Paris doesn't need any introduction or presentation. It has been one of the most visited cities of 2017/2018, and it was just pure casuality that my family and I decided to spend our Holy Week in la cité de l'amour.
It was around November '17 and my dad was casually surfing the web when he noticed an ad with very cheap roundtrip flights to Paris, and he immediately bought five tickets and our next travel was set. We've already been there before, in 2001 exactly, but I was just six years old and my memories weren't as vivid as I wished they were, but hey, I was just an innocent little girl.
Unfortunately the weather was raging and the days were freezy, but this didn't stop us from enjoying our 5-days stay at this wonderful, romantic city.
If you want to know more details and tips, keep reading, and you won't be caught unprepaired during your stay at the French capital!

ACCOMODATION, TRANSPORTATION AND TIPS

Airport parking

Our flight departure was scheduled at 6:30 a.m. from the airport of Venice. My first tip is, if you can't afford to park at the official airport's parking (they are quite pricey, and since we were about to go on holiday, we didn't want to spend further money just for the parking!), search for nearby parking services and book them in advance. The parking company we booked was just 2min by car from the airport, we only paid 22 euro for 5-days parking, and the shuttle was included! We were very satisfied with the service. At our arrival we just had to phone the driver and he'd pick and drive us back.

Paris transportation

We arrived at Charles De Gaulle Airport after a 2 hours flight. It was already raining and you couldn't imagine the sadness that took over me. By the way, I think it is very difficult to understand the transportation/metro/train connections if you're not a city person.

My main tip for travelling is, always search in advance for a country's transportation, general prices and culture before going, so that you'll never have to face unpleasant surprises.

 The easiest way to move around a metropolitan city is... The metro. To be precise, we moved by metro and buses.
The first thing to do once you arrive at the airport, is to search for the Information desk and ask for the Forfait Passe Navigo Découverte. The magnetic card costs 5 euro, plus the forfait which can be weekly or monthly. In our case, we chose the weekly subscription, and it costs around 27 euro/person (prices may increase). We were caught unprepaired on this one because the document picture was mandatory and we had to spend an extra 5 euro/person for the photo machine. Overall the pass is almost necessary if you're planning to move with public transportation, not only you will save money, but also time.
Everytime you hop on the metro/bus is 1.90 eur, so a roundtrip would cost you 3.80 eur. If you take the metro, let's say, 5 roundtrips a day, it's already 19 euro for a day, for one person!

 

Accomodation

Paris wasn't really a planned holiday, we decided to spend Easter vacay abroad just after dad bought the tickets. Hotel and apartment prices were already starting to increase, so I would suggest you to book your hotel/apartment months before the departure date. There are many hotels with a terrace offering you the fantastic skyline and overview of the city (which I see a lot on the Gram, LOL) and probably the next time I'll come back in Paris I'll book one of these, but since we were five, we didn't want to spend most of our budget on the accomodation, so we opted for a hotel which position was fantastic, near Gare de l'Est and just a few minutes from Montmartre.
I highly recommend booking a hotel with breakfast included, since prices in Paris are really high compared to Italy (my mom paid 4 euro for one espresso coffee, and the waiter was even upset because she didn't leave any tip... In Italy an espresso costs you 1 euro) and you might pay at least 6/7 euro per head for a breakfast with cappuccino and a pastry. If you are not on a budget, then lucky you, but for a family of five that's a big no-no.

Best areas to book your hotel? There isn't a fits-all answer to this, it depends on which area you want to be close to. The main attraction areas are Trocadéro or Champs de Mars (near the Tour Eiffel), Avenue de Champs-Élysées (Arc de Triomphe), Jardin des Tuileries (near Musée du Louvre and Palais Royal), the Montmartre area (Sacré-Cœur and Moulin Rouge), the Notre Dame, Montparnasse area and Saint-Germain area.

 

A few tips

Be careful of pickpocketers. If you're used to live in big cities and metropolitan cities, you can 90% of the cases spot fake "volunteers-for-a-right-cause" that may approach you to ask to sign a petition "against drugs" and any other ambiguous case, obviously asking for money then. They are such animals because they use delicate topics to fool people. But also, 80% of the time, these wretches will approach you in large groups, and try to surround you. Especially in touristy areas, always make sure to avoid people who approach you asking for favours. 
One of these wretches once covered my dad's face with the paper she was holding and simultaneously tried to open his bag and steal his wallet. It really was the meds bag and hopefully the woman didn't manage to take anything valuable.
Pickpocketers are everywhere, also make sure to keep your belongings secure when you're taking the metro, bus or any public transportation.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame

The entry is free and the queue doesn't take too long to move. It's a must-visit place to visit when in Paris.

Shakespeare and Company bookshop

It's easy to come across this bookshop while strolling around the Notre-Dame area. You have to visit it yourself to see with your naked eyes how magical this place is. Just imagine yourself sitting on an old couch, reading Baudelaire poems surrounded by old and dusty book shelves, the piano playing and the owner's cat napping on the table beside you.
I could have lived there forever.

Arc de Triomphe

Tour Eiffel

Chateau de Versailles

Free entry for EU citizens under 26. The waiting line is very long, almost 1 hour. Tickets for the Chateau and the garden are separate, so make sure to book them both if you want a full-immersion visit. I suggest you spend the whole day to visit the palace and the broad garden, just to reward yourself with a view like King Louis XIV had everyday!

Musée d'Orsay

I have seen most of the famous paintings I've only seen in my arts book. You will be amused by the paintings of many renowned artists as Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, just to name a few.

Maison Ladurée

What is a trip to Paris without a box of Macarons? Get them at the most known macaron maison (I'm gonna tell you, they are pricey, but you know they are a statement!), but in my opinion, every French patisserie sells really good macarons (and cheaper!).

Jardin du Luxembourg

The whole Saint-Jermain area is enjoyable, especially if you're a football fan. Shopping addicts can satisfy their fashion cravings with the luxury boutiques you can find along the main street.
And after your crazy shopping experience, just take a sit on a bench at the Luxembourg Garden, surrounded by colorful flowers, the children playing, the sound of the fountain and the ducks quacking.

Montmartre 

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

Montmartre has been my favourite area of Paris. It is the parisian life in a nutshell, all the French clichés you have seen or heard of in your entire existence comes to life HERE.
The smell of freshly baked baguettes et croissants, people wearing the basque beret (mostly tourists and bloggers, you know the drill), street artists, the cafés à la parisienne, macaron shops. Everything in this area is so "french" and romantic. I can't really express into words why does this little area gave me this impression, maybe it's the small rues, the street art, the restaurants, I can't really tell. This is the place I would visit a hundred times.

Les murs des Je t'aime

Told ya, can it get more romantic than this? A wall with "I love you" written in every language?

Moulin Rouge

I wasn't kidding when I told you Montmartre was about LOVE. Love in all its forms of expression. The world-famous cabaret is located in Boulevard de Clichy, also known as the adults street, the red light district. It will not take you more than two seconds to understand why. 
It is full of adults shops and entertainment shows with uncensored names and images (what does "Sexodrome" tell to your mind? Or maybe "Fantasy Sex" is easier to guess?). 
Besides all of that, the main attraction (literally, the neon red flashing lights and the red moulin can hardly not capture someone's attention) is the cabaret. Don't be fooled, while the neighborhood offers some "services" for only 20 euro, Moulin Rouge is for high-class clients. 
Only guests with a strict fabulous dress code can have the pleasure to assist their exclusive show, and tickets aren't really for everybody, but I'll surely give it a try in the future.
Visit their website for pricing and detailed information.

Five days aren't enough for a deep visit of Paris, I still have a lot more places to see but unfortunately the weather and the time weren't on our side, but this means I have to return to this wonderful city!
Visit my photography portfolio for more images from Paris!