We’ll always have Paris - from the 1942 classic Casablanca paints a romantic picture of the City of Love with a young couple making memories of a lifetime. Eiffel Tower proposals and couples kissing by the banks of the Seine is no novelty around the tourist places of Paris. However, what you will j’adore on that Paris trip with the love of your life is to not get caught up in the hullabaloo of these tourist hotspots yet make the most of that Parisian summer that you have always dreamt of.
We have covered our trip to Paris in 9 Chapters from the lens of travelling from India, planning an Emily in Paris inspired trip, experiences to include in your itinerary, availability of vegetarian food in Paris, decoding French fashion for Indian girls, if the Paris syndrome is true and exploring French culture with takeaways for our own wellbeing.
You are reading Chapter 2.
The best time to visit Paris as a couple are the shoulder seasons from April to June and September to October as you’ll be able to ditch the crowds along with the weather gods showering you with their blessings (hopefully)! From the best things to do in Paris, to some of the coolest experiences inspired by Emily in Paris to listing down Paris restaurants and boulangeries for some of the most delicious meals, we have you covered.
Table of contents
13. Last Word
Take a guided walking tour to visit the famous places in Paris
The best way to get acquainted with the City of Love and the Paris metro is to take a guided walking tour of the city that spans a few hours and covers a few arrondissements such that you get your first Paris metro card and hop onto the lifeline of the city. We booked our walking tour through GetYourGuide and our guide was an actress who was a Georgian but living in Paris to pursue her passion and taking tourists like us on these amazing walking trips to pay her rent. It was a long tour that started in Montmartre, taking the funicular and visiting the Sacre Couer Basilica and then we went on to take the metro to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, take in the first glimpses of the Eiffel Tower and get some photos by the Arc de Triomphe. Our guide also took us to Creperie Chez Suzette in the Latin Quarters to get our feet some rest and to gorge into some delicious crepes. We then crossed the Emily in Paris fame Pont Neuf bridge holding hands across the Seine river and ended the tour at the Louvre and bid adieu to our lovely guide with a parting note from her of things to do and avoid in Paris.
Visit local boulangeries and cafes for breakfast (save on your hotel breakfast)
A typical morning in Paris is when you get out of bed for a breakfast run at a boulangerie in your neighbourhood. We were staying in Montmartre so there were a plethora of cafes and boulangeries that opened early in the morning with some freshly baked goods on display. Our favourite one near our Hotel Basss was Bistrot Baguette, they have the most delicious croissants and pain au chocolats. You’d run into locals who are regulars here and maybe walking their dogs in the morning and one of the attendants trying to guess which country you’re from as you remember to say Bonjour before placing your order. But that was a far more Parisian morning for me as against the crowded breakfast buffets at hotels with the same daily spread.
Do a cafe & dessert shop hopping in the city
Even if you don't have a sweet tooth, French desserts are worth a shot and every bit worth those extra calories. From the stereotypical hot chocolate at Angelinas and macaroons at Laduree and Pierre Hermes, you need to dig into some gooey profiteroles, an indulgent creme brulee, maybe a pistachio mille feuille. You cannot go to France and not have an eclair at Paul’s and of course any limited edition French Toast at Kozy’s is always worth the hype. Paris is always a couples place as long as you share a French dessert with the love of your life.
Visit the rooftop at Galeries Lafayette
While you have to take the stairs to get to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and pay to get access to the Eiffel Tower summit, the rooftop of the famous departmental store Galeries Lafayette is free of cost and offers stunning views of the city and the Paris Opera. One of the best things to do in Paris on a balmy evening is to grab a drink at Creatures, the rooftop bar at Galeries Lafayette.
Take a river cruise on the Seine post sunset to see the city illuminated
While Paris is a very walkable city, European cities are also better viewed from the water. As a couple in Paris, we must find you aboard a Bateaux or a cruise boat hand in hand with your partner in awe of the City of Light. If you go for a Bateaux with a meal, the daytime cruise should be just fine. However, if you opt for the cruise boat such that you can be seated on the deck, then I’d suggest a night cruise post sunset when you see the city illuminated and perhaps the Eiffel Tower sparkle. Nothing gets more romantic than this, take my word for it.
Hire a professional photographer to capture your Paris trip
Another cliche yet memorable experience is to hire a professional photographer to capture your Paris memories. We booked a photographer through GetYourGuide, who was an Indian student studying filmmaking in Paris. We met him early in the morning around 8 AM at Trocadero which has some of the most uninterrupted views of the Eiffel Tower and went on to do our dream couple photo shoot in Paris. Your photographer will suggest poses and then you can also check them out on his camera and he should color correct the photos and share it with you in a few days. You wont regret spending some money on these wallpaper-worthy photos and a few that you can post on Instagram with a caption - We’ll always have Paris.
Visit the Eiffel Tower summit
While most people will advise you against going on top of the Eiffel Tower as then you can’t see the Eiffel Tower as part of the cityscape of Paris, if it is your first time in Paris, then you must add this to your bucket list of things to do in Paris. You can access the summit through the elevator, some people also choose to have the ultra expensive champagne at the top. However, we chose to have a Pierre Hermes macaron with the stamp of the Eiffel Tower. There are also some really upscale and well known Paris restaurants within the Eiffel Tower that you may need a reservation to dine at, however, you will surely end up spending a bomb. Whatever your budget, don’t miss out on this touristy experience in Paris as a couple.
Take a croissant making workshop
Most people who come to Paris have this burning question of where to find the best croissants in Paris. While I may say Les Deux Magots along with their hot chocolate to dunk the croissant in, you can save yourself the trouble of going on a croissant hunt and make a delicious one yourself. We took a croissant making workshop with Maison Fleuret which is a local baking school in Paris. This was easily the most memorable thing we did in Paris as you will need a partner to bake all those beauties - the perfect croissant, delicious pain au chocolats and some cinnamon rolls from the leftover dough and then get to eat it all at the end of the workshop. Our instructor, Alyssa, was an American and was really sweet. They had good equipment and tools and made it a great experience for us. You have to take a croissant class with Maison Fleuret to have access the best croissant recipe ever.
Visit the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore
Shakespeare & Co. is definitely one of the most iconic places to visit in Paris. It is the oldest English language bookstore with that quaint, old world charm intact. You will always find a queue to enter the bookstore that is typically well managed and you can take your own time in the store with the booksellers being super helpful and making some good recommendations. Don’t forget to get your book stamped with the Kilometre Zero stamp of the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore.
Spend half a day walking through Montmartre and explore Emily in Paris filming locations
One of the first things we did after getting off our train in Paris is walk the cobblestoned streets of Montmartre and take in all the Emily in Paris vibes. We explored the entire neighbourhood by looking for the filming locations of certain scenes from Emily in Paris. Spending half a day simply meandering through this neighbourhood will leave you craving for more. Be it the pink structure of La Maison Rose to spotting the Invaders art on buildings and distinguishing the original from the fake spotting Van Gogh’s home in Paris to being approached by artists to capture the moment on a canvas, Montmartre is your Parisian dream coming to life. You can also choose to experience the neighbourhood in a Pepit Train.
Drive through the city in a vintage car
The most unique way of exploring a neighbourhood in Paris especially as a couple is to be driven around by a local Parisian in a classic vintage car. We passed through the Sacre Coeur and explored the alleys of Montmartre that we had not gotten to by foot and after perambulating through the Arc de Triomphe ended the ride on the Champs de Elysees. Our chauffeur was the exact opposite of what we believe Parisians to be like - right from busting myths from Emily in Paris to pointing us to his high school, he was an absolute delight.
Explore the Le Marais & Latin Quarters neighbourhoods for great local food
Lastly, away from the tourist places in Paris, where you’d find more local faces and slightly lower prices on the menus are the neighbourhoods of Le Marais and Latin Quarters. We have had some of our best meals in these neighbourhoods from an underrated Mexican bistro to a cosy creperie to a menuless bar where the waitresses asked you a bunch of questions on your preferences and came back with your personalised cocktail.
Last word
You will need at least three full days in Paris to be able to enjoy most of the recommended experiences. If you have the luxury of some more time, set aside two days for epic day trips from Paris to Versailles and the Loire Valley in Central France. If you are flying to Paris all the way from India, then you may as well plan it right and live your romantic dream by integrating the romantic experiences as part of your itinerary than be disappointed and disillusioned by the Paris syndrome.
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