I have been posting so many photos from my Europe trip recently, and in turn have been getting a bunch of questions about what we did, where we went and where we stayed. Spending the holidays in Paris was a dream I never knew I had, but it is something I would love to experience again and again. Patrick and I were in Paris at the end of November into early December. I loved this time of year because everything was set up for Christmas, yet there were still the most amazing Autumn colors. It was truly magical! We were lucky to not have much rain, although there is something nostalgic about hiding away from the rain in a Parisian Café.

I did a bunch of research prior to our trip and knew that I wanted to stay in the St. Germain neighborhood. We decided on a cute boutique hotel right next to Jardin De Luxembourg, which was also conveniently located right next to the metro. We really wanted a central location so that we could walk to most of the shops, restaurants and attractions on our list (more walking = more croissants).

There is so much to do in Paris, so unless you are lucky enough to be there for an extended amount of time, make sure to mark down a few places you for sure don’t want to miss! Our highlights were:

Eiffel Tower – Try to go to the Place du Trocadero at sunrise for a full view of the Tower without all the tourists! Luckily sunrise was later while we were there, so getting there at 8 AM still ensured we would have most of the place to ourselves! Also, don’t miss the Eiffel Tower light show at night! Every night from sundown to 1:00 am, at the beginning of each hour, the Eiffel Tower displays millions of sparkling lights! Since the sun sets earlier in the winter months, we were able to witness the beauty several times!

Jardin De Luxembourg – Go to Angelina for the richest and most decadent hot chocolate of your life!

Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole, Café de Flore, Castel Cafe, Le Consulat – The cutest, most Instagram worthy, Cafe’s!

La Maison Rose in Montmarte – Incredible views, winding alleyways, cute side streets, and artists displaying their work out on the street – such an awesome area to walk around in! Beware – there will be tourists.

St. Germain,Le Marais and Champs-Élysées – Shopping!

Laudurée – Macarons were amazing! However, I will argue that the ones from Ketsourine Macaron‘s in San Francisco are better (totally expecting backlash from that statement. Both places are amazing!).

Other notable places we explored that are a bit more obvious – Notre Dame, Palais Royale, Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries, Palace of Versailles (a bit outside of the city)

I don’t have any specific recommendations for restaurants because there are SO many amazing options around every corner. We always ended up wandering into random restaurants when we were hungry and were never disappointed. I do, however, recommend that you eat as many crepes as possible from the crepe stands on every corner. Don’t worry, you’ll walk it off!

 

Top: here | Skirt: here | Shoes: here | Belt: here | Purse: here | Earrings: here | Hat: here

I don’t think it would be possible to run out of places to see while in Paris! Something that Patrick and I share in common is that we tend to stray away from the touristy things the majority of the time. If you plan to travel with your SO to Paris, I highly suggest booking a shoot while you are in town! First because you will get photos that you will cherish forever, and second it gives you the opportunity to chat with the locals and get insider recommendations on what to do. Some of the most fun Patrick and I had was when we met up with the photographers who would show us hidden locations (like a rooftop overlooking the Eiffel Tower.. what?!) and teach us things that we would have never known about the city! We went out to dinner with one of the photographers and her husband one night and it was so awesome to get a different perspective of what the city is actually like to live in.
Au revoir!

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Photos by Oui Photo