Paris After Hours
After Hours is the Planned vs Rogue series where Katie brings you their favourite things the team did when the cameras weren’t rolling.
Full disclosure, we ticked off the main touristy things in Paris that we would want to do in 2019. We saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, we climbed to the top of the Sacré-Cœur, and we watched the Eiffel Tower twinkle at night. Whilst I recommend all of these things if they interest you, I will be talking about the more lowkey things that we enjoyed on our days off on our latest trip. If you’ve watched our episode in Paris, you’ll already know that this is my preferred way to enjoy Paris anyway - just sit back and let the city happen.
Stroll Along the Seine & Up the Champs-Élysées
Paris is undeniably beautiful to look at. Even if you’re one of those people who find Paris overrated of even unsufferable (which I don’t understand but that’s okay), the architecture alone commands some level of respect. Using the Seine and the Champs-Élysées as your guidelines for an hours-long stroll, you’ll naturally come by many of the city’s icons. The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral & Louvre will all present themselves along the way.
I’m not a massive fan of museums and attractions, particularly when they have long lines and wait times. I’m perfectly content viewing them from afar, and these walks allowed me to do so at my own leisure. The best part is that you can break this up and do it across multiple days, as many times as you like. If you’re like me, you’ll simply never get bored of the sights along the way.
Get Your Step Count Up in Montmartre
The moment you set out on foot into Montmartre, the hype about it makes perfect sense. It has the magical beauty that artists over the centuries have found irresistible. After exploring the area in 2019, I was so excited to return on this trip and it was the first place we headed to after settling in.
Montmartre is not only a visual delight at every turn, but it’s also a great way to get some exercise without taking time out of your holiday. With steep hills and staircases to navigate around, make sure you wear comfy shoes while out and about. There’s countless cafes and bars throughout the village, as well as painters set up in the main square, making the whole place permanently look like a postcard. If you really want to get the heart rate up, you can also climb to the top of the Sacré-Cœur. We did this in 2019 and there were no crowds whatsoever, but last year as we were passing by the place was absolutely packed. It is still undoubtedly cheaper and faster than going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and my opinion, has the superior view as it is perched up so high that you are looking down at the city.
Have a Meal in Canal St Martin
We stayed in Canal St Martin during our trip to Paris and while it is a bit away from the main attractions, its a vibrant neighbourhood full of locals enjoying good food and fun nightlife. There were many bars and cafes that we frequented in this area, including Café à la Fontaine, le Dude Bar, & Maria Belza. The Metro also meant it was always an easy journey to any other part of the city that we needed to get to.
On our last night in Paris, which was also our last night on the continent before we headed to the UK, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice brasserie dinner. We chose Hotel du Nord due to its proximity to our apartment, and we were not disappointed. Friendly service, beautiful classic décor and a great wine list were just the beginning. We tried the devilled eggs, razor clams, confit duck & fish stew for our starters and mains. They were all exceptionally good, but the true stand outs were the desserts. I can never go past a crème brulée, and when I saw they had île flottante, I didn’t hesitate to order it. I had always seen it on TV and it looked so dreamy. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.
Shop Like a Local in Belleville
I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but shopping local and cooking at home is easily one of the most comforting things you can do while travelling. If you’re in one location for more than four or five nights, you can definitely get sick of eating out - and if you don’t, your bank account sure does. That’s why we loved shopping local in every city we went to. Not only is it financially beneficial to your travels, but it can really help you feel like you’ve gotten to know the culture of the city.
Belleville was a 30 minute walk from where we stayed, making it the perfect strolling distance to take in our local area and pick up ingredients. I recommend taking time to visit Belleville when in Paris - it is far enough from the centre that it is not full of tourists, but close enough that you can easily pop up for dinner or drinks (or groceries if you’re like us). Our favourite stop was Fromagerie Lefort, where we bought some beautiful local Comte cheese to have with dinner that night.
Do Some Writing in a Cafe
Benny paying the bills in our favourite local cafe.
Benny and I were lucky enough to be working remotely during our 5 month trip around Europe - just a few hours each week to slightly soften the financial blow of travelling full time. Whilst we made efforts to find accommodation where working would be comfortable, we also enjoyed finding a local spot in each city where could work, have good coffee, and become known to staff during our stay.
For Benny in particular, being out and about whilst working brings a lot of inspiration. Whether you’re working, journaling or daydreaming, the surrounds of a coffee shop in a foreign city will bring you sights and delights that you would never find at home. It also helps you feel productive at a time where you might otherwise feel like you’re just walking, eating and drinking (if you’re like me), and makes you feel a teeny bit like a local while doing so.
