How we spent three days in Paris
We went to Paris for three days to celebrate my birthday in September 2024. The Olympics and Paralympics hadn’t long finished, and the city didn’t feel as packed with tourists as it can sometimes. I’ve been to Paris before, over 10 years ago, and did the normal tourist things: the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Champs-Elysees and the Arc du Triomphe. But this time, I wanted to explore some of the slightly less obvious (although still fairly touristy) sights. I hadn’t seen Notre Dame or been to Shakespeare and Company bookshop. I hadn’t been to Le Marais or on a Parisian food tour or to the Catacombs. So it was a lot of fun exploring new parts of a city that I already knew and loved.
How to get to Paris
While flying is a quick (45-60 min) and cheap (~£50) choice from London, we bought tickets in the Eurostar summer sale. As long as we booked a trip before the end of October, tickets were £70 per person for a return – a massive bargain if you live in London and can easily get to St Pancras. The Eurostar takes about 2.5 hours, you can take as much food, drink, and luggage as you like, and for us was much easier and more efficient than travelling to an airport and waiting there for two hours.
Where to stay in Paris?
We stayed in Le Marais, one of the oldest districts of Paris. The area has a great vibe, with a mixture of modern culture, bars, and restaurants alongside a lot of historical sites. We stayed in Hotel Amoi, a boutique hotel with a spa that was only a 20 minute walk from Gare du Nord. It was a perfect base, as we were able to walk around easily and were close to a number of Metro stations when we needed to travel a bit further afield.
How long should I spend in Paris?
You could easily spend a week in Paris, especially if you’ve never been. But 3-4 days/a long weekend is perfect, and since it’s so close and easy to get to from London I’m planning to do this more often!
Is Paris cheap?
Paris isn’t cheap, but compared to London it’s not that bad. We were surprised by how much hotels and Airbnbs cost, and couldn’t figure out if it was just due to the Olympics. But even in the weeks after the games the prices didn’t seem to drop much, and we couldn’t find many nice places in good areas that were below £450 for 3 nights… although we were booking fairly short notice compared to other tourists.
Is Paris safe?
Paris is a capital city, so it obviously has its problems with crime. But I never felt unsafe and it’s a city I’d happily wander alone without feeling in imminent danger. We did spot pickpockets on the Metro, especially in busy tourist areas like Sacre Coeur.
The best things to do in Paris
My favourite things to do in Paris are:
Les Catacombes de Paris
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
Marche des Enfants Rouge
Canal Saint Martin
Coulee Verte Rene-Dumont
Paris by Mouth food tour
Crazy Horse
For more information on what we did in Paris, check out our blog.
What to pack for a weekend in Paris
The weather in Paris in September was bright and warm in the day, but cooler and crisp in the mornings and evenings.
This is what I packed for a three days in Paris in mid-September:
One vest top
Two t-shirts
Two shirts
One jumper
One light jacket
One thicker jacket
One pair of jeans
One pair of wide-leg trousers
A satin midi skirt
Adidas Sambas
Dr Martens
Birkenstock Bostons
Daily toiletries