Walking in the City of Love

The best way to explore Paris is to walk it. So better be wearing your trusted comfy footwear because you have a lot of ground to cover, literally.

Breakfast

Second day started early - as for every traveller. Arty Paris serves breakfast between 6 to 9 AM in the dining area. The breakfast was fairly simple - French croissant and baguette, bread, butter, marmalade, orange nectar, espresso and other caffeine options as there was a vending machine. The dining area with adjoining kitchen has a good and warm atmosphere, with electric sockets - probably for those with laptops and for charging mobile phones/other gadgets while having meals or while just hanging around.

Eiffel again

TOUR DE EIFFEL

I took bus 92 to Champ de Mars to be awestruck again by Eiffel Tower. This time, I went inside Tour Eiffel and climbed 330 steps up into the 1st level. I did not bother taking the elevator as I preferred to enjoy the sights of Paris while climbing up the stairs. The ticket was worth 7 euros.

Tour de Eiffel

On the first level, there is a souvenir shop, and restaurant 360, which was closed during that time. But the main attraction would have to be the breathtaking romantic panoramic views of Paris. I was blown away literally and metaphorically, as it was a windy day that day and I was wearing a dress. There was even a spot there where you and your lover could share a sweet kiss (or two). Binoculars were also available, and some tidbits of information about the iconic landmark. You can still opt to continue up to the higher levels of the tower, but since I had limited time, I had to keep going.
(Recommended length of stay: at least 1 hour)

Place to Kiss at Eiffel Tower

TROCADERO GARDENS

I then walked along Pont D'lena to Palace Chaillot at Trocadero Gardens to still marvel and enjoy the beauty of Eiffel Tower from a different view. The gardens boast of it's centre piece fountain, the Warsaw Fountains that offer a spectacular water display with its 20 water canons. There are also a number of statues in the gardens that you can admire.

(Recommended length of stay: 30 minutes to 1 hour or longer - depending on what you'd like to do as you can just hang out in the gardens as you bask in the sun and the view of Eiffel tower)

Trocadero Gardens

ARC DE TRIOMPHE

From Trocadero Gardens, I walked for about 20 minutes along Avenue Kieber to Arc de Triomphe. Being the world's largest triumphal arc, this famous Parisian landmark is the climax of a vista seen the length of the world's most beautiful avenue, Champs Elysees, from the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carousel in the Tuileries Gardens and from the Obelisque de Luxor in the Place de la Concorde. It commemorates the victories of the French armies. I no longer climbed up the top of the arc, but I have read that they offer stunning views of the avenue and surrounding streets. I think, though, that admiring the arc from below and looking through it to glimpse the avenue is still a great experience.
(Recommended length of stay: 30 minutes to 1 hour)

Warning: As I was taking selfies with the arc, I almost got mobbed by a group of 3 young ladies. Their modus operandi is that they would approach you and ask what language you speak (normally, they will ask if you speak English) and then forcibly ask you to sign their petition for whatever charity (e.g. kids with special needs, the blind/deaf, etc). But beware! As when one girl was asking/forcing me to sign their papers, the other two girls were trying to open my bag! I just backed away from them and started shouting for them to leave me alone. You should know that there were tourist buses with tourists nearby and nobody even bothered to help me. It was really distressing and it got me flustered all throughout the day. After that experience, when I spot people holding clipboards or paper, I immediately steer clear from them and don't make eye contact. I also put on a rude/angry expression as I found out, it helps ward them off. They are all over the city so be warned especially if you are traveling solo like me.

Arc de Triomphe

I then had a quick stop over at one of McDonald's most beautiful branches along Champs Elysees, just about 5 minutes from the arc, to have lunch. If I might say, the branch was indeed different from most McDonald's branches - you can even choose either you want to pick up your food from the counter or have them serve it to your table.

Sacre Coeur

SACRE COEUR

After lunch, I took the tube from George V station to Anvers station to get to Sacre Coeur. This Roman Catholic basilica sits on top of the Montmartre hill, offering stunning views of the city. Go up to the dome to enjoy the second highest point, after the Eiffel Tower, offering such city views. The dome was closed when I visited because of the strong winds, so I was not able to go up, but the view just from the steps of the basilica is more than enough too.
(Recommended length of stay: at least an 1 hour)

Tip: The walk to/from Anvers station is lined by shops for souvenirs, which are actually among the cheapest or relatively good deals I have seen, so I suggest you buy some, if not all, of your souvenirs from here. I bought my fridge magnets from a corner shop in front of the station.

Parisian view from Sacre Coeur

AVENUE DES CHAMPS-ELYSEES

From the basilica, I went back to the city centre and got off at Grand Palais station. From there, I walked past Grand Palais and Petit Palais where there is a Christmas Village, during my time of visit, which I quickly browsed as I made my way to the Louvre.

Place de la Concorde

PLACE DE LA CONCORDE -> TUILERIES GARDENS -> ARC DE TRIOMPHE DU CAROUSEL

On the way to the museum, I walked past the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens and the Arc de Triomphe du Carousel. This walk took about 20 minutes. I sat down on one of the benches in the gardens before heading to the Louvre for an art overload experience.

The Tuileries Gardens

MUSEE DE LOUVRE

It was a Friday, and every such day, everyone aged 25 and below from anywhere in the world can enjoy free admission to the museum starting from 6 PM. So I got in for free. Before I went in, I had a couple hundred of shots outside the museum, which was grand in itself. The three glass pyramids were a sight to see, especially at night, with its lights on. The top 5 pieces of art that I went to see were, of course, the Mona Lisa, Liberty Leading the People, the Winged Victory, the Coronation of Napoleon, and Psyche Revived by the Kiss of Love. My favorite spots of this attraction can be found at the main entrance, the 3 glass pyramids, and at the exit, the famous Inverted Pyramid, where it was thought that the remains of Mary Magdalene can be found far below as per Dan Brown's fictional novel, Angels and Demons.
(Recommended length of stay: I spent 2 hours and I wish I could stay longer as it was not enough to really explore the treasures that this place hold.)

Inside the Louvre's glass pyramid entrance

LE FUMOIR

I took the exit to Rue Rivoli and walked towards Le Fumoir for a 3 course dinner on my own. It is one of the top rated restaurants around the Louvre so I opted to try it. The dinner was elegantly cooked and the atmosphere was warm and sophisticated. The staff are nice, and service is really good as well. It was a good dining experience, priced at 35 euros.

Dinner at Le Fumoir

With my belly full, I walked along the Seine towards the bus stop in front of the Louvre to take bus 95 to Brancion to get to my hostel and retire for the night.

Outside the Louvre

Day Expenses:

- 7 euros: Tour Eiffel

- 8.95 euros: McDonald's lunch

- 35 euros: Le Fumoir lunch

Total = 34.5 euros

Oh cher, Paris!

Oh, have I always dreamt of coming to Paris with a special someone. Never has it crossed my mind to go here solo. But lo, and behold. Some things just happen. For my first solo travel, I went to the city of lights and love to find myself and the light at the end of the tunnel.

St. Pancras International Station

Jour Un: Oh cher, Paris!

ST. PANCRAS INTERNATIONAL STATION

I booked a return ticket to Paris for £65 from Eurostar. I left my flat at around 6 in a Thursday morning and arrived at London St. Pancras International Station after 40 minutes. I need only be at the departure lounge at least 45 minutes before the travel time, so I arrived earlier than necessary.

Opinion: I think it is cheaper and way more convenient to travel to Paris via Eurostar. Not only are the ticket prices cheaper than when flying, the trains are relatively brand new and thus, you're guaranteed to have a comfortable trip. They do not have weight restrictions for your baggage, and you're allowed as many as 2 large pieces of luggage. They also don't have the same policy for the things that you can and cannot bring as compared to when you're flying and are not as strict. The check-in is a quick and easy process, and the departure lounge is comfortable, too.

I was surprised how the station was very accessible. It was easy to navigate once inside and find your way to the departure lounge. There are clean toilets and a food hall with lots of food choices situated immediately after entering the station.

It was fairly easy to check in at Eurostar. Firstly, you will have to scan your ticket to enter the gates, then go through a baggage scan. After that, there are 2 passport checks and then you're inside the Eurostar departure lounge. The whole process takes around 10 minutes, depending on the baggage scan and the passport check. Those with British passports obviously do not get much scrutiny from the officers, as evidenced by the fact that the immigration officer had to look at me and my passport photo twice and scanned the pages too.

Obligatory selfie in the train

Inside the departure lounge, there are lots of seats, electric outlets, and even food stalls. They also have a travel information desk where you can purchase bus/tour tickets/transportation tickets to be used in Paris. I bought a carnet of tickets (10 tickets that can be used in all forms of public transportation in Paris) for 15 pounds since I already have an itinerary which consists of walking 90% of the time.

Travel tip: Transportation - if you would prefer to walk the City and use public transportation at least x2 a day, your practical choice would be to buy a carnet of tickets. A carnet of t+ tickets is equivalent to having 10 tickets at a reduced price - 14.50 euros (one ticket costs 1.90 euros). The tickets are valid in zones 1 and 2, and thus can be used to travel anywhere in Paris. But if you plan on using all forms of  transportation at least 3-4x a day, I suggest you purchase the Navigo card, which has monthly and weekly package or the Mobilis, which is a single day pass. If you only plan to see the touristy spots, especially if you're on a tight schedule, I recommend you also consider the hop-on/hop-off bus tours or the Paris Pass, which is a combination of attraction+travel pass. There are lots of packages to choose from available online depending on your preference.

Boarding was 30 minutes before departure time, and the train that I boarded, which was one of the relatively new trains, had comfortable seats, which can be pre-selected, and electric sockets at each seat for charging, which was a big bonus on top of the free wifi of course.

The train left the station on time and had only 2 stops before Paris.

GARE DU NORD STATION

Upon arrival at Gare du Nord station, you just have to walk out of the platform and into the station. Turn left to go to the subway, which is underground. It was a bit disorientating as you literally have to go through throngs of people in queues waiting to board their trains before you can get to the stairs leading down to the subway.

I normally rely on Google Maps to tell me how to get to places. I got lost initially though trying to find the correct platform for me to board the correct train. The trains there have longer waiting times before the next available one as compared to the tube in London. I missed my train, so I had to wait for 14 minutes for the next one. I noted that there were lots of graffiti in the walls, and obviously, the instructions/announcements were in French, so I wasn't able to understand them and relied on the screens and on the signs on the trains.

From Gare du Nord, I took the train to Cite Universitaire to transfer to the tram and got off a stop near the hotel. So the trip costed me 2 tickets (one for the metro, and one for the tram). However, you can use the same t+ ticket if you are transferring from RER-RER, metro-metro or RER-metro within 2 hours after last validation of the ticket, and from bus-bus, tram-tram or bus-tram within 1.5 hours after last validation of the ticket. But you cannot use the same ticket when transferring from one form to another (i.e. metro-bus, metro-tram, RER-bus and RER-tram connections). Click here to read about the Paris Transport Guide for tourists.

ARTY PARIS HOSTEL/HOTEL

I had to drop by Arty Paris Hotel first to check in and leave my baggage, the hotel is in Rue des Morillons, and the closest tram station is Brancion, which is about a 5 minute walk.

The hotel was very hipster and artsy fartsy. It has a very comfortable and welcoming lounge and dining/kitchen area. The staff are very hospitable, and on top of that, the reception area has a foosball table, guitars, lockers, electric outlets, comfy chairs, computers, maps, magazines and books, and a vending machine. I booked 3 nights in a 4-bed female dormitory, and my bed was not yet available when I checked in, so I just left my luggage in their secure left luggage area, and then headed back to Brancion tram station to go back to Cite Universitaire and then take the metro to St. Michel Notre Dame.

Notre Dame Cathedral

NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL -> PONT NEUF

My first stop was to just walk by the front of Notre Dame Cathedral before proceeding to Pont Neuf, where the love locks are. I bought my first baguette from a cafe in front of Pont Neuf for 13 euros, and enjoyed such while sitting on one of the benches in Pont Neuf while watching the boats that pass by the rivers on both sides.

Paul Restaurant at Place Dauphine - where Emilia Clarke in Me Before You sat as she read the letter in the movie

There are men selling padlocks in front of the love locks, but I reserved doing that when I'm back in Paris again with a special someone.

Love Locks at Pont Neuf

MUSEE D'ORSAY

I then walked to Musee d'Orsay. My entrance was free of charge since I was a 25-year old resident from the UK. Regular admission fee is 11 euros. I spent about 2 hours in the Museum which houses collections of impressionism. This was actually the top must-do in Paris as rated by Trip Advisor. My favorites inside were the exceptional marble works on display in the GF, Van Gogh's self-portrait and his works at the 2F, the spectacular view of the museum's architecture from the 5F, the Whistler - which is the famous painting that Mr. Bean accidentally damaged in the funny series, and one of the wallpapers in Macbook laptops, Claude Monet's Coquelicots. There is also a spot at the top floor of the museum where you can view the beautiful city of Paris through the building's clock.

Musee d'Orsay

EIFFEL TOWER

From Musee d'Orsay, I then took the RER to Tour Eiffel and walked towards the Eiffel Tower. I immediately was captivated by the beauty of the iconic French landmark. It gave me goosebumps looking up at the magnificent tower. My plan was just to see the tower and take photos of it at nighttime, and then come back the next day and take photos of it at daytime.

Eiffel Tower

RUE CLER

So after taking photos, I then walked to Rue Cler to have my dinner at Le Petit Cler. It was about 15-minute walk from Eiffel Tower. The Rue Cler is a street famous for food choices, and Le Petit Cler is among the top ranked restaurants. The place was simply decorated, but very comfortable and welcoming. I ordered the French version of Bulalo (a.k.a. Pot au feu) worth 12.50 euros, and coke for 6 euros, which was quite an expensive price for a drink if I may say. The bulalo was heavenly though, especially since it was cold that night. The soup was savory and the meat was tender and melts in your mouth.

Clock Tower - Musee d'Orsay

At Rue Cler

After dinner, I then took bus 92 to Duroc then bus 89 to Brancion-Morillons to head back to the hotel and retire for the night.

Dinner at Le Petit Cler

The room had a comfortable size with 2 bunk beds, each having their own beddings, a locker for private/personal stuff, and electric outlets. The view from the room was that of a typical but stylish Parisian street. The bathroom was clean and has a walk-in shower. The only thing that disappointed me was that there was no towel nor toiletries provided. Good thing I brought my Aquazorb towel and bag of toiletries with me.

Arty Paris Hostel Reception Area

I have no problems staying at a hostel/dormitory. I was sharing the room with 3 other guests: 2 Koreans who were traveling together, and an American. They were all friendly and conversant. And that's one of the things I really like about staying at a hostel/dormitory - you get to meet different people.

Opinion: I think that if you are traveling solo, it is more practical to stay at a hostel/dormitory so that you get to save, and at the same time, you have an opportunity to meet people, but only if you are comfortable with that.

Day Expenses:

- 15 pounds: carnet of tickets

- 2.50 euros: city tax (collected at hotel)

- 13 euros: lunch

- 19 euros: dinner

Total = 34.5 euros