Here's a sneak peek of this week's episode.
So needless to say, this is one of those reasons that a little preparation before a trip can go a long way.
I'm Scott. And I'm Melissa. And we are the Sunshine Travelers. Our passion is travel and sharing our experiences with those who enjoyed as much as we do, or those who want to learn more about travel, or even those who just want to live vicariously through our travel stories. No matter where you might fall along that journey, get ready to hear about our first-hand experiences as we visit some of the most interesting and amazing places on earth. We were just talking to someone who is about to visit Paris for the Olympics, and they asked us if we had an episode about Paris. And we thought, what a great time to do an episode for anyone who may be traveling to Paris after the Olympics and have a couple of days to view some of the most popular sites. At least we're going to share with you what we did on our long weekend in Paris. So grab your passport and let's head to the city of love. When we're planning a
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I remember our first trip to Paris. We had the kids with us and we got to experience the Eiffel Tower twinkling at midnight. I think we had been out and doing things and made it over there around midnight or so. And then on our next trip, we wanted to see that again. And then on our next we wanted to trip, see that again. So we stayed out late. So we stayed out late. We went over, got a Nutella crate and made our way over to the tower to experience that once again. And it's perfect. You know, you've got this just magical experience of looking up at the Eiffel Tower and it's just twinkling those little lights all over. And so, you know, it's something that we have remembered for years and years since that trip. And we were telling this story one time, and you got to remember, this was way before Instagram told us exactly what we need to do. But we were sharing the story with a friend of ours named Andy, and he said, I'm pretty sure it does it every hour on the hour. So needless to say, this is one of those reasons, a little preparation before a trip can go a long way.
Yes, because we had actually waited around. Like, I think we were pretty tired and we were like, oh, we have to wait till midnight to see this. And then we were, after he told us that, we were laughing at ourselves. So today we want to share with you a few things that we would highly recommend that you consider based on our previous trips. Before you get started, though, we have a tip that's going to totally transform your trip. And I didn't know this. Actually, I don't think on either of our trips to Paris, somebody recommended it. I may have actually read it in Rick Steve's book when we were in Provence on our long trip to Europe. And that is to learn a few phrases in French before going. Because I think that the stereotype is that French people are not very friendly to Americans. I think that's kind of the stereotype. And so he said, learn a few phrases and you be the one to greet first. I think we expect, I think here in the U.S., we expect when we go into a shop, for example, for them to greet us. And that's not what's expected there.
of the
And so learn how to say hello and goodbye. And this is just going to make your experience so much more pleasant, is knowing that that's what it's expected of to you. So greet shop workers when entering, greeting them on the way out, especially if you're just looking and you're not buying anything. And so I think this is just really highly appreciated. And when I say greet them, greet them in French. Just do your best. Because of course, you know me, I'm terrible pronunciation. So just do your best. And I think it's the same as with the servers at meals, like learn how to say, what would you say? Hello, goodbye. You just basic phrases, how to ask for your check in French and how to say please and thank you and just some things like that. And so, and nowadays on your phone too, I mean, you could do it on the fly and look at Google Translate and have it listen. And, but I think just kind of practicing some of those things just goes a long
way. Agreed. before we get started into just Well, you're not going to be this, able to do remember, everything spending a couple of days in Paris. You need to decide what is important and make sure to schedule that onto your itinerary. And, you know, you're probably going to need to book some of the excursions or tours and stuff like that ahead of time. Buy some tickets to things like the Louvre. Just figure out what is most important for you to do. And so now we want to just go through what we think would be a high level set of places to set as tick boxes, things that you would want to put onto that itinerary. to set as tick things boxes, that you would want to put onto that itinerary. And then, of course, if you know of other things or you've got something else that is a larger priority to you, just replace those with the things that we have on there. But we wanted to give people an idea of what you could do with two days in Paris.
Sounds good. And these aren't in any particular order. So number one is the Musée de l'Orangerie. And so this...
So number
I think this is hilarious. You took French in high school. I did take
did take French in high school, and that has been a long time ago. And I'm sure I was so terrible at it, too. So I'm not going to say it again. So this is the Water Lilies exhibit. Okay. So this is it's dedicated. the, I think they have a few other things there. If I remember correctly, like downstairs, they have a few other things, but like, this is what the main thing that you're going to see here is the big Water Lilies exhibit. So Water Lilies was a gift to the French state in 1918 as a symbol of peace. So plan to get tickets ahead of time. And so I would say, especially if you are there for the Olympics or anytime there's like a big event or something like that, you are going to want to plan to get tickets ahead of time. So I just want to point out a couple of things. It is closed on Tuesdays. And just so you know, like in cities, usually a museum is going to be closed one day of the week. A lot of times it's on Mondays, but what we're going to talk about here in France or in Paris specifically, it's on Tuesdays. But the first Sunday of the month, it's actually free, but you do have to have an online ticket time slot. And so I'm sure those book up, you know, well in advance, but if you're lucky enough to get one of those. Now there are lots of museums, there's other museums, there's the Musée d'Orsay, you know, so it really just depends on what time, how much time you have. We had a limited amount of time and this is something that I wanted to see. But just, you know, look into those different options. And I mean, you know, go into, say, some kind of art, which brings us to... The
The Louvre. So you want to talk about art. I mean, this, it seems like it's never-ending art. I mean, this seems like it's never-ending art. I mean, you think of the Louvre as those glass triangles or pyramids on top of the ground that, you know, that's just the tip of the iceberg.
That's the tip of the iceberg for sure, right? The entrance, yeah. I
mean, the Louvre goes and goes and goes and goes. I mean, you literally almost need to use Google Maps to get around inside that thing. Oh, yeah, for sure. So, you know, there's
no way to see the entire Louvre and all the exhibits and then still have time for other activities. I think Rick Steves even maybe mentioned that it would take a couple of weeks to really see all of the Louvre. So get the list of highlights. He has a great travel guide for the Louvre. It points out all of the highlights that you're going to want to see, just knowing that you're not going to be able to see everything. And so here are a couple of things and a couple of highlights that were mentioned. So first of all is don't enter through those glass pyramids. There's going to be a line backed up when you come up from the train station or whatever when you get there, and there's going to be a long line to get in through that entrance. Instead, go down into the shopping center below the carousel, and there will be an entrance there where you can take your time ticket ticket and you go to that entrance. You'll have to go through security to get inside of there. But it's much shorter lines. Now, granted, everybody's telling everybody this. So maybe this becomes less and less of a shortcut. But I think it's always going to be one because there's going to be people who don't hear stuff like this. And they're going to stand outside in that long queue line, the entrance there at the glass pyramids.
Yeah. And I want to point out, it really seems like a very odd entrance because it's through, it's like you said, it's like through the shopping center, through a carousel. And it literally is like a shopping mall. And then you have that entrance. So it seems very, very strange. And I think I remember like you were working on one of our trips. Well, the particular trip when we went to see this. And I think I ended up like texting with you and saying, hey, meet me here. Instead, I had found that other entrance that would just be easier for us.
And then the next thing he mentioned in there, and, you know, I'm used to this traveling with Melissa. But when you get inside, don't immediately go to the bathroom, you know, right there at the entrance. Those are going to be the most crowded bathrooms in all the Louvre. So wait till you get upstairs and find a bathroom there. They're going to be less crowded. So that's a little pro tip for you. Then now let's talk about the top things to see. So then now let's talk about the top things to see. And I'm just going to list these off. And you need to go and do your research and see the things that you want to see. If you don't even know what's in the this is a really Louvre, good list for you because it was for me. But, you know, if someone is a great art lover and they know all of the history and the things that are at the Louvre, then maybe you have a slightly different list. But number one would be the Mona Lisa. And let me just tell you, be prepared to be slightly disappointed. Here
Here goes Scott again with his art commentary.
It is so small. It is such a small painting. I don't know. It's just, it's interesting from its historical importance. But the painting itself, it's just hard to appreciate because there's so many people. Matter of fact, you're going to know you're at the Mona Lisa before you get to the Mona Lisa. Because there's going to be so many people trying to get up there to see it.
That's true.
So that's why I said, I think, just be prepared to be a little bit underwhelmed. But I would not go to Paris and go to the Louvre and not see Mona Lisa. Okay. Then Liberty leading the people, Venus de Milo, the great sphinx of Tanis, Venus de the Milo, Great Sphinx of Tanis, Psyche revived by Cupid's kiss, and the winged victory of Samothrace. that Now, one's kind of really cool because this one dates back to around 190 AD. Oh my
goodness, to see something that old. Yeah, a lot of times when you're seeing these things or just any of these historical, like it's just amazing how old they are and then things that have just, that they've survived, right? That they still exist for us to see. Yeah. Okay. I wanted to point out one thing. And at the time of us recording this, the Louvre is open until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. And I wanted to point that out because we actually were able to do that on a Friday evening at one of the later times so that it's not as crowded. Like a lot of people are going to go like first thing in the morning or during the day. And so that's why I wanted to point that out. It's open until 6 p.m. on the other days and then closed on Tuesday. So again, just plan, you know, looking at museums and things like that accordingly when you're traveling so that you don't miss out. And also it's free on the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m. except for in July and August. So just be aware of that. But those are probably when it's free, it's probably gets super
crowded. How about this? Go on the website and it will tell you what the current hours of operation are.
Yes. Good point.
The next place that we have on the list that you're going to want to visit is Montmartre. So especially for all of you art lovers and maybe somebody who's wanting to take a piece of unique art with them or sketched art home with them, this is going to be where you want to go. So you walk up and there's two ways to do it. You can either drive up to Sacré-Cœur and then walk down the hill through Montmartre, or you can walk up the hill through Montmartre up to the Sacré-Cœur. And so I think, you know, ultimately you're going to Sacré-Cœur, which is the church up at the top of the hill. But walk one way or the other down through there. And there was this piazza set up there at Montmartre where the artists were out there with their easels and their oils and canvas and stuff like that. And they were actually doing a lot of the painting. And then they had their paintings that they had done throughout the day with them that you could purchase right there.
And so we found one that we really liked. And so it's the scene of Montmartre, like the way that it looked. But just I just like the style of it and not expensive at all. I mean, I think it costs me three or four times what it costs like to have it framed and they roll it up for you and put it in a tube. So it's easy to, you know, carry with you, but just, that's a special keepsake. And so that's something that we have, we've moved a couple of times since we bought that. And so that's something that we, you know, just have that special that reminds us of, you know, that trip and then that that evening. So but yeah, that's something if you if you love art and like to collect things like that, just a neat souvenir.
I think you're actually on your second frame.
I am. I had to I actually had put it in a big frame so it would fit where I wanted to put it before. But then yeah, I had to put it in a big frame so it would fit where I wanted to put it before. But then yeah, I had to put it in something smaller.
I
But then going up to Sacré-Cœur and then being able to just kind of have the viewpoint of that. And then, of course, dress appropriately if that's if something that you want to go in as well.
One of the things I would say is don't feel bad about bartering with the artist. Right. Ask them how much something is and then, you know, keep in mind kind of what you want to pay. Now, I would say, please, please, please don't go over there and embarrass us like the crap that you see on Facebook marketplace where, you know, you sell something for $200 and everybody's always like, I give you 10 bucks, you know, don't go over there and embarrass us with crap like that. But you do have the opportunity to barter with these artists and get a good deal. But once again, this is their livelihood. This is what they do. And so if you see something you like, take advantage of it.
So another thing that we would recommend for Paris is doing a hop-on, hop-off tour, just depending also on how much time you have. So if you have a couple of days, like what we're talking about here, that can be a great way to be able to use it as transportation and then be able to see, because there's a lot of things in Paris that you want to see, but not necessarily, you know, get off and go in and do, for example. So this is actually what we did on our first trip. Our first trip to Paris, like Scott mentioned, that we had the kids with us, we literally had 24 hours in the city. We had taken a train in from London. We had that evening. We saw the Eiffel Tower. Then we had the next day and then we were flying out. And so it was a great way for us to be able to go by and see things like Dr. Triumph, the Eiffel Tower. We actually went by Notre Dame and that was the place. So it is hot, you know, hop on, hop off. That's the place where we decided to get out and, you know, go in and visit that site. But I mean, it goes by all the sites. I think this is one of those cities that has like the different routes too. So like if you, you know, depending on where you want to go and how much time you have, and typically they sell it for, you know, one day or multiple days, you know, it goes by the Louvre, it goes by all these different places. So that can be a great way to see the city. And the first time that we visited when we did this, it was actually, I think, I want to say the day before Bastille Day. So they were getting ready to, you know, like setting up, you know, chairs and scaffold, you know, all this stuff to like get ready for the parades and the celebrations and stuff that they were going to have as well. So that can be a great way to just see everything in a short amount of
time. As a matter of fact, we commented on how clean Paris was. Everybody's like, did you visit the right Paris, the one in France? I mean, this is not a clean place is, you know, the feedback that you get often. And we were like, yeah, it was super clean. But I think it was because it was leading up to that very special holiday that they were having. And they were going to be having parades and dignitaries and stuff like that. So Paris was at its finest. So I think those of you who are going over for the Olympics, you might get that same experience. You might get the Paris at its finest.
Yeah, it's probably so. I would think so. And so then, of course, the Eiffel Tower. So we mentioned seeing it. This is where I think we felt like are the most maybe scam artists and people hanging around and selling stuff. And maybe you just need to be more aware of like pickpockets and stuff like that, keeping your stuff close and safe. I remember like at night, you know, they're throwing the lighty, you know, the balls and stuff like that and trying to just sell you the stuff. We have actually never been up in the Eiffel Tower. So you can go up to the viewing platforms and then they have all kinds of different things. I think there's even a place where you can eat and order a bar and stuff like that. We have not actually ever done that. So just know that if you want to do that, book tickets ahead of time, make reservations ahead of time as well. We found that one of the best viewing areas was actually across the river. You can really get some great pictures, especially in the evening and like we talked about at night of the Eiffel Tower. But again, that's one thing that, you know, like we said, the Eiffel Tower, Octotramp, like, you know, seeing a lot of these things from the outside and then just deciding what you want to do inside as your time allows.
Yeah. And one of the things that I would recommend is Notre Dame. A few years ago, huge fire. And so they've been having to do a lot of reconstruction work on Notre Dame. I heard the other day that they're finally starting to take some of the scaffolding down around Notre Dame. So that means, you know, they're getting closer to the point in time that they may eventually be able to reopen it for tours and visitors and stuff like that. But I would say you've got to go see Notre Dame. Yeah. At
least from the outside, right? For sure. If you can't go inside. So let's just talk
talk a little bit about, you know, what a typical day dining.
Well, you can't talk about Paris without talking about food. Yeah.
So make sure that when you're in Paris, you want to try to enjoy the food the way that the local Parisians would. So for breakfast, you know, there's tons of patisseries located everywhere. And so you can get your cup of coffee. That's the time at breakfast where if you want milk in your coffee, that's when you're going to get your your lattes, things cappuccinos, like that. And then a crepe or a croissant or some other kind of delicious pastry. That's what you'll do for breakfast. So around you're mid-morning, going to want to stop in at one of the many cafes. And this is your favorite. Melissa, So I'll let you talk about that.
Yeah. So there's so many cafes and coffee shops. So just take advantage of, you know, stopping in in mid-morning and having your first, second coffee, I guess I should say. For a quick pick-me-up, a shot of espresso will get you re-energized and ready to go. pick me up a shot of espresso. We'll get you re-energized and ready to go. And so just keep in mind that typically they don't have milk in their coffee after like breakfast, typically. So it's not like drinking cappuccinos and lattes and stuff like all throughout the day. It's espresso typically later in the day. And also you will typically find that things like coffee and wine are going to be cheaper than buying water.
That is true. So for find an outdoor lunch, cafe and enjoy the sights and sounds if the weather is nice. Many French are going to have their larger main meal at lunch and then a smaller meal for dinner. So you can see that they're going to spend a nice time at lunch enjoying and having that meal because later they're going to have something much
much lighter. Yes. And after a large lunch, you're probably gonna be ready for another mid afternoon coffee. So stop into another coffee shop, you know, as you're going and sit down and have, you know, another pick me up. And also keep in mind that a lot of times like to go coffee is not as typical as it is here. Right. So you would sit down and have your coffee and drink it and then, you know, sit for a few minutes and then get up and go. So.
Well, it doesn't take long to drink out of a thimble.
That's true. Also macaroons.
So probably going to have one of those with that mid-afternoon coffee to get you going. Actually, the French don't usually eat anything between lunch and dinner. That's not as common for them. But at dinnertime, the prefix menu really is kind of what you will see. And that's the standard. So this is where you go in. They have a set menu at the standard. So this is where you go they in, have a set menu at the restaurant, you just order that and they bring you out like an an And remember, appetizer, entree. these are smaller portions at So an an and dinner. then a light appetizer, dessert, entree, which is probably going to be something like fruit, something cheese, like that. Now, I will say, if you're out and you're walking around all day long and you're seeing all these sites, you're probably going to be a little bit hungry and a light meal may not be what you wanted. And that's a great opportunity to try the steak frits. Yeah, that was one thing that I do
thing that I do remember that we did, even though we had a limited amount of time on that first trip. We that was kind of like our priority, right, for our first night was to go somewhere and have the steak frits. But some other traditional French cuisine would be stuff like beef bourguignon, cassoulet, and then followed by a light dessert of fruit or cheese. And but again, we found that our last trip, like the dinners, like they had that prefix menu. And so that was just a great way to it's almost like you have the special too. Right. And don't
Right. And don't forget, this is a great opportunity to try some new things. If you've never had escargot, that is a popular starter that you'll find in Paris. And then I would say finally, if you're looking for some nighttime entertainment, we do highly recommend the iconic Moulin Rouge. We were able to book a package that included a table and champagne for the show. And it was just a great show.
So a couple of other things that if you have more time that have been recommended to us. In our episode about Rome, we talked about that we visited the catacombs, but we've had a couple of people recommend going to see the catacombs in Paris before, and we have not had a chance to do that. And then if you have more time, going out to the palace at Versailles. And of course, then that needs to be like a pretty much of a whole day. And then my third tip would be if you are a Disney fan and you have more time, go I to, think they're actually changing. Is that one they're changing the name of? Well, anyway, Disneyland Paris. And so again, you need a whole day, but you can take the train. You can take a train from Paris and get out there and back and forth and do that. And there's a couple of parks. So, but that's just neat. So, if you are a Disney fan and are close by, so you can do those things.
Well, you know, Melissa, this is a destination. So, with all destinations, we ask you for a packing list. Yeah. So, as
always, European cities, and you're going to be doing a lot of walking, so comfortable walking shoes, umbrella for inclement weather, and of course a rain, you know, some kind of rain jacket if needed. And then the second time we visited was actually in the wintertime. And I remember it being quite cold. So, you know, gloves, hat, jacket, you know, sturdy shoes that can do it. I think it was like rainy or sleeting or something like that. I just remember it being very cold. So just, you know, planning that accordingly. And keep in mind that Paris is a high fashion city. So I think the best option is to choose and pack a capsule wardrobe that you can mix and match just so you won't feel like you have to bring like
like a ton of stuff. That's a great suggestion. We've had great experiences
great experiences when visiting Paris. As with any location, it's always best just to be friendly. Some people say that Parisians are rude to Americans, but that's not been our experience. What things would you recommend that we add to a two-day itinerary in Paris? Send me an email, scott at sunshinetravelers.com. We always look forward to hearing about your travel adventures.
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