Paris Day 1 - Maitli by Sara Zanchetta

Paris, the weather was literally against us and we had to change our programs several time, but the city is pure magic. Not only the touristic attractions, but every palace, every shop, every street is the expression of art, history and beauty. Paris is a cosmopolitan city, but at the same time an old capital, a sparkling mixture where everything seems possible.

This is my adventure, my itinerary plus some useful tips that I’ve discovered on the way. (We arrived at CDG airport at 12.20 am, so we start our trip in the afternoon)

Day 1 – Afternoon: Arc du Triomphe and Champs-Élysées

Mytip: Transports

Le Bus Direct is useful service of shuttle between Paris and its airports; 7 days a week, there are 4 different lines to reach the most important spots in the city. You can buy the tickets on the website (www.lebusdirect.com) or directly at the airport.
For the public transports we choose the Paris Visite Zones 1 to 3, that allows you to travel around the central area of Paris using all of the public transports networks and gives you special discounts for several museums. All info and where to buy here → https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/paris-visite-travel-pass

The hotel I choose for the stay is the Hotel Residence Foch, located in a beautiful residential quarter in the 16th district of Paris, surrounded by historical buildings. The rooms are simply amazing and the staff is very kind and professional. Being surrounded by haussmannian buildings makes you feel a little bit more a Parisian than a tourist.

From the hotel we get to the Arc du Triomphe in a few subway stops. The impact of the arch is huge, it’s possible to go on the top to have a beautiful view on the city, but remind to check the website because due to bad weather it could be closed (www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr/en).

We spend the rest of the day on the Champs-Élysées, shopping in the several stores. There are literally every kind of shop and restaurants, luxury shops, fast foods, fashion, perfumery, accessories, patisseries.

Mytip: Food

We end the first day at the Crêperie Framboise, having an amazing dinner with crêpes and galettes (similar to crêpes but salty and made of buckwheat).