Hello!
Last October I surprised my boyfriend, Alex, with a trip to Paris for his birthday. Honestly, I really wanted to go so it was as much a present for me as him – a win, win! Haha! I had never been to Paris before and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I can see why they call it the city of love, it really is such a romantic place.
Where we stayed:
Hotel: Mercure Paris Plaza Pont Mirabeau
Address: 10 Avenue Emile Zola Paris
So this hotel wasn’t the most amazing place we’ve ever stayed but it was central, being right beside both the metro and the RER (the two main forms of transport in Paris). As with all hotels in European cities, the room was small but was modern, clean and stylish. The hotel restaurant just served breakfast, but that suited us perfectly as we loved dining in the french restaurants that are scattered all over the city.
What to do:
There are endless possibilities of things to do in this city but here is a list of my favourites:
We climbed the Eiffel Tower at night and I loved it. Looking out over the city’s lights at night is so beautiful. (The queue is also considerably shorter when the sun goes down!) Watching the light display at night is also magical.
Visit The Louvre: I thought we’d just go have a look at the Mona Lisa and that’d be it. I was so wrong, we spent hours just wandering around the museum. The whole experience and building itself is just so beautiful. We still managed to fit in a selfie with Lisa though – obviously!
Visit the Love Lock Bridge: Its true name is Ponts des Arts and is such a special place to visit – as a cheesy as it sounds. Last year they removed all the locks from the bridge itself as it was damaging the structure of it, however, people now hang them at the entrance to the bridge on either side. Attach your lock with the initials of you and your loved one or best friend and throw the key into the Seine.
Witness the gorgeous Arc de Triomphe, in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle. It’s so much bigger than I would’ve expected and is quite breath-taking.
After you’ve seen the Arc de Triomphe, take a wander down the Champs-Élysées. This is where all the high-end stores are located and it really is worth a visit. I actually sat on a bench with a coffee and watched the impeccably dressed french ladies walk by in combinations of Louis Vuitton and Chanel – swoon!
While you’re on the Champs-Élysées, you have to visit Ladureé. The notorious macrons are genuinely the nicest I’ve ever had! Although, Alex was not impressed with the 30 minute queue and couldn’t quite get the concept of paying almost €20 for six tiny desserts, bless his innocence!
Ok, so I know many of you will think Disneyland Paris is tacky or just designed for young families, and I would’ve thought so too! However, Alex insisted that I was going to love it, and he was so right! It is probably the wackiest, most wonderful day I’ve ever had. I had pains in my cheeks by the end of the day from smiling and laughing! In fact, I actually think it’s more enjoyable as an adult, as it is quite busy. If you have the time, I honestly can’t recommend Disneyland enough – it will quite literally make you feel like a child again!
Taking a Champagne Cruise on the Seine at night is a beautiful way to see the city lit up after dark. Paris has 37 bridges and each one is more beautiful than the last. The cruise guide gave the history of each bridge and the city’s most iconic monuments and buildings as we passed. It was such a special way to spend an evening.
Finally, we spent our last day in Paris wandering around the little streets of Le Marais District. This is a historic district in Paris and is full of beautiful buildings, vintage stores and little coffee shops. Have a coffee outdoors, under a canopy and watch the world go by. 
Paris has so much to offer, we only got to see a faction of this beautiful city so I will be returning, without a doubt.
Have you been to Paris? Is there anywhere you’d recommend? I’d love to know if you enjoyed this post and feel free to tag me on Instagram or Twitter if you visit this stunning city – make me jealous!
With love,
Lorraine x
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