Talk about trying to hook you into reading this! No, I was not locked up abroad like the NatGeo show, but read on…

This summer was the third time I’ve been to Paris.  Here’s my list of Top 5 Things to Enjoy in Paris!

(5) Crawl with new friends- I’ve visited Peace and Love Hostel, but there are a number of good hostels on hostelbookers.com or hostelworld.com to check out.   Check out my last post about hostel for some thoughts/tips.

Again, we opted for hotels this past trip because in my previous experiences, the hostels that are in great locations with a party atmospheres are not exactly the cleanest ones. Our first night we stayed at this boutique hotel right near the Eiffel Tower.

I think Paris can be enjoyed in a very short time period, unless you are an art/history person.  In my opinion, if you only have a day or two, this place is perfect!  Tickets are not necessarily cheap, but the high speed train from London through the Chunnel was a good price.  The metro is very easy to use (not necessarily the cleanest though).

(4) Try some escargot- a very common appetizer eaten in France, this is definitely one of the foods you must try while in Paris!  They seem intimidating and look difficult to eat with the tongs and fork, but they are worth it!  It tastes like buttery goodness.  Other must eats here (for me) were foie gras, cheese, and croissants.

(3) Ride bikes through the city- the city has a ton of bike trails.  There are bike rental stations all throughout the city.  The Company is called Velib (en.velib.paris.fr) and you should be able to rent bikes with any credit card with a microchip in it.  If you don’t have one, you can plan ahead and buy a Velib card online.  Swipe your card, grab your bike, and ride away.  We rode bikes when we were in Versailles, a city right outside Paris, to see Versailles Palace and Marie Antoinette’s estate. Within the city, it’s a nice/easy way to see the Arc di Triomphe, Notre Dame, and Lourve if you do not intend to go into any of these places.

(2) Bring a lock to leave on Lover’s Lock Bridge- there is a bridge nearby the Notre Dame crossing the Seine River that has a TON of locks on it.  Look closer and there are locks from all over the world brought and left in Paris as a symbol of love or friendship.  A lot of bigger European countries have something similar, but what can be more romantic than leaving one in Paris?  Bring a lock and a permanent marker to mark up your lock; then throw the key into the Seine River as you make a wish. ( kept my key because I felt like I was littering enough…I know that the locks here had once vanished because they were taken down, but for now, the locks are there.  This is how I was locked up in Paris 🙂

(1) Have a picnic by the Eiffel Tower- when you make your way to the Eiffel tower, stop by a mini-mart nearby to get some cheese, crackers/cookies, and vino.  Although I’m pretty positive that you cannot drink out there, you can buy some plastic cups and pour out your drink.  Don’t forget to pack a blanket!  The best time to head to the Eiffel Tower is near sunset.  The tower lights up at 9PM and there is a light show every hour I think.  Beautiful.