Barge along the Seine
Gare du Nord
Hotel opposite the Gare du Nord
Left Luggage facility close to the Gare du Nord
Nadine admiring the artwork along side the Seine
Tempting treats at the Carrousel du Louvre
The Louvre
The Notre Dame
Outside the Louvre (1)
Recently my oldest friend Alan & his partner Nadine headed off to Paris on Eurostar from London St Pancras for a 4-day break.
A stroll along the Champs Elysee & to see the Arc de Triomphe had been on Alan’s wish list for some time whilst Nadine, being an art lover, had a desire to explore the Louvre Museum, boxes ticked on both their bucket lists then!
Eurostar arrives at the Gare du Nord in the heart of Paris.
Hotel
Hotel Andre Latin, reached in around 20 minutes by train from Gare du Nord.
The hotel was clean and only 350 yards from the nearest station, but they found the breakfast poor with no gluten free options, so although the breakfast was included in the price they ate elsewhere.
What to see in Paris:
Champs – Élysées
At 1.94 km long the Champs – Élysée runs from Place de la Concorde to the Arc De Triomphe, it attracts nearly 300,000 visitors daily!
On the first Sunday of each month the avenue is a pedestrian only zone.
With its exclusive shops, stylish café bars and the not to be missed macarons at Ladurée one cannot visit Paris and not take a stroll down what is often described as the ‘most beautiful avenue in the World’
Arc de Triomph (means Arch Victory)
Located at the western end of the Champs – Élysée in the centre of a bustling roundabout this monument stands 50m high & 45m wide.
It was commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon in celebration of the French armies following his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, it was completed in 1836.
It has housed the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier since November 1920.
A couple of interesting snippets –
Twice a year in May & August the sun sets directly in the centre of the Arc de Triomph – a sight worth seeing!
In 1919 the French aviator Charls Godefroy became famous for flying through the Arc de Triomph!
If you have the energy you can climb the 284 steps to the top to take in great views of the city
Louvre Museum
There are valid reasons why this iconic landmark attracts in the region of a staggering 8 million visitors a year! Boasting 73,000 square metres of exhibition space it is the largest museum in the world housing some of the most famous art pieces.
Mention the Louvre to most people & they will think of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo De Vinci & the Venus de Milo by Alexandros but there is so much more to the Louvre. It houses over 380,000 pieces in total but there is only 10% on display on any given day.
A new addition in 1989 was the glass & metal pyramid at the entrance to the Louvre. It was designed by Ieoh Ming Pei, a Chinese American architect who also designed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland USA. Incidentally, I.M Pei lived to be 102 years old!
The Pyramid makes for a stunning sight when it is lit up at night!
It can come as a surprise to visitors that alongside all the amazing pieces of art you can also see the luxurious apartments of Napoleon III!
Tip: The Louvre gets extremely busy with visitors; long queues are the norm & you are not guaranteed to gain entry so buy your ticket online & book a time slot before your trip! Try to secure an early slot which will give you a better chance of seeing the more famous pieces such as the Mona Lisa painting.
Walk along the banks of the Seine river
You can’t visit Paris and not take a stroll along the banks of the Seine, for a different perspective you could take a boat trip along the river.
The riverbanks have been a UNESCO Heritage Site since 1991.
Some of the cities most famous landmarks can be seen from here;
Notre Dame (due to reopen on the 8th December 2024 following it’s restoration from the damage caused by a fire in April 2019)
Louvre – take a boat trip for the most impressive view
Eiffel Tower – a fabulous view can be had from the left bank
Bouquinistes (book sellers) – sell books, paintings, old postcards & posters
Eiffel Tower
Standing some 300m high the tower was completed on the 31st March 1889
There are 3 levels in the tower housing restaurants, museum exhibits, a champagne bar and souvenir shops.
Head to the top for amazing panoramic views can of the city!
Take care when buying a ticket to go in – some tickets are for the stairs only (all 674 of them!) which will take you to the second floor.
If you want to go all the way to the top make sure you purchase the ‘’Lift entrance ticket with access to the summit’’ This ticket will take you to the second floor where you change to another lift to the summit.
Eating out
Finding Gluten Free choices in Paris was quite difficult but the Hard Rock Café had a dedicated allergy menu, along with the vibrant atmosphere that the restaurant is famous for it made a good choice.
With seating inside and out the Bar Gustave close to the Eiffel Tower, provided a refreshment stop where the French favourite of omelettes were sampled.
Two-Way Cycle Paths
Cycling is popular in the city and these cycle paths can be something of a nightmare for pedestrians so do take care!
Left Luggage Facilities
You may have several hours to while away in the city after you have checked out of your hotel, there are several luggage stores within a very short distance of the Gare du Nord.
Is Paris for you?
Stunning architecture, stylish shopping, world envied art collections and of course the home of gastronomy; Paris has it all!
All photos courtesy of Alan Gleadall