Bluey Blog - Official Blog of Robert B. Bluey

Travel Tips for the Perferct Paris Vacation

Before we head off to the airport and say goodbye to Paris, I wanted to share some of the travel tips Missy and I picked up over the past week in case you’ll be visiting this wonderful city sometime soon.

My first bit of advice is to follow someone else’s advice. That would be Rick Steves, whose book about Paris was always at our fingertips. I’m not sure how much time or money Rick saved us this week, but his suggestions were on the mark. If you’re traveling to Paris, you need to get a copy of this book. It’s the best investment you’ll make.

In your pre-trip preparation, I’d strongly encourage you to rent an apartment, especially if you’ll be staying at least a week. We found it to be more affordable and much more enjoyable. It’s not that our place was all that spacious, but it did provide a place to eat breakfast (toaster, microwave and even a dishwasher), spread out for the week and live amongst other Parisians. We used My Apartment in Paris, which offers many options based on your budget and location. I’d personally recommend the Left Bank or Latin Quarter.

Once you’re on the ground, there are several essential things to do. Before you go to any museums or tourist attractions, get yourself a Paris Museum Pass. It was saved us hours of waiting in line and covered nearly ever place we wanted to visit. You can get the pass in two, four or six day increments. We managed to do what we needed in two.

Take day trips to Giverny and Versailles. Neither is close to the city and both require some advance planning, but they were well worth it. If you’re going to Giverny, you should rent a bike when you get off the train. And in Versailles, try to go on a Sunday so you can see the fountains. Don’t rush your visit. There’s plenty to do, and being away from Paris can be refreshing.

Earlier in the week I complained about eating, but after a couple bad experiences on Wednesday, we really enjoyed the French cuisine. Make sure you eat at a genuine French restaurant (no English subtitles on the menu) at least once; our night out with Kate and Alex Pesey was excellent. We found that for lunch, it was much easier to get a ham-and-cheese sandwich or crêpe than spend a lot of time and money at a sit-down restaurant.

And finally, blog about your trip as it’s happening. I’m so glad I kept a daily journal and posted my photos online. As soon as I return to America, my mind will be elsewhere and I’ll be doing other things, leaving no time to reflect on the past week. My blog served as the perfect place to share our experiences in Paris with friends and family.