When all you have is just three days to ‘do’ Paris, then don’t waste a minute!

Stay in a central location so you can jump on the Metro easily and explore as much as you can of this magical city. We chose Hotel Chateau Frotenac, just off the Champs-Eleysee as our base and were very pleased with this elegant, art deco meets Louis XV style establishment, perfect if you only have a short time in Paris but want to see a lot. The hotel had just the right amount of luxury to make you feel relaxed, comfortable and well looked after.

Day 1

From London jump on an early (but not uncivilised) Eurostar train leaving London’s St Pancras Station at 7.01am.

Have breakfast onboard, take a nap, read a book and in a little over 2 hours you are in the heart of Paris, disembarking at Gare du Nord (North Station).

Grab a cab and head to your hotel, in our case Hotel Chateau Frontenac, 54 Rue Pierre Charron Paris, just off the Champs-Elysee in the boutique shopping mecca of the 8th Arrondissement. Drop your bags and hit the streets.

*Our room No 612 at the Hotel Chateaux Frontenac had an interesting surprise view of the Eiffel Tower – from the window in the hall, from the bathroom (stand on the loo for the best view) and out of the main room window to the right. Although the view was through an arrangement of netting (I think to keep the pigeons off the roof) it was a delight, as were the roof top vistas so reminiscent of a Mary Poppins movie!

Brunch – Croissants and coffee at Café La Belle Ferronnière, 53 Rue Pierre Charron (across the intersection from our hotel).

Destination No 1 – the Arc de Triomphe: Just a short walk from the hotel this arresting monument stands at the top of the Champs-Elysee, a 1.9km long tree-lined boulevarde in the 8th Arrondissement connecting Place de la Concorde with Place Charles de Gaulle. The name Champs-Elysee is French for the Elysian Fields, the paradise for dead heroes in Greek Mythology. A fitting connection to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris’ famous neoclassical arch which honours those who fought and died in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Destination No 2 – The Eiffel Tower: Although this iconic tower pops up into many vistas all over Paris, it is essential to get up close and personal to admire its unique architecture and special soft spot in this city’s passionate psyche. If you are time poor, like we were, then a great viewing spot is from the Palais de Challot, just a short Metro ride away. Here you can gaze at the tower from the steps and the viewing platform and take in uninterrupted images of the entire tower.

*Travelling on the Metro is convenient and quick, although a little confusing for non-French speaking passengers. Tip – Learn the word ‘Sortie’ (Exit), have a Metro Map and buy a carnet (pack of 10 tickets), the cheapest way to ride. I would also recommend this: https://www.paristouristinformation.fr/plan/public-transport/metro/ for lots of in depth info on Metro travel.

On your way back to the hotel immerse yourself in the epitome of French Haute Couture as you zigzag across streets to casually stroll from one lavish fashion house to another. Enjoy the luxurious and elegant boutiques of Gucci, Chanel, Dolce & Gabana, Dior, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Nina Ricci, Balmain and many more style icons.

Destination No 3 – Musee du Louvre: The former palace of the Kings of France, the Louvre, offers vast and rich collections of ancient civilizations, Islamic art and Western art from the Middle Ages until 1848. Take Paris Metro Line 1 and walk across the magnificent Tuileries Garden, the largest and oldest public garden in Paris. I recommend a jump the queue ticket at the Louvre in order to minimise the wait time for entry. With only a couple of hours available a clear focus and direction is needed. There is a lot to see – too much in fact and it can be overwhelming – so identify the things you want to see (eg Mona Lisa – like everyone else) and then concentrate on seeing those rather than trying to see everything. I loved the little signs all over the palace with a picture of the Mona Lisa and an arrow pointing you in the right direction – who needs to speak French, Mona Lisa, the celebrity, is universal! After we had discovered her hiding place and the accompanying 19th century French paintings, we decided to simply wander and discover what was around each corner. We came upon the Roman antiquities and Italian sculpture on the ground floor (rez–de–chaussée) and were mesmerised by these cool to touch, silky smooth and hauntingly beautiful life-size sculptural works.

Refreshment – Back in the 8th Arrondissement, stop at Cafe Victoria, 64 Rue Pierre Charron Paris, with its traditional French cuisine, second empire decor and beautiful chandelier-adorned atmosphere – a typical Parisian brasserie, for a refreshing drink. You deserve it!

Dinner – L’Avenue with views of the now adorned-in-lights and dressed-for-dinner Eiffel Tower.

Day 2

After a much needed ‘bonne nuit de sommeil’ (good night sleep) head for Les Deux Maggots for breakfast. Les Deux Magots is a famous café in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris. It once had a reputation as the rendezvous of the literary and intellectual elite of the city. It is now a popular tourist destination. Its historical reputation is derived from the patronage of Surrealist artists, intellectuals such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, and young writers, such as Ernest Hemingway. The Deux Magots literary prize has been awarded to a French novel every year since 1933. Of course you must have the croissants and a cafe creme (French black coffee served with hot cream, both served in small jugs) while you soak up the unique grandeur and spirit of this historic place.

Destination No 4 – Paris like a local: Absorb the Parisian lifestyle with a walking tour of the city. A briskly paced walk past cafes, churches and shops in the Boulevarde Saint Germain takes you to a typical food market with stalls groaning under the weight of colourful fruits and vegetables, cheeses, deli meats, rotisserie meats and breads. Along the way you will see beautifully painted and carved doors hiding other worlds beyond, stylish dogs walking with stylish owners, trendy fashion boutiques and of course our final destination – the ‘grands magasins’ department stores of Paris – Printemps (Spring) founded in 1865 and Le Bon Marche (1852), both historic buildings focusing on beauty, lifestyle, fashion and accessories; Hediard for fine gourmet epicure founded in 1845 and Fauchon the iconic landmark luxury sweet store in Place de la Madeleine specialising in macarons, chocolate, foie gras, champagne, tea, coffee and the famous FAUCHON gift boxes.

*Here we are left by our French speaking guide and told to find our way back to the hotel when we are finished shopping. To say we felt like we had been helicoptered into the Parisian Jungle and instructed to make it out alive is an understatement! Even with our well-thumbed map of Paris we could not match one street name in it to one on a sign post. The buildings look similar to each other so we had trouble finding an obvious landmark. In the end we headed in the direction of the Luxor Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, which we remembered seeing the day before. With this in sight and the help of a Parisian Guard at the American Embassy, we successfully found our path back to the Hotel Chateau Frontenac!

Destination No 5 – Centre Pompidou ‘Henry Cartier-Bresson Exhibition: There are always plenty of exhibitions to see in amazing venues across Paris. Our choice was a collection of 500 photographs, drawings, paintings, films and documents form the extraordinary life of Magnum photographer Henry Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004). This historical timeline in pictures retraced his career chronologically highlighting the different periods of his development as a documentary style photographer. Housed in the Centre Georges Pompidou a complex building designed in the style of high-tech architecture, in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, The centre is an exhibition in itself with its exposed skeleton of brightly coloured tubes housing exposed escalators that transport visitors into the heavens above (not for the feint hearted or vertically challenged).

Dinner – Au Pied de Cochon (Foot of a Pig) 6 Rue Coquilliere Paris: A Parisian institution serving everything swine. At Aud Pied de Cochon you must try the famed Temptation of Saint Anthony, a dish of fried and breaded tail, ear, snout and half a trotter with chips. It is strands of deep pink meat, especially along the tail, and layers of soft skin, that manage both to be crisp and fatty at the same time. It is the essence of porkiness accompanied by an impeccable béarnaise. If pork is not your thing though, there are hearty steaks or grilled lobster to name a few and a tempting dessert menu including crêpes flambéed in Grand Marnier or cute little pink meringue pigs.

An easy walk back to Les Halles Station and a quick ride on the Metro, accompanied by an exuberant accordion player, and we were back to our hotel for a well-earned sleep.

Day 3

Destination No 6 – Musee De L’orangerie: Most famous for being the permanent home of eight ‘Water Lilies’ murals by Claude Monet which are housed in a circular vestibule designed by Monet himself. Monet created this space in order to give Parisians a haven of peace to contemplate his works. This is also the perfect way for the time poor Paris visitor to take in other famous impressionist and post-impressionist paintings in one spot. Located in the west corner of the Tuileries Gardens next to the Place de la Concorde , the Musee De L’orangerie also contains works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Alfred Sisley, Chaim Soutine, and Maurice Utrillo, among others.

Lunch – La Rotisserie 19 Quai de la Tournelle, Paris: On the banks of the Seine, this Lyonnais-style bistro is a nice little place to spend a lively lunchtime with friends over spit-roasted Challans duck, saucisson pistaché or a salad of boiled beef and lentils. La Rotisserie also offers an array of splendid cheeses and exemplary Beaujolais to tempt the tastebuds and a single rose for each lady on our departure was an unexpected but greatly appreciated touch.

Destination No 7 – Notre Dame Cathedral: An easy walk through leafy streets lined with art sellers’ stalls, flower markets and even bird vendors takes you across the infamous love-lock bridge (which was laden with locks when we were last in Paris but now has been cleared and cleaned up), to the famed and awe-inspiring architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral, the towering 13th-century cathedral adorned with flying buttresses & gargoyles, which was the setting for Victor Hugo’s famous novel ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Cathedral is currently being rebuilt after a tragic fire in 2019 and hopefully will partially re-open in 2024, just in time for the Paris Olympics. When it re-opens, join the queue and enter this hallowed hall, but if not, the exterior itself offers exceptional photographic opportunities and a taste of what this iconic and legendary cathedral has to offer. Join the Metro once again at Saint Michel-Notre Dame station and head back to the hotel.

Time now to pack up and check out, grab a cab back to Gare du Nord well in time for the 7.13pm Eurostar back to London. This time treat yourself to a Standard Premier seat and enjoy meal service with wines. You deserve it!

Au revoir Paris, until next time…🗼