Saturdays in Paris are spent Le Hasard Ludique in the former St-Ouen train station. | Welcome back to Travel Diaries, where one of our editors shares all the whats and hows of their latest trip. Save these in your back pocket (or a special travel inbox folder) to return to when the travel itch creeps in. This week, Editor Sasha Brady is sharing everything you need to know to plan the perfect city break in Paris. Read about the full itinerary here. I go to Paris as often as I can. I think I’ve been about 10 times now, maybe more. I always get requests from friends and family on what to do there, where to eat and drink, what products to stock up on at the pharmacy and how to get the most out of grocery shopping. I thought with the Olympics happening now and all eyes on Paris, it would be best to throw all my recommendations into one comprehensive weekend itinerary for you, too. | | | | | Most international flights arrive at Charles de Gaulle. From there, you can take the direct RER B train, which stops at several major stations in Paris, including Gare du Nord, which has excellent citywide connections. International trains, including the Eurostar and Thalys both arrive at Gare du Nord. | | | | | The quickest ways to get around Paris are the Metro and RER trains. Use the RATP, IDF Mobilités and SNCF apps for journey planning. The cheapest way to travel is with the Navigo Easy card, which you can download for free via the RATP app to use as contactless pay – or purchase the card at Metro, RER stations and RATP outlets. | | | | | Aim for any time except the height of summer (most businesses shut up shop for a full month in July and August) To get the most out of your trip, arrive on Thursday and stay for three days (many museums, shops and restaurants don't open on Sunday and Monday). | | | | | If it's your first time in Paris, stay in Le Marais, where you'll be within walking distance of major museums. For repeat visitors, try anywhere in the 11th arrondissement, Canal St-Martin or Belleville. These areas feel very lived-in and fun, and they're home to some of the best restaurants in Paris. I usually go to Belleville and stay at Babel. | | | To start off, I've laid out the first day's recommendations at a gentle pace to help you get your bearings. As the days progress, the itinerary unfolds with more activities in popular neighborhoods and also in the lesser-visited corners of Paris that truly belong to Parisians. | Morning: Start your day with a visit to Mokonuts Bakery for a coffee and sweet treat. It's a tiny, bustling cafe just off Rue du Faubourg St-Antoine that is well-loved by locals for its irresistibly chewy cookies in flavors like miso-sesame and olive-white chocolate, but you can keep it simple with peanut butter and chocolate chip too. How to spend the day: Stroll across the Seine to the Latin Quarter, one of Paris's oldest neighborhoods, to browse the bouquinistes (open-air booksellers that have lined the riverbanks since the 19th century) en route to Shakespeare and Company, the iconic English-language bookshop. Entering feels like stepping back in time to an older, quieter Paris, despite the constant flow of visitors. What I love about this bookshop is that you're encouraged to linger. So find a cozy chair to peruse your book selections – preferably near wherever the resident cat is napping. From there, walk to Notre Dame (which will be fully open to visitors by December 2024) or take a short stroll to the Conciergerie. Most of us know it as the place where Marie-Antoinette and other prisoners of the Revolution spent their final days, but the Conciergerie is also home to Europe's largest surviving medieval hall, Salle des Gens d’Armes, which regularly hosts art, culture and history exhibitions. If it's a sunny day, head next door to the tiny chapel of Sainte-Chapelle to see the world's largest collection of 13th-century stained glass sparkle in the sunshine. Dinner: Recommending Septime, one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, is a bit of a gamble. The issue isn't the food (which is sublime), but rather the fact that they don't take reservations and it's always busy. You might get lucky, but if not, add your name to the waiting list and pop over to their beautiful wine bar next door, Septime La Cave, until they call you. If you don't want to wait, consider Waly Fay (a 2-minute walk), a Senegalese restaurant that serves perfect aloco (fried plantains and fish dumplings in tomato sauce) or Bistrot Paul Bert (5 minutes away), where you can make a reservation in advance to enjoy straight ahead classics like steak frites. | Morning: Kick off your day early with a stroll through Le Marais to admire the beautifully preserved medieval and Renaissance-era styles of buildings like the 17th-century Place des Vosges and the Picasso Museum in the Hôtel Salé. For breakfast, grab a coffee and the divine cacio e pepe sandwich at Christophe Louie, and top it off with a rose brioche. How to spend the day: A New Yorker once told me Le Marais feels like the West Village, and I suppose it does, in a way, with its cafes, galleries and boutiques. Spend the day wandering through its creative quarter with visits to unique stores like Merci for homewares, Boketto for cool vintage furniture, Mélodies Graphiques for beautiful stationery and Thank God I’m a VIP for vintage fashion. When it's lunch time, head to Chez Janou (definitely book ahead and save room for the famous chocolate mousse) or go for a charcuterie with wine at The Butcher of Paris in Marché des Enfants Rouges. Afterward, take advantage of the free museums in the area. The Musée Carnavalet has a brilliant collection of artifacts showcasing Parisian history and one of the most beautiful museum bookstores, and at Maison de Victor Hugo, you can explore the personal items of the legendary poet and author. Dinner: The Marais isn't my favorite area for dinner unless you can snag a reservation at Parcelles (good luck!), so take the Metro... | | | | Photography credits: Mahdi Aridj, Sasha Brady, Alexandre Rotenberg / Alamy Stock Photo, Merci Paris | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
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