Ok, so “seeing it all” is a bit of a lie. No itinerary can include EVERYTHING there is to see in only 3-days in Paris. To be honest, this was my 5th trip and I still have lots to see in the future. But damned if my bestie Shaina and I didn’t squeeze every possible minute out of our own 3-day Paris itinerary! I don’t think I’ve ever covered so much ground on a trip, even when by myself. So, go us!
So, first a little back story: Shaina and I met in birth class when we were both pregnant with our oldest kiddos, who ultimately ended up being born five days apart. Our second kids were later born 13 days apart. Shaina moved away from Indiana about a year before we moved to Sicily, but obviously we kept in touch. Which led to THIS TRIP! We spent 3 days in Paris and had an amazing time. After that, it was back to our house for all things Sicilian (but we’ll get to that later).
I’ll get into more details of each day later, but for now — here’s how we tackled the challenge of seeing as much of Paris (and Versailles!) as possible in a quick 3-day holiday. One thing that was absolutely instrumental was our decision to purchase the Paris Museum Pass, which I wrote about here.
Psssst. If you are heading to France, I’d also suggest you check out this post on what not to do in Paris!
Our 3 days in Paris: The details
Arrivals: me, late Wednesday night. Shaina, midday Thursday.
Where we stayed: An AirBnB extremely close to Gare du Nord and Gare de L’Est, which was absolutely fantastic! Very convenient. The only thing was that it as located on the top of a sixth-floor walk-up, which was fine in the morning but a little rough after walking at least 12 miles per day. We referred to the stairs as “the thing we don’t talk about” or “the thing.” Still, the stairs were at least not at all death-y (I’m looking at you, Brussels), and I would honestly stay there again.
Never used AirBnB? We love it! (See post about it here). If you want to give it a try, please consider using my referral link to get $40 off your first stay. www.airbnb.com/c/kaseyh50
If you are headed to Paris as a couple, I also just want to throw out a recommendation for the Hotel Familia on Rue des Ecoles, where we stayed on our honeymoon. It is affordable and has a perfect location near Notre Dame!
What we ate: Uh, everything? Highlights were incredible meals at Chez Casimir, La Cambodge and Le Bosquet. We also enjoyed ice cream at the famed Berthillion Glacier, chocolate at Pierre Marcolini and pain au chocolat from practically every bakery we passed.
How we got around: From the airport, an extremely easy train ride on RER B directly to Gare du Nord and a 5-minute walk to the apartment. Everywhere else: the excellent metro system (bought a package of 10 tickets) and our own two feet. (One note about traveling from the airport: when we went with the kids we pre-arranged a car with car seats to bring us to the hotel; this now seems like a waste of money because the RER B was so easy. However, if you do decide to go the taxi route, make sure you are getting a legit taxi or Uber, because fake taxis are apparently now a common tourist scam in Paris.)
Our 3-day Paris itinerary
Day 1 of our 3-day Paris itinerary:
Update: Find a full recap of our first day in Paris here.
- Pantheon (me alone, Shaina hadn’t arrived)
- Luxembourg Gardens (same)
- Meet Shaina, drop off stuff, encounter protests and decide to walk to enjoy the scenery
- Tuileries Gardens for lunch
- Musee d’Orsay
- Pop-in at the Louvre
- Epic 3-hour dinner at the fabulous Chez Casimir, which we highly recommend!
Medici fountain at Luxembourg Garden, one of my favorite spots in Paris
Day 2 of our 3-day Paris itinerary:
Update: find a full recap of our second day in Paris here.
- Musee de l’Orangerie
- Musee Rodin
- Les Invalides
- Lunch at Le Bosquet (fabulous!)
- Eiffel Tower
- Long walk to Sainte-Chapelle (closed earlier than we thought)
- Pop by Notre Dame for a quick look
- Walk around Ile Saint-Louis, ice cream at Berthillion Glacier
- Visit to fancy Rue Saint-Honore and Pierre Marcolini chocolate shop
- Seine River cruise
- Dinner at La Cambodge (AMAZING)
The Thinker, gardens at Musee Rodin
Day 3 of our 3-day Paris itinerary:
Update: find a full recap of our third day in Paris here.
- Montemarte: breakfast, shopping for art and visit to Sacre Couer
- Drama/starvation-filled trip to Versailles
- Dinner in the Latin Quarter
- Walk along the Champs d’Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe
Gardens of Versailles. Photo credit: Shaina
I actually just had to text Shaina to confirm we actually did all this, with the follow-up question of HOW?
Anyway, if you are looking to see as much of Paris as possible within a few days — it is definitely possible to cover a lot of ground. I would suggest taking advantage of the excellent Metro system (buy a pack of 10 tickets to save time) to get around, but also investing some time walking and getting a good look at the city. I feel like looking at this itinerary it seems like we must have been frantically rushing from place to place, but it honestly didn’t seem like that at the time — especially during the time we took the time to take in the sights while walking. I think Shaina would probably join me in also suggesting that you also embrace the long, leisurely dinners! We are also advocates for lunch wine.
Looking to head to Paris with kids? No worries, I have an itinerary planned for you too. Until then, feel free to look through my posts about last year’s trip to Paris and the Loire Valley with our crew here.
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