We had four nights in Paris, and they were lovely – even though Paris (and all of Europe) had a crazy heat wave! The temperatures hit almost 100 degrees every day, but we still had such a nice time together! Today on the blog, I am sharing all the details!

Where We Stayed

We chose to stay at a VRBO in Paris! We opted for this this over a hotel because it ended up being less money than two hotel rooms since my brother and SIL joined us! Was also nice because we were able to spend time together each morning and evening! I chose this VRBO for several reasons! First of all, it has AIR CONDITIONED!!!!!!!!! This is not the case for many places – even hotels. I can sleep 8 and has three bedrooms which was perfect for us! Briton and I were in one room, my brother and SIL were in one room, and Henry and Lucy were in the room with two twin beds. This place also also has two full bathrooms which was great. It also has a washer AND dryer which was wonderful since we all brought carry-on luggage and got pretty sweaty every day! It was also across the street from a Metro station! I am not sure I would be comfortable taking the trains without my brother and SIL, but they were super convenient and much faster than any other mode of transportation! Our host was incredibly kind and responded quickly to messages! Highly recommend this place! The second photo is the view at night from our place!

The only bad thing about doing a VRBO or AirBNB is that you do not have anywhere to store your luggage while you explore like you would if you had a hotel. If you can afford to do so, I highly recommend paying for an extra night just so you can check into your place the moment you get there. Many renters will also give you a discounted rate for an extra night since you are technically not staying the night. Unfortunately, we were unable to do this because our place was already rented. So when we arrived, we checked our luggage into the basement of a cafe (I know… sounds sketchy!!) and explored for the day. I booked through Get Your Guide and paid around $60 to store our luggage all day while we explored before could check into the VRBO.

What We Did & What We Ate

Day 1

We left on a Tuesday afternoon and arrived in Paris early Wednesday morning! None of us slept much on the plane Tuesday evening, but we pushed ahead and made ourselves stay awake until bedtime in Paris. We used this company for our transfer from the Paris airport (CDG) to the Louvre area of Paris to store our luggage. Honestly, if you can figure out the train system, it would have been less money and much faster.

We walked around the city for a bit, grabbed some coffee and lunch at a café, and then we toured the Louvre. Highly recommend booking ALLLLL of your tickets before you leave for your trip. This helps things be so much less stressful when you get there. Before we even left for the trip, I downloaded the all of the tickets and took screenshots on my phone to make it less stressful when we arrived. I even printed a paper copy – just in case! Ticket pricing can vary and prices change day to day…. I ended up getting most of our event tickets directly from the source if I could. Some tickets for days I wanted were not available, and I had to order through a third party. I got Louvre ticket here.

We were so tired that night, that we really did not want to go out! I ended up having Uber Eats (yep, they have it in Paris!) deliver pizza from Italian Kitchen! Was good!

Day 2

We started the morning as everyone should on their first morning in Paris – with croissants and cappuccinos from the café across the street!

Day 2 was my brother’s birthday, and we had a really special lunch on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower at Madame Brasserie! This lunch was a little bit of a splurge, but it was a really cool experience! I ended up getting the vegetarian lunch and absolutely loved it! Lucy said the mashed potatoes were some of the best she has ever had! Overall, I would say the food was good, but the experience was better! Dining at the restaurant also included lift tickets for the Eiffel Tower!

While it is free to visit the gardens and walk underneath the Eiffel Tower, you must have a ticket to go to the upper levels. You can buy these tickets ahead of time here. If you exit the tower the opposite way you entered, you will see this cute little side street to take a picture (Coordinates 48.85992° N, 2.29641° E).

We had dinner that night at Au Rocher de Cancale, and it was delicious! We all agreed that it was the best crème brûlée we had ever eaten! I am STILL dreaming about it!

Day 3

In my opinion, the best macarons in all of Paris are at Ladurée! We made reservations and had brunch there, and it was delicious!

Four of us did a macaron making class, and we all agreed it was our favorite activity we did in Paris! This baking school was a private class, and also had other classes like crescent making!! We were so impressed not only with our chef that helped us but also with the way the macarons actually tasted – so good!

If you have a younger child, you have probably heard and seen the craze around Jellycats! Lucy was determined to see the cute setup they had in Paris! Was very cute!

We also toured Notre Dame tonight which was beautiful! Tickets are free to enter, but there are large crowds. You can reserve a specific time slot here. To enter the cathedral, women must have longer dresses/pants and shoulders covered. Lucy and I each wore a shawl. Men cannot enter with tank tops, shorter shorts, or hats.

We had a lovely dinner at Sorza where I was able to make reservations on Google ahead of time! My in-law’s recommended this place, and it was delicious!

Day 4

We loved touring Versailles! We got tickets ahead of time here. We took the train from Paris to Versailles, and it was definitely the easiest and fastest way to get there. This was an all day affair! You can tour the castle, the gardens, and even Marie Antoinette’s “cottage” area. You can also rent e-bikes or golf carts to tour the various outdoor areas. We froze two water bottles and packed a light lunch of cheeses, crackers, the best strawberries I have ever tasted, and vegetables with hummus. Once we toured the castle, we sat outside and ate our lunch before touring the gardens! There are also quite a few places to use the restroom which was nice! There is one spot before touring the castle that is pretty busy. And there are several spots in the gardens. One thing to also note is that the fountains are not on all the time. They are typically only on during the weekends and during certain hours. We were lucky to see them turned on before we left the gardens.

That night we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Chez LouLou! Briton was adventurous and tried the duck – he said it was the best he had ever had! They even have live music many nights which was fun!

What We Wore

Shop here – the luggage covers came in CLUTCH

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We had a lovely time in Paris and enjoyed the time we were able to spend together as a family – even though it was INCREDIBLY hot!! My biggest advice would be to book things ahead so that things are not sold out on days you want to go and so that you can skip the crazy long lines!

À la prochaine – until next time!

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