Our first day in Paris was a whirlwind. Overwhelming crowds, high costs and the hustle and bustle really took us by storm! Especially since Paris wasn't as English-friendly as other places we've been. To ease our stress, we let our Uber driver plan our first day in Paris. Pretty wild to let a stranger plan our day, but it was so worth it! The two activities we did were memorable and cost-effective.
Sacré-Cœur
The first spot our Uber driver, Abdelhalim, suggested was the Sacré-Cœur church in the Montmartre area of Paris. He said this church is the highest church in Paris and, because of that, it has an exceptional view over the city. In his opinion it is also the most beautiful. We loved this idea and set course for Montmartre right away!
What We Loved
The church was beautiful and huge! There were a flights of stairs to the top, but there was also a cute little trolley that took visitors from the city center up to the top of the hill. We loved the trolley ride. I was thankful not to have to take the hike up the steps!
Entry to the church was free! In Paris, most restaurants and activities are pricey so we appreciated that this view didn't come with a price tag.
What We Disliked
Since this church is one of the most popular tourist activities in Paris, it was VERY crowded. The steps were full, church entry had a line and the front entrance had no human-less spots for epic photographs. We had to keep our guard up and our belongings close because at any moment someone might have swiped something!
It's somewhat of a trek from the main downtown area of Paris. Montmartre is it's own section of Paris that deserves a whole day to explore. We eventually went back to the area to spend more time there, but if you have a short time in Paris then this church will be out of the way for your limited itinerary.
Seine River Boat Ride
Our second adventure was exploring the city by boat! We went on a Seine River boat cruise with Bateaux Mouches. It's $17 USD per person and about an hour and a half long. The boat ride went past the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Conciergerie, the Musée d’Orsay and the Statue of Liberty at Pont de Grenelle (which was given to France by the United States to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution).
What We Loved
The price per person is fair and the flexible timing is great for tourists trying to see multiple sites in a day. You don't need to book a specific time - you can just show up when you're ready to ride. The boats run daily every 30 minutes from 10am to 10pm or 11pm (depending on the season).
The boat ride was lots of fun and relaxing. Seeing all of the sights from the water was truly something special!
The crowds are fun and the excitement on the boat is intoxicating! There are joyful traditions everyone participates in, such as screaming when you go under a bridge, taking pictures of each other with the views and making hearts with your hands at waving tourists walking the banks.
What We Disliked
Although the crowds were fun, some problems arose. There were so many people that the line for getting on the boat was about 30 minutes long! Then, once on the boat, there was only one seat left for Cedric and I, which we had to take turns sharing.
There is supposed to be audio on the boat that discusses the sites that are passing by. However, with the people and outdoor noises we couldn't hear the audio at all. This was a bummer because the point of a tour is learning about the history and culture of what you're seeing.
Top 3 Items To Bring Here:
Phone Gimbal (For stabilizing your phone for footage and photos on the boat)
We communicated with our French Uber driver with the Vasco Translator V4, an amazing device that quickly detects and translates languages in real-time. No pesky apps or mistranslations! If interested in this product use Deanna5 at checkout for a discount!
What will our European adventures be next? Stay tuned here on the blog and on YouTube for more great tips for Europe travel all summer long.
