8 Things That Will Happen to You Every Paris Trip

What happens in Paris…always happens in Paris!

We’ve been in the biz for quite a while now (over 10 years to be exact!), and we’ve noticed some…how do I put this…trends that occur when you come to Paris. We’ve all experienced them when we first arrived in this beautiful city, and we’ve seen that our travelers have some of the same stories too!

There are just some things that you KNOW will happen to you every Paris trip. I’ve decided to write this article to help you get ready for your trip, and for those of you who have already visited and just want to reminiscence on some #relatable stories.

Keep reading for my round up of 8 things that will happen to you every Paris trip!

1. Red wine spill on your white shirt

This one, while sad for all of your precious white shirts, is bound to happen!

Especially if you’re in Paris with your best friends and someone says something a little too funny that makes a little red wine come out of your nose and ultimately gets on your shirt. BEEN THERE.

There are so many delicious red wines to choose from in France, Côtes de Rhode, Bordeaux, Medoc…all at excellent prices if I do say so myself, so accept the fact that these things happen!

Our grandmother’s trick for getting red wine out of fabric? Throw a little salt on it! It doesn’t work every time, but we’ve found that it helps.

If you’re looking for a good place to enjoy some yummy wine, I have a few suggestions:

Le Pas Sage – wine bar and restaurant
145 Rue Saint-Denis, 75002 Paris
Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-12am
01 40 28 45 60

Le Barav – wine bar and restaurant
6 Rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003 Paris
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 5pm-12am, Saturday 12pm-12am
01 48 04 57 59

2. Hangover

What goes hand in hand with red wine? You guessed it, a hangover! While we will admit that the wine in France is a little better quality than elsewhere in the world, if you overindulge…you know what happens next!

My suggestion is that you alternate glasses a water between your glasses of wine. Another grandmother’s trick but it usually works for me! Also, try to take ibuprofen or something of the like before bed, and of course, chug that water!

If you do wake up feeling less than fresh, a good breakfast and some stylish sunglasses should do the trick. Head to your local bakery and stock up on all the carbs.

If you’re looking for something a little bit heavier than that, there are some great breakfast places in Paris that are worth the trip:

Holybelly 5
5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris
Opening hours: Every day 9am-5pm
01 82 28 00 80

The Hardware Société Paris
10 Rue Lamarck, 75018 Paris
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm, Saturday-Sunday 9:30am-4:30pm
01 42 51 69 03

3. Overbook yourself

This is a topic that is really important for us here at Sight Seeker’s Delight. We regularly get emails that look a little something like this:

“Bonjour! We will be in Paris for 5 days. We want to know if it would be possible to visit Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Le Marais and the Catacombs in one day. We know that it is a lot to do, but we want to make the most of our trip!”

Woah, woah, WOAH. Even for the most ambitious amongst you, this type of traveling will result in aching feet, a pounding head and a grumpy attitude. We know that most of you want to use your time in Paris to see as much as you can, but take a deep breath, and listen to what I am about to tell you.

There is A LOT to see in Paris. And when I say a lot, I mean that even after living here for years, we still haven’t explored every inch of what this city has to offer! And believe me, it is so much better to do less, and actually enjoy your time, than to see everything, and end up exhausted.

Take my advice. Take your time, walk slowly, breathe deeply, and just try to enjoy the things that you have the time to see. Versailles is a day in and of itself, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe can be enjoyed in one day, and the rest? Well, we usually recommend 3 activities tops per day. You’re in France, do as the French do! Take 2 hours to eat your lunch. Sit on an outdoor patio and enjoy some prime people watching action for a few hours. Stroll the streets at night, and head to the Seine to enjoy the river views.

If you don’t have enough time to see everything you’d like, that’s okay! That just means another trip to Paris is in your future 🙂

4. Gain 5 lbs

Okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little here. But, prepare your stretchy pants because there is so much delicious food to discover in Paris! The bread! The butter! The pastries! The wine! In short, I recommend that you don’t hold back from tasting all of the deliciousness that Paris has to offer.

You can always get back to the gym and eat you fruits and veggies once you’re back home. That being said, if you’re really concerned about gaining a bit of weight while you’re in Paris, there are some healthy options, too. French salads are delicious, and so are their vegetable dishes. There are plenty of vegetarian restaurants in the city, too!

Another way to prevent packing on the pounds while you’re here? Get out there and walk! Paris is such a walkable city, so try to travel on foot as much as you can.

5. Beggars

In my opinion, this may be the saddest part of your Paris trip. Unfortunately, there are a lot of beggars and homeless people in Paris. You’ll see them in the street and in the metro. This could be a bit shocking to some of you, especially if you don’t live in a big city. As a girl from a small town, I was definitely not used to seeing that kind of poverty.

If you can, try to give out your spare change to a homeless person at the end of your stay. Especially if you’re American, you won’t need those euros, anyways! If you stayed in an Airbnb and you have left over food, give it away rather than just putting it in the cash.

Even if you don’t have anything to spare, a simple smile can make a homeless person’s day. They are used to being ignored, so a little human interaction can help, at least a little, and make them feel like they exist.

That being said, there are some scams and the like to look out for in the city. If you want to learn more…we wrote a blog about it here!

6. Question if you are really a Parisian at heart

Ah, my favorite side effect from visiting Paris! It’s such a special city, that many people visit and find themselves thinking, “Do I actually belong here?!” We’d be lying if we didn’t say that we all experienced this moment, and that is one of the reasons why we decided to stay here for the long run!

The vibe in Paris is just…different. Especially if you’re visiting from a non-European country. The pace of life is slower, the food is better (ok…so that may just be my opinion 😉 ), the scenery is gorgeous, and there are so many museums and other attractions to explore!

At the end of your trip, do you find yourself with a baguette under your arm, munching the croute before you get home? Do you wake up early on a Saturday morning, to get the best of the best from the local outdoor market? Are you annoyed with all of the crowds on the metro?! Yup…you just might be Parisian at heart!

If any of you have similar stories, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below 🙂

7. Discover something new

No matter how many times you have been to Paris, there is always something new to discover! We can vouch for this, because even we find new places in the city, even after all of these years of living here!

There are so many different streets, neighborhoods and restaurants waiting to be explored by you. Each arrondissement in Paris is different and has its own unique qualities, and we can’t stress enough how interesting each and every one is!

Get out there and explore. You’ll never know what you may stumble across!

8. Go on a Sight Seeker’s Delight tour

This one is essential for having an amazing Paris trip, and we certainly hope that this happens to you every time you’re here! We have 14 different walking tour options, and even the opportunity to build a custom tour with us. Here are just a few:

Paris Along the Seine: We would recommend this as the best one to give you a great overall introduction to the city, its monuments, and its history. It is about 4-4.5 hours long and we take a short break to recharge at a fabulous little cafe along our winding river-side route. The Seine tour will allow you to get your bearings in the city and learn some incredible history and anecdotes along the way. This is one of our most popular tours and I assure you, you will see and learn a LOT in a very short time! Flexible start time. 40 €.

Time Travel to Montmartre: We visit the beautiful and quaint neighborhood of Montmartre, where many of the famous artists lived at the end of the 1800s (Van Gogh, Picasso, Renoir, etc.). During this 2.5 hour tour, we will pass their old apartments and where they worked, and we will let you in on all the interesting stories about life – and death – in Montmartre. We also pop into Sacre Coeur Basilica at the top of the hill. Bring your camera – we see an unforgettable view of the city. Flexible start time. 30 €.

Jewish History of Le Marais: This 3-hour tour is not just for travelers of Jewish faith – it is for everyone (especially if you’re a fan of falafel, since our lunch break is at an Israeli restaurant famous for it)! The ultra-chic Marais district has some of the richest history in the city, and it is the premiere district for the Parisian Jewish population. We will show you the beauty of this area, take you into a synagogue or two (Karen has relationships with several Rabbis in the area), and tell you its stirring history. 11am start time Sunday-Friday. 60 €.

Eat Like a Parisian: Explore the real Paris where real Parisians shop for food! The tour includes stops at 7 artisan food stores in the Montmartre area to shop for our meal. While enjoying your meal including French bread, cheese, cured meats, fish, veggies, and of course dessert, learn how French cuisine has evolved to be what it is now. Not only will you eat, but YOU might be the one making the vinagrette, as the tour finishes up at our favorite cooking school in Paris! 10am Tuesday-Friday. 99€.

Keys to the Louvre: Visit the world’s biggest museum, but instead of being overwhelmed by its vastness, let our expert guide take you around. We’ll hit all the greats in just 2.5 hours, and skip the tedious and boring and make sure you actually have fun at the museum! Flexible start time Wednesday – Monday. 85€

Very Versailles: Now you can discover the most famous (and gold-dripped) palace in France! On this full-day experience your guide will take you from Paris to the town of Versailles and regale you with the history and stories of Versailles and its royal gardens. During the lunch break (individual expense, 10-15 euros) your guide will amaze you with the whirlwind history of this decadent place. Skip the line palace and garden tickets and round trip train tickets included in price. 9:30am on Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday. 8-9 hours including train. Available as Private tour only.

Do you see anything that catches your eye?! I hope so! Click here to view all of our touring options.

Conclusion

Have you been to Paris? Have any of these things happened to you? Have I missed anything?!

Or, are you coming to Paris, and are reading this article to prepare for your trip?

Either way, I hope you have enjoyed this post, could relate a little bit, and are getting excited to visit this beautiful place that we are lucky enough to call home. We’ll see you when you get here!

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