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1. Back from Europe: a Crazy/Amazing Rollercoaster of a Trip
- Why Montenegro Was the Perfect Choice for My Recent Family Reunion
- Review of Popovic Apartments in Kotor, Plus Hotel Points Options in Montenegro
- Why I Loved and Hated Paris at the Same Time (this post)
When I was originally planning this trip to Europe, Paris definitely wasn’t on the agenda. The scheme was complicated enough already: meet my Belarusian relatives in Montenegro and then fly to Iceland for four nights. The latter was my husband’s request. And let me tell you, getting from Montenegro to Iceland is no walk in the park, literally and figuratively.
But I was happy to find some Finnair flights via AAdvantage, leaving from Dubrovnik. Then, a month before the trip, I got a cancellation email. Great. See my reasoning process on piecing together a way to get to Iceland without going bankrupt.
Long story short, our journey would take us to Paris for two nights. And I literally had weeks to plan everything in this rather challenging city. This is not a budget-friendly destination, that’s for sure. Plus, Paris is huge, so finding the location that would help us maximize our very short stay was a difficult task.
In the end, I decided to book connecting rooms in Hotel Eiffel Blomet, ironically via AirBnB. I will do a separate post with the review of this place, and highlight the pros and cons. For now, I will say that all in all, I’m happy with my choice and have no regrets.
Overall impressions of Paris
Many of our readers have been to Paris and absolutely love the city. In fact, Nancy is visiting it with her family right now, and I can’t wait to hear what she thought about it now, many years after her first trip.
For me, Paris was a bit of a mixed bag. Yes, I said it. It was a place I’ve always wanted to visit, so I’m happy it finally happened. I absolutely believe it’s a must-do destination in Europe, along with London and Rome. But am I itching to go back? Not really.
I realize I’m very much in the minority, but I found Paris to be overwhelming, and not in a positive way. It’s a beautiful city, but it’s also very crowded, busy and hectic. Do you want to stroll peacefully and admire the views of the Eiffel tower in the evening? Good luck. Some dude offered me drugs (I think?). To be fair, I went for a walk by myself the first day because my husband decided to take a nap.
I didn’t feel unsafe, as the guy who bothered me was not aggressive. But it definitely didn’t make a very good first impression. The next day, we went up the Eiffel Tower as part of a guided tour, and the whole area right next to it was full of guys hassling tourists and begging them to buy plastic souvenirs.
I don’t blame them, of course, as they would be earning money some other way if they had the option. But it did feel very tacky. It reminded me of a carnival fair. It was also very crowded, and we had to navigate multiple lines to finally go up the Eiffel tower. I was totally exhausted by the end of it.
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p style=”text-align: center;”>This gives you the idea of how big Paris really is
The crowds in the Louvre were also absolutely insane. If you are claustrophobic, I recommend looking into a private tour during after hours if your budget can handle it. 
This part of the museum wasn’t too bad
The Mona Lisa exhibit, on the other hand, had a swarm of humanity right next to it. People were pressing against each other, all trying to get a good shot.
I’ve mentioned in one of my previous posts that our kids got into a fight here and had to be led outside by my husband. Oh, and after entering one of the exhibits, my son loudly exclaimed in disgust: “Another naked sculpture?! There are children in here!”
It was definitely a memorable experience.
Honestly, none of the things I’ve mentioned should surprise you. Paris is a very popular city, so you should expect tourist crowds. It’s also home to over 2 million residents. Hence congestion, traffic and noise that come with it. And of course, drugs. Also, guides constantly reminding us to watch out for pickpockets didn’t exactly put me in a relaxed mood.
So if I sound overly negative, that’s not my intent. I simply advise potential first-time visitors to manage their expectations. Paris is often portrayed as this romantic city, where you can stroll with your partner with not another soul in sight, while French music is playing softly in the background. I think the reality is quite different. I’ve mostly heard sirens in the center of Paris.
That being said, Paris is most definitely a beautiful city. Its architecture is unrivaled in Europe, at least in my opinion.
And of course, as a lover of museums, I can say that visiting Louvre is still super duper cool, despite the crowds. 
The truth is, our two days here barely scratched the surface and perhaps, colored my impression somewhat. Maybe someday I will get a chance at a redo, and even fall in love with Paris.
But for now, I think it’s one-and-done. Glad I went, don’t need to do it again. It probably didn’t help that we came to Paris from a tiny Kotor, a pedestrian-only medieval city in Montenegro. The contrast between the two was quite stark. I think living in a small town in USA over the last two decades made me somewhat allergic to large cities. So take everything I say with a grain of salt. Like I said, so far I haven’t met a person who didn’t love Paris. I guess it makes me a bit of a Grinch.
On a positive note, I was surprised by how friendly Parisians were towards us. I’ve mentally prepared myself for rude French who refuse to help English-speaking tourists. The reality was the opposite. Every single person I’ve interacted with was extremely polite and eager to help. From hotel workers to restaurant staff, I haven’t encountered any issues. Maybe I was fortunate, but it seems the “rude French” stereotype is overblown.
I’ve learned a few phrases and said “Hello” in French to a security worker near Eiffel tower. He responded in French, to which I had to confess that I don’t really speak the language. He started apologizing to me in English. I was like: Dude, you are in France, it’s ok to speak French. We both laughed.
So, my impression of French people was extremely positive. Well, except the guy who offered me drugs. But again, it’s a large city, so be prepared for various encounters. It’s just like every other place in the world.
Another piece of advice: Don’t cram too much sightseeing into a short period of time. My big mistake was booking an all-day tour of Paris. It seemed like a good idea at the time, plus we only had one full day in Paris. In retrospect, it was the case of “too much of a good thing”.
I purchased this Paris In One Day tour via Viator, and got 10% off by booking via app. Even with the discount, the tour was quite expensive at $530 for my family of four. But it included a guided tour of Louvre, a boat ride on Seine river and visit to the Eiffel tower. It was critical for me to be able to skip the line for tickets, and the tour delivered in this regard. Basically, everything was taken care of, which seemed like the best way to have a no-hassle experience.
While it sounds nice in theory, in reality, this tour is not very well planned. For example, we were not able to have lunch until 1:30 pm, and by then, my whole family was starving. The guide took us through Louvre and then another person led us to the boat. We were not able to stop to even get a drink or snack in that entire time. Btw, we had to sit and wait for the boat for around 45 minutes or so.
Then after the short cruise, we were met by another person near Eiffel tower and led to some back alley, where we were told that we would have two hours to find food on our own. We literarily went to the first cafe we saw, which was kind of a tourist trap.
It seemed far more logical to let us get lunch right after the tour of Louvre, but the company obviously felt differently. Also, it was very hard to understand our tour guide, which made the whole thing a bit pointless. Other than “babysitters” who led us places, it didn’t really enhance the experience in any way.
That being said, we did get to hit the highlights and I’m grateful for that. If I had a chance at a do-over, I would book everything separately on my own via respective websites, and skip the tour option. Yes, I would probably have to ask for directions, but it sure beats having a starving family. It just wasn’t my cup of tea, but to each his own. I think guided tours can be a great option, this one wasn’t one of them.
Visiting a cat cafe
This was something my kids really loved. I realize it sounds nuts to use our precious time in Paris on a cat cafe, but that’s exactly what we did. I found out there was one near our hotel, so decided to go there after our flight from Montenegro. I had to book a slot in Chat Mallows cafe ahead of time (free), since they don’t want to overwhelm the cats with too many visitors.
Basically, it’s exactly as it sounds. You get to order desserts and pet cats while you are there.
As expected, my kids had a blast. We also ended up buying a bunch of cat-themed junk.
Recommended? Only if you have extra time. I knew my husband wouldn’t be up for much after flying, and this was an easy activity. Plus, the desserts were tasty. This place was kind of hot inside, so I was glad to leave.
It’s definitely not a must-do, but my kids enjoyed it.
Final thoughts
If there is any conclusion you can draw from my post is that planning only two nights in Paris may not be a good idea. It’s a city that takes some getting used to, and where expectations may not always match the reality.
I realize it may sound contradictory, but I’m very happy we got to visit Paris. Despite some drawbacks, it is a world-class city you should see at least once in your lifetime. My kids loved it, and my daughter said it was her favorite stop on the trip. She definitely wants to go back, but I’m not quite so eager.
That said, I would love to visit a small French town, and maybe a bit of a countryside someday. So, the problem isn’t Paris, but how I feel about big cities now that I’m older and less tolerant of noise and crowds. Looks like I’ve officially reached the “old and lame” stage in my life!
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Paris in two days? That’s so American 🙂
I visited Paris a number of times and it’s one of the very few cities I’d revisit at the drop of a hat. The part about cleanliness or cost or crowds etc is, I hope you realize, to be expected for large cities, esp. during peak season. I’ve seen worse and I’ve seen better.
But this is one magnificent and unique city! It’s got a million things to see and do, from just walking the streets and visiting the parks to its exceptional museums and monuments, to seeing places were so many things that changed the world happened, to incredible refinement displayed in architecture, fashion, cuisine and so on. This applies to France as a whole, and to Paris in particular. I remember for example how one time I was driving on a bridge and I was looking at the bridge’s street lights. They were beautifully designed. A little detail, of course, but France is the place where you’re guaranteed to find such delightful attention to details.
One thing I strongly recommend is visiting places like Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Lisbon etc in the off season. I’ve done it in November (Thanksgiving), and also around Christmas time, and it was amazing. Zero crowds, no waiting lines at the museums or at the tourist attractions and, overall, a much more normal experience. I know, it’s harder to do when you have school-age kids but it’s worth it.
Finally, a personal anecdote about the friendliness of the locals. This past Summer I was driving in France and on a relatively busy road in Brittany I had to stop at a pedestrian crossing and I got rear-ended. Fortunately nothing serious happened but I and the other motorist had to do some insurance paperwork. One of the pedestrians stopped by and asked whether I needed help – my French is passable but definitely not good enough for something like that. That gentleman stayed with me and patiently filled the lengthy form for me!!! And the other driver, after recovering from shock, was also very friendly, so he excused himself for causing me trouble while I was on vacation and we left after shaking hands.
Bottom line – please go again to France or at least return to Paris, when the time is right. It’s definitely worth it.
@ Hrishi Beshar I’m actually a Belarusian, but point taken! 😉 I’ve always liked fast-paced travel, and get restless when I stay too long in one place. My husband is a complete opposite. But I agree that spending two nights in Paris is a bit of a travesty. To be honest, I didn’t have a choice, as adding Paris was kind of an afterthought. We only went there because our original flight from Dubrovnik to Reykjavik on Finnair was canceled. So, I had to find an alternative, and flying through Paris was the most logical option. So, I figured why not spend two nights there. I’m glad we did, because I’ve wanted to visit it for a long time. It is a magnificent city, and I agree on attention to detail. That said, I’m not dying to go back for all the reasons I’ve mentioned, but who knows? Planning a trip off-season and finding award availability could certainly persuade me to consider it. I would love to visit a French countryside.
Great Point of View, There are many tourist attractions in Paris this blog is mentioned. This blog has everything that we needed to know about Paris. It is full of useful advice on everything you need to know to get around in Paris and make the most of your trip.
You’re not alone-I’ve been to Paris several times and am always left with a “meh” impression. My husband, daughter and mother love it so clearly I’m in the minority. I’ve been in both the summer and fall and the next trip is in February so maybe winter is the right time for me to visit? I prefer Prague, Edinburgh or Dublin to Paris any day. Fortunately it’s a great big beautiful world out there and there are many choices of places to visit.
@3dogmominFl It really comes down to your preferences, doesn’t it? That’s why I said that the issue probably isn’t with Paris, but me. I loved Prague, though we only spent one night there years ago. I also enjoyed Kotor in Montenegro, as well as Venice. The older I get, the more I gravitate to smaller cities. I probably I would have loved Paris twenty years ago.
So, we just returned from a whirlwind trip to Europe with our 2 kids that included a lot of the destinations in Paris that you mentioned in your blog. A few comments about Paris – many of which echo yours but some which may not:
1) I had such a negative impression of the French and Paris in particular that I never wanted to go there. My wife and girls overruled me. Pulling into Gare du Nord seemed to confirm my expectations (dirty, dodgy looking areas all around). But within 2 minutes in the taxi I could see that I was wrong. Paris is cleaner than I expected – and the people were actually very nice. And usually tried to speak some English with me as I speak no French.
2) This is the summer of crowds and everywhere we went was thronged. We used AMS as our gateway for cryin’ out loud! Talk about something I regretted (not the city, but Schiphol – what a horror show). The crowds in Paris were no worse than anywhere else. Jubilee time in London was actually 10 times worse, but that’s another story.
3) The African guys selling the trinkets by the Eiffel Tower were rather interesting to watch. All selling the same things, all having blankets with handles so they can move away quickly should the cops show up. Apparently, selling as they do is illegal.
4) Aside from one minor incident that led to nothing, I walked around Paris day and night and never felt unsafe or threatened. The food was indeed wonderful and the people surprised me at how nice so many were. We then went farther afield in France to Mt. Ste. Michel, which was amazing – as were a couple of stops we made in towns along the way.
Did I love Paris? Love is too strong a word. Liked it a lot though and would sure go back. OTOH, I love Belgium – but that’s a different story.
@AngryFlier Very interesting! Yes, all good points. This is the summer of crowds, not just in Europe, but pretty much everywhere. You have to travel with the right expectations. And I agree, for being a relatively large city, Paris is very clean. I didn’t think about it at the time, but that’s kind of unusual. Also, not a lot of graffiti, which is something I absolutely hated seeing in Rome.
Travel to Paris is my dream since 2019, but because of the COVID I can’t right now bit will definitely visit in the future. On my Tibet travel, i also had the same experience of love and hate the place at the same time. Great article!
@Tibetfocustravel I would love to visit Tibet someday! I guess any place you go to, it’s important to manage your expectations.
Paris is friggin awesome! I’ve been then from weekend stays to over a week stays. I never get tired of visiting. One weekend we went to buy fabric for window treatments for our new home. A book I highly recommend buying is “Paris for Dummies”. Trust me on that. I’ve experienced places I otherwise would not have been. Unfortunately, Leanna your biggest mistake was booking a tour. You could have seen much more on your own dime and time. Paris is great for just walking around, stopping quite often for a beverage, and people watching while you take a brief break. You know with my many visits to Paris I’ve never been to the Louvre; don’t care to either. Next time you visit, take your kids to Les Égouts; it’s a great history lesson.
@Fester I wish I picked up “Paris for Dummies” book before this visit! 😉
I hear you. We did wonder the streets and ate at a very nice cafe near our hotel. I very much enjoyed that part. Going to the Louvre is something I absolutely had to do. Plus, my daughter (who is into art) requested it. I’m afraid, with or without a tour, Eiffel Tower and the Louvre would be super crowded. I think if we had more than two nights in the city, my overall impressions would have been different. Perhaps I’ll be back.
Yes, give it another chance. The Parc zoologique de Paris is great, if you like zoos. Hanging out at Luxembourg Gardens. Château de Versailles but skip the inside and just enjoy the fabulous gardens. Dinner at the oldest restaurant in Paris, La Petite Chaise where the food is delicious and inexpensive. And, Disney isn’t too far away either and makes a nice day trip by RER but an even better one is Parc Asterix with a shuttle bus service running from CDG. Paris is so easy to get around by Metro and Train (RER) and walking. For the most amazing views of Paris, you must visit the Dome of Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre plus you get up close views of the many gargoyles.
It sounds dumb but until you mentioned it I didn’t know that Paris only has a couple of million people, not much more than Budapest, which I don’t think of as a large city.
@Christian Perhaps I found the wrong info, but that’s what Google search indicated. As Nancy said, it’s definitely not as crazy as NYC. I think I may have turned into a country bumpkin after living in a city of 15k people for two decades.
Leana I must be cranky too because I thought Paris was a mixed bag. My main memory (unfortunately) is that Paris smelled like urine, particularly around the Seine, so I haven’t been to interested in returning. However, someday I will try again so my kids can see it. Maybe it will be more positive, and I’ll fall in love.
@Tammie It’s funny you said that. I’ve had a problem with allergies my whole life and used nasal sprays a tad too much. As a result, it has mostly destroyed my sense of smell. But it can be a blessing in disguise since I can’t usually detect foul odors.
I do think visiting Paris with kids can be enjoyable, as long as you come in with right expectations and don’t cram in too much sightseeing. Both of my kids loved their time in the city, so I must have done something right.
Everyone has forgotten how to travel after COVID. Paris is glorious and you sound cranky.
@B Oh, I’m most definitely cranky! you must be new to the blog. 🙂
Leana, I’m sorry you had a sub-par visit. Paris is my favorite city and I hope you give it another chance when you can go in a less-crowded season and maybe give it more than a day or two to be able to do a deeper dive.
@Chris For sure! Like I said in the post, the issue is probably with me rather than Paris. This was already a hectic trip, and we were quite exhausted by the time we got to France. I can normally deal with crowds without them ruining my enjoyment.
Plus, I made a crucial mistake of booking this group tour. On a positive note, the hotel was great, and I’ll have a review of it next week. The neighborhood we stayed in was delightful.
Thanks for sharing your experience in Paris. My kids would have loved to go to a cat cafe! We’ve moved on to Switzerland but we were in Paris last week and our experience was almost the opposite of yours. We couldn’t get over how quiet it was. We rarely heard sirens or street noise and didn’t run into huge crowds. My husband and I were discussing how much more relaxed Paris is compared to NYC. However, we didn’t go to the Louvre or Versailles (which was insanely crowded even when we were there in the off season). But I can understand how different locations and tours can totally change your experiences. I’m so sorry you didn’t love the city. I’d say give Paris another try someday.
@Nancy I’m really looking forward to reading your post on Paris! Im sure it will make a good rebuttal to mine.
I’m so glad you guys had a great time there. Your photos certainly looked awesome. Perhaps my travels will bring me back to Paris at some point. Never say never. Switzerland looks stunning, really need to plan a stop there at some point.
I guess I should have said that you were in Paris at the time I was writing my post, not the time of publishing it.
Now go back to exploring Switzerland instead of reading this blog. 😉
Agreed that it’s kind of miserable in the summer. I think your post is fair though. It’s a big city like many others, but if you get off the beaten path in the spring or fall, it’s a great place.
@JJ The weather in Paris was actually very pleasant, especially after dealing with the heat in Montenegro. But the crowds, yikes. I’m sure it’s all the pent up demand from folks who put off their trips due to Covid on top of normal travel summer rush.
I did 7 days in Paris in a September many years ago. I agree that Paris is overrated but 7 days allowed more time to explore at a slower pace and to properly enjoy and it’s less crowded in September.
Rick Steeves explains very well the cultural issue between French and Americans. He says Americans think being casual is friendly and French think being formal is polite. So Americans come off as disrespectful to French and French come off as stuffy to Americans when both sides have the best of intentions. I found that by smiling less I connected more with the French!
If considering a small town in France my favorite was Sarlat (and nearby Beynac) – another Rick Steeves recommendation!
My son would love a cat cafe!!!!
@Talchinsky Visiting in September sounds like the way to go. If I ever get a chance to see Paris again, I’ll most definitely plan for doing so during off-season. Of course, that means we will have to wait until the kids graduate, so it could be quite a few years from now. Thanks for your advice to visit Sarlat. Will need to do some research. Actually, my impression of French people was extremely positive. Most were super friendly towards us.
I am a person that smiles anf laughs compulsively, even by American standards. I’m a bit of a freak! When I smiled at them but didn’t get the same kind of smile back I felt weird (not that they weren’t nice). When I toned it down I just felt more connection. I had to mirror them and their body language a bit. They were friendly but in a more formal sense as R Steves pointed out. Did you notice a difference between French friendly and American friendly? Maybe your Belarusian roots made these transition between the two cultures more seamless?
@Talchinski People in Paris definitely smile less. Didn’t bother me, as I grew up in Soviet Union where if you smiled in public for no reason, you were considered nuts.
Now that I’m thinking about it, I smiled at the guy before he offered me drugs. Haha! I have been Americanized, for sure. My relatives said they could easily spot Americans in the lounge in Istanbul, as they appeared to smile a lot and behave in an assertive way.
With regard to being hungry, did you ask one of the tour reps about quickly grabbing food? I don’t mention out of sense of nitpicking your experience and more out of awareness that for whatever reason Americans seem to be really reluctant to ask for what they want. In most places asking is not necessarily rude. You may not necessarily always get what you want but it’s highly unlikely you will offend anyone.
@Miamiorbust That’s the crazy thing. When we were done with touring Louvre, I assumed we would have a break for lunch or at least be allowed to use bathroom or buy snacks. Nope. The guide said we were running behind schedule and to follow her without stopping anywhere. We walked really fast to the boat stop and then ended up sitting there for 45 minutes. And there were no stores or bathrooms nearby. They told us not to leave or we would lose the tickets. Weird. I should have listened to bad reviews.
Paris is awesome but still overrated. Summer isn’t a good time to go to Paris. Next time you go back you still don’t need more than 3 or 4 days there but go in the off season. The last time I was there was in February a few years ago and the main tourist areas had hardly any people. The Louvre was much better with out many of the tourist. There are downsides to going in the winter such as the gardens aren’t in bloom and such and it can be very cold of course but it’s worth it. The thing that always surprises me is that the Eifel tower is so much shorter than it looks in pictures but maybe that’s just me. Oh and large corporate guided tours, yuck.
@DanMCI Thanks for your advice, it makes a lot of sense. I think the crowds is what put me off the most, to be honest. Obviously, it is to be expected in a city like Paris during the summer, but still. My photos don’t convey just how intense they were. Maybe it’s best that way, as I would rather remember the positive aspects.
As far as tour goes, it could have been planned much better. But we only had one full day, and it seemed like a good idea at the time.