Hey, what’s up? 

So, it’s the early May bank holiday, which means a long weekend! I decided it was finally time to visit France—believe it or not, I’d never been before. I flew from Birmingham to Paris, and it was a really short flight. This time, I was trying to save a little, so I didn’t bother paying extra for a window seat. Regret that decision 100%, because I didn’t realise I’d miss the chance to spot the Eiffel Tower from the sky. Guess what? The pilot even announced mid-flight which side of the plane could see it. Just my luck! For anyone planning the trip—make sure to get a seat on the right side of the plane for that view. Next time, I definitely will.

On the first day, I arrived quite late, and the border check at Charles de Gaulle Airport was really slow. I always thought the NHS had staffing problems, but apparently, airport immigration can be even worse. It took me a full hour to get through. Once I was out, I took the train to the city centre—13 euros for a one-way ticket. It was a smooth ride and took less than 30 minutes to reach Gare du Nord (which literally means North Station). Thankfully, my hostel was just around the corner, so I didn’t have to go far.

On the way, I stopped by a mini market to grab some snacks and water for dinner. While I was there, I noticed a Korean lady at the front causing a bit of a scene. I decided not to get involved and just quickly picked up what I needed before leaving. Then I headed to my hostel to check in. The hostel was located right above a club, so let’s just say it was very lively downstairs—or in other words, quite noisy.

The check-in queue was long, and while waiting, I spotted the same Korean lady again. I couldn’t help but hope she wouldn’t end up as my roommate. Thankfully, she wasn’t. I also noticed her pushing past someone in the queue, which made the whole scene even more dramatic. Quite the first impression of Paris!

Finally, I made it to my room—a shared space with five double-decker beds. Like I said, I was travelling on a budget, so this was the best option. I unpacked, settled in, and got ready for the days ahead.

The next day, I woke up early, determined to make the most out of my time in Paris. I only had two full days to explore, so I wanted to squeeze in as much as I could. And of course, the first thing on the agenda was coffee and croissant—because what’s Paris without them?

I headed to a coffee shop called Noir. Their latte was honestly one of the best I’ve had—smooth and rich. I would’ve given the barista extra points if they offered syrups (a little vanilla or caramel never hurts), but unfortunately, they keep it classic here. Still, the coffee was great, and the shop’s interior was beautiful—minimalist yet warm, the kind of place you could easily spend a slow morning in.

Next, I grabbed a croissant from a random bakery I passed by. And let me tell you—the croissants in Paris really are on another level. Flaky, buttery, and light… it’s a must-try. I had planned to visit a popular bakery called Mamiche for pastries, but when I saw the long queue outside, I decided to skip it. I wasn’t in the mood to spend my precious morning standing in line.

After fuelling up, I made my way to The Louvre—the famous museum that houses some of the world’s greatest masterpieces, including the iconic Mona Lisa. I arrived early in the morning, so it wasn’t too crowded yet, which was a relief. Interestingly, I noticed a few couples there taking wedding photos. It reminded me of a friend who had done her pre-wedding shoot in Paris; the photos she posted were beautiful, and seeing the couples there made me smile.

Just next to The Louvre is the Tuileries Garden. The gardens here feel quite different from the ones back in England. There are so many chairs and benches scattered around for people to sit, relax, and just enjoy the view. I got the sense that people here really enjoy people-watching—it felt like part of the culture. Almost every garden I saw in Paris had a fountain, and Tuileries was no exception. There’s even a triumphal arch nearby—I believe it dates back to Napoleon’s time, though I won’t dive into the history lesson here!

As I continued walking through the park, I managed to stop by quite a few other places along the way. These included the Madeleine Church, Place de la Concorde, and Palais Bourbon—all stunning buildings with beautiful architecture. I didn’t go inside any of them though, because I knew that once I stepped in, I’d be stuck for at least an hour or two exploring, and time wasn’t exactly on my side. So I admired them from the outside and kept moving. I also passed by the Grand Palais and Petit Palais—both with equally impressive exteriors. Paris really knows how to make buildings look grand.

Next, I headed to the famous Arc de Triomphe. It’s massive—like a giant stone gate—and you can even climb to the top for panoramic views of the city. I’d seen photos on Google, and the view does look amazing. But I decided to skip the climb because the weather that day was scorching. It was so hot I felt like my brain was melting. Plus, the place was packed with tourists, and the traffic around the roundabout was chaotic. At one point, I saw a kid nearly get hit by a car that ran a red light—right in front of my eyes! In that moment, I thought, Nope, I’m on holiday. I’m not about to turn into an emergency doctor today. Definitely not doing CPR under the blazing 29-degree sun!

I then took quite a long detour to see the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The building’s exterior is really unique—modern and artistic, a complete contrast to the historical architecture I’d been seeing. To get there, I walked through Bois de Boulogne, a huge park that honestly felt like I was trekking through a forest. The trees were tall and dense, but they provided perfect shade, which I appreciated in the heat. There were a few ponds along the way and plenty of people jogging and cycling, so it felt lively and safe. I had no clue what was actually inside the Fondation LV, but judging by the long queue, it’s clearly a popular spot.

Before ending my day at the Eiffel Tower, I made a quick stop at the Statue de la Liberté (yes, Paris has its own mini version—giving me serious New York vibes). I also noticed that Paris has a lot of open-air gym parks, and people were actually using them! The equipment looked well-maintained, and I even saw someone repainting a wall to cover up graffiti. If this was back in Malaysia, I’m pretty sure the gym equipment would’ve been left to rust! I also saw random table tennis tables in parks and playgrounds, which was a nice touch.

Finally, the last stop for Day 1: the Eiffel Tower. Not gonna lie—the photos online don’t quite capture how majestic it looks in real life. It’s huge and towering, and seeing it up close was pretty awe-inspiring. There were so many people queuing to go up, but I decided to skip it. After all that walking, I didn’t have the energy left, and I wasn’t too fussed about seeing another city view from above. Instead, I just enjoyed the tower from below, taking in the atmosphere. But next time, I definitely want to come back at night to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up—that’s something I don’t want to miss.

The next day, I decided to take things a little easier—mainly because I walked over 50,000 steps the day before! My Garmin app even gave me a special 50K steps achievement. Small win, but I’ll take it.

First stop: Montmartre. It’s set on quite a steep hill, and you can either climb the stairs or take the funicular. I chose the stairs this time—felt ambitious. There were a few people jogging up and down (probably part of their daily workout), and I tried to keep up… but ended up breathless halfway. To be fair, I wasn’t feeling 100%, otherwise I like to think I’d have smashed it!

At the top, you get a lovely view of Paris. It’s nice, though I have to say—it looks like every other typical European city from up high. But the real highlight here is the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. The exterior is stunning, honestly left me in awe. Inside, it’s classic church vibes: stained glass windows, flickering candles, and a peaceful atmosphere.

Next, I made my way to the National Library of France—or in French, Bibliothèque nationale de France (good luck pronouncing that one!). I didn’t take many photos here; actually, just one, because I couldn’t figure out how to silence my camera. The moment I snapped, I got that look from the people inside—you know the one—so I quickly put my camera away and just enjoyed the space quietly.

After that, I stopped by Palais-Royal. There’s a little park and rows of black-and-white columns that people like to take photos with (not sure what their original purpose was!). I grabbed a honey lemon tea and a slice of lemon cake—had to go for tea because my throat was acting up and I wasn’t feeling too well that day. Sitting under the shady trees, sipping tea, and people-watching turned out to be quite a peaceful little moment.

Then, I headed to Jardin du Luxembourg (which, yes, literally means “Luxembourg Garden”). It’s huge, with the Luxembourg Palace and the pretty Medici Fountain right in the middle. I chilled here for an hour, again people-watching… and silently judging their fashion choices (all in good fun!).

I made a quick stop at the Pantheon—didn’t go in, but figured I might as well see it while I was nearby. There were loads of teenagers around, probably on a school trip.

Then, it was time to visit the Grande Mosquée de Paris. It’s actually open to visitors, not just Muslims, and it has a beautiful garden courtyard. For Europe, it’s a pretty big mosque, though if I’m honest… no mosque here beats the ones back in Malaysia. Still, it was nice to pray there and take in the peaceful surroundings.

By late afternoon, I slowly made my way back to the hostel. I was just 10 minutes away when I noticed the sky turning dark—and then suddenly, boom: hailstorm! It literally started raining ice. The weather went from summer heat to freezing cold in minutes. Luckily, it didn’t last long, and I made a dash back to my room before I turned into an ice cube.

The next morning, I packed my bags and headed back to England. This time, I took the Eurostar train. It runs through an underwater tunnel between London and Europe, and honestly, it was a pretty cool experience. Check-in was smooth—much faster and easier than the chaos at the airport. (Pro tip: check in at least 2 hours before departure; they close it 30 minutes before.)

And that was the end of my Paris trip! Another solo adventure. I think I’m really getting used to solo travel now—you have all the time to yourself, and even though there’s no one to take your photo, at least you can take building shots at your own pace! I kinda like it now (cue “I kinda like it now” by MOD SUN 🎶), just vibing solo through life.

Alright then, hope you guys enjoyed reading this post! See you in the next one—psst, I’ve got two more Europe trips coming up in less than a month, so stay tuned!