Tip: Apple Maps works much better than Google Maps when getting around in Europe.
Accommodation
We stayed at the Moxy by Marriott Hotels. The Moxy is a minimalist hotel with trendy and colorful décor. This fun hotel was located just one block from a few metro lines, trendy restaurants, and shops.
After a few hours of rest and adapting to the six-hour time difference, we got dressed up and headed out to explore the city.
A Parisian Dinner
A Parisian dinner is a must if you have just one night in the big city. We chose to dine at Dubillet Brasserie. This stunning restaurant has a large bar inside, trendy decor, and serves authentic French cuisine. For dinner, we enjoyed a classic Parisian dish Cote De Boeuf De Salers A La Braise; a large platter of meat, potato au gratin, and a few glasses of red wine.
We could not leave the brasserie without a classic French pastry so we ordered my favorite, a chocolate éclair. The éclair was indulgent and delicious with a chocolate pastry crème filling, chocolate ganache glaze, and crunchy toasted pecans.
Read My Full Dubillet Brasserie Restaurant Review Here
Tip: Reservations are highly encouraged when looking to dine out, especially on weekends. If you are short on time like us, making a reservation is a huge time saver.
Wandering the Charming Parisian Streets
After a delicious meal, we wandered the bustling streets of the 3rd and 5th arrondissements. I love both of these areas because they are filled with popular cafés, restaurants, shops, and late-night street food. A Parisian happy hour is quite different from America. In Paris, happy hour, or should I say happy hours, usually start around 3:00 PM and end at 9:00 PM. We could not believe how many people were out enjoying the city, each and every restaurant was packed.
We stopped by Cathédrale Notre Dame. It was gorgeous at night with the light reflecting off showcasing every small detail. One thing I love about Paris is that you can be aimlessly strolling through the streets and come across stunning buildings and large landmarks.
Eiffel Tower
You cannot go to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower! We took the metro across the city and arrived at the sparkling tower. It was just as grand as I remembered it. At 11:00 PM the sparkling lights flickered in the moonlight, grasping everyone’s attention and the ooh and ahs started. After enjoying a nice walk around the tower we headed back to the metro to make our way back to The Moxy.
Croissants & Espresso
The next morning we woke up in Paris time, packed our bags, and headed downstairs for a Parisian breakfast. The Moxy’s breakfast had everything we could ask for, espresso, eggs, sausage, yogurt parfaits, and some of the best flakey croissants. The croissants were a game-changer, they were warm, with a dozen layers of warm buttery goodness.
A quick Uber to the Orly Paris Airport and our 24-hours in Paris came to an end. I was bummed we didn’t stay longer but we will definitely be back for a lot longer visit.
Tip: Depending on how many people you are traveling with, always check the local transportation services. It was cheaper and much quicker to take an Uber to the airport than using public transportation for the two of us.
Have a bit more time to spend in Paris? Check out my Ultimate Paris Bucket List
