Exploring Paris: What To Do, What To Eat, and Insider Tips for a Summer Vacation

I am so happy to be here :) In this post, you will find some of my favorite experiences, restaurant recommendations, and tips from my Paris, France trip! My husband and I went in October of 2023, and the weather was surprisingly comparable to the Midwest (St. Louis, MO). It ranged between 63 to 73 degrees (F) each day with only one day of rain. I packed a lot of skirts, dresses, and pants paired with tanks that I could throw a little jacket over in case it was a little chillier. I found that people are generally very well-dressed there, so if you like to dress up, you will certainly fit right in! I would highly recommend a pair of cute white tennies to pair with your outfits as you will likely do a lot of walking.

EXPERIENCES WE LOVED:

Wine and cheese tasting at Les Caves Du Louvre (https://www.cavesdulouvre.com/en/). This was one of our top highlights. We learned a ton about French wine, and the sommelier was fantastic!
Eiffel Tower tour booked through Viator.com. This was fun but longer than we anticipated. I would recommend going by yourself instead of a guided tour! It also lights up at night and is just breathtaking.
Boat ride on the Seine. Also booked through Viator.com. This was so fun and would do it again! It was a guided tour that talked about the history of certain buildings along the Seine.
Bike ride to the Eiffel Tower. Renting Lime bikes was the easiest way to get around! We rode to a little shop, grabbed a bottle of wine and some snacks, and had a little picnic under the Eiffel Tower. So romantic :)
Louvre Museum. Beautiful! You must go.

RESTAURANTS WE ATE AT:

I am gluten-free, so we certainly did a ton of research on restaurants before we went. Below are some of the ones that stood out to us:

Copains Paris (pronounced co-pah): Fully gluten-free bakery with an incredible pistachio croissant (I dream about it weekly!!)

Verde Paris: This was such a fun restaurant with a late-night jungle vibe. 100% recommend getting a later dinner reservation. I think we went around 9 pm and the DJ had just started. It is comparable to an upbeat Las Vegas or Miami-style restaurant. Great food, fun vibes!

Restaurant Le George in the Four Seasons Hotel George V: 10/10 experience all around!! I am very partial to the Four Seasons brand as a former employee, so it was essential we went for dinner and it did not disappoint. The food, drinks, service, and ambiance were truly top-tier.

Tasca: 100% gluten-free restaurant with great GF pizza!

Le Train Bleu: Wow! This restaurant is absolutely stunning. It was one we saw on Instagram often and knew we had to go. We went for lunch, which was decent, but I would definitely go back for dinner.

OUR BEST ADVICE:

Check which Arrondissement you are staying in or want to stay in! We stayed at Hotel Lumen in the 1st arrondissement and it was an excellent location near the Louvre.

Get yourself familiar with some French. You certainly do not have to be a pro, but knowing hello, goodbye, thank you, please, sir, ma’am, etc. is good form. Most French people we came across spoke English as well, but it is polite to at least try to greet them in French. We took a few French classes prior to going and are so pleased we did!

The French value courtesy and politeness. Always say excuse me, please, thank you, etc. It goes a long way!

You will need an adapter as European plugs are different than the US! Linked here: https://a.co/d/atCblOT

Paris shopping is unmatched - don’t forget to buy yourself something nice while you’re there :)