What I Wish I had known before Traveling to Paris

The other morning Alex showed me a picture that came up in his memories on his phone. I was standing on a street in Paris looking much more put together than how I looked at that moment as I rolled out of bed. It gave me that itch to get back to this beautiful city that I fell in love with before I even visited back in 2016. And now that I’ve written all about that amazing trip and my advice on what to do in Paris, I’m sharing what I wish I had known before traveling to Paris!

There is mostly no airconditioning

This isn’t a huge deal for me, nor is it a deal breaker. But it was unusually warm in Paris while we were there and so we often slept in our little pied-à-terre with the floor length windows open. In the end the only thing it would have changed is that I would have brought more sleeveless tops and lighter sleepwear.

Check if the building you’re staying in has an elevator

We decided to take public transportation from the airport to our Airbnb in the 2nd arrondissement. After more than an hour walking and riding and pulling suitcases down cobblestone streets, it was a bit of a rude awakening to find we now had to climb up five flights of stairs to get to our home away from home. It was our fault that we hadn’t checked to see if the building had an elevator. We had just assumed. 

I was lucky to have someone with me (Alex, you’re a gem) who actually brought both of our suitcases up while all I had to do was handle the small carryons. Again, this isn’t something that would have prevented me from staying in our adorable and centrally located apartment, even if I had been traveling on my own. However, if I had been with someone who had mobility issues, this would have been a real problem. I had made the mistake of just assuming every building had an elevator, and since this trip I have made sure to check into this.

Not only are shorts a no-no in some establishments, so are sandals

One place I had on my bucket list to visit was the Bar Hemingway at the Ritz in Paris. I hadn’t put it on the itinerary but had planned that whenever we ended up in the area we would stop in for a drink. We finally made it over one evening near the end of our trip. But when we approached the maître d’, he looked us over and politely, though directly, told us we were not dressed appropriately to enter. 

I immediately blamed Alex with his shorts. I had forgotten that some establishments refused entry to anyone not wearing pants or a skirt. However, later when I looked at our guidebook, I found out that my sandals (that I considered to be dressy walking sandals) had also sealed our fate. We did not end up getting back to the Bar Hemingway, but I figure that just means we have to make a return trip!

If you don’t arrive at designer stores early, you will have to wait outside in line

When we went shopping for my Chanel flap bag, we showed up right after the store at 31 Rue Cambon opened and were immediately ushered into the exclusive showroom. There we were handed a glass of champagne (even though it was before noon) and encouraged to take our time shopping. The store was already bustling, but when we left about an hour later, there was a line outside. 

Similarly, even if you visit during the off-season you will probably wait in line at popular attractions

August is supposed to be the off-season in Paris and we knew we would be sacrificing access to certain places that close for the month. But we made that choice so we wouldn’t have to wait in line at popular attractions. Well, there were still lines at places like the Louvre and Château de Versailles, so I can only imagine what the lines look like during the high-season! My advice: head to the places you know that are popular as early as possible, before they even open, no matter when you travel.

Finally, I wish I had known how emotional I would become seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time

I knew my first trip to Paris would be meaningful, and I knew seeing the Eiffel Tower would be a big part of that since it is one of the major symbols of France. This is a city I’ve dreamt of visiting since I first saw movies like Gigi, Funny Face and Charade as a very little girl. But when I rounded the corner of the Esplanade des Ouvriers de la Tour Eiffel, I was unprepared for the absolute wave of joy that came over me.

I was so happy to be standing in front of this iconic structure that I felt my chest tighten and my throat close up. Tears came to my eyes. I was full-on sobbing in the middle of Paris. Luckily I had brought my oversized sunglasses, but truthfully I didn’t really care what anyone thought of my unexpected reaction. Seeing the Eiffel Tower made me feel like I had finally made it to Paris. I had arrived.

Is there something you wish you had known about Paris or any other destination before traveling there?