Paris - The Plans

I still have a few more Lindos posts to go but I thought I'd break it up a little bit today with a post about my next grand travel plans: 

Later on this year I am going to Paris.

To say that I am excited is an understatement. Since booking I have taken up learning French, searched for perfect outfits befitting the city of style and planned my time there, even going down to the point of creating a map of locations I want to visit (so sad but so true).

My ability to be a tourist is non-existent so my intention is to try and avoid the tourist hotspots as much as feasibly possible. I want to do Paris like the Parisians, and to prove that it doesn't have to be as notoriously expensive as it is, so here's my plan: 

Luxembourg Gardens

Credit - Inside Teebs Kitchen

As a self-confessed shutter bug this is a totally brilliant - and completely free - way to while away the afternoon. Wandering amongst the beautiful gardens and sculptures of the Luxembourg gardens is quintessentially Parisian. And if the sculptures are a let down then there is always the motor boats to play with!

Pink Flamingo, 67 Rue Bichat 

Credit - Mary Kay Bosshart

Sitting on the banks of Canal St Martin, holding a pink balloon and wearing stripes, it really couldn’t get more Parisian. Legend has it if you pay Pink Flamingo a visit you can order a pizza to be delivered to you on the waters edge. The balloon as your beacon of hunger.

Parc Monceau - Visit

Credit - www.leshotelsdeparis.com

A quiet afternoon with little more than Mr M and a box of macarons for company in the parc monceau makes for the classic hollywood romance. This place has had me inspired since before we planned a trip to Paris. The carousel and hidden historical structures have had me stuck in a romanticised dream and we're going to make it a reality!  

Café de flore

Credit - Wikepedia

The perfect spot for a little light people watching and coffee drinking. Whiling away hours with a good old fashioned cup of tea and a croissant or two sounds like the perfect kind of morning to wake up to. 

Jean-paul Hevin 

Credit - www.jeanpaulhevin.com

Visiting Paris without a trip to a chocolatiares is practically criminal, and by being dubbed as one of Paris' top 5 not visiting Jean-paul Hevin would be a crime. The beauty of this trip is that it can be as cheap - or expensive - as you wish! And, with the hot chocolate bar upstairs it sounds neigh on impossible to walk out without a big chocolatey grin on your face. 

Les Puces de Saint-Ouen

Credit - www.messynessychic.com

A wander around a good old fashioned flea market in Britain is something to get excited about so image what it would be to wander through the relics of a Paris past. Located a little further out of Paris centre this is definitely one for the metro but a few hours wandering through the eclectic wares and bargaining with the merchants should be enough to take the pressure off the travel.

Merci

Credit - www.architecturaldigest.com

Set in the an old wallpaper factory Merci has been dubbed as one of the biggest hipster spots in Paris. If the eclectic fashion or interior design bits don’t drag me in I’m pretty certain the café shrouded in books will.

Galeries Lafayette Maison

Credit - commons.wikimedia.org111

Another cheap or expensive shindig is a visit to Galeries Lafayette Maison. Losing hours wandering around the awe inspiring architecture window shopping, or spending all of your hard earned money in the designer shops, this features heavily on my must visit list. Although, bank account, rest assured, I will be window shopping! 

Sainte Chapelle

Credit - commons.wikimedia.org

Taking it back to culture for a few hours might well be in order by the time we get back round to Sainte Chapelle. The stunning architecture and the depths of its history will be all I need to snap me back it reality. 

Eiffel Tower

Credit - www.travelsintranslation.com

Of course no trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower - well you've got to do one touristy thing, right?. Although, seeing as I am opting against convention here, my grand Eiffel plan doesn't just involve going up it. My hope is in the mild September weather to put together the most French of picnics - think baguettes, cheese and macarons – and picnic under its watchful gaze.

We're flying to Paris this time. It turns out that, for us, flying is actually going to be cheaper and easier. Being based in the Midlands means that it's borderline which way of travelling is better, but with airlines such as AirFrance taking you direct from Manchester it's a no brainer. 

If you have any tips on where to visit or where to avoid let me know! 

*This post is in collaboration with AirFrance, however, I am going to Paris later on this year and everything in this post is a true representation of my plans and feelings towards the trip. Yes, I did even create a map.....on Google. And yes, it is cheaper for us to fly.