My husband and I spent a long weekend in Paris this summer on our way to Mallorca.
When we booked the trip, our main goal was to 1) stay close to a salty body of water 2) in Europe and 3) while our kids were at camp. We thought it would be fun to spend a few nights in a European city before heading down to Spain.
When we chose Paris over London/Barcelona/Madrid/others, SO many people told us we were crazy to visit last summer – too crowded, the riots and crime were too risky (wrong), the heat, too expensive, and on and on.
And when we further disclosed that we were not only visiting Paris but on Bastille Day, the warnings became louder and louder culminating with one (well traveled) friend telling us to cancel immediately and reschedule for another time.
We decided to ignore them all and I am so glad we did. In fact, I am going to be bold and say that Bastille Day is one of the BEST times to visit Paris.
It was crowded, yes – but not nearly as crowded as other times of the year. So many guides and other hospitality industry people explained to us that (like the 4th of July in the U.S.), everyone gets out of town on Bastille Day.
Case in point: Our vintage car tour guide told us he can normally cover 1-2 places max in the time allotted. We covered Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Èlysèes, and a few other hidden spots with time to spare because there was no traffic!
It was really a perfect visit – we arrived on Thursday mid-morning and left for Mallorca on Sunday morning. We packed a lot in to those three-ish days and loved it all. And regarding the weather, you can see that I was wearing a sweater one day because it was so chilly.
So here’s a travel tip for you — if there is somewhere you want to visit, go for it and don’t listen to the noise!
Here is our itinerary:
Thursday: Arrive, settle in to the The Ritz Paris (ahhh), walk around the Tuileries and check out the Fête des Tuileries, cocktail hour at the hotel followed by dinner at Le Grand Colbert Brasserie. Late night drinks at Hotel Costes.
Friday: Three hour bike tour of Paris (whole city to ourselves! More on that later), lunch at Chez Flottes (sit outside), visit to Musée de l”Orangerie to see the water lilies (pre-purchase tickets to avoid the lines), dinner at La Petit Lutetia and late night drinks at Mon Square.
Saturday: Vintage Car Tour with Parisi Tours in the morning, fabulous leisurely lunch at Lou Lou, dip in the Ritz pool, dinner on the rooftop at Perruche, late night show at Moulin Rouge.
Sunday: Depart for Cap Rocat!
NOTE: Reminder I have more guides and tips on shopping and dining in PARIS here!
Plus here is a quick Fall outfit in case you need inspiration during this transition season.