What to do in Paris in 24 Hours

What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
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I’ve just been lucky enough to spend 48 hours in Paris without the kids. Now I know the title to this review says 24 hours, but that was basically the time I had in Paris that I wasn’t spending at the prestigious Les Spot des E-Fluent conference (now in year 5) put on by Parole de Mamans.

24 Hours in Paris

I travelled to Paris on a short 1hr long flight from Manchester with Laura & Phil and were whisked off in a taxi into Paris with some other international bloggers and Jo from the UK who had just flow in from Bristol. Thanks to Selectour Afat for arranging our travel.

Apart from attending the conference though we had time to explore this beautiful city and we managed to fit in a walk across the city to see the Eiffel Tower, take a stroll through the Christmas markets, have dinner on the Seine and take a morning trip through the Tuileries Gardens to the Louvre!

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Fundamentally for me to see the best of Paris you walk, walk and walk some more. You only have to walk a short distance from any attraction like the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre and you stumble across beautiful buildings and iconic sights from across the city.

What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk

We stayed in a lovely hotel the Saint James Albany which is fabulously located right opposite the Louvre in Central Paris.  Whilst the rooms are possibly due a refurbishment and sadly during our stay the wifi was broken, its location more than made up for these issues as you could literally walk out into the Tuileries Gardens and across to the Louvre! You also stumble across interesting lights, bridges and statutes all of which make you stop and pause and take lots of photos particularly if you’re a blogger/photographer!

What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk

Being in Paris for a short time in December means you should try and fit in the Christmas Markets which are beautifully located all down the Champs Elysees from the Arc du Triomphe.  Even though we visited during the day the atmosphere was ever present and I had to partake in a glass of hot wine (mulled wine to us Brits!) and was very tempted by the doughnuts and crepes!

What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk

After the wander though the markets we made the short walk to the Eiffel Tower. Well when I say short, it was around 40 minutes.  The Eiffel Tower is always present when you’re in Paris and it always looks closer than you think.  You always think it will be just round the next corner, until it actually is!

What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk

We had all good intentions of going to the top but it was bitterly cold and the queue just wasn’t moving, so instead took the decision to save our money and spend it on the Louvre the next day. We had after all seen the Eiffel Tower and the only place you can’t see the Eiffel Tower in Paris is when you’re at the top! Thanks Alison for the money saving tip!

Our Dinner on the Seine was an excuse to get dressed up and it felt so incredibly special to be cruising up and down the Seine past the Eiffel Tower drinking champagne, particularly when it put on a show for us like this:


It was also an excuse to pop on a little Velvet number!

 

Ladies ready to party! #efluent5 #paris #mondayescapes @iamalisonperry

A photo posted by Karen Beddow (@mini_travellers) on

Finally the morning before we left we were at the Louvre when it opened at 9, trying to make the most of our last few hours in Paris before being collected at 12 from the hotel to head back to the airport.  Unfortunately for us the Louvre had some kind of issue with security and whilst they let us in, we sat on the floor in the entrance until it finally opened at just after 10.

Thankfully it has a very nice ceiling!

What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk

Our delay unfortunately only left us with a little over an hour in the Louvre but we made the most of our time, and you can see some photos of our 1 hour in the Louvre here!  Too many to include in this already photo heavy post!

If you have longer than 24 hours in Paris and you’re looking for somewhere to stay, here are some ideas of Where to Stay in Paris.

If you are travelling to Paris with Toddlers here are some ideas of what to do too!

NB: We were invited to Paris by Parole de Mamans who also arranged for a lot of the activities but all views and opinions are my own.

A huge thank you for Sophie and Parole de Mamans for inviting me, Selectour Afat for arranging the travel, St James Albany for putting us up, Paris en Scene for the dinner and the amazing nighttime views of Paris.

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What to do in Paris in 24 Hours www..minitravellers.co.uk
 
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Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!

Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.

17 thoughts on “What to do in Paris in 24 Hours”

  1. Love your photos Karen, and I have to say that you ladies looked very glamorous on your Seine boat cruise! I’ve only been to Paris once on a hen weekend but I would love to go again sometime. #mondayescapes

    Reply
  2. Wow! That was quite a mini tour around Paris. Looks like lots of fun. Long time ago, I only had one full day in Paris too. We walked like crazy all around the city but were able to see the main sight. I bet the visit in December was great (because of the festivities, except for the cold weather). #MondayEscapes

    Reply
  3. Paris is perfect for strolling as you say. There are so many options – you don’t even need to leave the Seine area! There are a few lovely walks a bit out of the centre too – my favourite is following the St Martin Canal. Wilbur. #citytripping

    Reply
  4. ahah when I first arrived in Paris, I always had this “problem” : thinking that the Eiffel tower was just 10 min away and find myself walking for an hour & a half! ;))
    Btw, if next time you want to climb the Eiffel tower, you may wanna buy your tickets online in advance so that you won’t have to queue! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Hey guys,
    I was searching for some articles about “Where to stay in Paris” today, and I came across this page.

    I noticed that you linked to one of my favorite articles — https://europeupclose.com/article/paris-arrondissements-where-to-stay/

    Just wanted to give you a heads up that I created a similar. It’s like Where to stay in Paris – TOP 5 best places, but more thorough and up to date: https://www.wheretostay.tips/paris/where-to-stay-in-paris

    Might be worth a mention on your page.

    Either way, keep up the awesome work!

    Cheers,

    Mark Vink

    Reply

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