In Partnership with Original Travel.
Before this trip I hadn’t been to Paris since 2018. I had a trip booked for August 2020, but naturally it was cancelled along with the rest of my travel plans between March 2020 – June 2021. So as soon as travel opened up again, I was desperate to return to one of my favourite cities. I wanted to wander the streets alone, soaking up the sights, the atmosphere, the food. All through the pandemic I kept saying to myself “I just want one day there, that’s it. Just a day trip and I’ll be happy.”
So as soon as Eurostar had a sale on, I jumped on it and booked a weekday day trip to Paris from London. And, while I’m *so* glad I had my little day trip to Paris, I am now desperate for a longer visit. When I do a day trip to Paris I love to see my favourite spots and the most iconic sights, but on longer trips I always try and do something completely new that I’ve never done before.
Original Travel have the best itinerary for a long weekend in Paris – in just four days you can explore the iconic sights, as well as the lesser known spots such as Place de la Bastille and the the Musée Nissim de Camondo, which I’ve never done before. As a bespoke travel agency, they tailor the trip completely to you so you can switch out things you’ve already seen and done, and add in the more interesting things you might never have thought of on previous trips!
So, ready for my travel guide on how to have the best day trip to Paris from London? Let’s go!
08:00 – Get an early train from St Pancras
First, you need to get an early train from London St Pancras. You can get one earlier than I did if you live in Central London, but I got the 08:00 train to Gare du Nord, which got me into Paris for 11:15 – just in time for brunch!
You can then walk the 15-mins from Gare du Nord to my new favourite brunch spot (which has now replaced Eggs & Co in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area), Hardware Société. The walk takes you right up the steps to the Sacré-Cœur, so you’ll tick one famous sight off your list almost as soon as you step off the train!
11:45 – Brunch at Hardware Société
Nestled on a leafy back-street right next to the Sacré-Cœur, Hardware Société is an Australian brunch spot with my favourite Aussie treats – a sweet and cooling Iced Chocolate, and the most perfect fried Brioche French Toast. You’ll need to join the queue, but I promise it’s worth the wait and the queue moves quickly.
Once inside (or outside if you can get a highly coveted outside table), promise me that you’ll order the French Toast?! Please, please do it. It is incredible. The iced chocolate wasn’t as good as the Aussie ones, but it was better than the English attempts at them and was very welcome on a stonking hot day.
12:30 – Wander around Montmatre & Visit Musée de Montmartre
After brunch, you’ll want to spend some time just wandering around Montmatre. It’s such a beautiful part of Paris and just feels so Parisian, even if a liiittle touristy (perhaps an understatement). My favourite route from Hardware Société is up past the back of the Sacré-Cœur, and along Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, then round onto Rue Cortot. Stop off at the Musée de Montmartre if you enjoy visiting museums – it’s a really lovely little museum that won’t take too long to visit.
After visiting the museum you can then walk down to see the famous pink restaurant, La Maison Rose. From there you can then walk down Rue des Saules and down the back roads towards Le Moulin de la Galette, which is a famous Parisian restaurant in an old mill.
From there you can then walk down Rue Tholozé, which is a super cute Parisian street, and keep walking all the way until you get to Café des Deux Moulins, which is the cafe where Amélie worked in the film, Amélie. Walk down to Blanche station (and have a quick photo outside the Moulin Rouge), and get the Metro to Charles de Gaulle – Etoile, which is where the Arc de Triomphe is!
14:00 – Champs-Élysées
The Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, home to the Arc de Triomphe, and a number of famous French shops such as the beautiful Guerlain store. There’s also a large Sephora! I love walking down it and just soaking up the atmosphere and doing a bit of shopping.
When you get to the roundabout at the far end of the road (the opposite end to the Arc de Triomphe), make a right-turn onto Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and keep walking until you get to the river! This guide is going to involve a lot of ‘Flâneuring’, which is the French art of strolling and observing.
15:00 – Pont Alexandre III Bridge & Eiffel Tower
You’ll end up at the Pont des Invalides bridge, and here you’ll see the Eiffel Tower over the River Seine! This is actually my favourite view of the Eiffel Tower – I much prefer it to the more close-up views. It’s just such an iconic Parisian image to see the Eiffel Tower across the river.
From here you should walk up to the Pont Alexandre III Bridge, which is a beautifully ornate, late 19th-century arched bridge in a Beaux Arts style. Keep walking up the Port de la Concorde to the Place de la Concorde.
15:30 – Relax in the Jardin des Tuileries
Now, you’ve been walking for a while, so it’s time to have a rest. Head over to the Jardin des Tuileries, grab a crepe and a drink from one of the many kiosks or cafes in the park, and then find a chair in a shady spot beneath the trees and take a break. I took a book with me and read my book in the shade for half an hour, and it was pure bliss. It’s also the perfect place for people-watching!
After you’ve rested a while, walk through the park. If it’s winter and you’re doing well for time (which is more likely if you haven’t been to the Museum in Montmatre earlier), I highly recommend going to Angelina for hot chocolate. However, if it’s summer or you don’t have a huge amount of time, then keep walking through the park to the Louvre.
You’ll need a longer trip to Paris to go inside the Louvre as it’s so huge, but it’s still nice to see it from the outside and take a photo!
16:30 – Walk to Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Walk across the Pont du Carousel bridge, into the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area. Stroll up the Rue des Saints-Pères towards Boulevard Saint Germain, which is the main road that cuts through this quarter of the 6th arrondissement. Saint-Germain is hands down my favourite quarter in Paris – it’s so beautiful and elegant!
17:00 – Early Dinner at Café de Flore
I have so many favourite restaurants in Paris – but La Gare, Cafe des 2 Moulins, and Hotel Amour are the three restaurants I always go to. So this time I decided to go somewhere different, and went to Café de Flore, one of Paris’ oldest and most iconic coffeehouses, which is famous for its celebrity clientele over the years.
Because of it’s iconic status, it’s usually touted as being very touristy, but actually, when I visited, I was surrounded by locals who had popped in for a late afternoon drink and bite to eat!
I enjoyed a delicious croque monsieur, along with a glass of champagne and a bottle of Orangina. It was honestly so dreamy and much more relaxed than my usual La Gare and Hotel Amour. I sat there for ages just watching all the people go by, and loved the friendly waiters and atmosphere of this historic restaurant.
18:30 – Food Shopping at Monoprix
After dinner head across the road to Monoprix Dragon on Rue de Rennes and get some foodie bits to take home to London with you! I personally always buy the Fig & Nut Boursin, bags of Orangina Haribos, and I love taking home a crusty french baguette.
I also used to buy BN’s, but they’ve finally reintroduced them to the UK so we can get them at home now. I recommend taking a fold-up tote bag with you so you can carry it home more easily.
19:00 – Notre Dame and Shakespeare & Co
Now, get the Metro from Saint-Germain-des-Prés to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame (the pink line – number 4). The Notre Dame is currently closed due to the restoration after the fire in 2019, but you can still see the outside of this magnificent cathedral!
On a back-street just across the river from the Notre Dame, is Shakespeare and Company, one of the most famous bookshops in the world. When I visited, the queue to get in was absolutely huge and I didn’t have time to wait, so I just snapped a quick photo and made my way back to the Metro. But if the queue isn’t big, I highly recommend you go in and take a look around – maybe buy a book as a souvenir!
21:13 – Return home on the Eurostar
And finally, it’s time to head home! You’ll need to get to Gare du Nord about 45mins before the train departs. The last Eurostar departs at 21:13, so make sure you book this return train so you can maximise your day trip to Paris! You’ll want to get to the station for 8:30pm, so get the Metro from Notre Dame around 8pm just to be safe.
A day trip to Paris is absolutely doable and such a lovely way to get out of London for the day! It is tiring to see so much in one day, but so, so worth it.
Thank you to Original Travel for sponsoring this post!
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of SEO at Havas Media Group by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
