Paris here we come! Here are the down-and-dirty details of a 20-hour trip to Paris with family. It ended up being a great time and low stress. Here’s what we did!
Getting Around Paris
We got off the train and the first thing we did was get the Paris Visite Travel Pass. This ticket is good for all the public transit in Paris including buses, metro, trams, and regional trains. Please check which zone area you will need and pick the appropriate ticket. It is a magnet strip ticket so avoid putting it in anything with metal or coins. We did have one of our tickets stop working so check in at a transit kiosk to get a new one and KEEP YOUR RECEIPT for a replacement!
Jardin des Plantes Illumination Exhibit
We arrived in pairs in the afternoon and we dropped off our bags at the room and we were on the move to the Jardin des Plantes. The Mini-Mondes illuminations exhibit was a great first stop! This is an outdoor exhibit of lit models. The evening’s exhibit was about insects and plants. This outdoor exhibit rotates throughout the year. This exhibit has concluded but be sure to check out the official website and see what the current outdoor, indoor, and official exhibits are active. Well worth the visit!
Eiffel Tower
No visit to Paris would be complete without an Eiffel Tower visit. We did stop by on the way to Moulin Rouge and it was as expected. It was busy, loud, crowded, and full of people trying to sell you something. There was construction all around the tour and a giant glass wall erected on the western part of the park that stopped you from entering the park and the area under the tower. I’m not sure if that is due to construction or security. We saw the glittering lights at the top of the hour and continued on our way.
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge was a highlight of the trip! Yes it’s expensive and yes it can be a bit weird or unusual to see some of the dancing, but I really enjoyed the show, the performances, and the acts. I do think the Moulin Rouge show is quintessential Paris…even if it’s considered “touristy”.
We got show tickets online and went with the latest show. It didn’t include dinner but rather just the theater show. The show was loud and fun and enjoyable. It was different from what I remembered when I visited many years ago and included some more traditional carnival acts like strong-man, aerobatic, and balance acts between the more colorful and dramatic acts done by the complete dance group.
The dress code did seem a bit more relaxed than I remember from years ago with lots of jeans and more “dressed down” so if you feel your lack of dress clothes is lacking then don’t worry, just try your best it seems. We did choose to dress up because we wanted to make it a more fancy evening, after all, we are in Paris! Finally, don’t forget you do get champagne for each person during your performance to drink and enjoy!
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame was fully under construction after the fire in 2019. The plaza in front is still accessible and many people were there looking and taking pictures. You can walk all around the wall which is about 3 meters tall. In many areas, there’s information about the rehabilitation of the church, the old and new construction techniques, and drawings about the church. It was nice to see how they’re trying to make the wall nice and see some behind-the-scenes photos of what’s going on.
Due to the slow nature of the reconstruction, please consult the official website of the church to make sure you know where you can go. As of January 2023, it is closed to the public. Stay apprised so you can make the most of a Notre Dame visit.
We used the Paris Visite Travel Pass to use the metro and busses. It can be purchased at any metro ticket kiosk.
We stayed at Hotel du Mont Blanc in the Latin Quarter near Notre Dame. It’s centrally located, near a metro station, and in the quaint and walkable Latin Quarter.
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