Paris- 5 Top Tips

Mimi turned 30 in November and what better way to celebrate than a trip to her favourite city, Paris?! Having been lucky enough to have visited on a number of occasions, it's one place we never tire of and was deemed the perfect location for a long weekend of eating, sight-seeing, shopping and some well-earned girly fun with our mum. It's always handy to arm yourself with some recommendations pre-visit to a new place, especially when you have limited time and want to maximise it. Our last visit to Paris was a few years back for Mum's 60th and you can find our top tips from that particular visit here,

http://mimiandweesse.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/mimi-and-weesses-top-tips-for-paris.html

With every stay, we've discovered some hidden gems and must-see attractions which we are ever-keen to clue up any first timers to the city on. So here's our 2017 highlights...

Sweet Inn Apartments

Having previously opted for an apartment over a hotel stay, we were keen do so again for this particular trip and Sweet Inn Apartments were the perfect choice for us. We went for a two bedroom apartment situated in le Marais region of Paris and seriously lucked out in terms of location, with a metro station across the road, a department store on our doorstep, plenty bars and cafes around us and independent stores and thrift shops a stone's throw away. Sweet Inn were extremely efficient and great to deal with prior to our stay, with the excellent customer service throughout our visit. Greeted on arrival  by the most friendly, helpful member of staff, she kindly pointed out all the places we may want to visit on a handy map of the city and took the time to chat and get to know us a little. A really lovely start to our trip indeed.

The apartment itself was pretty darn awesome! Modern with a vintage edge, both bedrooms and the living room were decorated beautifully. The kitchen was stocked up with everything we needed and the bathrooms provided some complimentary toiletries, with a pair of slippers each to boot. A safety deposit box, iron, ironing board and hair-dryer were all to hand too. We couldn't fault it! 

On checkout we were able to take a short Uber ride to their offices where they stored our luggage for the day, leaving us hands free until our evening flight. Complimentary snacks and drinks were available as we awaited our taxi to the airport in the comfortable, very stylish waiting area they provide. A stress-free end to what was a pretty perfect stay. We highly recommend you check Sweet Inn out if you're Paris bound this year. With apartments also in locations such as Madrid, London and Milan (to name but a few), we may just need to organise another girls' weekend away in 2018!

Paris Opera House, Palais Garnier 

As we've been lucky enough to visit Paris on several occasions and had already checked off many of the main sightseeing points, we decided it best we book a few things in advance to ensure we had something new to enjoy each day. Being winter time, we also anticipated the need to be indoors for periods of the day with a tour of the Opera House seeming like the perfect addition to our itinerary. Having only ever admired it from the outside we booked a guided tour for our first full day in Paris and it proved to be one of the highlights of our trip! Our guide was so incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining and her commentary made exploring the building far more interesting than just wondering around on our own. The opera house is one of the most beautiful buildings you will ever see and it's history absolutely fascinating. 

At around just £14 per person taking a guided tour is well worth money. We booked with Viator and would recommend you do so in advance to avoid disappointment. Palais Garnier also offers audio headset tours which are even cheaper. 

A Bird's Eye View of Paris (for free!)

We're pretty sure we mentioned this in our last Paris blog post but be sure to go to the roof top of Galleries Lafayette department store for a perfect view of the city and all it's landmarks. Take your lunch with you and enjoy a picnic as you take in the sights Paris from above....for free! The department store is something to behold itself, with the most elaborate stained-glass dome you'll ever see. Being Christmas time, the store's decorations were an added bonus on this particular visit. If you're in to interiors, the Homeware section is a must-see also! 

LIDO

As an extra special treat to celebrate Mimi's 30th, our wonderful mum treated us to an evening at LIDO. A Parisian spectacular, this was one of the most impressive, outstanding productions we've ever seen. We opted for the 9pm performance and were given what we perceived to be the best seats in the house (in the centre of the upper balcony). 







With around 45 performers, including dancers, acrobats and a vocalist, it was a real feast for the senses. The costumes alone stole the show and halfway in we'd lost count of how many costume changes there had been.  From a traditional Can-Can to contemporary, jazz to poppin' and lockin', it was truly breathtaking from start to finish. 

We wouldn't want to spoil the surprise but if you go, expect the unexpected and be prepared to a wowed! A pricey night out indeed, costing around £200 for the 3 of us but no more than a trip to the West End would be. We booked in advance directly through the LIDO website. It's a chance to dress up and be thoroughly entertained in the most decadent surroundings.... Paris style!

Thrift and Vintage Shopping

If you're a lover of all things thrift or vintage, le Marais area of Paris is the place to be. A random Google search revealed that we were in fact surrounded by some seriously great second-hand stores. If you're prepared to rummage check out  Free 'P' Star on rue de la Verrerrie (they actually have a few stores in the area). All 3 of us bagged some 1 Euro bargains, including a velvet blazer which fits Weesse perfectly. We also recommend Vintage Desir on rue des Rosiers and Tilt Vintage on rue de Rivoli if you're in the market for leather. 

And that my friends is your lot. 5 top tips for your next adventure to Paris! It truly is a magical city and having experienced it in all weathers, there is plenty to explore and enjoy at any time of year. We'll no doubt be back again (Mimi looks for any excuse to go!) so please share your tips with us too. 

Bonnes vacances!