July 7, 2026

Paris Highlights and Where to Stay!

Part Two of our summer trip to England and France was, as you know, France! It had been awhile since we had been to Paris and I was ready for a taste of it all again with an extra few days of adventures we had not yet experienced. So, we took the train from London early on a Friday and arrived in Paris with a full day still ahead. We decided to spend Friday and Saturday exploring the beauty of Paris and the remaining two days of our trip in outer areas which I’ll share in later posts!

Because we had done the main sites in Paris on previous trips, we chose some new things and briefly revisited a couple of favorites. Here are a few we loved…

The Book Stalls on the Seine (Bouquinistes): these are independent sellers of vintage books, magazines, posters, etc. lining the banks of the seine and they are iconic to the Paris scene. This is one of Lola’s favorite things to do in Paris and it’s perfect for a scenic stroll in the city!

Notre Dame

Tuileries Garden & Carousel

Île Saint-Louis : we love this little island situated just behind Notre Dame with its quiet walkable streets of shops and restaurants.

Luxembourg Garden is another favorite with the little children sailing the small sailboats in the basin.

The potted topiaries, perfectly trimmed flower beds, and patinaed statues make this a live fairytale setting,

The Medici Fountain adjoins the garden as well.

Another new favorite highlight came by recommendation of a high school friend who has lived in Paris for many years now. We absolutely loved the Passages located on the Right Bank, which are beautiful glass covered shopping arcades each with different offerings and personalities. We found adorable toy shops, needlepoint, books, and more. The restaurants are so cute as well.

The Palais Royal

Hot Chocolate at Angelina

A visit to an authentic Paris Flea Market! This was the one at the Porte de Vanves and it was so fun to explore!

This is the painting that came home with me and is now hanging in the family room. I absolutely love it.

Of course– the Eiffel Tower is never to be skipped. We saw it up close, from a distance, and from a boat. And all of those are recommended.

And if you get a crepe while in view of it— even better!

We took a one hour cruise on the Seine at sunset (which was 10 pm in June!), but left the dock at 9 pm so we could still view some sights in daylight and end with spectacular nighttime views of the Eiffel tower, and we loved it! There are many options for these cruises. Some include dinner, others are private, but we were fine with a group cruise and we booked ours here with Bateaux Mouches. The tickets are not specified to a definite time, just buy online and get in line at the dock 30 minutes before the cruise you want to board, It was simple and easy. There was plenty of room on the top and although everyone was moving around and standing once we got back to the Eiffel Tower, we could still get great views.

And for the big question everyone always asks — where did we stay? This time it was the Hotel Le Lavoisier and we highly recommend it!

I love the decor and the small comforts and attention to detail. Striped curtains, French doors, plush bedding, and vintage furnishings. Plus, this room was perfect for the 3 of us with the added twin room adjoining the main.

The lobby was so cute as well, offering breakfast in the morning and was the perfect quiet start to each full day of touring. They do have a spa as well and the location of the hotel is in a clean quiet area in the 8th arrondissement. Very close to the metro and the Champs-Élysées. We would definitely stay here again.