Paris is a city that never fails to enchant its visitors with its stunning architecture, world-class museums, and charming streets. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway filled with fine wine, delicious food, and endless sightseeing, then Paris is the perfect destination. In this slightly different blog post, I thought it would be good to have a look at my recent trip to the city of love, sharing our itinerary and recommendations for where to eat in the 2nd arrondissement. I also thought it would be a good way for you to get to know me a little outside of DIY! From exploring the Seine River to dining in local restaurants, I’ve got you covered with all the details you need to plan your perfect budget weekend in Paris.
Our trip itinerary
Arrival
After arriving in Paris at 7pm on Friday evening, my partner and I dropped off our bags at our hotel and headed out for a bite to eat. Unfortunately I suffered a migraine when we got there, which put a damper on the first evening. We stumbled upon a restaurant called Friends and Family, which didn’t have an English menu, or a printed French menu. Given that I normally take a photo using Google translate for the English translation, when the waiter bought us a blackboard with written down meals we were shocked! After some questionable French we managed to order, and the food was delicious, and came to around €65.
Day 1
The following day, my migraine had thankfully subsided and we took a river cruise along the Seine with Vedettes de Pont Neuf. It was a great budget-friendly activity at only €13 per person for an hour tour, and a great way to explore areas of Paris that we hadn’t seen before. I recommend getting there slightly before they suggest for the pick of seats on the top of the boat, latecomers ended up on the bottom deck which didn’t give as good a view. We then found a lovely park along the riverbank and had a picnic lunch of a French baguette and some cheese at less than €5.
Next on our itinerary was a visit to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which was free and provided an informative experience. The Basilica was also the location for many scenes from the recent movie John Wick 4! For dinner, we headed to Le Tambour on Rue Montmartre and enjoyed a meal of steak tartare and burrata pasta. The steak tartare had a little too much gherkin in it for my liking, but my partners pasta was delicious. Overall the meal came to €75 with two glasses of wine and a mocktail.
Day 2
On our second day, we visited the Modern Art Museum, and then the Aquarium in the Trocadero due to the rain. Although it was a bit more expensive at €26, it was still a fun way to spend an hour or so. Afterward, we had a lunch in the Trocadero Gardens and then headed back to the 2nd Arrondissement (via the Champs-Élysées for a spot of shopping) to Hotel Edgar, where we sat outside and watched the world go by with the help of a few beers! Hotel Edgar is a great hotel where we have stayed before, where every room is unique. Unfortunately they were a tad too expensive this time around, but have a lovely outside bar area.
In the evening we enjoyed dinner at Presto Fresco, where the service was exceptional and the Italian food was delicious. This meal was by far the best we had, and came to €50 for 2 pizzas, a couple glasses of wine and a mocktail.
After the meal on our final night in Paris, we sat by the Louvre and watched the sunset as a seemingly endless stream of people took the typical photo holding the tip of the pyramid! We then strolled around the city for an hour before stopping by an ice cream shop for a late-night treat.
Breakfast
Throughout our trip, we enjoyed breakfast at Pere et Fils on Rue Montmartre, which was the best value breakfast we found near our hotel. The staff was friendly and the breakfast consisted of a hot drink, orange juice, croissant, and half a baguette with jam for only €7. Ask for the ‘A la Francaise petit dejeuner aves jus d’orange’ and you won’t go wrong!
Hotel
We stayed at Hotel D’Espagne, a small but clean hotel located centrally in the 2nd and 9th arrondissements. The hotel provided freshly made cakes for guests each day, which was a nice touch.
Summary
In conclusion, our weekend in Paris was filled with fine wine, food, walking, sightseeing and a little bit of shopping. Although we didn’t visit the Eiffel Tower due to the high cost, we still found plenty of other things to do and see in this beautiful city. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, Paris is a city that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Check out my posts for 9 Ways to Bring French and Parisian Interior Design to Your Home and associated post about the same on a budget if you’re looking for simple ways to bring Paris home!
Questions about my trip or recommendations for our next visit? Let me know in the comments below!