Paris: The City Vacation of all City Vacations
ONE WEEK IN PARIS, AND MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST FOREVER
The first thoughts that cross your mind when contemplating a European vacation are: Is it worth it? Will they appreciate it? I can confidently tell you that when it comes to Paris the proper answer is OUI!
With 5 kids growing up & getting older (and busier) family vacations become harder to plan between all of the activities and our schedules: Camp, teen tours, midterms, finals, work commitments, you name it!
City vacations might seem daunting at first but the idea is to stroll, enjoy a coffee or a sweet treat and make your way to your must-dos at a leisurely pace. Don’t get overwhelmed–take it as a chance to get to know a new place, its people, and its culture. Don’t forget to appreciate the tree-lined streets, storefronts, and sidewalks that you might not notice in your own city!
Called the City of Love, the City of Lights, and the most romantic city in the world, Paris is all of the above and more. Lights shine throughout the city, lighting it up at night.
There are trips where you can appreciate natural beauty- (like Sedona), Paris is more about the capacity of man-made beauty. People travel to Paris for different reasons like shopping (WOW!, the shopping!), art (it’s everywhere), or to admire the architecture. The thing about Paris is it really has so much to see, and the delicious food is endless.
Fashion is one kind of man-made beauty that Paris is synonymous with. The Dior Exhibit truly delves into the brand’s history from the beginning to the present day, and the dresses tell part of the history of fashion. Right off of Avenue Montaigne, it’s in the epicenter of one of Paris’s most beautiful high-end streets. Most of the pieces shown are timeless and tell a story; who wore it, the floral themes taken from real flowers as inspiration, and the color schemes. Christian Dior was a powerhouse and an artist, and his essence and aesthetic live on.
“Women have instinctively understood that I dream of making them not only more beautiful, but happier.“ He really has succeeded.
It must have been easy for Christian Dior to draw inspiration in this incredible city where everywhere you go the people, gardens, and buildings are just elegant. The view of it all from above is not to be missed.
Believe it or not, there are a bunch of places to see the views of Paris from above but my 2 favorites are the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre.
La Tour Eiffel is iconic and recognized as a landmark all over the world since it was completed in 1889. That year, the World's Fair covered the entire Champ de Mars in Paris and its focus was the vast constructions in iron and steel that were the great industrial advancements of that time.
It still stands as the tallest building in Paris (it was the tallest in the world until 1930). We went up… all the way to the top and the view is magnificent! You see all of Paris, and we learned some of the history about it along the way.
My 5-year-old said: I’ve never been to any other Eiffel towers before- although there are a number of replicas found around the world (click here). We climbed up to the second floor (377 feet), and the elevator to the top from there. We then took an elevator traveling on a diagonal, following the design of the building, all the way back down to the ground floor. Going all the way up is a must, at least once! You will see the entire city and for once, see it all without focusing on the central structure of the Eiffel Tower.
There is something magical about stopping in different places around the city to catch a glimpse or new perspective of the Eiffel Tower- whether it’s on a river cruise on the Seine, a restaurant with a view, or just stopping near one of the bridges. Cross over any of the 37 bridges that span the Seine–each is unique and has a story to tell.
The architecture both outside and inside any structure you see in Paris is stunning, just like each of its bridges. Everything reflects so much appreciation and attention to detail around here. You don’t have to stop in or pay an entry to really get a feel for the history and talent that went into building this city. That can all be appreciated as you drive or walk around! The drive through Place de la Concorde is just beautiful, while the Arc de Triomphe is for sure the most elegant traffic circle in the entire world.
There are over 130 museums in Paris! The Louvre pretty much gets all the attention. The Louvre used to be a fortress and now it holds over 380,000 objects (including the Mona Lisa, and La Vénus de Milo) making it the biggest museum in the world—it is also the most visited!
But the Musee d’Orsay is my favorite. It was built as a train station to bring people to Paris for the World Fair in 1900 and houses an incredible collection of impressionist paintings. The collection of Claude Monet’s work is so refreshing and seeing his home shortly after was a perfect way to expose my girls to his work and his life.
With such little time (7 days) to cram it all in, the few day trips we chose were tough to narrow down –there is just so much to see and do.
Versailles was our first adventure away from the city and Versailles the town, not just the palace, is gorgeous. On the way, a stop at Mini France was very cute and close if you're going there anyway. It gave the kids some perspective especially since we had the chance to see the real things.
As we drove, my 9 year old kept saying I cannot believe we are going to a real palace! She was totally amazed by this. Versailles never disappoints–it’s grand and regal. As you see room after room, each with a different color scheme, and unique theme, it’s hard to imagine how someone designed so many rooms in such unique styles.
I was surprised that one day in Versailles was not enough. The gardens felt like we were walking through paintings, each flower placed so deliberately. The town is replete with fresh produce markets, cheeses, meats, and specialty foods too! I highly recommend spending a night or 2 here. It really added a special element to our trip.
Next, we drove to Giverny, and the ride was just breathtaking. The French countryside is very green with lots of rolling hills–peaceful is the best way to describe it. I studied art history in college and truly fell in love with Impressionism (hence my love for the Musee d’Orsay). My art history professor said to me: If you go to Paris, and don’t go to Giverny, you are missing out! So it was on the top of my list of must-dos and he was right!
Last time I went there I was 6 months pregnant with my first child. This time, I got to go with my husband and share it with my 5 beautiful girls. After viewing Monet’s paintings, seeing the gardens that inspired him and surrounded him helped us appreciate his work that much more. Seeing places like this together feels like we are sharing a gift and it fills me with happiness and appreciation for these moments together.
The outdoors were filled with flowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes. He basically built the home and planted the trees in order to paint it, and when you walk through it’s as if you are walking through one of his paintings. The shadows in the water are visible, and within the reflection, you see all the colors it creates- that’s what it captured and that’s what he painted. The water lilies are just stunning. It’s so beautiful and such a beautiful add-on to a trip to Paris.
Emily in Paris got so many people feeling the Parisian vibe and wanting to see it in person. Miraculous Ladybug totally did the same for my younger kids! For world-class museums, the tower of all towers, fashion homes, endless charming streets, manicured local parks, and sidewalk cafes where seating is purposely looking out for people watching--for all this and more, Paris is the best city vacation for your family! I hope next time you second guess yourself about planning a family trip to Paris, the answer will be YES!
Paris, thank you for giving my family and I the best possible city vacation. We learned, explored, admired, appreciated, and can’t wait to come again. I know that this trip will be so memorable for each one of my girls, until next time! Je T'aime.
Which European city will we visit next? I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out…but until then check out my bucket list vacations for some instant gratification.
I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if there are any specific topics you’d like to explore even further.
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