PARIS TRAVEL GUIDE

Final year of university was a killer! In the midst of lab work, dissertation writing and exam revision, all I could think about was getting away from it all, escaping and quite frankly, quitting uni (as if haha). Thus, I would often find myself procrastinating on holiday booking websites, travel blogs and mesmerising Instagram accounts. It led me to spontaneously booking a quick getaway to Paris just after my exams and before my viva. My mum, my two aunts and I went for just a day, and packed in so much food and fun that I thought I would share some of my top tips and all that we did to help give you some inspiration if you ever find yourself travelling to the city of love! <3

 

A post shared by My Big Fat Halal Blog (@mybigfathalalblog_) on Jul 21, 2017 at 10:14am PDT

P.S. This is my first travel post! I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to writing up more soon  

TIPS FOR BOOKING:

• Eurostar often release tickets for only £29 each way. Watch out for these in April, August and January.
• Sacrifice your sleep and book the earliest train to Paris to maximise your day!

WHAT TO EAT AND DO:

Grab your trainers and travel by foot as much as you can! In my opinion, that’s the best way to truly discover a new city. You can also opt for a metro day pass. … buy this at Gare du Nord as soon as you arrive in Paris.

• 9.30 am – BREAKFAST

Du Pains et des Idées – MUST VISIT

First stop was breakfast, of course. We HAD to go to Du Pain et des Idées, one of the best boulangeries in Paris! Keep it simple and get the escargot pistache et chocolat … and a croissant or two! You’ll need one for the journey home, am I right?!

PAIN PAIN

PAIN PAIN is another great alternative for breakfast. They’re known to have the best baguette in the whole of Paris! I can also recommend  their cheesy pastries, lotus eclairs *omg* and their fluffy cakes!

• 11am – SACRÉ COEUR

Next, we made our way to Sacré-Cœur. Climb to the top and witness one of the most beautiful views of Paris. When we went, a man was playing “La vie en Rose” on a harp and it was one of the most magical and breath-taking moments ever.

• 12pm – NOTRE DAME

Take the scenic route and stroll by the Seine until you get to Notre Dame. It has huge queues outside but it moves pretty fast so don’t let that put you off!

• 1pm – EIFFEL TOWER

A day in Paris would not be complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. We skipped queuing to go up and enjoyed some soft serve ice cream outside instead.

• 2.30pm – LUNCH

For lunch, we checked out a restaurant called Le 1818. Their food looked incredible on Instagram and I couldn’t wait to visit. Unfortunately we didn’t love it. But you can read more about that here if you like! 

I’ll leave a list of other restaurants that I’ve heard are good at the bottom of this post!

 

• 4pm – ARC DE TRIOMPHE

After lunch we headed to the Arc de Triomphe and took a walk down the Champs-Élysées where we ended up getting even more ice cream! 

• 5.30pm- GALERIES LAFAYETTE

Choose to shop at Paris’ most famous department store, or head to the food hall if you’re like me!

Here you’ll find the most delicious halal eclairs from L’Eclair de Genie! They use fish gelatine so knock yourself out and try EVERYTHING!

• 6.30pm- “LA TERASSE” at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann

Just before you leave the area, don’t miss out on one of the most incredible views of Paris! It’s on the roof of Galeries Lafayette and it’s free!!

• 7.30pm – CAFÉ POUCHKINE – MUST VISIT

By now it was almost time to leave and we were walking around trying to find a small bite to eat before heading home. This is when we discovered Café Pouchkine, the cutest cafe that you MUST visit!

It’s a big statement but their macarons and honey cake are some of the best I’ve ever had and it would be a crime not to visit! 

• 9pm – TIME TO GO HOME!  

There you have it … my day in Paris! Albeit short, we packed in so much and it was the best way to end exams! As promised here are the list of halal restaurants you should visit! I chose restaurants not too far from tourist attractions

P.S. A lot of these restaurants are closed between 2.30pm and 5.30pm so remember that when planning your day! 

For French food – Le 1818

For French food – Les Enfants Terribles

For burgers – Le Butcher

For chicken and waffles – Gumbo Yaya 

For Moroccan food – Keziah 

For Lebanese food – Baladna 

For Indian food  – Royal Indien

For Pan – Asian food –  Le Wok Saint Germain