Travel Guide: Paris

Where we stayed:

First let me start by saying there are SO MANY hotels in Paris. You really have to narrow down what you truly want to be around. I will say the closer your hotel is to the Eiffel, the price is a lot more. Our hotel was about a 35 minute walk from the Eiffel, but only a 10 minute walk from the Louvre. We stayed at Hotel Da Vinci. This is considered a "boutique" hotel and only offers 6 rooms total. They range is sizes, we had one of the smaller rooms, but expected that because it is Paris. The bed was comfortable, we had room to put our belongings, the bathroom was small, but it worked.

If you want more room then I would recommended researching or going with an apartment, which you can rent with Home Away. You will walk a ton, so definitely have your hotel as a central location to restaurants and sightseeing spots.

 

Where we ate:

I definitely did not take enough photos of the meals and restaurants we ate at, but the ones I did take, you want be disappointed. The first place we ate when we arrived was 13- a baker's dozen. This was right across the street from our hotel and definitely set the bar high. I wanted something healthy, since I was pretty low on energy from traveling from London. So I got there summer salad and it was amazing! Every single item they have there is home-made and all organic. And with a glass of mint lemonade! Definitely check this place out!

Crêpes are of course a must while visiting Paris. The best one I had was from a street vendor, so definitely pick one of them up while walking the streets. I recommend the nutella.

When people hear "macarons," they always think "Laduree," well I found a place that's BETTER! Pierre Herme. JUST GO! Seriously the best macaron I have ever had and they are less crowded since everyone heads to Laduree. And they have sorbet, which was so good too.

Paris Picnic was my favorite lunch! You order ahead of time right on their website and they deliver it all on the day of your picnic from this cute little truck. They give you everything you would need, like a blanket and utensils. We selected the salads, baguette, cheeses, & meats. I even added a bouquet of flowers.

What we did:

The eiffel tower was even more amazing in person. I didn't expect to be so in awe of it. Seeing it from a distance is definitely my favorite, but still tour it! It is definitely worth seeing the city from above. Don't wait to get tickets the day of, buy ahead of time to skip the long lines. And of course, definitely see it at night and at the top of every hour when it twinkles!

We went to Versailles for the day with Big Fox Travel. We explored Marie-Antoinette's Estate, which was breathtaking! I loved every aspect of it, so definitely put this on your itinerary. The last stop was at the palace and it was spectacular! Such a beautiful building inside and out, the gardens were my absolute favorite. I would recommend doing the bike tour because so much is included, even your train tickets.

The bridges of Paris are so beautiful. Of course we had to stop at the current "Love Lock" bridge and mark our territory. I would recommend getting one and pack in your luggage, as it is more meaningful then buying one from the guy selling them around the bridge.

The Louvre was incredible. I didn't realize how big it is, it is impossible to tour the entire building in one day. We did the night tour and we were told it is better because it is less crowded, but I will say, IT WAS CROWDED. So many people, but definitely worth it to see.

I hope this was helpful to anyone traveling to Paris or making it a future travel! Please let me know if you have any questions or need anymore recommendations!

Thanks so much for stopping by, xo

London Town

Where we stayed:

Our hotel was the Bailey's Hotel London. I can't say anything negative about this hotel. It was super clean and the perfect location. The decor was so pretty. It was neutral colors, which makes it nice and relaxing, they have a restaurant, which we only ate at for breakfast (it was a free breakfast buffet!). The staff was so pleasant and accommodating. We arrived about 2 hours before check-in, so we didn't expect to be able to check-in, but our room was ready! It was so nice after a long flight to be able to shower and rest up. If you're one to use the local train/underground then you will love staying here because the underground is literally across the street, which makes it so convenient to visit places. There are lots of bars and restaurants on the same street as the hotel too.

Pros:

+ Clean & accommodating staff

+ Close to restaurants & bars

+ Across from the underground

+ Close to some tourist attractions

Cons:

- The only negative I really can think of is that it is a little on the pricey side. BUT you get what you pay for in my opinion when it comes to hotels & I will pay extra for better. Nice hotels usually are pricey.

P.S. I was not sponsored at all for this!

Where we ate:

London had some great food! We passed by Wahaca's and quickly looked up the reviews (we always check out reviews before). They had great reviews and we are always in the mood for Mexican. Their margaritas were AMAZING and the food was too! It is tapas style, which I always love because you can try a few items.

We had brunch at Tom's Kitchen. It was a little far from our hotel, but we made the walk to the Chelsea district. I adore Chelsea, it is the pricier part of London, expensive homes & restaurants, but well worth the visit. The pretty rainbow buildings below are right around the corner from Tom's Kitchen. I got the eggs benedict and my husband got the rib-eye, we both enjoyed our meal. Again, pricey, but great food and atmosphere.

Fait Maison was not even a 2 minute walk from our hotel, so we went for croissants and coffee one morning. The croissants were disappointing, but it could have been because it was Sunday and they didn't have a fresh delivery. The coffee was great and the outside seating and indoor decor, reminded me of Paris!

What we did:

We usually walk around cities aimlessly & London was one that didn't disappoint. I didn't realize the architecture that London has. Many of the buildings are so detailed and just breathtaking. I loved all the fun colored buildings and the floral arrangements that lined the windows. So I would definitely recommend just putting aside a few hours to not have a destination & just explore your surroundings.

The Buckingham Palace is beautiful, BUT tourists kind of take over the beauty. I couldn't even get a decent picture, but I did get some of the pretty gardens. We arrived just in time to see the changing of the guards, which was really cool.

My top 3 favorites were the Big Ben, London Eye & the Tower Bridge. The Big Ben is beautiful and massive! The London Eye is really awesome to look at and to see the city from the inside. Definitely get some photos when you're on it! The Tower Bridge was far from our hotel, so we took the underground and it was super easy to get to. It is such a stunning bridge, like nothing I have ever seen before!

We loved, loved, LOVED London. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for it, but I was blown away. We had perfect weather, cloudy and chilly in the AM and then by the afternoon it was sunny skies and warm. We are already planning our next trip back!

Please email me or comment if you have any questions about London!

Thanks so much for stopping by, xoxo

A Paris Picnic

Top: Forever 21 (identical here & polka dot version) | Skirt: Ann Taylor (similar here) | Flats: J. Crew (identical here) | Hair Bow: Forever 21 | Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Bracelet: Nordstrom

This was a favorite outfit of mine while we were in Paris. It's super girly and chic at the same time. You can't go wrong with a midi skirt, top and flats. I adore this cute little hair bow, it's not something I wear on the daily, but I couldn't resist wearing while we were in Paris. We did a "Paris Picnic," where you place your order online here & the day you select, they deliver your lunch/dinner at a location with literally everything you need. I highly recommend doing this, it was one of my favorite things we did.

This is the last of my outfit posts from Paris & London. I didn't want to worry about doing photo shoots & miss out on truly enjoying vacation. I will have my London & Paris Travel Guide next week!

Who's ready for the weekend?!

xo

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