Where to next? Paris, France (best of)

St Michel area & Notre Dame

Notre Dame is a Parisian icon that you have to see at least from the outside. 

Eiffel Tower

The other Parisian icon: The Eiffel Tower. I recommend climbing the stairs to take in the views while also getting a close-up view of the craftsmanship that went into building it. And if you are looking for the best spot to take a picture with the Eiffel Tower, try one of the side streets. The side streets are much less crowded than the park right next to the Eiffel Tower and the buildings on either side of the street frame you and the Eiffel Tower to give all of the Parisian vibes in one shot. 

Montmartre

This is the spot to see the expansiveness of Paris from above. And there just so happens to be a giant church you can walk through. This area, with the artist square and the church, is very busy. It is not likely that you will be able to find a seat at a restaurant so go down the hill a little to find food. 

Crepe stand by the river

Before I went on my trip, a friend told me to eat at the food trucks because they were often better and cheaper than the restaurants. I wish I had listened to this advice more. One night as I was out waiting for the Eiffel Tower to light up, I popped over to a crepe stand that was set up by the river. Of the three crepes I had while in Paris this was certainly the best. 

Gardens by the Louvre

For many people traveling to Paris, the Louvre is on the top of their lists of must dos. For me, it was not. If I had time to go, great, but if not it would not be the end of the world. I also knew that if I went to the Louvre then I wanted several hours, maybe even  a whole day, to see as much of it as possible. The museums in Paris also close one day a week for a day off. It just so happened that the day that would have worked out for me to go was the day of the week it was closed. So instead of going to the museum I explored the gardens around it. The gardens feature many sculptures and other artistic installations that bring the Louvre outside. The gardens are also a much better place to take pictures.