My First 48 Hours in Paris: A Whirlwind of Churches, Chaos, and… MSG?

So we finally made it to Paris! We’re spending our first two days exploring the city, and wow, it has already been an adventure. We’re staying at the Mercure Hotel by Charles de Gaulle Airport for both nights, which has been a pretty solid home base so far. Here’s a completely honest rundown of our first day hitting some of the most iconic spots.

First Stop: Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre

Our tour started with the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The traffic in Paris is no joke, and once you’re there, get ready for a climb! You have to hike up a bunch of stairs to get to the church, but the view from the top—this whole area is called Montmartre—is totally worth it. From up there, you can spot a tall skyscraper off in the distance. Our guide told us it’s the only one in Paris proper because they banned the construction of any more tall buildings after it was built. After visiting the basilica, we wandered through the streets filled with little vendor stalls and artists painting. We tried to find the famous “Wall of Love” (Le Mur des Je t’aime), but it was partially under construction, so you couldn’t get very close. On our way back to our meeting point, a lady from our tour group waved us into a cute little café. I ordered a hot chocolate for €4.50, and it was delicious. The real win, though? Getting to use the restroom. Which brings me to a hilarious and slightly confusing cultural moment. I noticed the door for the women’s restroom was labeled “Femmes.” An American lady in line with me asked which one was for women because she couldn’t figure it out either. I quickly used a translation app to confirm and explained it to her. Her response? “Oh, who cares, I’d have used the men’s room anyway!” Gotta love that can-do attitude.

Adventures in Group Tour Dining

For our group meal, we went to a Chinese restaurant called “Jiangnan.” It was actually pretty clean, and they served us a ten-person, family-style meal. For me, the highlights were the preserved vegetables with soybeans and the braised pork belly over a big bowl of rice. It totally hit the spot. I tried a bite of the cabbage and bean sprouts but wasn’t a fan, and I skipped the poached chicken and codfish. But hey, I was just happy to have some familiar, comforting food.

Freezing on the Seine River Cruise

Next up was the Seine river cruise. We waited in the biting wind for about 20 minutes before we could all board. I was SO relieved to find out there was a restroom on the boat! We decided to sit on the open-air top deck, which was… a choice. It was freezing! Thankfully, both of us had brought huge scarves, so we wrapped ourselves up like burritos. The cruise itself was about an hour long and offered incredible views of so many landmarks, like Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and the French Parliament. The scarf-blanket combo was a literal lifesaver.

Pro Tip: No matter the forecast, bring a big scarf to Paris. It’s a lifesaver for windy boat tours and can double as a blanket or even an anti-theft cover for your bag!

Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe: A Race Against Time

We didn’t go up the Eiffel Tower, but our bus stopped at a scenic viewpoint for a quick photo op. It was one of those “jump off the bus, snap a picture, get back on” situations. The area was swarming with guys selling little Eiffel Tower trinkets. Several of them tried to show us how to take those classic forced-perspective photos where it looks like you’re holding the tower between your fingers. We just kept our heads down and avoided eye contact. At the Arc de Triomphe, our most memorable experience was our guide pointing us to a public restroom that cost €2 to use. The glamour of Paris!

Hotel Life and Late-Night Eats

Our room at the Mercure has a small main bed plus two twin beds. The hair dryer is one of those press-and-hold types that makes your hand ache, but hey, it works! We brought a clothesline but couldn’t find a good spot to hang it, so we’ve got our smaller items drying between two lampshades and our shirts and pants draped over the TV and doorframes. You gotta do what you gotta do! A short five-minute walk from the hotel, there’s a small Carrefour grocery store where a big 1.5-liter bottle of Evian water is only €0.79! There’s also a Chinese restaurant called “New Peach Garden” nearby. I was craving something spicy, but they didn’t have what I wanted. We ended up getting two takeout orders of fried rice—one Guangdong style and one with chicken—which came in huge portions. To be honest, it was just okay and tasted like it was loaded with MSG. Way too savory, but it filled us up.

Staying Safe and Warm

• Dress Code: We totally underestimated the weather! We thought it would be sunny and warm after our flight, but it’s been cold enough for a light down jacket. Those scarves I mentioned have been essential for warmth.
• Theft Prevention: You really do have to be cautious of anyone who tries to start a conversation out of the blue. I’ve been wearing my backpack on my front and have my phone on a lanyard that’s clipped to my bag and looped around my wrist. I also have my passport and cash hidden in a separate pouch deep inside my bag, and I’m using a safety pin to secure the zipper pulls together. It’s a pain for even me to open, which is exactly the point!