I’ve had a recent increase in long weekend requests to Europe with Paris and Lisbon being the top two. At first glance it seems a little crazy to go that far for a four night stay, but after doing it for myself, I’ll confirm it is totally doable – if not advisable.
In early December, my team and I headed to Paris for a five night trip including our overnight on the plane – and we packed it in, in the best way. Upon landing at 6am, we were met plane side by our VIP Greeter who took us past the 2 hour long line at border control and on to a private line that took less than five minutes to collect our stamp of approval and grab our luggage. All total, including a potty break and ATM stop, we were in the car and on our way to central Paris in about forty-five minutes. Best way to kick start our quick trip to the City of Lights!
We arrived at Relais Christine on the Left Bank between Saint Germain and the Latin Quarter around 8:00am. Our room wasn’t quite ready, so we enjoyed a cup of coffee in the gorgeous lobby living room while we waited. Incredibly, our room was available by 9:30am at no additional charge, and we were able to freshen up just in time to meet our guide for a foodie tour tasting some of best pastries in Paris.
Our guide seamlessly integrated the history of Paris and the modern pastry experience into a fun and filling tour from the Latin Quarter and Isle de Cite to Le Marais. By the end of the tour we were sufficiently full and ready for a jet lag recovery nap which we enjoyed in our perfectly appointed Duplex Suite back at Relais Christine.
After our power up, we were ready to get back out there starting with a Champagne Cruise along the Seine. It was quite frigid, so we spent most of the time in the indoor section of the boat, but it was fun to get a view of the city from the water and an easy way to spend the cocktail hour before our dinner at Anna Paris.
Anna Paris is a Greek restaurant located on the right bank in the Golden Triangle. This recommendation from a colleague is a do not miss. And I know what you are thinking — you’re in Paris, why are you eating Greek food? Well, for starters, Paris is a metropolitan city with incredible food across genres. And beyond that, I can personally only take so much escargot and caviar. Thus, we started with Greek and it was everything it was hyped up to be. We asked the waiter to serve us whatever they liked best and there only empty plates by the end of the meal. It set the scene for many fabulous meals from that point on.
The following morning we met our guide who introduced us to all things French royalty and Louis XIII – focusing our time in the Palace of Versailles. It was so helpful to have a guide who could make the rooms and history come to life in an expedited way that also took advantage of the spaces where crowds were less likely to congregate. We were fortunate to be there on a day where crowds were actually pretty manageable – so I can only imagine the value of a guide when crowds are a real problem. We spent about 4 hours exploring the Palace and took a quick peak at the Gardens. Due to the freezing temps, we did not stay as long as we would have at other times of the year.
Once we made it back to the city we grabbed a quick lunch of croque monsieur and croque madames, blew through a speed shopping session, then freshened up before a photoshoot with our Flytographer. It was really fun to explore different areas and grab photos along the way – highly recommend hiring a professional photographer for any trip.
And since we were already dolled up, we were primed and ready for a fun night out. We had a quick dinner with an Eiffel Tower view at Chez Francis followed by a burlesque show at Crazy Horse Paris. People often ask me if they should see a show at Moulin Rouge or Crazy Horse Paris and the answer is – depends! Crazy Horse is an intimate room so you can easily see the stage from every seat – it is fun and memorable – but you do need to know that it is a true Burlesque show. Moulin Rouge is a larger venue with several seats that only offer obstructed views – but it is the iconic venue to catch a show. Regardless, I’d highly recommend a night cap or two after the show – for us, the easily walkable Four Seasons George V made for the perfect spot to decompress.
After a big night out, we figured let’s keep the gravy train going and hit the road for a full day out in Champagne. We started with a quick tour of the Cathedral in Reims and on to tasting at La Maison Penet which is a boutique Champagne House in Verzy.We loved it so much we ordered a case which arrived in time for the New Year celebrations! After that it was time for lunch at Au 36 in Hautvillers, the resting place of Dom Perignon himself. And since we were in Champagne we accompanied our lunch with a flight of… Champagne! A quick stop to pay respects to Dom Perignon at the local Abbaye, then onward to our final stop at Henry Giraud. It was fun to see these three juxtapositions of Champagne experiences in a short distance of one another. I will say, though, that we were pretty sure we’d had our fill of Champagne by the end of it.
It took a little over an hour and half to get back to the city and this is something I might do differently next time – or in proposals for clients. The train to/from Reims is a quick 45 minute ride and is significantly less expensive. So save the time and the cash and have your driver pick you up and drop you off at the train station in Reims.
Upon arrival back in Paris, we checked into our next hotel for the last two nights of our trip – Le Meurice – a gorgeous palace hotel on the right bank. When we made it up to our room, you would’ve thought we were school girls from the way we squealed at the discovery of our Juliet balconies overlooking the sparkling Eiffel Tower. So if you are looking to get some joyful squeals out of your travel partner – Le Meurice is an easy sell.
In an effort to soak up some of the days happenings, we headed out for a pasta filled Italian dinner at Le Petit Italien and it was absolutely perfect! A tiny little restaurant tucked away near the Musee Carnavalet. Clients recommended this spot to me saying they were the only ones speaking English in the restaurant with the exception of Katie Holmes who they noticed sitting a few tables away. While we didn’t have a celebrity sighting, we were the only ones speaking English and a few rough words of French so that we could get our waiters on our side. Highly recommend this for a fun casual meal.
Finally, our last day in Paris was spent with a quick trip out to St. Ouen Flea Market and up to Montemartre to take in these last few often requested stops on longer Paris itineraries. I think it is important to have an item in mind that you are shopping for to really get the most out of St. Ouen, otherwise, you will be overwhelmed by the choices and it does take a bit of time to get out there as it is technically just outside the Paris city limits. We would have loved more time in Montmartre – it was charming and artsy – albeit crowded. Instead we opted to head back to town and grab a few Christmas gifts before time was up.
On the way back into Paris, we asked the hotel concierge to make a lunch reservation for us somewhere near shopping and they got us in at Bistrot Vivienne where we had the best beef tartare and French Onion soup! Highly recommend this venue for lunch or a casual dinner.
After fueling up, we headed over to Samaritaine, Hermes and Polene. While we didn’t make the time for the private suite and shopping experience at Samaritaine, I would definitely add it to the list of options for my clients looking for specific designer goods while in Paris. It’s a great way to make the most of your time in a fun and private way.
And then, we capped off our trip with a last minute dinner reservation at Bistrot Paul Bert. The group sitting next to us was not too thrilled to learn that the concierge at Le Meurice was able to get us in within 24 hours of our reservation since they waited months to get a coveted seat at the table. It was a fabulous way to end our trip and a great meal for anyone wanting a relatively casual dinner with a great wine list.
Again, on our way out, the VIP Meet & Greet service was incredibly helpful as we were able to skip the VAT line to get cash back for those Christmas purchases, and each step of the way we were able to bypass all lines for luggage check-in, border security and onward where they left us at our gate to board our flight home.
It was a fast-paced trip and I likely wouldn’t advise this many tours for the average traveler doing four nights in the city, but it was an incredible way to see the city in a consolidated amount of time – it was also proof that Paris is always a good idea!
Cheers,
Holly
