PARIS

Von Kristina2. August 2020

Please note the links to the environmental zones. Here some links that will help you : The French anti-pollution sticker is necessary in almost all major cities! Here you will find a map with French environmental zones and also the Air Quality Certificate Service

At that time, we only had the usual toll booths that were simply approached and had to be paid directly with cash or credit card.

The traffic in Paris is quite chaotic, whereas Rome seems almost harmless to me.

Street leading into a 6-lane roundabout/traffic circle

The hotel is very centrally located directly in the city center, an underground car park with permanent parking spaces was located a few streets away. The rooms are small, very small. To use the bathroom you have to have almost have the figure of a fashion model and you should not bring more luggage than a suitcase. Considering that, the Holiday Inn has an elevator, a great roof terrace and the rooms are clean. We had a tiny balcony with a view to the Eiffel Tower and the roofs of Paris. Due to the many small cafés in the city, we saved ourselves breakfast in the hotel and did not regret this decision.

Almost all sights we walked to. On the Paris map I marked the most important points and also a „round trip“. Only to the Basilica Sacré-Cœur we took the Metro (purple line 4 from Saint-Michel Notre-Dame to Château Rouge). From the station up to the church, the district through which we walked was not very trustworthy. Moreover, it is quite uphill! One should already have a certain fitness level. At the top, one has to resist the very pushy street merchants and watch out for pickpockets. From the Sacre-Coeur, one walks within 20 minutes downhill to the Moulin Rouge. From here, one would need approximately 1 hour on foot back to the hotel by choosing the direct way.

Even if one is not a fan of museums and art, a visit to the Louvre is worthwhile. Not only Mona Lisa, which is besieged by visitors, is worth seeing. The whole atmosphere is unique and the exhibition extremely versatile. We were there in the evening and had only a short waiting time at the cash desk. Late opening hours every Wednesday and Friday until 21:45, free of charge every 1st Saturday of the month from 18:00 to 21:45
You can also buy tickets online in advance. Click here to go to the English language site of the Louvre

If you want to go to the Eifel Tower, you should get tickets online beforehand. The queue was immense.

Animal lovers must be brave when strolling through Paris. Puppies and kittens are offered in the windows of pet shops and by chance we ended up at a kind of bird market.

After „Hello“, „Excuse me“, „Please“, „Thank you“ and „Eat“ our French language skills are exhausted. Probably my pronunciation is so gruesome that the French were happy if I switched to English. Menus were often written bilingually in French and English from the beginning, even the slates and displays at restaurants and cafés. If one does not want to eat anything more, it is usual to get the bill presented immediately. Yes, one gets a little „kicked out“, but this is not meant personally, but rather due to the shortage of space in many small restaurants. One will also be „re-accommodated“ so that even more hungry guests find space.

We were a little skeptical due to the many prejudices that were heard and our lack of language skills. But we liked Paris and we were always treated very friendly. The old town is lively and still hums like a beehive even at 11pm. A long weekend is almost too short, to see the most important sights at a fast pace. We will surely come back.