LAST SUMMER DAYS IN PARIS

This year we decide that we would like to spend our last summer days in France’s capital city. We flew from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Airport Paris-Orly. 

When we were landing we wanted to get to our hotel as soon as possible and start to explore Paris.

We find out that the cheapest option for us to move around Paris is to buy a Navigo card. 

Navigo Decouverte week pass price is 22.80€. The first time you also have to pay a 5€ fee (non-refundable) for the physical Navigo card itself. Coverage entire Paris Metro system, entire Paris RER system, all RATP, city buses, all Trams, all Noctilien night buses, Transilien Ile-de-France train system in zones 1-5, any transport in zones 1-5, except Orlyval train, includes Airport CDG (in Zone 5), Disneyland Paris (Zone 5), Chateau de Versailles (Zone 4), covers ORY Airport (Orly, Zone 4) using the Montparnasse-Orly bus “Orlybus” or Metro 7 + Tram 7 (not Orlyval train from Antony RER B station).

If you also wanna do that at Orly Airport you should first go to terminal 4. There find bus platform number 5. There you will find a very tiny office, where you can buy a Navigo card. 

Unfortunately at the time of our visit, the system was broken, so we couldn't buy it there. So we have to buy a tram ticket for tram. 

We took tram number 7 to Villejuif Louis Aragon.

There we were in line in front of the sales window. While waiting, a younger man approached us and asked us which tickets we are looking for. We say that we want a weekly Navigo ticket. He said that the Navigo cards are for French people only, but we made huge research before that (as we always do), and we knew that wasn't true. He wants to sell us a 5 day pass for 5 zones which is around 65€. Then random women say to us that if we wanna pay with cash we have to go downstairs, where is another sales window. We, of course, immediately went down, also because we wanna go away from that man. 

Downstairs we ask a woman if we can buy Navigo tickets there, and she says YES. After just a few minutes cards were already in our hands. 

So people who travel to Paris be patient and you will save money! 

After 3 long hours when we finally get Navigo cards, we took a metro and then a bus to get to our hotel. Our hotel was Auberge Internationale. Click HERE to make a reservation and after your stay, you will get 10% of the price back. The hotel is located very close to the metro and even closer to the bus station. After we checked in and left our luggage in our hotel room we went to discoverer Paris a bit. 

First, we went by metro to Arc de Triomphe. It really impressed us, because it is so big. 

We also went in the middle from where we can also see the Grande Arche de la Defense. 

After that, we were already very excited because we wanna see the most famous thing in Paris the Eiffel Tower. 

It was very impressive to see Eiffel Tower so close. We can see it a million times, but only in photos. 

After a quick photo shooting, we went to another side of the Seine River, passed by the tower and then we chilled a little bit on the grass in the park near the tower. 

As you already know we love to chill in parks during travel. For this purpose, we have with us always a lining to sit on from a Slovenian brand Enjoy Enjoy. It is super small, thin and also waterproof. We just love it. 

After a short chill and playing some cards we were already tired and hungry so we decided that we went to a pizzeria which was very close to our hotel. 

The next day was on our travel plan a trip to Versailles. We heard about a huge palace, Louis XIV (Sun King) and about amazing park with a lot of fountains already in school. So we just couldn't go to Paris and not visit Versailles. 

We went there by train. Drive was quick and smooth. 

Because we are all under 26 years old we have free entrance into the palace. In fact, we aren't really history fans, but because it was free we went in there anyway. 

We heard about a mirror room, so we wanna find it, but in the palace, it was way too many people, so we decide that we rather go outside and chill in the park for some time. 

Park is pretty big and it is separated in different parts. The most beautiful part is located right next to the palace. On the left side, you can also find nice orangery. The whole park is full of sculptures and fountains. Further away is the part where you can sit on the grass next to the lake. Because was already lunchtime we had a picnic. 

Later we decided that we go through the park to the train station. 

Orangery

Palace of Versailles and beautiful flowers

Walkway in park

There was a train already waiting for us and it was crowded with people. When we came back to Paris we decided that we wanna try famous macarons. We bought them in Ladurée Paris Royale. All their macarons are gluten-free. When we walk into the shop we were impressed by perfection. All their macarons looked just perfect. 

Macarons

We wanna taste all of them, so we pick a few which looked pretty and tasty. We went to the closest park where we sit on metallic chairs. 

After a short chill in the park, we went to Galeries Lafayette. This is a big shopping center.

Galeries Lafayette

There you can find all the famous brands, but that wasn't our target. On the roof (7th floor) is a rooftop bar and from there you can littery see whole Paris. 

View from rooftop

We went there in time daylight. Later we went to EXKi, which is close to Galleria Lafayette, to eat dinner. When it get dark, we went back to see Paris at night. Because was already after 8:30 PM the shopping center was already closed. In this case, you have to use door number 25. 

There you go up with an elevator. Seeing Paris at night was so magical. 

Night view on Paris

View on Eiffel Tower

The next day we decide that first, we wanna discover our neighborhood a little bit. Very close to our hotel, there was a market. We walked by to see what are they sealing. 

Then we walked to the Coulee Verte Rene-Dumont. The former railway tracks transformed into a beautiful walkway. When you are walking up there, you do not even notice that you are actually in the middle of Paris. 

Walkway

Then we went to an island on the Seine river. There is a lot of beautiful spots for taking photos. Later we went to the cathedral Notre Dame. 

Notre Dame

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close to it, because it was burned 5 months ago. On the river banks artists selling their paintings. Some of them are really stunning. 

Then we went to the Louvre. We find out that the shortest line to went into the museum is from the metro. On the way there we ran into ticket controls. At 1 pm o’clock we get into the line. First, there is a ticket and a security line. Because we are under 26 years old the entry was free. All we have to do is show our ID cards. When we get into the museum there we already saw a line under the pyramid for the most famous painting in the world Mona Lisa. 

There was a pretty long line but we anyway decide that if we are already there we are going to see it. And we were waiting and waiting and also moving quietly quickly, but the line was spread in 4 levels. So after almost 2 hours being in line we finally saw it. From there we littery run out. If we knew how long is actually the line we never get even into the museum. At 3 pm we finally come out.

Louvre Museum

Louvre Museum

Because we want to relax we went to Luxembourg Gardens. There is a Palace of Luxembourg and right next to it’s a big and very beautiful garden. There is a little lake, many many flowers, and trees. As in the previous park also here were also a lot of metallic chairs all around. So we chose 3 of them and chill there. 

An issue with all the parks that we've been to while visiting France was that there was so much dusty sand everywhere. It was a little bit windy and the air was full of dust. Everywhere where isn’t grass grew there is dust, and because it is very light, the wind lifts it up. We had dust everywhere. On shoes, trousers, my camera was all dusty, we have it even in our mouth. 

Because food, stuff, and atmosphere were super nice yesterday we went to dinner once again to EXKi. 

The next day was 4th and also our last full day in Paris. In the morning we went to the Basilica Sacre-Coeur.

Basilica Sacre-Coeur

View on Paris

This church is located on a little hill. Later we went on a little walk around the neighborhood. One of our favorite streets was Rue Cortot. 

If you go there you also must visit Place du Tertre. There are so many street artists and their paintings are just mind-blowing. 

Later we went to the Square Louise-Michel, where we afford some snacks. 

After that, we decide to go to the Botanical garden, which is located right next to the ZOO.

Botanical garden

Because in the center was a huge protest, none buses didn't drove through the center, so we decide that we went by train. If also you are going soon to Paris we suggest you do what we do. The main sights we went to see before and left for Saturday something far away from the center, or maybe plan a trip outside of the city. We were also very happy that our hotel wasn’t in the center. 

After a little walk and a long chill in the park, we went to Happy Monge to eat our last dinner. The waitress brings us a tab where we by clicking and swiping ˝make˝ our pizzas. We have never seen anything like this before. The food was very very tasty and the staff was kind. We really recommend you visit if you are somewhere close. 

After that, we went to our hotel and later on a drink in a bar close to our hotel. 

The next morning we pack all our things into our backpack and left our hotel. We went to the center to buy some macarons as a souvenir. After that, we went to the airport Paris-Orly from where we flew to Venice. 

That was our September trip to Paris. All in all it was awesome and we are already looking forward to our next trip. 

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All photos were taken by us.