solo trip to paris

November 2023

Paris was my first time traveling abroad on my own and it was an incredible experience. The city is full of life and I loved exploring it on my own - even if it was just for a week. Paris is a huge and has a ton of stuff to do. I really liked being there as the holiday celebrations were kicking off. Here’s how I spent my week in Pairs!

getting around in paris

The Paris metro system is designed extremely well so getting around was very easy. I bought a Naivgo pass and added about $30 which lasted the entire week - info about all the passes is available here. I travelled within Paris and used the metro pass multiple times during the day. If you’d like to learn more about how to travel within Paris, you can watch this video which was helpful for me as I planned my trip.

Visit the Musée d'Orsay AND Tuileries Garden

I know the Louvre gets all the love in Paris, but the Musée d'Orsay was such a standout from my trip. I got the general admission ticket with the audio tour, which I highly recommend, and spent half the day exploring the artwork. The d’Orsay is home to the Impressionist and post-impressionist paintings from van Gogh and Monet. The museum also has over 2,000 sculptures, including The Thinker and Gates of Hell. After a long of exploring, you can cross the Seine and make you way over to the Tuileries Garden. If you’re visiting between late November - early January, you can visit the Tuileries Garden Christmas Market as well.

saint Ouen Flea Market

I kicked off my Day 1 in Paris at the Saint Ouen Flea Market located above the 18th arrondissement and is open Saturday through Monday. I took the metro from my hotel to the flea market. There are thousands of store where you can vintage clocks, carpets, cookware, clothing, and jewelry. Because there are so many shops, you want to allow yourself at least half the day to explore the area.

SPEND THE DAY IN THE LATIN QUARTER

I stayed in the right bank of the Seine but made my way over to the left bank twice during my trip - once for the D’orsay/Eiffel tower and once for spending a full day in the Latin quarter. The Latin quarter is situated in the 5th/6th arrondissements and is easily accessible via the Metro. I started my day with breakfast at Kozy (this place is so good I actually went here twice during my trip). I then made my way over to Shakespeare and Company and to browse the iconic bookstore. I picked up a few reads to keep me company for sitting in Parisian cafes. The area around the Latin Quarter has a ton of stuff to do and see - I walked this neighborhood for a few hours to explore the Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens.

SHOP in le MARAIS

I stayed near the 2nd arrondissement which is next to Le Marais neighborhood. Out of all the neighborhoods in Paris, I spent the most time in Marais. This little trendy neighborhood reminded me so much of SF and I LOVED shopping here. Obviously Paris is the shopping capital so there are luxury stores like Chanel, but the vintage shops in Marais are definitely worth visiting. I saw resale items from brands like APC, Chloe, and YSL for a fraction of the price. I also found some leather goods shops here and picked up from gifts for friends/family back home. The Paul Marius shop had gorgeous bags and wallets.

eat, drink, and people watch in parisian cafes

Paris is filled with beautiful cafes on every street and corner. At first, I found it a bit uncomfortable to ask for a ‘'Table for one’' while everyone around me sat in groups of friends and couples. I often ate with my headphones in as the wait staff in Paris often leaves you alone after delivering your food. Occasionally, I struck up a conversation with other people around me. I really enjoyed sitting at cafes after walking for hours and people watching in the city was very entertaining.