If you are a regular to our sites, or better yet a Meristocrat, you know Mademoiselle spent her summer abroad in Paris. Although she has been sharing all sorts of adventures with you, Mimi had her own Parisian adventure: a surprise trip to see Mademoiselle! It was quite a whirlwind, but here are our tips for experiencing the best of Paris in 72 hours or less!
1. Jet lag be gone: Bring your Super Elixir travel packets and Jet lag be gone. It will help you get on the Parisian schedule and rise early to make the most of your day.
2. Concierge Travel Service: Spend the small extra amount to hire a car (either through your hotel or a private service) to take you to your top five landmarks. We hired ParisAddict. The guide, Charles, was more than knowledgeable and made for a very memorable experience. Our choices were the Eiffel Tower, Musee D’Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Louvre, Bastille and Seine (via River Cruise). When your time is limited and you’re in a historical city like Paris you must see the sites even if it is in a most abbreviated form. You can specify your tours be a “drive by” or more extensive, but you can surely resolve to come back and stand in the lines later!
3. Faire du shopping: If you want to get some French fashion shopping out of the way fast, our number one recommendation is the Bon Marché. It’s Paris’ version of Neiman Marcus, but with many French and European designers alongside more familiar ones. Our favorites were Roger Vivier shoes, Claudie Pierlot and ba&sh. Check out Mademoiselle’s Meristocracy post on her favorites.
Our second recommendation is a taxi to the Ru Du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. If you cannot go on any other street to shop in Paris you should go to this one. This street is the “high-end” shopping district with all the greats: Chanel, Hermes, YSL, Cartier and even a Lauderee for your sweet tooth! The only one missing is Louis Vuitton and you can hit that one on your visit to the Arch do Triomphe or dinner!
4. Restaurants: Breakfast is not a big deal in Paris so grab a cappuccino and croissant and get going! Lunch and dinner, on the other hand, are a big deal and last a lot longer than Americans are used to. So slow down and enjoy the experience. Gastronomically speaking, the French don’t have as much on us as they used to, but these are not to miss choices for a true French dining experience:
Lunch:
Bon Marché, de La Grande Epicerie de Paris, La Table
Dinner:
Pierre Gagnaire (Check out Meristocracy’s culinary review!)
Tip: Most places in Paris have great food, and the traditional brasseries give you the true french dining experience. If you throw in a trip to the Four Seasons George V Bar or have high tea in the dining room you will have seen and tasted some of the best of Paris!
Fini!
The fine art of Shelly Lewis Stanfield
The Charleston Academy
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