I can't actually believe that I am planning for a real life trip to Paris. I have wanted to visit Paris for years and years, and I can't believe I am finally getting the chance to see the beautiful city and to get to see it with the person I love travelling with the most, Reece. This will be the first time that myself and Reece have flown somewhere together! All them flights we have taken over the past four years and we've never sat on a plane together! I am so excited to have five days and four nights to explore this gorgeous city and see what it has to offer, I already know we're going to fall in love with it and never want to come back home!
We are flying out to Paris from Belfast on Reeces 21st birthday! This is the whole reason why we are taking the plunge and going abroad, to celebrate him finally being a full proper adult! I love that he wants to travel with me and being honest, it's one of my favourite things to do with him. We travel so much to see each other that it's nice to share the experience and trip together, and I get extra excited to do so when it's to somewhere new, that neither of us have been before and we get to experience it all together for the very first time.
We discussed going to quite a few different places and thought about going on a full week long beach style holiday, but being honest, that's just not us. I get fidgety and I can't lie down and sunbathe for hours on end, I get bored. When I visit a country, I want to see the country for what it is. I am for sure not one of those types of people who can go on holiday and literally stay in a complex for a week, I want to see what the country has to offer! So we decided that a city break would be perfect, and after not much time at all, we quickly decided that Paris would be the perfect destination! I must admit, once Reece mentioned Disneyland, I was practically packing my suitcase right there and then!
We've booked our flights and our hotel and we're now looking at things that we want to do while we are there. We arrive on the Monday and fly home on the Friday, so we have three full days there and two half days due to flights. I thought I would let you all in on what we plan to get up to!
Pictured - Hotel Oceania Paris Porte de Versailles
Pictured - Hotel Oceania Paris Porte de Versailles, standard room
Pictured - Hotel Oceania Paris Porte de Versailles, indoor pool area
We have booked to stay at Hotel Oceania Paris Porte de Versailles during our stay! I trawled through so many websites looking at hotels and seeing which ones were the best places, which hotels looked nice and what they had to offer and of course, the prices! This was by far the best one I found! We were stuck between two when it came to booking, but Hotel Oceania just outshone the rest. The hotel has a gorgeous pool and spa which I am certain we will be making the most of after long days of walking around Paris! We learnt in Edinburgh that there is nothing quite like a swim or chilling in a pool to relax you after a day of sightseeing! The room is perfect, just the right size for the two of us and of course we have our own bathroom. The only slight downside to this room is there is no kettle, which I think is super weird as I have never stayed in a hotel room that didn't have a kettle, apart from one extremely budget hotel in Newcastle! We've decided to grab and bring with us a travel kettle though, so all is good! The hotel also has a gorgeous terrace that we can sit out on at night, weather permitting of course! The hotel is not that far from a Metro station, so we have easy access to the city centre, and it's about a 50 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower, which I'm sure will be a lovely walk on a nice day! I'm really excited to see what the hotel is like and I just know it's going to live up to our expectations! It was vital to me that we stayed in a hotel and not an apartment, which probably would have saved us money in the long run, but I just prefer the safety of a hotel, especially in a big city and when you don't know the area you're staying in.
Pictured - Eiffel Tower
Would it really be a trip to Paris if you don't go and see the Eiffel Tower! I was planning on just going to view it, snap a few photos and maybe take a picnic to eat on the lawn with it in view, but Reece is adamant that he wants to go up it! I'm actually quite scared of heights, so as petrified as I am, this is his trip so I suppose I have to! I'm sure I'll be fine once I'm up there, I just won't look directly down! The Eiffel Tower is so iconic, it would be stupid of us not to do it! We're going to get such a stunning overview of Paris once we get to the top, the photos will be worth the anxiety!
Pictured - Louvre
I really really want to go and visit the Louvre whilst we are in Paris! Luckily, access to the Louvre for myself and Reece is absolutely free as we are both under the age of 25 and EU citizens! I'm quite excited to see the Mona Lisa with my own eyes, even though I've read and been told by people who have visited that it is near impossible to get close as there are so many people specifically there to see that specific painting! It's crazy! It's such a famous piece though, I can't visit the Louvre and not see it when it's right there! I'm also excited to see what else the Louvre has to offer. As I studied GCSE and A-Level Fine Art, I am quite interested in art and to see some Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael pieces would be amazing!
Pictured - Catacombs
One of the first places Reece said he wanted to visit in Paris was the Catacombs. I'm not going to lie, I think I may be a little freaked out and might not sleep that well that night, but I do think it would be fascinating to go and see! I don't know how I will feel, being surrounded buy actual human skulls and bones, but I guess it's an experience! I think Reece is definitely a lot more excited about visiting here than I am, I just hope I don't have an anxiety attack whilst I'm down there!
Pictured - Arc de Triomphe
I would really like to go and see this stunning piece of architecture! I have seen so many stunning photographs of the Arc de Triomphe in such gorgeous light settings, that I really want to try and get a good shot of it myself! I really enjoy architecture and photographing it, hence why Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities! It's another one of those 'you have to see it' things in Paris!
Pictured - Sacré-Cœur
Again, with the love for architecture, I really want to visit the Sacré-Cœur! It looks absolutely beautiful, from the outside with it's palace style look and from the inside, with the gorgeous mosaic covered ceilings, I can imagine there are even more stunning views to see inside! I really enjoy visiting places like the Sacré-Cœur, buildings that have so much to them, such good architecture and amazing history, give me a day at something as stunning as here over a beach any day!
Pictured - Champs-Élysées
I really want to go for a wander down Champs-Élysées, to have a look at all the expensive stores like Tiffany & Co and Guerlain, and also to finally step foot into a Sephora after hearing YouTubers talk about it for bloody years! There's also a Levi's store, which has became my new favourite brand so I'll definitely be taking a wander into there! I also love how you get to see a view of the Arc de Triomphe from Champs-Élysées, so it's killing two bird with one stone! It looks so stunning at night, I really hope we can see it when it's getting a little darker!
Pictured - Palace of Versailles
I adore french decor and I feel like the Palace of Versailles is the most perfect place to view it! The palace itself and the gardens look so stunning, I can't not see this beautiful palace! This is another place to visit where the admission is free for people under the age of 25 who are EU citizens, so we would be stupid not to go, especially as I am 24, so if we are to ever go again I would have to pay! This is one of the places that I am really looking forward to seeing, I can imagine I am going to take so many photos here, I can't wait!
Pictured - Moulin Rouge
When I was a kid, Moulin Rouge was one of them films I watcher over and over again, I loved it! It's been a few years since I've watched it, but I'll definitely have to watch it again before we go to Paris. Even if we don't go to see a performance, as it is rather expensive and we're on a budget, I still want to visit the Moulin Rouge, just to snap some photos! It's one of them places that I've always wanted to see myself and I can't not go when we're in the area!
Pictured - Disneyland Paris
Finally, but definitely not the least, we are definitely going to Disneyland and I cannot contain my excitement! This is the part of the trip that I am most looking forward to, I feel like a little kid! I have wanted to go to Disneyland ever since I was a small child, who didn't want to go to Disneyland when they were young! I can't wait to see it all, I can't wait to see Cinderellas castle, to see the characters, to stand on Main Street and take in all the views! I'm not even a fan of roller coasters yet I'm so excited to go on the House of Terror! I can't wait to peek into all the gift shops and probably spend a ridiculous amount of money in there. I can't wait to trade pin badges with the cast members, buy a Minnie Mouse style macaroon, sit on the curb and watch the parade that I've been seeing pictures of for years and watch the fireworks with my own eyes. Disneyland is one of the most magical places on the earth and I'm finally going to see it for myself! Surprisingly, even Reece is excited for Disneyland! I know we're going to be like two big kids when we're on our way there! Expect to see plenty of photos of Disneyland all over my Instagram while I'm away and an incredibly long blog post dedicated to this day when I get back!
I am so excited to go to Paris, I can hardly contain it! I'm going to take photos of absolutely everything and I know we're going to have such a good time! I will definitely be posting a blog post all about our trip and a separate one dedicated to Disneyland!
Have you ever been to Paris before or Disneyland? I would love to hear how you found it or if there is anything really good to visit that I've missed! I'd also love to know if you know anywhere nice and reasonable to eat out, as I've read that Paris can be quite expensive for food. Unfortunately, our room doesn't have a fridge, so we're going to have to eat out for all our meals, so some tips and recommendations would be very much appreciated!
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**Disclaimer: All views, opinions and photos are my own.**
