Things To Do

Eiffel Tower (Of course!)

Louvre Museum

If you love museums, art, history...(the Mona Lisa!), le Louvre is the place for you. It is the largest museum in the world--if all the galleries were stretched out, it would be eight miles long! Purchase tickets to le Louvre well in advance for the day and time you would like to visit to guarantee admission (tickets can be purchased at the website above). If you want to spend quality time there and get the most out of your visit, make sure to purchase tickets for morning entry--again, the museum is so vast, you will not be able to see much at all if you go later in the day. Also, the museum begins closing exhibits at around 5-5:30. It is closed on Tuesdays. I highly recommend purchasing a guided tour ticket (in whichever language you prefer)---the guides can take you directly to some of the most popular and influential exhibits and also teach you about them. FUN FACT: The same architect who designed parts of le Louvre also designed the Château de Vallery!

Notre Dame Cathedral

The Notre Dame Cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the devastating fire of 2019 forced it to close its doors for renovations. It is a beautiful cathedral inside and out.

Areas in Paris to search for hotels!

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is in the 4th arrondissement (basically neighborhood or section of Paris), along the famous Seine River. This is a great central location to search for hotels or Airbnbs if you are interested in spending time in Paris while here for the wedding. For reference, le Louvre museum is in the 1st arrondissement, situated on the right bank of the Seine River (also a great central location); the Eiffel Tower is in the 7th arrondissement; Moulin Rouge is in the 9th arrondissement...just to name a few well-known tourist attractions. A local recommended the 6th arrondissement to Stefan and I. If you want a unique, Parisian neighborhood feel: Search for places to stay in the Bastille neighborhood of Paris; Bastille is a bit less touristy; it is a fun neighborhood with nightlife. Infamous shopping area (e.g. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc.) is located on Champs-Élysées Avenue. FYI: Elevators in Paris can be tiny! Or non-existent!

Quick Note on Paris...

The city is large, and the tourist locations are spread out. For example, the Eiffel Tower is a 12-minute car ride or 31-minute subway to Notre-Dame Cathedral. The subway is affordable, and decently easy to navigate with GoogleMaps. The Paris subway system uses the same ticket machines as New York City. For those not familiar with subway travel, pay careful attention to not only the number or letter of the subway train you must get on, but also the direction you are going in. For example, GoogleMaps will state "C Pontoise" so you must follow the signs within the subway station for the C line going TOWARD PONTOISE (because there will be a C line going the opposite way). When searching directions in GoogleMaps, you can select the second icon after the car icon to get the subway directions (if there is a route via subway). "M" denotes Métro (which is what the French call the subway). The abbreviation "RER" is for the hybrid commuter rail/rapid transit system that runs through Paris.

BEWARE

Around major tourist locations, especially the Eiffel Tower, there are individuals trying to sell bracelets. They are persistent and invade your personal space...they have even grabbed mine and Stefan's arm before! Just be firm in your rejection and/or if you see them, walk far away from them. Their goal is to get the bracelet on you and then demand money because "it's on you." They are not dangerous, just terribly annoying and rather inappropriate!

PIZZA IN PARIS: Peppe Pizzeria Martyrs

The owners are from Naples, Italy. Absolutely delicious pizza!!! The best Margherita pizza I have ever had.