Girly Guide To Paris: Example Itinerary

Day 1:
9am-arrive at Eiffel Tower (prebook tickets for 3rd floor)
Go to the 2nd floor and go straight to the 3rd floor elevator queues-wait and take in the view from the top.
10.30am-Cross the road at the north pillar and book tickets for a Seine cruise.I used Vedettes de Paris which was great and takes around an hour but several depart and I think they are all pretty good.
12.00pm- Make your way to the Louvre (prebook tickets if possible) now you can spend an hour or several hours in here but we just went for the highlights-Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa etc.
2.00pm-Lunch on Rue de Rivoli-I like the omlettes from Chez Alexandre just off Rue de Rivoli on Rue du Louvre but there is everything from cafes to McDonalds to A la Carte restraunts nearby to suit your taste and budget.
3.00pm-Do some shopping along Rue de Rivoli and make your way along towards the 4th arrondissment.
4.00pm-Visit Notre Dame-whether you climb it or not is up to yourself - the views are pretty great(although the stairs are pretty soul destroying).
4.30pm-Make your way back along the Seine,visiting the little market stores that line it-selling books and art.Turn into the latin Quarter whenever suits you.Continue shopping.
7.00pm-Take a train to the 9th arrondissment and get off around the Grand Boulevards Metro stop or nearby if possible. Visit the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.
9.00pm-Visit one on the little local bars and feel sorry for yourself because your feet hurt. Home whenever suits you for bed.

Day 2:
9.00am- Take the RER line A to Marne La Vallee Chessy and visit Disneyland
10.00am-Arrive and go straight to Walt Disney Studios. Go on as many rides and visit as much as you can/want.
Food and drink is expensive here so I'd say have something like one of the little cakes/crisps to stay fulling during the day and have a big breakfast before you go.
2.30pm-Planet Hollywood for lunch.Visit Disney Village afterwards.
3.45pm-Visit Disneyland Park.Stay as long as you need and do as much as you can. Check opening hours for both parks and change your times in each park around this, but i think Disneyland Park is open as late as 11pm in the summer.Have dinner on the way home somewhere near your hotel if you r home early enough and feel like eating (we actually only managed a little cake after our Planet Hollywood burgers).

Day 3:
Have your first Parisian lie-in!Either spend the full day shopping or...
11am-Make your way to the Pigalle area (safe enough during the day) and try to keep a straight face as you pass the countless sex shops (it's the red light district).Visit the Moulin Rouge for photos and walk up towards Sacre Couer-whether you get close to the stairs is up to yourself.Bear in my mind my earlier advice.Views are second to none from the top of the basillica and the building is beautiful.
1pm-Lunch wherever suits you in the 9th arrondisment.
2pm-Make your way to the Arc di Triomphe, take lots of photos and go to the top if you want. Then shop on Champs-Elysees.
5pm-Back to hotel.Change for dinner.
7pm-Head out for dinner wherever you chose and spend your last night either in a trendy Parisian bar in the Latin Quarter or if your budget allows it go to a cabaret such as Lido, Crazy Horse Paris or Moulin Rouge (should be booked before you go via the cabarets website or Viator).

Girly Guide To Travel:Spotlight on.....

I Heart..... book series


The I heart ….. books are addictive and essential read for travelling. I’ve mentioned them several times in previous posts and thought I might as well do a post about them as these were part of what made me come to put this blog together :) I’m avoiding spoilers and giving away too much information here as best as I can.

The first book,I Heart New York follows the story of Angela Clark who moves from London to New York on discovering her boyfriends infidelity at her best friend’s wedding. From there she begins to blog, date, learn how to apply make-up and spend a lot of money on clothes by designers she never even knew existed until she arrived in New York. The book follows her ups and downs in New York and her blogged about dating life, while she chooses between 2 New Yorkers who offer her very different but very nice things.

The second book, I Heart Hollywood follows her time spent in Hollywood on a work assignment to interview a huge Hollywood actor. In Hollywood things take a turn for the worse and Angela falls victim to the city’s penchant for creating hot gossip from nothing. Angela’s career, love life and friendships are soon jeopardized by it all and I wont tell you how it ends…..read it.

The third book. I Heart Paris is set in……you guess…..oh you guessed right (I hope). On another writing project, poor Angela’s work and love life is again appearing strained due to some dubious workmates and a very bitchy ex-girlfriend. The funniest of all the books by far.

The series is funny, witty and very girly. It is like Sex and The City on the road. I highly recommend picking them up and giving them a go. You will fall in love with Angela, author Lindsey Kelk has managed to create a very convincing, lovely, oh-she’s-so-like-me character and you genuinely want her to do well ,will laugh with her, root her on and get upset when things go a bit pear shaped for her. I would also like be amazed to hear of anyone who didn’t actually wish they didn’t have her friend Jenny as their best friend too.

http://www.play.com/Search.html?searchstring=lindsey+kelk&searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0

http://www.iheartnewyork.co.uk/lindseykelk

Girly Guide To Paris:La Destination Mode Européenne

Paris is widely considered the fashion capital of Europe and it's easy to see why-even the less immaculately preened, non-designer, bedhead hispster girls seem effortlessly styled and the Metro is like a Vogue fashion shoot. So, while in New York anything goes Paris requires a bit more planning in packing your case.Good staples for a Paris trip are:

Ballet flats (you will walk a lot)
Nice heels for dinner/cabaret show at night
The skinniest skinny jeans you own
An over-body bag (trendy but less likely to be pickpocketed/stolen)
A pretty brolly or PacaMac as I have been in all seasons and rain is about as Parisian as the Eiffel Tower
Make up -see on the plane
Tea/day dresses are good in all seasons and perfect for anywhere.Wear with flats and bare legs in the summer and with tights and a cardi in the winter
Stripy top's are totally do-able but dont wear with a beret and a string of onions- wear an oversized/dress version with leggings or bare legs.Shorter tshirts are good with skinny jeans and flats.Knitted stripy tops/cardis are good with block colour dresses/skirts.


Shopping:
Champs Elysees-A shopping mecca with a choice of designer and Parisian High St stores. Get off the Metro at Charles de Gaulle Etoile, see the Arc Di Triomphe and work your way along the hundreds of stores and restraunts.Stores include Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Morgan de Toi etc.

Latin Quarter-Traditionally the student quarter but the Latin Quarter has been expanded and has a range of stores. Gift/souvenir shops are a lot cheaper here than around the Louvre/Rue de Rivoli.As well as clothing/souvenir stores there are several book stores, market stands along the Seine selling paintings and books, a great glove store and several restraunts. Metro stations are plentiful in the area- St Michel, Maubert and Cluny are to name but a few.

Rue de Rivoli- Offers several souvenir shops,art shops, Quicksilver, Etam, H & M and a Pronuptia wedding shop for brides to be. Again, several restraunts are nearby and the underground Les Halles shopping mall.Metro stations-Louvre Rivoli, Chatelet Les Halles, Les Halles.

Also visit, Fabourg St Honore, Galeries Lafayette,Printemps, the Marais.

Tip:Monoprix is a huge store selling food,make up, toiletries etc and there are several around the city.Look out for them as they often sell great clothing/accessories and the sale items are fantastic.

Look out for sales (soldes) when visiting. I managed to get a 40eur bag for 7.50 eur in Monoprix and it's rather lovely :) Other sale items we tracked down include a beautiful floral skirt in Morgan de Toi (45eur to 9eur) and several tops down to as little as 6eur in Morgan de Toi. Sale seasons are (winter) beginning of January and (summer)the end of June and they usually last around 6 weeks.

Must buy's

Compact Mirrors-Buy in the Latin Quarter for about 5eur.There is a huge range of designs and they are all very pretty.
Scarves-Various designs,shapes and textures on offer and prices start from around 7eur.
Food/drink-Wine is wonderfully cheap so stock up and bring home, also you can buy absinthe pretty cheap.Maxim chocolate is gorgeous, beautifully packed and starts froma round 4 eur.
Souvenirs-Get something to mark your visit-an I heart Paris hoody from (25 eur), bookmark(from 1 eur),pen(from 2 eur), eiffel tower keyring(from 6 for 1eur), pictures (from 2 eur)etc.
Also, make up from duty free!

Girly Guide to Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris

Despite being minute compared to it's Floridian counterpart, Disneyland is a good way to spend a day if you want away from sightseeing and the city centre. Disneyland Paris is in Marne La Vallee, about 50 minutes on the RER Line A to Marne La Vallee-Chessy.A few larger metro stations have links to the RER line A and we travelled from Auber. If you decide to travel by Metro and RER, and are staying in the city centre,get a one day 5 zone Mobilis pass from the ticket booth on the day you travel. This costs around £13.85.You may need to have a pass with more or less zones included depending on where you travel from, so ask at the information desk before buying if you are unsure.You can book Disneyeland Tickets online via the Dinseyland website and Viator offer deals with transport from the city centre.I have a link to Viator under the Helpful Webpages section of my blog. Pre-booking saves time and is usually cheaper.Bring ID if you pre-book your tickets.

Disneyland Paris has 2 parks- Walt Disney Studios Park and Disneyland Park.WDS Park is a lot smaller with less rides,however, it's worth going if you can upgrade to a 2 park ticket for £10-15 more. Be prepared to queue for major rides/attractions particularly in the busier seasons, use your fast pass (free) to avoid standing in long lines.

Best of WDS Park:

Cinemagique-A 4d show charting cinemas progression through the years.It funny, clever and shows are regular.This was my favourite WDS Park attraction.

Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror- This is actually terrifying.It's set up like an abandoned hotel and you ride the elevator which basically appears either very broken or very haunted. I was ill on this :P

Aerosmith Rock n Roller Coaster-A rollercoaster which goes from 0-100km/hr in less than 3 seconds.Really fast,really scary and a must do if visiting WDS Park.Look out for band/gig memorbilia on the way to the ride.

Disneyland Park is a lot bigger and will need a lot more time dedicated to getting around everything.We did this in the afternoon after WDS Park as it was open later but check times before you go.

Best of Disneyland Park:

Big Thunder Mountain-A roller coaster which is a lot scarier than it looks, we went on it thinking it was a little old fashioned rickety coaster.And we couldnt have been more wrong.

Space Mountain Mission 2- Another roller coaster, which is the scariest one I went on n Disneyland.A lot of stopping,starting,black holes and very quick turns.

Phantom Manor-A haunted mansion ride which is really well done.It isnt scary but some of the effects (like the dancing ghosts in the ballroom) make it a must-do ride.

Best photo points:

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Alice's Curious Labyrinth

Most areas in Main St USA

Character Greeting points

In between parks, visit Disney Village and have lunch in Planet Hollywood. Disney Village also has several other restraunts, shops, a cinema and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

http://www.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.xhtml

Girly Guide To Paris:For on the Plane

Book:

I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk is funny, exciting and a follow-up to I Heart New York which I recommended in my New York Blogs. It follows fictional character Angela Clark's journey around Paris and is like a French Sex in the City.Lovely and I'm half way through it just now :)

Music for your ipod:

U2 - City of Blinding Lights: The lyrics beautifully sum up the city at night and I think of Paris everytime I hear it (they also used it in the Paris arrival scene in the Devil Wears Prada :p).

Edith Piaf- Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien:Lovely, french, dramatic, unspoiled and timeless.Just like Paris.

Ladyhawke- Paris is Burning: Just heard this song and I think it really gives you an insight into the hip,bohemian feel of the Latin Quarter.

Must have's on flight:

In your make up bag:

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

A mini tub of Nivea Soft (hands face and body one)

Carmex Lip Balm

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara

Barry M Eyeliner (any,they are all great)

Barry M Dazzle Dust (any colour but you only need a tiny amount)

Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse (foundation and blusher)

A small perfume atomizer- fill it with something light and lovely Anna Sui Secret Wish or Dolce and Gabanna Light blue so it's not too overpowering for whoever is around you though :)

Baby wipes-travel pack

Other necessities:

Undies (incase your hold luggage case goes missing)

Map of paris, metro map print out and hotel details so you can plan your arrival and journey from airport

Alcohol gel for hands-if you plan on using the metro and also because I have yet to find a flight toilet with soap that doesnt smell disgusting.

A hairband/bobble and bursh (again incase your cases go missing)

Pen, ipod, scrap paper,phone and camera (as above :p)

Girly Guide To Paris

Paris is my favourite European city break destination so far, as it manages to maintain it's stunning, intricately detailed, historic architechture yet remain completely up-to-date, modern and accessible.I fell in love with how Paris managed to radiate n old fashioned charm while also appearing effortlessly cool. Paris is broken up into 20 arrondissments, each unique in it's attractions,views and atmosphere.We arrived in Beavuvais airport, meaning we had to travel by bus to Porte Maillot in the 17th arrondissment and despite no major attractions being in the immediate area, within a minute of our taxi ride we had seen the Arc Di Triomphe and Champs Elysees.Paris is so compact that you can see several attractions within a short space of time. However, every individual sight is so impressive that it's worthwhile actually dedicating time to making sure you visit and explore each properly.Here's my Girly Guide to Paris:

Must See Sights

1. Eiffel Tower-Instantly reognisable as Paris' most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower (or Tour Eiffel when in Paris) stands at 324m tall and is in the Champs de Mars area in the 7th arrondissment. It's impossible to return from a visit to Paris and not have someone ask you "did you go up the Eiffel Tower?" .Its worthwhile going up for the stunning views of Sacre Coeur, the Seine and Arc Di Triomphe. I have visited the Eiffel Tower on all 3 of my visits to Paris because I love the views and it' also worth a visit at night when the tower is lit up.It costs about 8.20eur to go to the 2nd floor and 13.20 eur to the 3rd floor by elevator. You can take the stairs (to the 2nd floor only) for 4.50eur. Under 24s get a discounted rate so bring ID. Queues are notoriously long for the Eiffel Tower (up to a few hours), so book your tickets online and arrive for it opening, if possible. Also, several Seine Cruises depart from the Seine just across the road from the north pillar so it's a good idea to combine the two in your itinerary.

Nearest Metro- Bir Hakeim or Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel

http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/fr/-eiffel.fr/teiffel/fr/

2. Arc Di Triomphe- An arched monument that stands at the western end of Champs-Elysees, the Arc Di Triomphe is 160ft tall and stands on the historical axis of Paris which runs between the Louvre Museum and Arche de la Defense. Visitors can also go to the top of the Arc for views of Paris including Champs Elysees and Sacre Coeur. If you want to visit the actual monument and not just photograph it from Champs Elysees you have to take one of the underpasses as crossing the road is too dangerous and not allowed.Make this part of your itinerary by incoprorating it with a shopping visit to Champs Elysees or if you are going to see Le Lido cabaret.

Nearest Metro- Charles de Gaulle Etoile

3.Notre Dame Cathedral- A stunning cathedral on the east side of Paris, Notre Dame stands on Ile de la Cite in the 4th arrondissment. It is widely considered as one of France's best examples of Gothic architecture and is worth visiting whether you intend to go inside of not as both building itself and the views from the top are equally breathtaking. The cathedral was made further famed by Victor Hugo's the Hunchback of Notre Dame which has been made into countless films and even a Disney adaptation. And for those of you familiar with the story, yes you can go and see the bell tower :) Notre Dame is near the Latin Quarter which is a great shopping area so plan your trip around the two. Again, prepare to queue so arrive early, if you decide to climb the tower and be sure to photograph the tower's gargoyles.

Nearest Metro- St Michel, Cite

http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/-English-

4.Louvre Museum- Make famous by the Da Vinci Code, the Mona Lisa and the glass and metal pyramids, the Louvre is the world's most visited museum.It is also one of the world's largest museums. Must do's on your visit include visiting the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory and Venus de Milo. Also, visit the pyramid in the courtyard and the inverted pyramid on the inside of the Louvre.You can pre-book your tickets online to avoid queuing which is recommended.Under 18s can go free with ID. Inside the Louvre, there is also a shopping centre- Carrousel du Louvre-which has various shops including Virgin Megastore, Swarovski, Sephora and L'Occitane en Provence as well as several restraunts.If you exit to Rue de Rivoli there are even more shops from gift shops to art shops to clothing shops and more restaurants and cafes.

Nearest Metro- Louvre Rivoli, Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre.

http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en

I missed out Sacre Coeur even although it's a beautiful building and the views are amazing purely becuase of safety issues and this is a Girly Guide to Travel. There are hordes of men at the bottom of the stairs who are notorious for grabbing visitors and doing the "friendship bracelet scam" where they quickly slip a string bracelet over your hand then become abusive when you dont pay the 100eur or whatever they demand. Tripadvisor has several posts relating to it and it seems to go on all day every day. It can actually be very intimidating and I wouldnt recommend visiting this sight alone or with just a few people in your group. If you do go, remain aware of the gangs-you can't really miss them- and keep your arms folded and keep walking ahead.If they do attempt to accost you just keeping saying NO or ignore them and keep walking, we did this an they were still quite abusive but not physically.

Paris, J'taime

Just a quick post to state that I am off to Paris today. Actually I leave in less than an hour and shouldn't really be blogging because I'm sitting in my housecoat, with wet hair, almost crying with the stress of picking my flight outfit. Maxi dress or floral mini-dress?I am also facing another crisis, A- I havent eaten yet today despite being up early to organise myself and B- I am covered in completely delectable, but also unedible, Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter. So I am dangeroulsy close to eating my own limbs if I dont get to Prestwick Airport's cafe soon. This is my 3rd trip to Paris but my 1st trp without my fiance. Im going with my sister who has spent too much money on clothes, sunglasses and tooth whitening treatments for the trip and not enough time heeding Ryanair's baggage limitations. So, will update my blog when I'm home with my Girly Guide To Paris :) Au Revoir x